Dispatching injured roadkill?

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May 13, 2008
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leeds
A good big rock slammed down on the head.
I know it feels sad to do that, but if you havent wrung an animals neck (and I havent) it may be difficult, especially on an animal thats injured, they can react violently.
a friend of mine recently ran over a rabbit. It was in that much pain it was literally screaming. He rang everybody he could to get someone to come and kill it because he was scared to do it himself, but it was suffering so much he couldnt leave it. He was crying when his mum got there and the rabbit had died from its injuries. He felt really guilty afterwards that he wasnt able to do it himself and end its pain, so its good youre asking these questions, I suppose its useful to know the best answer.

sorry m8 but that is verry inhuman and i dispach quarry for a living like i say the best yaw is ither a nife strat to the hart or kneck them
 

scanker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 15, 2005
2,326
24
52
Cardiff, South Wales
On the contrary, I think it's very human. As many of the posts above have indicated, the taking of a life is something that doesn't come easy to many, myself included. Granted, if you do it for a living or do it a lot in your hobby, then I expect it becomes easier, if not easier, then certainly more "matter of fact".

On one of the few occasions when I've had to do such a thing, our cat had mauled a feral pigeon in the garden. It looked like it had a broken wing and some holes in the torso, so wasn't in a good way. I had to work myself up to dispatch it. It wasn't something I found easy at all. I was conscious that it was the right thing to do and to do the right thing meant making a proper job of it. I twisted and pulled in an effort to wring its neck and the head came clean off in one hand, the body in the other. That was a bit of a shock and as I said, fairly unpleasant.

I think it's unfair to say they were inhuman.

Unless you mean inhumane. Yes it may have been better to dispatch the animal earlier, but it's a difficult task that not everyone can perform. It's unfair to say someone is in the wrong IMO, because of their inability to perform the task. They're not being deliberately cruel, they just can't physically bring themselves to do it.
 

TallMikeM

Need to contact Admin...
Dec 30, 2005
574
0
54
Hatherleigh, Devon
we get a fiar amount of this at work, for small stuff we generally use the big stick or rock approach, for big stuff it's either captive bolt or shotgun/ firearm.
Not one has failed to effect me, but it's just part of the job, just a consequence of an area of "wilderness" surrounded by and threaded through with busy roads..
 

firecrest

Full Member
Mar 16, 2008
2,496
4
uk
sorry m8 but that is verry inhuman and i dispach quarry for a living like i say the best yaw is ither a nife strat to the hart or kneck them.

Like somebody pointed out - you do this for a living. it takes less skill to hit something hard with a rock or heavy object than it does to break its neck. For someone with no skill its far more humane.
On a side note, Are you typing in text talk? It makes it harder to read.
 
May 13, 2008
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40
leeds
ye agreed if u put it like that i woodant say it gets eseyer bore a case of repect for the quorryin a way t is hard to explan i still feal giltey in a way wen i do it
 
Apr 21, 2008
3
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Sonoran Desert
He best way to do it is to not just pull on the neck, but rip the head completely off, If you go bird hunting alot, you now that that is the best way to do it. You know your doing it right if the windpipe comes all the way out with the head when you pull.
 

firecrest

Full Member
Mar 16, 2008
2,496
4
uk
tiggerhawktrainer - I respect what your saying but please!!! I cannot read half your post when you write in text talk!
 
R

rdevonshire

Guest
tiggerhawktrainer - I respect what your saying but please!!! I cannot read half your post when you write in text talk!

I believe I recall tiggerhawktrainer explaining that he was dyslexic. In past, when we have handled dyslexic customers - they found it much easier to use text orientated language to structure their sentences.

:)
 

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk
Apr 10, 2007
8,245
5
58
Ayrshire
If you come across a Badger by the roadside,if it's safe, check if it looks like a roadkill.

The reason is that some 'baiters' put Badger kills there to disguise their 'kills'.
As do those who've caught them in a snare.

Any doubts,call you're local wlo via your local nick.

