Will he make it?

gameland

gameland

Twelve Pointer
Got these pictures along with about 50-60 more of this button head this afternoon. He stayed in front of the camera for 3 hours yet hardly ever ate any corn. What do y’all think caused these injuries? I know deer travel but a yearling doesn’t really travel far and there isn’t any main roads close by but I can’t tell if he got hit by a car and busted him up or if he was shot? Left leg is busted open and you can see the bone. Right side almost looks like he was shot with buckshot or road rash? I’m wondering if he will make it or if I get the chance should I put him down? I hate to see any animal suffer but I know these animals we chase are super tough and can heal up from injuries
 

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Shockgobbles

Six Pointer
I'm not the most experienced in this matter, but to me it looks like that injury happened 3-4 days ago, not today. He doesn't appear to be actively bleeding or anything like that. I'm no vet so I'm not sure if there's any way to tell from the photos if there's any severe infection going on but to my eyes it doesn't look like it. I would think if it was buckshot to his right side he would be dead right now and not be moseying around a corn pile, but like I said I haven't dealt with this situation very much at all, personally if I saw him tomorrow I'd probably shoot him, but he may well make it. I'm sure some others will chime in who can tell more
 
Newsome Road

Newsome Road

Ten Pointer
He looks hunched up in all those pictures. My guess is that the yotes are winning that battle right now, or will very soon. I think in a vacuum style environment he would heal, but I think nature will intervene before you get the chance.
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
Odds are definitely stacked against him. A well placed bullet would be much more humane than a pack of coyotes. I normally say, "just let nature take it's course", but in his case, someone has already intervened, might as well clean up their mess. Don't know that I would try to salvage anything , though. Possums and buzzards gotta eat, too.
 
gameland

gameland

Twelve Pointer
Dan Apple said:
Looks like someone made a bad shot.

I’d leave it up to nature, it’s not my place to decide if he lives or dies.
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I can see the bad shot on the leg but the opposite side is what is confusing to me. Looks like road rash or buckshot.
 
Firedog

Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
JONOV said:
Isn’t it exactly your choice if you’re a licensed tag holder?
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If it is something worth burning a tag on yes.. for a button head, nope not so much.

To the OP question.. looks like a car got him to me.. that leg wound is to long to be buckshot and a rifle would have basically taken the leg off.. my guess is he will not survive with that wound.. the chances of infection and/or yotes is far too high.. but stranger things have happened.
 

HorNhnTr

Twelve Pointer
If u have the time to hunt I’d hunt and observe him . The wound looks pretty bad... if he looks to have a hard time getting around which he does I’d end the suffering.
 
wncnontypical

wncnontypical

Spike
That is a nasty wound and he looks like he is hunched up and not putting any weight on that leg at all. I suspect he will die in his bed due to sepsis or yotes. Be curious to hear if you get anymore pictures of him, I personally would put him down if he is getting around as bad as he looks like he is but I have a feeling nature will take care of that sooner rather than later.
 
Hunterreed

Hunterreed

Twelve Pointer
That deer is not going to last much longer. Coyotes will end it soon enough. Tag or no tag I am not going to let an animal suffer if I see it. Brings into question if a hunter kills a deer and it turns out to be sick or diseased do you have to tag it to kill it or do you tag it for possession. Also is it wanton waste if you leave a diseased animal in the woods instead of removing it?
 
QuietButDeadly

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If we did not have cameras all over the place, we would not likely have a clue that this deer is out there in this condition. Yet we know that deer get hit by cars on a regular basis. We also know that folks occasionally make bad shots.

If you did not know he was out there in this condition, mother nature would take its course. But since you are aware of his condition, it is your choice to decide what course of action to take. Just keep in mind that a well placed shot is probably the most humane way a deer ever dies.

IMO, this one has other injuries that we cannot see and is not long for this world. His end will probably come from a set of teeth before starvation or infection does him in.
 
Dan Apple

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
JONOV said:
Isn’t it exactly your choice if you’re a licensed tag holder?
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Not in my opinion... I see your point... but if I didn't target that deer or cause his injury then I'm ok staying out of it...

