Mercy Kills - Legality?

[cnelk]

Spinning off the other Mercy Kill thread…


At what point is it legal or illegal to ‘mercy kill’?

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I'm guessing almost anywhere it is not legal if you don't have a tag for it or someone else tags it. In WI it would be legal for someone else to tag it if they're close to you. Not sure about other states.

 

[WeiserBucks]

It's always legal if you have a tag and place said tag on the animal you shot. Case closed.

 

[wapitibob]

ORS 498.016
Taking crippled or helpless wildlife​

• Text
• Annotations

Nothing in the wildlife laws is intended to prohibit any person from killing any crippled or helpless wildlife when the killing is done for a humane purpose. Any person so killing any wildlife shall immediately report such killing to a person authorized to enforce the wildlife laws, and shall dispose of the wildlife in such manner as the State Fish and Wildlife Commission directs.

 

[fngTony]

ORS 498.016​

Taking crippled or helpless wildlife​

• Text
• Annotations

Nothing in the wildlife laws is intended to prohibit any person from killing any crippled or helpless wildlife when the killing is done for a humane purpose. Any person so killing any wildlife shall immediately report such killing to a person authorized to enforce the wildlife laws, and shall dispose of the wildlife in such manner as the State Fish and Wildlife Commission directs.

What state is this?

 

[WeiserBucks]

What state is this?

Oregon, where a heroin ticket is less than a speeding ticket.

 

[swavescatter]

Unless you're holding a tag for that animal, my guess is that killing any managed species for any reason without game and fish approval is going to be at least technically illegal. This is such a slippery slope of "humane" actions that I don't think it should be condoned categorically.

Sure - an animal is unable to move and missing half it's body after being hit by a car. But a deer with a still lit arrow nock walking around? An elk limping a bit or with a broken leg? Nah, unless you have a tag to punch.

 

[Jethro]

It's always legal if you have a tag and place said tag on the animal you shot. Case closed.

Provided hunting season is open and it’s during legal shooting hours.

 

[Rich M]

Discretion is useful in some instances.

 

[KsRancher]

Illegal in Ks unless you want to tag it. Or get a salvage tag for a vehicle hit deer. But I wouldn't shoot it without getting in touch with sheriff dept or game warden first letting them know you want it.

 

[kpk]

I once passed a doe that was hit by a car on my way to work. It was in the middle of a busy highway and obviously paralyzed. I called both DNR and sheriff to see if I could put it out of it's misery before the morning traffic picked up (I'm certain someone would've called me in had I done it without permission). I was told NO by both. Felt pretty bad for that deer.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Oregon, where a heroin ticket is less than a speeding ticket.

Are you sure about that? I thought they quit issuing tickets for heroin.

 

[Dos Perros]

@cnelk https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/Regulations.aspx

 

[LongWayAround]

I once passed a doe that was hit by a car on my way to work. It was in the middle of a busy highway and obviously paralyzed. I called both DNR and sheriff to see if I could put it out of it's misery before the morning traffic picked up (I'm certain someone would've called me in had I done it without permission). I was told NO by both. Felt pretty bad for that deer.

Weird.

I hit a deer with my truck just after dark once and called the warden about finishing it. He asked a few questions and told me he had a long day so he wasn't coming out, but I was free to shoot the deer and take it.

 

[Kindo]

Took me 8 hours to finally give a mercy kill in WI a couple years ago.

My bird dog pointed a nice 10pt while out looking for roosters with a buddy one morning and we found a bedded buck that couldn't get up with an arrow through the guts. The poor thing was all emaciated and had been there for a while. Seeing as how I hunt that area frequently, I didn't want to dispatch with my shotgun and had left my knife at home. Took me 8 hours of being passed back and forth from DNR to County Sheriff to get in touch with the warden who told me we could only intervene if we had a tag for the animal and took it via a legal weapon for the season. So I tracked down a buddy to buy a bow tag and we hiked back out to dispatch him. Tried to salvage meat but it was all ruined and he had already lost a lot of muscle mass.

Sad deal that is way too overcomplicated. Probably that way because some a**hat used the excuse or abused it in a nefarious manner. If I didn't hunt that area frequently, I probably would've just taken care of him on the spot but I didn't want any potential headaches.

 

[rayporter]

Ohio
found a deer during shotgun season that had a wound on its back. I could see bone and sinue but it was mobil.

called GW and he said “ if you shoot it, you tag it”

 

[ElGuapo]

What is right, and what is “Legal” are not always the same…..

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Just call the local agency first if you’re in an area with cell coverage. Usually they will ask you to handle it and let you take the meat if you want.

I wouldn’t risk losing my hunting privileges over an illegal “mercy kill.”

 

[Mt Al]

It's always legal if you have a tag and place said tag on the animal you shot. Case closed.

^^yup^^
In Montana saw a wounded mulie buck and called FWP to ask the mercy killing question - they said you can shoot it if you tag it. No mercy killing.

Saw a just-paralyzed buck on an exit ramp last year, called MT Highway Patrol with the location and they said a Patrolman or FWP would kill it and thanked me for not mercy killing.

 

[TaperPin]

In a strict state it will be treated just like poaching.

Ive called in a few jaw shot antelope over the years and stayed around following it from a distance to save the game warden some work, although they are generally easy to see standing around with half a face.