Thanks.
 

firecrest

Full Member
Mar 16, 2008
2,496
4
uk
I believe I recall tiggerhawktrainer explaining that he was dyslexic. In past, when we have handled dyslexic customers - they found it much easier to use text orientated language to structure their sentences.

:)

Well I hope I haven't caused any upset!

I always had real trouble spelling (presumably dyslexia, I have other learning related disabilities) I use the spell check on firefox which highlights as you write. My spelling has improved dramatically, infact I hate the bull dyslexics and other LD people are fed throughout school which leads them to imagine they can't help themselves and thus live up to low expectations.
 

Staghound

Forager
Apr 14, 2008
233
0
54
Powys
www.mid-waleslogbuildings.co.uk
Slightly off topic, but a couple of years ago I saw a red kite by the side of the road not far from home. I stopped to have a look thinking it was probably dead and found it was still alive, with no obvious injury, so I picked it up and put it on the back seat to take to the local vet. :drive: To be honest I didn't expect it to survive as, in my experience, large birds when hit by cars have generally died fairly quickly from internal injuries. In this case however a couple of miles down the road the kite suddenly woke up and started flapping like a mad thing. It came over the back of the passenger seat and I found myself trying to drive with a panicking bird with a five foot wing span sharing the front of the car with me :eek: Luckily it was a quiet country road so I could stop, catch the bird and put in a cardboard box I had in the car t'was an interesting few minutes though. Anyway happy ending took it to vet who checked it over, it then went to the nearest wildlife "hospital" from where it was re-released to the wild. Made me glad I'd stopped and also that I hadn't "dispatched" this one.
 

taws6

Nomad
Jul 27, 2007
293
2
Anglia
Well my worst nightmare was recently realised when I found a seriously injured deer on a quiet country road.
I guessed it hadn't been there for long before I came to it.
I stopped to see if I could help, but it was very apparent there was nothing that could be done.
A couple of cars passed, and noone else stopped.

It was the last thing I wanted to do, but found the courage to run her over a couple more times, and in less that a minute it's suffering was over.
This really affected me, and brought me to tears a couple of times after.

Well I was late leaving work that day, by 40 /45 min. The next day other members of staff told me that they too had seen the injured deer, squeaking in pain, unable to move, on their way home.
And they never stopped? Two 'Adult' men, in too much of a 'rush' to even consider this poor animals suffering. Guess they must of had something real important to do.
How many people passed by and never stopped? Mabey someone had phoned for help and gone on.

I am now glad I had the courage to help this poor animal, as it's suffering had gone on long enough.
I only wish I had the courage to do it quicker, or that I could take my gun everywhere I go, just on the off chance.

I'm not saying this for a 'pat on the back' or anything, I just thought this info might help out someone else who finds themself in a simular situation. I just pray you never do.
 

Mike Ameling

Need to contact Admin...
Jan 18, 2007
872
1
Iowa U.S.A.
www.angelfire.com
I've killed and butchered small and large animals on the farm for years. The only difference between them and an injured animal on the side of the road is a less ... controlled ... confinement area.

I usually have my wood "club" in the pickup under the seat. It's a broken off pick handle about 2 feet long. That weight on the big end takes care of most situations.

Plus I have an assortment of ... knives ... floating about in the truck also.

But my method to dispatch an injured animal mostly depends upon if I want to save and eventually eat the animal. And always keeping in mind the various "wild game" rules/regs.

It happens, and I treat it just as matter-of-fact-ly as the animals we raise. It's never easy, but just a part of life. And YES, I know where my "once bloody meat" comes from - it sure ain't from the store in those plastic wrapped packages!

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
 
If you come across a Badger by the roadside,if it's safe, check if it looks like a roadkill.

The reason is that some 'baiters' put Badger kills there to disguise their 'kills'.
As do those who've caught them in a snare.

Any doubts,call you're local wlo via your local nick.

Thanks.

Very true.

