Mercy Killing

[Patrick Henry]

A .22 in the brain will do the job! You can also slit its neck, but you may get bloody and if you stick around it will bleed out in a matter of minutes.

An equestrian vet I know told me animals do not feel pain like we do and have much higher pain thresholds.

[Oh Shoot]

...

An equestrian vet I know told me animals do not feel pain like we do and have much higher pain thresholds.

Easy for him to say!

I've seen enough dogs and cats yowl with just a cut pad or something impaled in between pads to know they feel plenty of pain.

Maybe their shock mechanism is more pronounced than ours in the case of mortal wounds, though.

Maybe.

Of course, horses are a special case, maybe he's right about them.

They are dumb as oxen, and yet highly neurotic, too.

Although I've heard them make plenty of noise when hurt, too.

- OS

[Smith]

You could always do it like the did in the Chicago meat houses. Sledge hammer! Just kidding. I've seen and had to put down plenty of cattle, one horse, and numerous small critters and for me it's never easy. Shooting them is nearly always the best way. I've seen people try to be more "caring" and it always ends up being far worse. While obviously they do feel pain, it is more survival instinct than fear or the souls mortality like in humans. That makes a big difference.

[Guest 270win]

I have had to shoot wounded animals while hunting and will give anyone a tip who does not hunt. Be careful where you aim, especially on deer, and try to shoot them in the head only. I have used a 9mm pistol on a head shot on a deer to put one down that was not dead and it does work....you still need to be careful because a deer can still kick and cut you with its hooves. Make sure the shot goes through the head and into the ground.

I've heard the old timers in my family tell me they used 22's on animals as big as cattle and pigs when they didn't use sledge hammers or when the hammer wouldn't totally do the job. Those were head shots.

This is all just a part of life that we must be able to deal with when it comes to animals if needed. You're much more likely to be in this sort of situation than to ever use your firearm in self defense.

[Ebow1]

If you've got a good knife I say slit it's throat. That's the proper method, or would be if you were hunting the animal, but still.

[Guest milkman]

Personally a Police Officer, Dispatcher, or TWRA officer is going to need to tell me to do it before I do it. I'm not just going to shoot an animal and then call after, and I am not going to shoot an animal and drive off.

[I_Like_Pie]

Heck...if it is a game animal I would want to keep it.

Make the calls.

Get the OK.

Dispatch said animal.

Enjoy tasty, tasty backstrap.

[9teeneleven]

If you ever need to use a .22 to dispatch a wounded animal, one shot in the ear is the way to go.

[Guest BEARMAN]

I've heard the old timers in my family tell me they used 22's on animals as big as cattle and pigs when they didn't use sledge hammers or when the hammer wouldn't totally do the job. Those were head shots.

I've got a friend who used to be a butcher at a now defunct packing house in Rutherford county, that processed my deer for me.

He used to routinely dispatch 1200 lb. cattle with a .22 short cartridge; shot them right between the eyes and they all dropped DRT.

Dangest thing I ever saw.

They had a little single shot rifle that had the barrel cut down, and the butt sawed off for just such work.

So, any .22 cartridge IMO, would be fine for dispatching wounded game, as long as one uses proper shot placement.

[Dad03]

This reminds me of an incident I heard about many years ago. Deer was hit be a car. Cops were called, deer was suffering on the road but cop would not put it down. State road crew was nearby, comes over and starts to beat the deer with shovels trying to end it.

After a large crowd, news crew etc shows up the cop was asked why he did not intervene. His response was because the paperwork he would have to do if he discharged his firearm was not worth it.

[Worriedman]

I know of at least two cases (one in Memphis and one in Nashville) where people were shot PB with a .22 in the forehead and it ricocheted leaving only minor contusions. The one in Memphis was a gas station attendant and he said when the guy shot him and it ricocheted the perp crapped his pants and ran away.

Back on topic, I won't discharge my firearm in city limits without authorization. Just not worth the hassle.

I know better than to comment, and normally I wouldn't, :whistle:but come on.

I have killed hundreds of hogs, not little pigs, but 500 lb. sows for sausage with a .22. Any shot to a human head would have to be a glancing blow to not plow straight through.

I did contract crop deprivation removal of white tail deer in Texas, (pecan plantations, the deer really worked a number on the new grafts to root stock) always used a suppressed .22 rifle, angled away, behind the ear, straight on, between the eyes, or if a angled to me shot, thought the eye, bang flop. Used solids, if you hit the tennis ball they hit the ground, every time.

Prohibition for discharging a weapon within a certain distance of a public right of way would be one concern.

I understand the desire to put an animal out of it's misery, but I would want some sort of official permission to do so, no telling what the results might be given our society today.

Speaking of the "animals do not feel pain" thing, I remember cutting the boar that served the sows at our feeder pig operation, had him in a head crush squeeze chute, that was the loudest sound I have ever heard. He weighed about 700 lbs., (you did not get in the freshening pen with him) the sound volume of his screams was unbelievable, might have been indignation which set that noise off, but it sure sounded like a pain squeal to me. Kept him up for 60 days to get the boar smell out of him, dropped him with the .22 like a rock.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Worriedman

[Guest thorn]

If you've got a good knife I say slit it's throat. That's the proper method, or would be if you were hunting the animal, but still.

Somebody hit a 7pt'er in front of me on I65. They had broken it's thigh and pelvis area on one side. The thing was trying to walk one 3 legs but it was enough that it was kind of dragging the one side and it was in shock just gazing at me as I walked up. I had to grab the rack and slit his throat. Man! they don't bleed out very fast, at least it didn't feel like it. It was pumping blood and sucking air through the cut - it tore me up!!! I had to walk back behind my truck for a minute. The guy that hit it just stood there with his mouth open like an idiot, never said anything, and left.

Wasn't easy, at least not for me.

[Dad03]

From what I recall on the animal planet, animals have an adrenaline like substance that eliminates the pain. Much like humans in shock. It only kicks in when they feel threatened (like a chase). Thats why when you watch those wildlife shows where a pack of predators catch an animal and they are half way up its azz eating it before its dead the animal is just lying there not making a sound.

I am sure walking up cutting one sets off pain.

[Guest db99wj]

Personally a Police Officer, Dispatcher, or TWRA officer is going to need to tell me to do it before I do it. I'm not just going to shoot an animal and then call after, and I am not going to shoot an animal and drive off.

Yep.

[Guest rsgillmd]

I'm not a hunter so I'm confused about something. Why are people focused on .22s? I'm assuming that because you are carrying a firearm, you are probably carrying something bigger than a .22 for self defense. So why mess around with potential ricochets by shooting between the eyes? Why not just one center of mass into the heart/aorta? If the ventral surface is down, why not a base of the skull shot?

[Guest 270win]

22's are quiet and do the job with a head shot. That would be my choice to euthanize an animal on the side of the road, if given the choice. Something louder will bring more attention from bystanders due to the noise.

[Guest Dean Wormer]

Running over it again seems like a viable option.

[Guest TCW]

Running over it again seems like a viable option.

Agreed, except in my case I hit a deer. A large doe.

The gun I carry is a 40 cal Glock so a nice quiet shot with a 22 behind the ear is not an option. I've pretty much decided that I'm going to put the animal down if *I* think it is in agony and will not survive. Screw the law. They can revoke my carry permit if they want! I prefer to be humane rather than legal.

At any rate, when I hit the doe on the interstate, I was not able to find an exit to turn around to check on her. So my decision whether to "mercy kill" the animal was one that I did not have to make.

Tom

Edited May 6, 2010 by TCW