Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: JW_Halverson on January 14, 2010, 10:37:47 pm
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My last tag filled just last weekend. I had been seeing this three legged muley doe in the backyard, the end of her right hind leg was shot completely off and the muscle on the hips had atrophied. She didn't seem to be in a lot of distress, but she had to really work hard to stay with the rest of the herd and had horrible trouble with getting up from laying down. I talked with the neighbors on Friday nite and they all agreed if I had a shot it would be best.
Well, she showed up the next morning with about 6 other does and fawns, but she seemed to stay on the far side of the herd and wouldn't give me a shot. Finally I walked thru the yard towards her and scattered the others, giving me a 12 yd shot at her broadside. I have NEVER felt so keyed up and fevered as for that shot. My left leg looked like it belonged to a bad Elvis impersonator the way it was shaking and trembling! I made a bad shot, spined her, and then proceeded to drop 3 more arrows into her chest to anchor her. Knowing that I had to kill her because of her weakness put undue pressure on me and I almost blew it.
I feel like crap, I hate the way I had to do this, and I am certainly not proud of my poor shooting. I certainly wouldn't call it "fair chase" because it was one of "my backyard herd", but I couldn't watch her continued suffering thru what has already been a nasty and brutishly cold winter here.
Sometimes hunting is not glorious. Sometimes it is not pretty or picturesque. Sometimes we hunters are called upon by our ethics to end the suffering of one of the living and we must not shrink from that duty no matter how distasteful it may be. I have already been called to task by several "hunters" for wasting a buck tag on a crippled doe and it was all I could do to not drop kick those horn-porn idiots into next Tuesday. I had to post this to get it out of my system, kinda like a confession or a session of therapy. Thanks everyone for hearing me out.
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Thanks for doing the right thing. Especially since it was the hard thing to do. I hope when I'm called to do something like that I can carry it through.
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I think you did a very noble thing and I applaude you for being unselfish. Some people just don't understand. I think if it was me, though, I would have just head shot her with a .22.
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good on you for putting her down - that ain't an easy thing to do sometimes
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JW...I am sorry that You had to put down a Resident Doe....it's hard to kill something that You watch and feed on a Daily Basis .... We have a Bunch that come to my Buddies Yard daily that We have a Feeder out there for...and about three year ago...I had to put down a Buck in His Back Yard that had been hit by a Car (head Hit)....and it was not what He wanted to do either...So I shot Him with a Browning Buckmark Pistol to end His misery...he was not going to make it with a Broken Jaw and blinded right eye...so it was the Humane thing to do...as was what You had to do....as for the Rack Hunters...tell them to go Piss up a rope....You did the right thing.......JMO
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JW, you did well.
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You did the right thing for sure,Like Mullet I would have probably used a rifle.I have had to do that before with road hit deer,it ant pretty or pleasureable but has to be done,and the right thing to do.
As for wasting a buck tag,you can't eat horns. ;) :)
Pappy
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You're a good man, JW. Don't worry about your shooting. My guess is, that spine shot was probably a blessing to her because it most likely paralyzed her and she didn't feel the rest.
I believe that what you do to and for other people or other animals is not forgotten, be it good or bad. And your intentions for this animal could not have been better. The spirit of that animal thanks you.
Coyote Pup
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JW: You did the right thing. She would have suffered much worse if the coyotes had got her. Three years ago I could have shot a huge trophy herd bull elk, but there was a much smaller bull with a bad hind leg that was having a rough time keeping up with the herd so I shot it instead. Could have left it for the wolves, but just thought this young fellow had suffered enough! Drawing a bull tag in this area is very difficult and may be the last I will ever draw, but I just could not see that fellow suffering! Had to make hamberger out of the whole carcass for fear of infection. Last year we had the game wardens shoot a young bull moose that had a broken leg. Could give you several more examples, but you get the point. Just know in your heart that you made the rest of us proud! Joe
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My last tag filled just last weekend. I had been seeing this three legged muley doe in the backyard, the end of her right hind leg was shot completely off and the muscle on the hips had atrophied. She didn't seem to be in a lot of distress, but she had to really work hard to stay with the rest of the herd and had horrible trouble with getting up from laying down. I talked with the neighbors on Friday nite and they all agreed if I had a shot it would be best.
Well, she showed up the next morning with about 6 other does and fawns, but she seemed to stay on the far side of the herd and wouldn't give me a shot. Finally I walked thru the yard towards her and scattered the others, giving me a 12 yd shot at her broadside. I have NEVER felt so keyed up and fevered as for that shot. My left leg looked like it belonged to a bad Elvis impersonator the way it was shaking and trembling! I made a bad shot, spined her, and then proceeded to drop 3 more arrows into her chest to anchor her. Knowing that I had to kill her because of her weakness put undue pressure on me and I almost blew it.
I feel like crap, I hate the way I had to do this, and I am certainly not proud of my poor shooting. I certainly wouldn't call it "fair chase" because it was one of "my backyard herd", but I couldn't watch her continued suffering thru what has already been a nasty and brutishly cold winter here.
Sometimes hunting is not glorious. Sometimes it is not pretty or picturesque. Sometimes we hunters are called upon by our ethics to end the suffering of one of the living and we must not shrink from that duty no matter how distasteful it may be. I have already been called to task by several "hunters" for wasting a buck tag on a crippled doe and it was all I could do to not drop kick those horn-porn idiots into next Tuesday. I had to post this to get it out of my system, kinda like a confession or a session of therapy. Thanks everyone for hearing me out.