For those of you in Scotland, should you see a dead badger at the roadside can you note the details (area/ date/ time etc) and take two minutes out to report it on the the Scottish Badgers website.
Similarly if you know of a sett, send them the details as well.

http://scottishbadgers.org.uk/

In Edit / Please use the Incident Report in the drop down menu of the Contact Us section. Ty

It concerns me though that so many people are prepared to dispatch the likes of deer and worse still dogs at the side of the road with no vet training or prior medic experience.

Just as well I havent followed those rules of thinking when dealing with similar human casualties!!!!!

Humans survive with intestines out, animals do as well, but leave that decision up to those that know please eh? Particularly where family domesticated pets, covered by insurance and sadly therefore more likely to get the best (and expensive) treatment are involved.

Many deer can be rehabilitated after RTA's and there are many voluntary organisations, aside from the SSPCA / RSPCA that have the neccessary facilities and experience to do so and will come out at all hours given the chance.
 

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk
Apr 10, 2007
8,245
5
58
Ayrshire
Find out if you've a wildlife rescue centre in the area and keep a note of their tele. no.

If you happen on an injury call them for advice as they have volunteers all over who could come and help and take the animal to a vet or the centre.

The Police (well they used to) if in attendance can call out a vet to treat or dispatch wildlife casualties,the bill being met by them.
 
Find out if you've a wildlife rescue centre in the area and keep a note of their tele. no.

If you happen on an injury call them for advice as they have volunteers all over who could come and help and take the animal to a vet or the centre.

The Police (well they used to) if in attendance can call out a vet to treat or dispatch wildlife casualties,the bill being met by them.

Indeed Barn Owl and you have one of the best volunteer organisations right on your doorstep!
 

Mike Ameling

Need to contact Admin...
Jan 18, 2007
872
1
Iowa U.S.A.
www.angelfire.com
It concerns me though that so many people are prepared to dispatch the likes of deer and worse still dogs at the side of the road with no vet training or prior medic experience.

Just as well I havent followed those rules of thinking when dealing with similar human casualties!!!!!

Humans survive with intestines out, animals do as well, but leave that decision up to those that know please eh? Particularly where family domesticated pets, covered by insurance and sadly therefore more likely to get the best (and expensive) treatment are involved.

Many deer can be rehabilitated after RTA's and there are many voluntary organisations, aside from the SSPCA / RSPCA that have the neccessary facilities and experience to do so and will come out at all hours given the chance.

Here in North East Iowa, we have a deer/vehicle accident every day or two within 50 miles of me - there are that many deer running around, even after the annual fall deer hunting season. So very few people try or even think about ... saving ... an injured deer. Less so a free-roaming dog on the road or any of the smaller animals.

Even the local Humane Societies gave up trying to save any. They just don't have the time/resources to do so. Plus their "mental attitude" has shifted from that of their national leader -- who equates a boy to a dog to a rat! When she declared that a few years ago, she lost many many converts to her cause!

And if a dog is free-roaming on the road, then it is the fault of the OWNER of that dog. It is THEIR responsibility to control THEIR animal. The local courts and police treat it just like a farm animal wandering onto the road and getting hit - the farmer's fault. Plus the insurance companies see it the same way. Whomever owns that animal that was out on the road and got hit is responsible for any/all expenses incurred by the driver of the vehicle. The only exception is natural wildlife - where the State is not responsible for their actions.

But that has not stopped a number of people from filing lawsuits and trying to get the cops to arrest people who ended up hitting their dog while it was free-ranging on the road - especially if the person who ended up hitting it did not stop to try to find/inform the owner. Those people have been very surprised when they ended up getting ticketed for allowing their dog to run around uncontrolled, and also got the bill for the repair of the damaged vehicles.

If YOU wish to try and save/rehabilitate an animal that has been injured, then please do. But don't expect anybody else to pay for it. And if you want to equate that animal life to human life, that is your choice. But few others believe that - other than some hard-core vegetarians.

Just my humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
 

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