The Lemon Fool

Those of a nervous disposition etc may wish to not read this. It contains what for some may be disturbing.


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Coming back from town late last night circa 10pm, i was with my son who was driving.

Not far from home, in our semi rural area, a muntjak shot out and he hit it. We went home (quarter of a mile away) - he was really shook up. We had a quick chat about what to do - we decided we'd have to go back and see what the poor creature was doing/what the situation was like.

He googled and read that suffocoation by plastic bag was a humane way to desptach it if it was needed and i also took a spade.

back at the impact area, we found it ... it was writing and stumbling about crazily, though no obvious external injuries. I'm guessing extreme shock.

I caught it and this just terrified the poor thing of course - it was struggling to escape and screaming. There was clearly a lot of "life" left in it.

So I let it go - I realised I couldnt use the spade, and I couldnt face the bag. And for all i knew once it had slept a few hours somewhere safe, it would have a blinding headache then go on to live a fulfilled, muntjacy life.

It managed to clamber up a bank into some light woodland which then backs onto some rural woodland and farmland eventually.

We reasoned that we had done the best we could do in the circumstances. If it was going to die it would at least do so in a calm environment, rather than stumbling around a rural road where it might get hit again.

What upset me when we returned home again, is that although I have dispatched plenty of rabbits, game birds, ducks, rabbits etc ... I realised I wouldnt have been able to use the spade on it, and it was too full of life to use the bag and then hold it for a few minutes while it suffocated
... and that realsiation and feeling of helplessness was overwhelming.

I couldnt do the right thing by it had it really needed it basically. I feel guilty that it may have of course had internal injuries and been in pain and has now suffered a painful lingering demise.

I couldnt play God.

Im quite shaken by it.

Thanks for listening - I just had to say it to "someone" but didnt want to burden my wife who has enough on her own plate at the moment - she works inj a community team in the NHS. My son was also quite shaken up by the experience - we sat up at home chatting over a beer rather than disappear to bed on his own etc... he seemed better when we eventually went to bed.

cheers

didds

I'd have done exactly the same, didds. Like you, I've despatched smaller animals with a spade, but I'd have wimped out of this one unless I was completely sure than it had no chance of recovery. Such as a broken leg. In which case I'd have phoned the RSPCA. Well done for going back to check the situation. It may be that some predator takes your wounded deer, but that would have happened naturally anyway.

My daughter once hit a deer near Savernake forest. Dead on impact, but it made a hell of a bloody mess across her bonnet and might have come through her windscreen if she'd been unlucky. So your son has had what the Germans would call Glück im Unglück. Hope you can both feel better about it soon.

BJ

I had considered calling the police, who would then get a marksman/firearms odfficer out.

But I decided against it as bascially

* a crime was not in operation, nor a dangerous situation (ie it had removed itself from the road)
* the police are short staffed as it is and must prioritise
* a possibly injured muntjac wont be high on a priority list
* becasue of the use of firearms that rpesumably would need closure of the road and even possible evacuation of the few houses in the area
* so it may take hours to be dealt with - in which case the animal could be anywhere

I just couldnt see it happening in any meaningful manner.

didds wrote:I had considered calling the police, who would then get a marksman/firearms odfficer out.

RSPCA would have got a vet out, to euthanise if necessary. Possibly.....

Agree, the police have bigger fish to fry at the moment. (One of my family is in armed response, and they don't deal with animals unless they're being dangerous to humans.) So sorry that you had to make this decision, though.

BJ

[Edit]: This what's supposed to happen - but hopefully somewhat quicker.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/l ... d-17280859

didds wrote:I had considered calling the police, who would then get a marksman/firearms odfficer out.

But I decided against it as bascially

* a crime was not in operation, nor a dangerous situation (ie it had removed itself from the road)
* the police are short staffed as it is and must prioritise
* a possibly injured muntjac wont be high on a priority list
* becasue of the use of firearms that rpesumably would need closure of the road and even possible evacuation of the few houses in the area
* so it may take hours to be dealt with - in which case the animal could be anywhere

I just couldnt see it happening in any meaningful manner.

All that you said happened to me about midnight a couple of years back and I'm also too squeamish to try the options you suggested.
I did dial 101 (I think, as opposed to 999). Had a chat with them. They said that they would send someone out.
Whilst I was waiting an on-call RSPCA bod called to get some information. Statistics? Rescue perhaps?
About an hour later an unmarked ARV unit turned up, sent me on my way and then did the necessary.
No road closure was needed - it wasn't particularly built-up.

I once saw a badger suffering at the side of the road late one night so rang the RSPCA. I was pleased to get hold of them and they were suitably concerned until I gave the location as an address in Scotland, when they lost all interest in the poor animal's welfare.

I duly called the SSPCA but they clearly weren't staffed so well late at night and got a recorded message. I acknowledge that I am paraphrasing but the options were something like:

If your dog has a cough please press 1
If your cat is a teensy bit sad, please press 2
If your hamster isn't playing in his wheel press 3

Where was the "If you've seen a special wild animal in distress" option!!

I hung up and could only conclude that badgers in Scotland had no chance outside normal office hours, which was a shame because they are mainly nocturnal.

True story
Clariman

I'd be going back this morning on the look out for the animal but hoping I didn't find it.

I just wanted to say that I was really moved by your sensitive and responsible reaction. The truth is that most wouldn't have bothered and you couldn't have done any more. In reality, I doubt many wild animals actually have a full life, eventually peacefully slipping away.

Sussexlad

In this rural area there are a lot of Muntjac and Fallow deer. I have Fallow in my garden nearly every night. Currently it's a pair of bucks with a full spread of antlers although one of them has just lost one antler while rutting I presume.

The area is well forested and the roads are typical country roads with lots of twists and turns. The deer regularly leap out in front of vehicles particularly at dusk. Accidents are common, I hear of about 1 per week, usually the deer run off leaving a badly shaken driver. Sometimes it's more serious and the deer is injured, if it's a local involved they are well experienced and just assess if the deer is likely to survive in which case they leave it be, it it's not one of the farmers is called who has the required gun to dispatch the deer.

I have the numbers of 3 people with either captive bolt guns or rifles who will come out to dispatch an animal. Usually after it is dead it is butchered and shared out with neighbours. There's not much compassion involved, it's is such a regular occurrence it is considered part of local life and dealt with dispassionately. There's no question of killing animals that might survive or leaving ones to die a slow death, the farmers usually have cattle or sheep so they are well experienced in making these decisions.

If the road 'kill' is smaller animals like a badger a spade is usually enough to stop it suffering, foxes are usually killed in the accident or run off, rabbits and pheasant rarely survive.

I've lived here 6 years, you get used to it.

monabri wrote:I'd be going back this morning on the look out for the animal but hoping I didn't find it.

My son droive past the spot the enxt morning en route to work - it wasn't there. But yes indeed.

didds

didds wrote:We had a quick chat about what to do - we decided we'd have to go back and see what the poor creature was doing/what the situation was like.

I admire your compassion.

My main priority would have been whether we had space in the freezer and what to do with the antlers.

V8