Question Concerning Proper Discharge

[turnerdye1]

i have been thinking about this and i thought id put it on here to see what you guys think

i few years ago i hit a dear while driving. my car was totaled and the dear was laying on the side of the road still alive. i called the police and reported the incident and what not. the cop that showed up shot the deer to finish it off and to put it out of its misery

if this would happen again and i go ahead and shoot the deer before the cop showed up, would that be conisdered a reasonable reason to shoot my gun?

 

[Love the 1911]

I honestly wouldn't risk this. As a non-emergency situation (as compared to an animal attacking you), discharging a firearm opens you up to not only criminal charges (recklessness with a deadly weapon) but to civil charges as well. If the deer must be put down, the responding officer may allow you to do it, but I would ask first.

 

[Mike H]

In a town I wouldn't, out in the country I would. A knife with a 3" or longer blade would work nicely, I've finished off a bunch of them that way in a hunting situation.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

DO NOT try to finish off a deer with a knife!!! If you're lucky you will get it done, if not, the deer may kick the crap out of you at the least. My father hunts with a guy that was almost killed this way, needless to say that buck got "the better part" of him and now at deer camp we call him "lefty"(he has since started carrying more than 1 bullet, great white hunter syndrome). As far as discharging a weapon, I think there's a law about being 500ft from a roadway/residence or something to that effect....

 

[singlestacksig]

if it is to prevent suffering, i would go ahead & shoot it.. call conservation cops right away.. if local cops cite you for it .. fight it in court..
anyone but the most extreme would probably not make an issue of it..

 

[88E30M50]

The only reference to the 500' from residence rule that I've found pertains to shooting in the Hoosier National Forest. If outside of city limits, you would probably be fine but may not be if inside city limits. Last fall, we had a racoon with distemp in a neighbors yard and they called the sheriff. I asked the sheriff about legally putting it down myself with a 22 and his response was that it was perfectly legal, but recommended that we contact the sheriff office first just in case they get a 'Man with gun' call from a neighbor that does not know what's going on. He went on to say that they'd be happy to send a car out to watch, but would let one of us do it to save them the paperwork needed when they discharge a weapon.

Long story short, I think it would be Ok in a rural setting but it probably would be a good idea to put a call into the sheriff office to let them know.

 

[DFM914]

As humane as it sounds, i would not risk discharging a firearm to dispatch an injured animal along a roadway. The State Police or other LEO can do this without any problems. Just not worth the risk regardless of your sympathy for the deer.

 

[gunsisgood]

if this would happen again and i go ahead and shoot the deer before the cop showed up, would that be conisdered a reasonable reason to shoot my gun?

Yes of course,
This is another case where its better to do the right thing rather then do the legal thing.

 

[jedi]

Long story short, I think it would be Ok in a rural setting but it probably would be a good idea to put a call into the sheriff office to let them know.

In most towns/cities in NWI there are local ordinance with DO NOT allow the discharge of a firearm other than for defensive use.

 

[youngda9]

Yes of course,
This is another case where its better to do the right thing rather then do the legal thing.

I agree with you...but it's the judge that will need convincing

 

[Gump]

I found myself in this situation on Sunday. A deer had been hit ( hit and run) and was lying in the ditch with bones sticking out of hind legs. I went outside with the intention of shooting it, but had second thoughts with it being right next to the road. Called local sheriff dispatch to tell them the situation and they (of course) told me not to shoot it ,that they'd send an officer right away. So I waited there for about 10 minutes and was just about to go ahead and shoot it myself when a deputy pulled up. When no traffic was coming, he shot her right through the top of the head and ended her misery. I told him I was fixin to shoot her myself, and I don't think he'd have cared. Next time I'll probably just end the misery and go back in the house.

 

[turnerdye1]

wow a lot more responses then i thought there would be. since i totaled my car id have to call the police so i dont think i would shoot it. but if i was out in the country somewhere and i could drive home i probably would

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I'm torn on this. On one hand I would hate to let an animal suffer needlessly, on the other I would hate to be charged and/or convicted of a poaching crime. I have heard of that happening but no I don't have any cites, just word of mouth. If I was in an area that discharging a firearm was legal.... I might. But I would definitely think long and hard about it. I've hit one deer and if I had a firearm with me I may have put it out of its misery. And it would probably have been legal to do so, the deer had a broken back and could not get up. But it could of just been temporally stunned.

My brother had a dog that was hit by a car, he went and checked it and it was just lying there. It wasn't moving, eyes were open tongue hanging out, didn't seem to be breathing, didn't react when he nudged it with his foot. He went back to his house to get a sheet to wrap/drag the dog back with and when he came out it was at the door. He told me later he danged near peed himself(not his exact words), he thought he was seeing a ghost.

He took it to the vet and had it checked out, no real injuries just some bruising and such. The dog limped for a couple of days then was fine. The dog was about 80lbs and was hit by a car doing 50-60 ish. Yes the dog should of been named lucky.

Similar situation with a deer and you put it out of it's misery well....