Hypothetical. Injured deer - how would you despatch?

[al4x]

A policeman cannot give you permission to enter private property and dispatch an animal, ONLY the landowner can do so.

 

so you never get calls from the police to deal with RTA deer and despatch them at the roadside or on the land nearby with the police there?

 

may have changed but used to go out on these calls regularly, funniest bit as far as ownership of the carcass is concerned is that one of our local bobbies used to be butcher so more than a few were loaded into the back of police cars I'm sure all hell would break loose if that happened now

[apache]

so you never get calls from the police to deal with RTA deer and despatch them at the roadside or on the land nearby with the police there?

I never said it doesn't happen, but legally the police can't give you that permission. You are ok by the roadside, but could be an issue on private land. Any I have shot have been at the side of the highway [although a few have vanished completely by the time we get there]

[Dirty Harry]

In all honesty if the police asked you to dispatch a wounded deer at the roadside or on private property you *** would be covered. If someone moaned about it it would fall on their shoulders.

If we get a report of a dead deer a call is made to highways or the council to dispose of it. If someone is with an injured one we have a list of approved people who we can call to dispatch them.

I know officers who have been with injured deer when members of the public have arrived and been able to dispatch them. Job done and the animal is not suffering anymore.

I think the overiding issue being humane and I don't know any landowners, police officers or shooters who would disagree.

[Durham-laddie]

If the animal is on a motorway the Highways Agency will send a duty vet to come and sort it / take action.

 

That can and does take upto 2 hours. Most Road Policing Units will steer a wide berth if they see it and just contact the "wombles".

 

The days of stopping and sorting it out are long gone.

 

You would be surprised how many complaints have gone into RSPCA an investigations carried out.

 

......I have just seem an officer with his boot on a deer's neck :unsure:

[njc110381]

I would most certainly use a knife on private ground. I wouldn't be too sure about letting off a firearm without being given the nod first! These days you could get any comeback, and common sense seemed to go out of the window years ago!

 

If I was given the nod by a copper I'd shoot - hopefully their authority would give them the power to tell me what to do and if they were wrong in doing so it would come down to them not me.

[Albion]

On a highway or footpath I wouldn't hesitate. On private land... depends if it's just off the footpath or a serious case of trespassing, in which case finding the landowner would be 1st choice. Also, injured deer is one thing but injured livestock is different kettle of pooh.

[Colster]

There is also a right of assumption that applies both in this instance and if, for example, you shot and wounded a deer and it made it on to land you didn't have permission on.

 

Unless it could be proved that you knew permission would not be granted, you can "assume" that if the landowner was there, he would grant you access to their land to dispatch the deer... you couldn't apply the same rule to the carcass though, that becomes the property of whomever s land it died on.

[ben0850]

Back in the day when I was unfortunate enough to still be with the ex wife I lived on the north Yorks coast. I had two RTA with deer on my way to the office.

 

This was long before I became interested in shooting etc (plus a suit ain't great clothing for dispatching an animal)

 

I rang the police and they rang the keepers from the local estate who dispatched the deer, the carcass went to te local hunt hounds!

If the same happened again where I live now I'd still give our keepers a shout

[al4x]

On a highway or footpath I wouldn't hesitate. On private land... depends if it's just off the footpath or a serious case of trespassing, in which case finding the landowner would be 1st choice. Also, injured deer is one thing but injured livestock is different kettle of pooh.

 

 

a footpath gives you rights to cross private land not shoot on it , the main issue is once you have a dead deer and a firearm on private land you have the makings of armed trespass / poaching.

[Albion]

a footpath gives you rights to cross private land not shoot on it , the main issue is once you have a dead deer and a firearm on private land you have the makings of armed trespass / poaching.

 

Oops! I was a bit vague. I meant using a knife really. Don't currently have a FAC or SC!

[kent]

gosh aint there a lot of knife carriers the media could have a field day injured deer come in many forms and having to deal with them a few times all i can say is go equiped and ***** everything before acting. By the way the rspca are very keen to procecute someone using a knife.

A realy like that one about the couple reasuring the Deer- i bet it felt very reasured by thier kind words and strokes, wild creatures realy like that sort of thing! did they speak in a deer type voice like Johney Mathis used to on the TV?