The license doesn't obligate me to kill anything or not.
My license allows me to small game hunt and I don't usually... but if I see a hurt squirrel or raccoon I don't feel obligated to "put him out of his misery" either...
 

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
Dan Apple said:
Not in my opinion... I see your point... but if I didn't target that deer or cause his injury then I'm ok staying out of it...

The license doesn't obligate me to kill anything or not.
My license allows me to small game hunt and I don't usually... but if I see a hurt squirrel or raccoon I don't feel obligated to "put him out of his misery" either...
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What does the bolded have to do with it? Whether it was by your hand two weeks ago, the bumper of an F150, or lightning striking a tree limb, why does your previous involvement or lack thereof have anything to do with killing a crippled deer? I'm not criticizing you for not killing it per se, just don't totally understand the thought process. If nothing else I'd honestly want the coyote bait away from my hunting grounds so as to hopefully have fewer coyotes around.

Helium said:
Put him out of his misery… before nature does cruelly
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^That's what I'd lean towards...I'm not saying one is wrong not to. But why wouldn't you?
 
Dan Apple

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
JONOV said:
What does the bolded have to do with it? Whether it was by your hand two weeks ago, the bumper of an F150, or lightning striking a tree limb, why does your previous involvement or lack thereof have anything to do with killing a crippled deer? I'm not criticizing you for not killing it per se, just don't totally understand the thought process. If nothing else I'd honestly want the coyote bait away from my hunting grounds so as to hopefully have fewer coyotes around.


^That's what I'd lean towards...I'm not saying one is wrong not to. But why wouldn't you?
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we all think differently I reckon.
I don’t get caught up in feeling responsible for things I didn’t have anything to do with…. I have enough responsibilities already.

Evidently others feel that they should ‘Do’ something and end his suffering.

I don’t think either is wrong or right.
 
bowhuntingrook

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Will he make it? Make it tell when? Next year, no. In my opinion, he's dieing right now and since all he's got is coyotes and no veterinarian, sepsis, emaciation eventually if not yotes.
 

huntngolf

Six Pointer
dont know what is on side of him but if those are buck shot holes he would be dead already unless just shot. Leg looks worse but i have actually killed 2 deer that were 3 legged and didnt know they had only 3 legs until i walked up to them. Their will to live is amazing but i probably would shoot this deer if i saw it hunched up and limping walk by me
 
Aaron H

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I do taxidermy and took a deer into my cooler for a week for a guy. The young buck had a horribly broken front leg which had grown back together. The leg bone was huge- almost baseball bat sized and that leg shorter than normal from the splintered bone coming back together. I'd say the injury was probably an auto or maybe a very poorly placed gun shot. The short of it is that as bad as that broken leg was he had healed and was full bodied and healthy otherwise. That button buck might feed the coyotes, he might die (I doubt it) or like the deer in my cooler he might recover and be chasing a doe next year. I would let him be and wish him well.
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
dc bigdaddy said:
exactly, Mercy killings do not get tagged. drag them away from a bait pile if you need to and leave them for the possums and worms to take care of.
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Homebrewale said:
I rarely ever suggest someone break the law but in this instance shoot the deer and don't burn a tag.
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I shot a long range doe once, and when I got there, discovered it had EHD or some other nasty funk. Eyes sunken, backstraps recessed, I mean, this heifer looked BAD. I wanted nothing to do with it, just drug her into the woods, didn't punch a tag, and haven't missed a night's sleep.
 

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
woodmoose said:
you kill him hunting you tag him
Anything else is advocating poaching or wanton waste
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Agree...
And we have 6 tags in NC so what's the big deal burning an antlerless tag?

Wanton Waste is an interesting question. We don't, in this state, have Wanton Waste laws that I'm aware of (could be wrong.) To me it's interesting, no one thinks twice about tossing a yote or raccoon. If the animal is legally taken and accounted for (tag requirements, etc) then from a biology perspective, it doesn't much matter. And what if I decided I wanted to shoot some deer to grind up and feed to the dog? The main value of Wanton Waste laws is to keep slobs from giving hunters a bad name.
 
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