spandit Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Living in East Sussex, there are a lot of RTA deer issues around and my FEO did say I am allowed to humanely dispatch animals, despite not having a deer calibre. Should the circumstances align that I'm out and about with a rifle and come across an injured deer (or hit one myself!), where's the best place to shoot one point blank to put it out of it's misery? We get quite a few down our road so only a matter of time before one gets hit. Should I then use the 12-bore, .223 or .22LR? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 12 Bore. Safer at close range, less worry about bullets bouncing around off the road. 22lr not that it wont do the job but i wouldnt like to get near some big rack thats thrashing around my leg,groin level Its a topic thats been done a few times on here, Rambo has even put in his appearance with his Bowie knife to the back of the head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Can one legally then butcher & eat said deer? I know roadkill isn't legal if you actually run it over as it could be perceived as deliberate but this doesn't quite fit into that scenario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, far to much risk of interfering public and misinterpretation of the law ending up in a problem. Humane despatch does not necessarily mean in any circumstances on any land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Reading up on it a bit more & I think you're right. That said, if it happens right outside my house I'll use whatever means possible to end the suffering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Call the police and let them deal with it as you will be entering into a legal mine field and its you FAC that may suffer, if there are a lot of deer in the area then I'm sure there will be something set up already. Your FEO is correct, though anyone can dispatch a deer that is injured to save further suffering. Would you stand on the side of the road without knowing who is responsible for that land and shoot pigeons ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Shotgun is your tool of choice. There is a 'public interest' test when it comes to raising a prosecution for a crime. By having the means to dispatch the animal and not doing so you are potentially opening yourself up to a prosecution for causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. That would be an absolutely robust defence if challenged about permission to shoot. What the police absolutely cannot do is give you permission to break the law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Wow now! I have done a reasonable amount of this and trust me you don't want to go looking for it. If I was away from my home patch and accidently hit a deer with my car I should dispatch it but not with a gun even if I was carrying one. I also regularly finish hares, pheasant and other wounded animals left by other motorists if safe to do so and appropriate and I don't use a gun on them either (I just hate leaving stuff to die slowly and even get annoyed with others for making no attempt to even run over it again etc). You don't need to be selective about which firearm and if you don't know were then don't - is this not basic stuff for someone who hunts with guns? I don't really understand why you don't already know if you shoot stuff, what do you do if you shoot a fox and its still not dead when you get up to it? Roadkill deer are full of adrenalin as such will not taste right and should not enter the human food chain as you don't 100% know whats happened inside as regards contamination. I would never kill one then just help myself to it - it could be seen as poaching rather than an act of humanity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Shotgun is your tool of choice. There is a 'public interest' test when it comes to raising a prosecution for a crime. By having the means to dispatch the animal and not doing so you are potentially opening yourself up to a prosecution for causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. That would be an absolutely robust defence if challenged about permission to shoot. What the police absolutely cannot do is give you permission to break the law. A very fair final point and 99% of coppers haven't a clue on how the law stands in this regards and in my experience don't want to check either. I like that defence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_sti5 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 A friend of mine is a deer warden and his gun of choice is a .22lr to the head and has never had 1 problem with it in all the years he has been dispatching, however he has jut been offered a .38 acp to do the job in there words "more humainly"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 phone the police...they have a list of "oncall" registered dispatchers...........not sure but there is i think a new law out that the carcass has to lay where it was dispatched.....enviromental and all that...some sort of EU rubbish...........can anyone confirm this ? or correct me ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_sti5 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I don't believe that's the case as all the deer my friend has dispatched are taken back to his land and left for Mother Nature to take place or put on the bonfire heap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 A friend of mine is a deer warden and his gun of choice is a .22lr to the head and has never had 1 problem with it in all the years he has been dispatching, however he has jut been offered a .38 acp to do the job in there words "more humainly"! Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Funnily enough, just got another newsletter from Jelen Deer offering their safe dispatch course! Kent, I apologise, of course the police only ever grant licences to those who are fully experienced shooters with vast breadth of knowledge and expertise. Having a licence I should have known that. Perhaps we should close this forum down now as people asking any question should already know the answer... Funnily enough, just got another newsletter from Jelen Deer offering their safe dispatch course! Kent, I apologise, of course the police only ever grant licences to those who are fully experienced shooters with vast breadth of knowledge and expertise. Having a licence I should have known that. Perhaps we should close this forum down now as people asking any question should already know the answer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I spend much of my day driving around the same sort of area and I've often thought the same thing. I've