And No One Had a Gun
By koopharper
@koopharper (7601)
Canada
October 23, 2018 5:13pm CST
Driving home from work today I came across a small group of cars blocking the road. The one car had a pretty good bruise around the driver's side headlight and there was what looked like a good size deer dead on the side of the road. Turns out the buck wasn't dead. He started flopping around with two very badly broken back legs. The right thing to do of course would be to euthanize the poor beast as quickly as possible. The people from the gaggle of cars were trying to arrange that. I just don't understand how this many people deep in hunting territory, most of them wearing hunter's camo (it's high fashion in New Brunswick) and nobody has a gun with them. Best I could do was a box cutter - vs terrified antlers and hooves? I don't think so. I chickened out and passed on the opportunity to become a local legend. Fortunately, the farmer living not far from us pulled up behind me. His son lives just down the road from there and is well equipped to deal with the issue. Hopefully, the buck's ordeal ended quickly. I didn't stick around. I would've just been in the way. In any event, someone has a full freezer.
8 people like this
9 responses
@1creekgirl (41445)
• United States
23 Oct 18
I like to have venison in the freezer, but I sure don't want to see an animal suffer.
2 people like this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
23 Oct 18
It was hard to see. No one wanted him to suffer. We just didn't have a way to shorten it handy. I would have been pretty happy with a full deep freeze.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
24 Oct 18
I don't think even hunters enjoy seeing the animal suffer. Everybody stopped and everybody wanted to see the situation brought to a merciful conclusion. Collisions with wildlife here is commonplace, though. I've been fortunate so far to only hit relatively small critters. You can get deer whistles that attach to your vehicle. They supposedly scare the deer away from the road as you drive. I've had them before but the glue failed in hot weather and they fell off. I can't vouch for their value.
2 people like this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
31 Oct 18
@LadyDuck I believe that's the same list I looked at.
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (38780)
• United States
24 Oct 18
That's too bad, I would hate to have seen that. Glad to know someone was nearby to handle it.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
24 Oct 18
It is a shame. Poor beast. Glad I'm not the one who hit it. Granted I generally don't drive as fast as some people back in here.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
24 Oct 18
@hereandthere There is a lot of wildlife in the area. When mating season begins they get a bit stupid about crossing the road. It's important to be careful.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
24 Oct 18
@koopharper so it's an area where deer crossings do happen?
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5644)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
29 Oct 18
I can't imagine the poor deer.
My dog got killed by a truck. I was so sad back then...
My dog used to jump like a deer sometimes when he lloked for something while running.
Do the hunters eat deer meat ?
Who took the photo ?
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5644)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
1 Nov 18
@koopharper thanks. I'm sorry to read hunters hunt deers and eat their meat. If it happens that the deer die from a car or needs to get killed after a car accident to suffer no more, I understand. Hunting is cruel.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
2 Nov 18
@stringer321 In this province hunting is still an important source of food for many people. I wish I was in a better position to take advantage of this resource. Food here is not all that cheap and with all our other expenses this would provide us with some welcome relief. Without hunters deer and bear populations at the minimum would become a problem. Coyote/Wolf crossbreeds are already a problem. If you have a strong stomach watch a documentary on how wolves hunt large prey. A hunter with a rifle is rarely intentionally cruel around here. Hardly anyone here does it "just for sport" or trophies neither of which I condone. This isn't true in a great deal of the world but it is here.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
31 Oct 18
Deer meat will rarely go to waste in my area. Hunters generally eat what they kill. The picture came from pixabay. If I don't have an appropriate photo of my own, I often go there for their free use photos. Sorry to hear about your dog.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
24 Oct 18
why were its legs broken? was it hit by a car?
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
24 Oct 18
Yes, it was hit by one of the cars blocking the road. The car sustained .significant damage as well
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
24 Oct 18
I pity the deer, but he should not agonize for so long. Did they butcher it?
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
24 Oct 18
Somebody would have come to euthanize it and then yes it would have been butchered.
@ilocosboy (45156)
• Philippines
24 Oct 18
I agree its better to end the suffering of the buck than letting it live in pain.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
24 Oct 18
There was no way to save him. Too badly injured. We were close to the Atlantic Wildlife Institute and they will take in animals with minor injuries and get them some medical help but they couldn't have done anything more either.
2 people like this
