[Hawker]

Last Sunday I was hawking squirrels at Brighton Rec Area when my bird began moving oddly through the forest. After following him for two hundred yards, I looked ahead and saw a spike buck dragging a hind leg. Two thoughts occurred simultaneously. One, that my bird was feeling pretty ambitious, and two, I wonder if I could run it down. Deer deprived me declined to try since the picture of me sitting on a thrashing deer while trying to call a CO on my cell phone made me laugh too hard to run.

Anyway, swallow your guffaws long enough to tell me what I could have legally done if I had gotten control of that deer. I was not carrying a gun.

 

[fredbear50]

Legally I'm pretty sure you couldn't have done anything, unless you had a muzzleloader or bow (if hunting is permitted where you were hawking) or called a CO or cop to finish it off. Although, I don't think any CO would write you a ticket for finishing a wounded deer off by slitting its throat.

Reminds me of a story I heard a few years back of a fisherman in Grand Rapids that was attacked by a buck along Plaster Creek. The hunter defended himself from the buck and eventually killed it by beating the deer over its head with a 2X4. However, when the fisherman tried to keep the deer, it was taken away by a CO. Sounded like a rotten deal to me, but such is life sometimes.

 

[brokenarrow]

Im not from Mich. But I would say (guess) you legally could of done nothing to, it period!. Until you get the ok from the sheriffs or the dnr, by me, you cant harrass any deer unless you are hunting it!
Good choice you made! Besides you would of probably lost the snow wrestling competion big time.

 

[Thunderhead]

Grabbing onto any wounded deer, especially a buck still on his feet is a good way to get seriously hurt if not killed.

 

[Pinefarm]

This one's all your's Boehr.
I'll let you break the news to Hawker.

 

[Beave]

Not to pick nits, but if he was in posession of a valid license (assuming he purchased a combo but didn't fill it or something), why couldn't he have jumped it?

I don't ever recall reading anything that says we can't get our deer in hand-to-hoof combat.

I mean, it'd be pretty dang stupid, but would it be illegal?

 

[Steven Arend]

I don't ever recall reading anything that says we can't get our deer in hand-to-hoof combat.

It is illegal to:
Use snares, traps, cages, nets, pitfalls, deadfalls, spears, drugs, poisons, chemicals, smoke, gas, explosives, ferrets, weasels or mechanical devices other than firearms, bows and arrows or slingshots to take wild birds or animals, except as provided by trapping rules or special permit.

 

[Steven Arend]

I thought you could was a Blowgun to take small game? I've used slingshots to take smallgame.

 

[Hipskindt]

I have killed one deer in my life by hand to hoof combat. It was hit by a car and had two broken back legs. I ended up killing it by cutting its throat but it did kick me two times with its front leg before I killed it. I would not recommend this method to take down a deer but when you are 16 years old you might try something that might not be the smartest thing you have ever done. I did tag it as a bowkill because it was during bow season. This was 1985. I don't know if I would try it again but at the time I thought I was doing my part to put her out of her pain. I was covered in blood and bruised badly when it was over. The morale of the story is don't underestimate the power of a mature Whitailed deer.

Tom

 

[boehr]

Legally, you could have done nothing.