Ethics....

[snapper]

I've been deer hunting for the past few weeks and twice now I've seen a big (I mean big) gobbler who is wounded. I don't know how he got wounded (car, spring season, fox, yote etc...) but the first time I seen him he was limping really bad, but getting along fine. The second time (about a week difference) he fly's fine, however, he could barely walk. He kept falling down and having a real hard time moving.
My question is...if given the chance would you take this bird even if your season (fall) hasn't started yet? If he isn't harvested during the fall season, I don't think he will make it through the winter. There is no question he got worse in just a week. I don't know if he can even roost seeing how he can't even hardly stand. What would you do...let mother nature play out his fate, risk getting caught and put him out of his misery, or what?

[buckbuster11]

Hmmmm........if I knew where he was hanging out I think I might just wait until the fall season.

[LifeNRA]

[ QUOTE ]
Hmmmm........if I knew where he was hanging out I think I might just wait until the fall season.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto

[BowtechTurkeyHunter]

[ QUOTE ]
Hmmmm........if I knew where he was hanging out I think I might just wait until the fall season.

[/ QUOTE ]

deffinately ...

[Strut10]

That's a sticky one.

I don't think I could, in good conscience, kill the bird out of season......... unless he was incapable of moving. In other words, he was definitely going to die in that spot whether I killed him or he died on his own.

[NY911Bowhunter]

I say the same as all of the posts.

Contact your DNR - see what they say - as if you don't know already!

[Covehnter]

I'd do the same.

[wishinone]

I would kill it, to end it's suffering. I douth it would be fit for human consumption, and am suprised a yote hasn't found and killed it.

[snapper]

[ QUOTE ]
Contact your DNR - see what they say - as if you don't know already!

[/ QUOTE ]

See, thats where my prob. comes in. The question at hand is about ethics, not law! Man made laws, but only God can give you ethics. My heart tells me that if God was there, he would have ended the birds misery. However, I'm not God and don't want to pretend Iam. But do I listen to my gut/heart and think I'm doing the right thing. At the same time risk getting fined and losing hunting privilges?

[Bow Hunter Derek]

If you are concerned about being busted by the law, then practice the old 3 S's ... Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up.

We don't even have a fall season here in Indiana (next year). But I can tell you that if a big tom or hen is hobbling around and it is obvious that it will not make it on it's own, then I'm putting an arrow in it. Some things are bigger than the law. I'd shoot the animal and make the best use possible of the meat. I doubt I'd tell the DNR as they would just turn it into more hastle than it would be worth.

I'm generally a "by the book" hunter, but there comes a point when common sense and ethics must come before the law.

[Bruce Schmeck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Contact your DNR - see what they say - as if you don't know already!

[/ QUOTE ]

See, thats where my prob. comes in. The question at hand is about ethics, not law! Man made laws, but only God can give you ethics. My heart tells me that if God was there, he would have ended the birds misery. However, I'm not God and don't want to pretend Iam. But do I listen to my gut/heart and think I'm doing the right thing. At the same time risk getting fined and losing hunting privilges?

[/ QUOTE ]

God is there! It's the natural order of things for this kind of occurrence. If you want to try to take him legally when the season opens I say go for it. Otherwise, let nature take it's course. While none of us wants to see something needlessly suffer, nature will take care of it if the bird is that bad off. A predator of some sort will put an end to the suffering and have itself a meal.

[buckee]

Well, I think you know what I would do. Some things are best unsaid

[snapper]

[ QUOTE ]
A predator of some sort will put an end to the suffering and have itself a meal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Guess your missing my point Bruce, aren't we (humans) animals? Aren't we predator's? The only thing stopping me is "man" made laws!

Not trying to start any big debates here, I won't even be back to that area before the fall season starts, so I personally won't kill that bird illegally. Just one of those things that keeps sticking in my head. Wondering if I did the right thing and let him go...wondering if he's still alive...wondering if he's dieing a slow death...wondering if something/someone else put him out of his misery...wondering if maybe he just got into some bad bugs and was stoned!!!! Just sorta bugs me that I didn't shoot him.

[borch]

Well I know what I'd do. Part of my personal ethics is that I will hunt lawfully.

Certainly I hate to see any animal suffer. And if such a bird would cross my path during legal season I'd end it's suffering. Otherwise I'd give it chance to recover(these are tough birds and you never know) or become food for the many natural predators that aren't governed by man's laws.

Just my take on it.

Borch

[fisherguy]

Unfortunately if your season is not open yet i would say that is still poaching. Sucks, but thats nature. Just hope you get a crack at him during the fall season and if not nature will take its course and the scavengers will get him.