Deer Strike - what should you do?

[ChrisPackham]

A bit Of a tenuous link to Clay Shooting, but hopefully this will provoke some good advice to benefit others.

At dusk today when I was returning from clay shooting, the lady in the car infront of me hit a Muntjac deer.  The deer ambled out in front of her and she couldnt really avoid the collision, we were probably travelling at around 20 - 25mpg going through a small village and it just came out of a roadside hedge.

Obviously she stopped, as did I and the traffic coming the from the other direction.  Unfortunately the Muntjac was not dead but quite badly injured, we discussed taking it to the Vet but that was 20 minutes away, her car was not road worthy (smashed lights) and it would not fit in my car, no one else offered  The Muntjac was in a bad way and the thought did cross my mind of putting it out of its misery as I had my clay gun and cartridges in the car, but quite a crowd had formed.

Suddenly the poor thing struggled onto 3 legs and dragged itself into an adjacent field and darkness, feeling there was little I could do I left the lady phoning the AA and headed home.

i phoned the game keeper of my local estate which is about 20 minutes away and he said he would try to find out whose land it was on and what could be done.

I feel awful leaving the creature to suffer, what else should or could I have done?

 

[Sian]

How distressing for you all but unfortunately I don't think you are able to do anything with your gun unless you are licensed to dispatch and then it would probably not be a shotgun.  I may be wrong.  Horrible for you.

 

[Bebo]

Call 101 and report it to the police who will get a Deer Warden to attend. That's what Sussex police advise anyway.

 

[ChrisPackham]

Thanks, not a great end to the day.. Although the poor Lady was very upset, it really wasn't her fault.  It's a shame because in less traffic at 15 mph faster (40 limit) the Deer wouldn't have suffered.

 

[andypandy]

Call 101 and report it to the police who will get a Deer Warden to attend. That's what Sussex police advise anyway.

Exactly what Staffordshire Police do, especially around Cannock Chase. 

 

[woody]

as well as a serving officer my cousin is also a member of his local deer management group and a keen stalker. As mentioned above, a call to 101 will get one of the group out 24/7. He's Lincolnshire but i know Sussex is the same. 

 

[Ian Lawrence]

My goodness! That animal has been left to suffer all in the name of polical correctness.

That is wrong! So badly wrong!

At the very least it should have been restrained and taken quickly to a place where it could have been safely dispatched. Can nobody make a decision anymore without recourse to "The Authorities?"

I'm not intending to make anyone feel bad here. But you asked what I would have done and that is it.

 

[ChrisPackham]

My goodness! That animal has been left to suffer all in the name of polical correctness.

That is wrong! So badly wrong!

At the very least it should have been restrained and taken quickly to a place where it could have been safely dispatched. Can nobody make a decision anymore without recourse to "The Authorities?"

I'm not intending to make anyone feel bad here. But you asked what I would have done and that is it.

interesting, I wonder if you would have done that with a crowd forming..

i can see the call to armed response ... 'there is a man murderring animals in the village'

 

[Ian Lawrence]

interesting, I wonder if you would have done that with a crowd forming..

i can see the call to armed response ... 'there is a man murderring animals in the village'

"At the very least it should have been restrained and taken quickly to a place where it could have been safely dispatched."

Not necessarily by you, but it needed doing by the sound of it.

PP, I was not inferring it should be done by you and in front of that assembling crowd, nor across someone's beautifully manicured lawn. (I know from experience what a mess it can make)

Swiftly and sensitively all round is the way, but you have to make your own decisions and live with the consequences. I can tell you are upset by this, as I would be if I could not have acted in such a way. Nobody wants this situation to occur in the first place, but it does happen and needs a measured response when it does. A fact of life (or death) I'm afraid.

Just my views PP. This happens every day but we don't always get so close to the situation.

 

[Nimbusgb]

I very much suspect that getting your gun out and loading it in a public place would have, at the very least, cost you your licence. As someone above said, all in the name of political correctness.

We live next to the Ashdown forest and there's about 1 incident a day on average on the roads I drive regularly. Even if I was the driver, it was late at night and I was on my own with the gun in the boot I wouldn't take the chance of dispatching the animal myself even though it would probably haunt me for months!

