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Sounds harsh but not worth the risk IMO. Not worth risking my drivers license, carry license, FOID (yeah yeah everyone laugh at the IL guy), hunting license, my freedom, or my money. That said, if I hit one and was able to get in touch with a police officer or game warden who gave me the go ahead, I'd absolutely put it out of its misery.
Believe me, I get it. It sucks to see an animal needlessly suffer, and I'm sure it sucks even worse being the deer, but the religious morality argument doesn't hold up in court if it's illegal or deemed reckless. Bear in mind the default death for a deer is due to starvation, disease, or being eaten alive by a predator.
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Maine has a high collision rate with deer. We are not allowed to "shoot them". Its not worth jail time over a suffering animal. I feel bad for them, but 10 years or so in jail isnt worth it.
Tho a sheriff said nothing about hitting one on the head with a ax. Which worked very good.
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Not allowed to shoot injured animals in Alaska either. It still happens. I've shot two moose, both with the permission of Fish and Wildlife, by officers that knew me because they were still somewhat mobile with broken backs and kept flopping into traffic.
I don't get too wound up emotionally about it. Laying there and dying for a few minutes can't be worse than being eaten alive by bears and wolves in my part of the world.
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There's a let it lay rule for falconers that applies to game their birds catch out of season..... In other words kill it if there is no option but don't take it home, leave it where it is.
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I see the OP never stated what state he lives in. I assume he looked into and out it to illegal.
Like i said before, 10 years in jail and some hefty fines is not worth it to me. If the animal is suffering, i have nailed it in the had with a ax i always keep in the truck.
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I think it's illegal in most (all?) states due to it being too easy to poach something and claim it was road kill.
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Safest thing to do is call local LEO, State Police or Game Wardens and let them deal with it. If they give you permission to dispatch the animal then takes names for your own safety. I hit a doe once and called the State Police and they sent out a Game Warden who happened to be close by. He came and dispatched the doe and took it to a local processor and from there it was going to the Salvation Army.