almost hit a couple of roe and one fallow and see the occasional victim by the side of the road (they always dissapear within an hour or two though). If I saw one hit by a car I would stop and at least attempt to put it out of its mysery, I'd also then shove it in the boot and take it home. I can't see why adrenalin would be a problem for a deer killed by a car but not a problem for a deer killed by a bullet to the chest? Both will flooded with adrenelin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 One of the main reasons that you don't eat roadkill is the possibility of quite a list of issue's with the carcass. The risk of health of the Deer prior to the RTA, yes you can check glands, liver, etc but rather difficult if the liver is ruptured very likely scenario, the animal could all ready be suffering from septicaemia for example, or any other bacterial infection. Whatever the reason it's your choice, but dont invite me for dinne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Wow now! I have done a reasonable amount of this and trust me you don't want to go looking for it. If I was away from my home patch and accidently hit a deer with my car I should dispatch it but not with a gun even if I was carrying one. I also regularly finish hares, pheasant and other wounded animals left by other motorists if safe to do so and appropriate and I don't use a gun on them either (I just hate leaving stuff to die slowly and even get annoyed with others for making no attempt to even run over it again etc). You don't need to be selective about which firearm and if you don't know were then don't - is this not basic stuff for someone who hunts with guns? I don't really understand why you don't already know if you shoot stuff, what do you do if you shoot a fox and its still not dead when you get up to it? Roadkill deer are full of adrenalin as such will not taste right and should not enter the human food chain as you don't 100% know whats happened inside as regards contamination. I would never kill one then just help myself to it - it could be seen as poaching rather than an act of humanity. Adrenalin would go after hanging a deer. All those engine room shot deer would be full of adrenalin aswell. It's always recommended to hang deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 I spend much of my day driving around the same sort of area and I've often thought the same thing. I've almost hit a couple of roe and one fallow and see the occasional victim by the side of the road (they always dissapear within an hour or two though). If I saw one hit by a car I would stop and at least attempt to put it out of its mysery, I'd also then shove it in the boot and take it home. I can't see why adrenalin would be a problem for a deer killed by a car but not a problem for a deer killed by a bullet to the chest? Both will flooded with adrenelin. True about the adrenalin. Hit deer before, wouldn't eat them, right mess. Take them home for dog food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 One should remember Deer belong to people once they are dead and that's the landowner or legal owner of those sporting rights. I have always asked if the carcass is to be removed by myself of the appropriate person as applicable. Not in my wildest dreams might I put one on the table, I have used a few for dogfood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 A number of posts have been removed. Keep the personal vendettas off this Forum, we do not need them, nor will we tolerate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Adrenalin would go after hanging a deer. All those engine room shot deer would be full of adrenalin aswell. It's always recommended to hang deer. The effect of adrenalin would not go after hanging. A chest shot deer is dead very quickly, not so in the case of an RTA. If you wound a deer and spend an hour chasing it to finally dispatch it you end up in the same situation. And they say there is no need for formal training....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadioles Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 It is not quite so simple as to say that adrenalin taints meat. In fact adrenaline does not have any taste. It does , however, trigger a number of chemical responses in the body. When an animal is frightened or stressed several hormones are released, one is adrenaline and a couple of others are epinephrine and norepinephrine but it is not those hormones themselves that taint meat, it is the effect on glycogen levels in the muscles and consequently the build up of lactic acid and the pH of the meat. If road kill deer is known to have been quickly and very recently killed and it looks like a reasonably healthy animal, there is no reason not to consider eating it. Badly bruised meat is not, in my view, particularly palatable but depending on how the animal was struck, the damage could be minimal. Judge each case on its merits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobt Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 and if the reason it was standing in the road was TB or foot and mouth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 The effect of adrenalin would not go after hanging. A chest shot deer is dead very quickly, not so in the case of an RTA. If you wound a deer and spend an hour chasing it to finally dispatch it you end up in the same situation. And they say there is no need for formal training....... Totally agree with you there apache, also there are not many that could observe the health of the living deer in the split second it launches from the verge into you grill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadioles Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 (edited) and if the reason it was standing in the road was TB or foot and mouth? Eating the muscle tissue from either TB or Foot and Mouth infected animals will not cause a problem when cooked and consumed by humans. A good venison steak from either animal is quite harmless assuming no other significant health issues. No. I would not eat meat from an animal where its health was in doubt despite knowing those facts. In the case of TB, there is plenty of TB infected meat entering the human food chain. Where there is money to be made........ Redgum said: "also there are not many that could observe the health of the living deer in the split second it launches from the verge into you grill." I had this image of a considerate deer launching itself onto my bbq grill - then realised he meant the front of his car.... Edited July 19, 2014 by dadioles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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