Dial 101 and let them sort it, ( you'd need the incident number for your insurance anyway )

 

[Bebo]

You'd definitely have had the police there quickly if you'd got your shotgun out to put it out of it's misery.  Doubt you'd be using it again for shooting clays afterwards though.  Ignore anyone who suggests you should have.

I suppose an option would have been to run it over with your car to finish it off.  Not sure I could have done that though.

 

[Sian]

I was wondering whether breaking its neck would work.  Personally I couldn't.  Im finding this a bit distressing now so moving on.

 

[Ian Lawrence]

Yes, I guess the two above posts by Nimbusgb and Bebo are correct.

It is, after all, always someone else's responsibility, and the interests of the animal's suffering count for nothing? A simple act of kindness is all that's required.

A sad old world it's turning into isn't it?  :bye:

 

[Hamster]

In a desperate situation a knife inserted into the head/brain cavity via the ear would work (old countryman trick for foxes) but we simply do not have the authority to despatch large animals involved in traffic accidents hence why every area seems to have a number of volunteers trained and equipped to deal with these matters.

As for trying to restrain the beast   sorry but might sound plausible in a chat room but in practice it would be a no no because you're very likely to cause the deer even more damage not to mention distress. High on adrenalin and shock it may be some time before it begins to feel real pain. 

It's a no win situation but I would be loath to play hero in front of a group to try and kill it. 

 

[Bebo]

It is an offence to be in possession of a loaded shotgun in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

So unless you had lawful authority you'd end up in a situation where you'd have to demonstrate that you had reasonable excuse.  Certainly arguable, but would you want to end up in court having to have that argument?

It's also an offence to discharge a shotgun within 50ft of a public highway if it results in injury or damage to anything or anyone - including the highway itself.

Again, would you want to risk it?

It isn't abnegating responsibility to get someone who is properly trained and lawfully allowed to do the job required.

 

[ips]

this is a quandary that's for sure.

despatching with shotgun absolutely not

trying to restrain it, good luck with that

knife job, in front of a crowd rather you than me.

call the rspca let them deal with it.

i would not beat yourself up over this, you were in a difficult situation,

 

[Dog Tyred]

Horrid situation. I feel bad when I run over a squirrel or hit a bird.

Had a near miss myself last winter. Driving down a dark country lane I saw a large deer (female) trotting across the road about 100 yards in front. Slowed right down expecting there to be more and when I passed the point at which it crossed I noticed a sodding great big stag standing right at the rood side watching me go by!! Gulp!!

Never seen a deer on that road before or since, which I've used daily for 16 years.

DT

 

[Darkside]

I've done a bit of 'dispatching' RTA's for my vet, I've seen my vet administer leathel injections to wild deer and  I've seen other vets dispatching deer by leathel injection (very badly)...in the situation PP was in, my thoughts would be, cover the animals head with a jumper/jacket/blanket/cloth bag, basically anything that stops it from being able to see. Once in the dark, deer/horses/cattle/most animals tend to stay still and calm. Do not call the RSPCA, call the police, explaining you have had an RTA with a wild deer, your location and describe to them the status of the deer as best you can, the police will then contact either a vet or if they have one, a local authorised person to deal with or dispatch the RTA victim. 

Unless you know what you are doing, I would not recommend trying to dispatch a deer with a knife, you must have a certain level of confidence and competence with a knife to do it humanly, without injuring yourself in the process. The public might freak out watching it be done and the police may just take a dim view on it too!!!

I've done it at the side of the road, with a poilice officer present before, the deer's intestines were hanging out, it's pelvis shattered, but was still concious and 'crying'...not nice!!! The best place is at the axis joint, downward through the spinal cord, kneeling on the body, just behind the shoulder, ideally from the back. Hold the head firmly tucked forward, slip the point of the blade between the axis joint, down through the spinal colum, little wiggle, pull out the blade and place it safely to the side, hold the beast flat and let the legs kick until the nerves stop.

 

[Sian]

I knew I should not come back to this subject.  Very informative but just about done me in.