Great post,.......I could see, feel and understand completely your trepidation approching the moment of the shot
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What you did was completely natural and right. You hunted the weakest of the herd. Her life was hard and if she had offspring it would have made it hard on them. A few years ago we had a wounded doe that had had her shoulder blown off by a rifle. Of course, my father didn't have a doe tag. Later on she had two fawns. She eventually died, unfortunately I think it was one of the lunatic drivers around here that finally got her, and the two yearlings, who followed her when she could never keep up with the herd, were lost. One was taken during that season and the other was, again, hit by a car.
All natural predators hunt the weakest of the herd. It's natural and most beneficial. Fools who hunt that are hell bent on bagging a big buck by any means are not hunters, they're mistakes. It's one thing to limit your selection to a big buck if you want the challenge, but to make that the entire purpose of hunting is disgusting.
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My hat is off to you, sir. You are a true hunter. I admire what you did greatly.
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Yes sir,you did the honorable thing.I'm sorry for the trouble you had,but,your action was right. Living around livestock, and enjoying all animals,including wildlife,I've had to deal with this same thing myself,and I feel your pain.If it happens again,it won't be any easier,but someone ,(you or me ),has to take responsibility to show true mercy. God Bless
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Ya know you did the right thing not the fun thing,dont dwell on or beat your self over the shot.Who shoots well with the neighborhood watching,Dave.
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I feel that you did the right thing. Maybey it wasn't glorious enough for the antler eaters, but it was the right thing to do.
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Thank you all for your posts. Without exception, you are people that I admire and your input means a great deal to me. Like I said in the original posting, the idea was to try to purge this from my system, or get it outa my head. For several nites I dreamt of chasing that doe around the neighborhood with a broken arrow in my hand, never quite catching her. The dreams have stopped and I feel a good peace about her now. It also helps that her notch-eared fawn is still hanging around the back door hoping I will spill more birdseed on the way to the birdfeeder!
Thank you all again, I cannot imagine a group of hunters with higher standards and ethics anywhere.
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J.W....I feed them all year long at my Lease...and take litterally thousands of Pictures each and every Year of them frolicking around...and my Buddy Brad and I feed them in His Backyard...to keep them from going across the Highway to the Hunters Feeders...and getting run over on the Highway...We have Deer in there by the dozens in the hardest part of the Winter...they even Bed Down in his Yard when the North Winds blow...it is really cool to have them around...as long as you don't try to tame them...We won't go near them We just make sure that there is plenty of Milo and Corn for them all Winter long...but no Contact with Us. People can't understand how I can be this way...and still go out and Hunt...and I tell them ...If I have to explain it...you won't Understand...and leave it at that..
And rest assured...You did the right thing.......
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big medicine man. well done. you did the right thing. I had to kill a car doe the other week with a knife. it was on the side of the road still breathing and i ahd to finish it with a blade. almost got into a fight with a man in the process but well done man right thing to do
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Don't mean to change the subject, but Huntertrapper, what was the "almost" fight about?
CP
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Two big older guys came up to me and started cussing saying i was disrespecting the deer and i told them i was one to know respect and that they needed to let me do what i had to do. im 18 aint no need for mouth battles between me and 40 year old guys.
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Hunter, good for you. Sounds like you handled the situation with courage and dignity.
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yes, sir. aint nobody steppin on my toes. ;D
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Go back to where she gave up her life so that you and your family could live. When you are at the spot put a little tobacco on the earth and say a prayer to honor the spirit of this doe and thank her for her sacrifice. Her gift to you is life. The difficulty of the kill was probably a test and you passed the test. Posting your heartsickness was probably part of the whole thing, everything is a circle.
Use all the parts of this animal if you can.
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That little doe yeilded 23 lbs of the toughest hamburger God ever let walk the earth! She's so tough you can't hardly get a fork in the gravy. I guess it's her way of thumbing her nose at the predator that took her life. Guess I am going to have to make jerky sticks outa the burger.
The two cannon bones from the front legs went to a traditional hide tanner who will give them to braintanning class students, she also gets the hide. What little fat on her has been trimmed and rendered into tallow for making soap later this summer, the sinews were saved for backing a bow, the thigh bones are in the freezer for roasting on a campfire for bone marrow snacks, the other leg bones go to the dog for sheer pleasurable gnawing time, etc. Yeah, she did not live in vain and I will not let her death be made pointless by waste.
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well done man. exactly why i love this sight. true people using an animal for more than horns and bragging rights. and dido on the tobaco offering and prayer to the great creator
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The secret to dealing with tough meat is my jerky recipe!
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup Yamasa shoyu (Use real shoyu; Kikkoman's will work. La Choy is just a chemical formula. Don't use it.)
1/4 cup Bragg's Unfiltered/Unpastuerized Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Wright's Hickory Liquid Smoke
3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
And the secret to tough hamburger is my Russian Shchi recipe!
1 pound hamburger, browned in skillet with Worcestershire sauce
1 large potato, diced fine
1 medium turnip, diced fine
1 jar sauerkraut (Bubbies or Gundelsheim)
2 quarts of beef broth
1 16 ounce can of tomato sauce
Dill, salt, and pepper
You need to get the broth boiling and add the potato, turnip, and browned meat. Then reduce heat and let simmer for an hour. Then add sauerkraut and tomato sauce. Simmer for half an hour. Add dill, salt, and pepper to taste. If you like more liquid, use hot water to rinse out the tomato sauce can and the sauerkraut jar and add to pot. Or add more broth. This soup will make any tough hamburger good.
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Now Tasalgi...I'll have to try this recipe...I have never had it with Sauer Kraut....always made it with just Boiled Cabbage...and Beef Stock
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Yes, Summer Shchi uses fresh cabbage. Winter Shchi uses sauerkraut. It's delicious!
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You are a good man. I am sure it was a hard task, but good men do what is right even when it is not the easy way to go. You are a prime example of why I find the primitive hunter's mindset most refreshing.
Chasing Crow