Will they survive?

[Spike]

I’m fairly certain the answer is no for the one with his leg missing, but am hopeful for the arrowed one; being a pass through. (2 different deer)

Our one neighbor who hunts with a longbow texted back that he hit one back and high a couple weeks ago, so that’s guaranteed that deer. He was going to try to hunt it the rest of the season; we are out of tags for the year.

The other neighbors aren’t so friendly and shoot at anything; 6 man drives, etc. and I think it’s obvious they shot this one’s foot off during slug season in November. Sounded like a duck hunt on opening weekend

I just feel bad not being able to do anything about it. With a blizzard coming and -30 temps, would rather go out and put them out of their misery rather than be coyote bait.

Merry Christmas everyone

 

[4wanderingeyes]

You could send the pictures to the DNR, and see if they will allow you to put them down, but chances are they will just tell you to let nature take its course. Years ago I had seen a doe with its jaw shot off, so I put her down, even though I didnt have a tag. I called a friend that was also a warden, and he just said he will issue me a tag, and mail it to me.

 

[Bill]

I actually think both those deer are capable of surviving.
Their tough critters.

 

[Troubles Trees]

Deer are incredibly durable, those pictures are tough to stomach but I have gutted a deer (with no apparent external wounds upon shooting or skinning so at minimal happened the year prior) with a broadhead stuck in the far rib and 6” of arrow low inside the rib cage so there is hope.

 

[willy]

I think the one missing/in process of losing the front leg will live and the arrowed one has a good shot. I've had both those type of injured deer survive. The arrowed one looks to be in toughest shape. IF I was to bet, my money is on survival if winter isn't a bitch for them.

 

[ProcraftMike]

Agreed, I think those deer have a decent chance of surviving. They actually look pretty healthy yet in the pics.

 

[Telemark]

I would kill the one with the missing foot.

 

[Spike]

Tripod has officially lost his dangling leg and both antlers. Haven’t seen arrowed deer in the last few days; hoping it fell out and isn’t that noticeable.

 

[buckdeer1]

I had a doe that broke back ankle and foot finally fell off and she lived at least a couple more years having fawns each year.I only saw her on cam never in person.Then I had a yearling broke in same spot and I found her dead in spring.I agree that one was shot off but I think they break more legs than we see.I would see if you can put them down.He must not be ready to shoot a long bow.

 

[SWIFFY]

Ive had several tripods around over the years. They are tough and id bet both will survive fine and the buck will likely be nontypical. I had a spike buck get his leg shot off one year and the next year he was about a 20" wide 6x5 with a crazy 6 point antler.

If you lost your hand in an accident, would you want the doctor to just "put you out of your misery" .... LOL. They are built to adapt and survive. They can always jump in front of a car if they decide they want to end it.

 

[ghilliehunter]

I’m fairly certain the answer is no for the one with his leg missing, but am hopeful for the arrowed one; being a pass through. (2 different deer)

Our one neighbor who hunts with a longbow texted back that he hit one back and high a couple weeks ago, so that’s guaranteed that deer. He was going to try to hunt it the rest of the season; we are out of tags for the year.

The other neighbors aren’t so friendly and shoot at anything; 6 man drives, etc. and I think it’s obvious they shot this one’s foot off during slug season in November. Sounded like a duck hunt on opening weekend

I just feel bad not being able to do anything about it. With a blizzard coming and -30 temps, would rather go out and put them out of their misery rather than be coyote bait.

Merry Christmas everyone

I watched this buck, that is missing his right front hoof, for 3 years. My oldest son found him dead before season this year. They are tough.

 

[Bassattackr]

I actually think both those deer are capable of surviving.
Their tough critters.

Agreed. I wrote off two different deer as coyote bait last winter. One was a tripod 2 year old buck due to an injured leg that he kept tight to his body, perhaps from fighting or broke it jumping a creek, fence etc. The second was a 3 year old buck with a dislocated rear hip and sunk in side, perhaps hit by a car I'm not sure. He had to swing his body around on every step to get the second foot to engage the ground.

No way either survives due to rampant coyote numbers, limited mobility, a lot of effort to eat, etc..

Sure enough, both on camera this past fall going around like "normal" for them anyway. Both were shot this past fall by hunters, one was because he couldn't stand seeing the thing limping around any longer. The second older buck was shot by a youth hunter ecstatic at his first buck ever, a nice non-typical 4 year old.

Regarding the OP - I think the one shot high from the arrow will easily survive. After seeing what I saw, the second will likely be fine as well. It never ceases to amaze me what an amazing will these creatures have to survive.

 

[Someday isle]

We had a buck missing the lower third of his back leg last spring and early summer. We nicknamed him Tre’. He disappeared before the end of summer. I assume he didn’t make it. We have plenty of coyotes and a few bobcats around. Interesting thought but I think a missing front leg is more survivable. I’ve seen three legged deer and even dogs missing front legs move pretty well. Tre’ seemed to struggle to get around only having one back leg.

 

[Bill]

Here is one from last year. When I noticed him there was a sequence of pics where it was obvious he never put the left rear leg down. Date was Oct 2019. His right antler had grown screwed up so it wasn’t a new injury. I figured yote’s would eat him.






Here he is a few weeks ago. Right antler even improved a bit.

 

[Bassattackr]

Bill - Its interesting often times the antler on the opposite side of the injury is the one messed up.

 

[willy]

Here's one of the deer I referenced above that survived. His intact pic is from Aug, the others are from December of same year. I included the walking pic that is grainy but wanted to show how bad the walking movement looked. I assume injury came from auto hit as he went missing in Oct. and showed back up in Dec.

My wife shot him the next season as he became a 5x5 with droptine. He got a pass from me. I watched him tend a doe earlier that season. His grunt was horrible sounding. My guess that got impacted as well from the time of injury. He's got a big scar on his shoulder as well.

If you look closely to right, front leg one can see where he broke this earlier in his career. He did that when he was a 1.5. He was 3.5 in the pics of injury. They are tough animals.

The other deer I referenced, lived at least 10 years with lack of one front leg, she had one but it was curled up underneath her.. She raised a couple fawns to adulthood during that time. other years she had fawns but they didn't make it to the fall from what I could tell. She was so wary. The only time I could have shot her if I had wanted to kill her was from house door. Never saw her while on stand., wouldn't have shot her then either. My wife saw her from stand once and she was being bred by a buck.

 

[Spike]

Update: Tripod lives! And assume the other goofy antlered one is the arrow buck. Tough critters indeed.

 

[willy]

Thanks for the update and yes they are tough indeed.

 

[Troubles Trees]

They certainly are tough critters, their will to live is so strong and oddly they don't even know what that is lol
I had a doe late last year that had eaten through the top of a chicken feeder and had the whole white tube (for the lack of a better term) stuck on her neck. The plastic is so thick I can't imagine a way for her to remove it without help. The DEC said they weren't concerned since she is eating in the videos I sent them. I am putting cams out this weekend and am hoping I don't discover she still has this on her neck, if she does, I will definitely target her for harvesting.