When Should I Consider a Mercy Killing?

Every hunter understands nature is harsh. Deer and other big animals often lose limbs, shatter their legs, or are injured by rivals’ horns or antlers. Many wounded animals will strive to survive if they escape their attacker. Usually, they lose the battle. If an infection doesn’t develop, the animal will have trouble in winter or from natural predators. So, it may be time to consider mercy killing hunting.

We can end an animal’s suffering more mercifully than mother nature would permit. Should we, though? This complex ethical dilemma has no simple solutions. But we are going to explore them here.

When to Perform Mercy Kill Hunting

• Injuries to Limbs or the Back

Years ago, a doe with a coconut-sized tumor on one of her rear legs used to live in my hunting area. Other hunters may have concluded she was close to dying. But, to my surprise, I saw her for five or six seasons. 

I had her at full draw from my stance but preferred to let her go. I could not do mercy killing hunting. I admired her resilience. 

We often believe deer and other animals’ injuries or illnesses are fatal. Yet, these animals can surprise us. Indeed, you may find online many cases of hunters who watched wild deer living for years lacking a leg. Thus, check the wound’s freshness using binoculars since a limping deer is not always dead.

Likewise, observe how easily the animal moves to determine its survival capacity. It may hobble without showing pain. But, if it is still standing, and every step seems painful or has trouble standing, it may be the moment to shoot it.

Except for extreme cases, I am cautious about always putting down a deer with back or shoulder injuries. Possibly, it is not close to succumbing unless the deer recently got a shot.

Also, some hunters think they should shoot deer with warts. But papillomavirus-caused cutaneous fibromas are harmless and clear away on their own. 

• Head or Jaw Injuries

If a deer’s jaw is broken or has severe oral injuries, it cannot eat and has limited chances of survival. Thus, you should harvest any “Bullwinkle deer.” A food impaction damages the jaw and can trigger a deadly bacterial infection.

Besides, many bucks suffer head injuries that can develop into abscesses in fights with rivals. Only antibiotics can treat these bacterial illnesses. Without them, deer with brain abscesses are likely to die. Therefore, if you believe a deer has one, you can make mercy kill hunting.

However, assess each animal individually. EHD or CWD can cause deer to lose their fear of humans and appear lethargic. These deer may appear healthy, but they may be suffering. Hence, watch the animal's body language for tiny clues. If anything is wrong, then decide.

• Tag Use and Natural Selection

Each hunter chooses how to use tags. In some states, you may only get one buck tag a year and be unwilling to kill a small suffering deer. If you make a mercy kill on a local animal, notify a conservation officer to know whether you can get a new tag. 

One may say hunters do not need to shoot an animal merely because it is badly injured. Nature has wolves, coyotes, bears, and other predators to prey on the ill and injured. 

Most of us cannot take seeing a deer or other animal with a broken limb or in misery. Thus, we want to end its agony immediately. As predators, it may be instilled in us to do what wolves, bears, and coyotes do: take care of the sick and weak.

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