[Kes]

Just a point of interest.

A highway is a 'public place' and a footpath is a highway, so is a bridleway and so is a road used as a public path.

From a strictly legal perspective one should not have a loaded gun of any description in a public place.

From a humane perspective and a legal standpoint, a knife would be the best option especially if someone came upon you doing the good deed. You must also make sure the knife is legal and that means it should be less than 2 1/2 inch blade. It is however very messy.

 

I would take the shotgun and a cartridge and step off the highway to load the gun and, if possible, move the deer carefully to the very edge of 'highway' and shoot it.

Its not easy to be caring humane and legal these days.

 

Driving home one evening I saw a woman in a massive 4*4 hit a woodpigeon, feathers everywhere, blood from the lungs, lying flapping in the highway.

Woman - head in hands crying. I'll take care of it, says I, you carry on. It was a main road and other cars were stopping. Are you going to take it to the vet? No i'm going to kill it.

Oh NO you cant do that, and so on - it died in my hand 5 mins later. I should have rung its neck immediately but we all know what sometimes happens and that would have caused a heart attack in the 'killer' driver.

The 'Cling - film' society has no concept of killing for food, even less of humane despatch.

Edited April 18, 2011 by Kes

[Kes]

I checked for items related to humane despatch and weapon recommended.

Its hard to find anything about the topic but for cattle theres a leaflet of advice.

It recommends the use of a .410, 20bore, 12bore, or .22. Suggesting between 4 and 12 inches from a line drawn from the horn bud to the opposite eye and where these two lines cross is where you shoot.

It says be careful using a humane killer - large slow bullet type, as these can travel a mile afte passing through the beast, so centrefires are 'not recommended for despatch.

It carefully adds that anyone who has not done this before could be traumatised by the sight of an animal humanely despatched by a large bore shotgun.

References to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are frequent and as a previous poster has said of the RSPCA, if its not an instant death, i.e. a small knife, would that open the 'humane despatcher' to a charge of 'causing uneccessary suffering'?

What a world we live in.

[huffhuff]

 

... also make sure the knife is legal and that means it should be less than 2 1/2 inch blade. It is however very messy.

 

 

Also for reference, I think this is 3" and must be folding. No fixed blades - unless you can show 'reasonable cause'

[al4x]

forget knives unless you really know what you are doing. A it opens you to prosecution, B it sure doesn't look good if the public see it. C It may surprise you it isn't as simple as you think. and leaves you potentially with an injured deer that can be dangerous to get near they don't tend to sit still and make an easy knife target

[HDAV]

I checked for items related to humane despatch and weapon recommended.

Its hard to find anything about the topic but for cattle theres a leaflet of advice.

http://www.hsa.org.uk/Publications/Guidance%20Notes.html £5 I thought i had a copy but cant find it.

 

http://www.bds.org.uk/use_of_hand_guns.html last paragraph

Many deer are injured (other than by hunting) and require to be dispatched quickly and humanely - road traffic accidents are a common example. In such cases, the BDS believes that any available firearm which can be used safely at close range is appropriate to end the deer's suffering. The law allows the use of any shotgun and any size of shot under such circumstances. Veterinary surgeons and others may have access to "humane killers", which may be free-bullet pistols or captive-bolt devices. The BDS supports the use of either for the humane dispatch of injured deer which can be closely approached using the same charges and calibres as are approved for the slaughter of cattle. The same slaughtering method should be used as for domestic livestock, i.e. a shot to the brain followed by immediate bleeding out - such firearms are never suitable for body shots.

 

 

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/s/00ref/miscellaneouscontents/rspca-rehabilitation/Appendix3.htm

Also has some useful information as to the relevant legislation.

[Dirty Harry]

Kes it is quite lawful to have a large knife with you if you have lawful authority or a reasonable excuse. Dispatching a deer would be a reasonable excuse.

Common sense just needs to be applied if using a firearm for dispatch. If you don't know what your doing or don't think it's safe then don't do it. Ring the police local keeper or whoever just do it quickly. If your down a quiet lane in the middle of nowhere just get on with it. If your at the side of a dual carrageway and you can drag it out of sight then wait for a gap in the traffic and get it done.

 

Harry