putting down an animal - choice of weapon
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badkarmamib
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I prefer a handgun round to the head. No more meat damage, cheaper round, and am usually too close for the finishing shot to use my scope. I mean, I never need more than one shot... 
buck460XVR
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If it requires a shot farther than muzzle behind the ear, I just use my primary weapon.....and that is generally a handgun to start with. If I can walk up to put a bullet behind the ear, I just use a knife and cut the throat. Much less mess, noise and is just as quick and humane. If you are hunting with a rifle and decide to use your handgun for a coup de grâce, make sure it is a legal firearm for the season. Many times what folks carry on their hip for BU for protection are not legal for the season they are hunting. Is it a big deal? Just ask someone who has gotten caught.
Have never had to put down an animal that I shot while hunting. But I have for a friend, and once on the side of the road that had been hit and it's back was broken and legs mangled. My friends deer I dispatched with a 45 to the base of the skull. The roadside dispatch was tricky. Tried calling a warden from the county I was in. They are notorious for not answering their phones. So I called a warden from my county. He was 1.5 hours away and gave me permission. That was a 44mag at 10 yards to the head. Would have been closer but the doe could still use her front legs and tried to crawl away when I walked up to her. We should all do our best to be legal while still being ethical and humane. We have great wardens here that actually care about the animals and don't want them to suffer.
Patocazador
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This is what I do too. I always carry a NAA .22 in my pocket. One shot between the eye and ear does the trick.I prefer a handgun round to the head. No more meat damage, cheaper round, and am usually too close for the finishing shot to use my scope. I mean, I never need more than one shot...
.308 Norma
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I prefer a handgun round to the head. No more meat damage, cheaper round, and am usually too close for the finishing shot to use my scope. I mean, I never need more than one shot...
Yeah, me too - I never need more than one shot either.
However, if I ever did, I'd prefer a handgun for the finishing shot. But the "fly in the buttermilk" is that I'm flat out unwilling to pack around a handgun in addition to my hunting rifle. That would be just extra weight to pack up and down the hills that are already getting steeper and taller every year as I grow older. If I'm going to add extra weight to what I pack, it's going to be in the form of an extra canteen of water. Besides, as an avid handloader, the difference in the cost of a handgun round and a rifle round is just not all that much.
As far as legality goes, in Idaho I think it must be legal to carry a handgun for self protection during bow hunting season because I know a lot of bow hunters who do. I don't bow hunt myself, and I never carried a handgun in addition to my muzzle loader back when I used to hunt deer and elk with that way. I'd guess a hunter participating in a "primitive weapons only" hunt in Idaho could get into a lot of trouble if they were carrying a modern handgun in addition to their muzzle loader. But that's only a guess.
desidog
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It's definitely more humane to quickly shoot with your rifle rather than let an animal suffer while you sling your rifle, draw your pistol, and walk up/ close the distance to handgun range. Furthermore, if you plan on eating it, your approach will get it's adrenalin up and make for a less tasty dinner.
badkarmamib
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Regarding the "legal to carry handgun": In VA, a handgun round must be at least .23 and carry at least 350 ft/lbs of muzzle energy to be legal for deer. A lot of 9mm factory ammo does not meet this, which is honestly why I got started in .40 S&W.
.308 Norma
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buck460XVR
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As far as legality goes, in Idaho I think it must be legal to carry a handgun for self protection during bow hunting season because I know a lot of bow hunters who do. I don't bow hunt myself, and I never carried a handgun in addition to my muzzle loader back when I used to hunt deer and elk with that way. I'd guess a hunter participating in a "primitive weapons only" hunt in Idaho could get into a lot of trouble if they were carrying a modern handgun in addition to their muzzle loader. But that's only a guess.
In many states, beside having a minimum caliber/energy requirement they also have a minimum barrel length. This means many of those snub nose revolvers intended for SD may not be legal. In my state it is 5" and a revolver barrel length includes the cylinder. This still makes most SD revolvers illegal for hunting(and a coup de grâce in the field is considered part of the hunt). In most states .22 is not a legal weapon for hunting deer. While an LEO may give permission to put a deer down with one when hit by a car, a warden will tell you to use your legal weapon in the field. This is one thing we teach new hunters in the field. Just like using a weapon after legal hunting hours to put down a wounded animal you've been trailing. Use a light too, and you really are asking for trouble. Many folks that hunt are unaware of these little nuances in the hunting regs. It's one of those cases where something, while being ethical, is illegal. Don't go from a responsible hunter to a poacher, just cause you want to save a few cents and use a .22 or some other firearm inappropriate for the season, to put down a wounded animal.
351 WINCHESTER
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Had to put down a deer during bp season. Luckily I was wearing my .38 snub.
Don McDowell
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I prefer a handgun for the finishing shot. But one has to be cautious as the handgun should be a legal arm to hunt with, or the Game and Fish can charge you with using an illegal firearm to kill an animal.
MCgunner
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I've put down animals with my NAA .22 which is always in my weak side pocket. Does as good a job as a .458 Win Mag when you pop 'em in the head. Most of the animals I've put down are trapped hogs, have had to finish a couple of deer over the years. When I put a hog down in the trap, I just use whatever I'm carrying that day. I've done it with the .22, I've done it with a .357 magnum, I've done it with a 9x19, I've done it with a .38, and I've used a .45ACP and .45 Colt. They've all worked, some more impressive than others, but a CNS shot is final regardless.
coyotehitman
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Knife.
Here in Hawaii you arnt allowed to carry more than one firearm in the field. I much prefer to use a second round for a head shot if necessary! But ive used my knife, as well as a large stick, twice. The stick to the base of the skull was much faster and cleaner than the knife.
huntsman
Member
As per Ohio law my primary firearm, my CC gun can only be used for defense.
Being in Ohio I follow the same rules, in my younger days of doing deer drives with my buddies finishing shots were the norm on almost every kill. (Mostly because we never gave the animal the proper time to fully expire) since we carried 12ga slug guns we tried our best not to fire again cause way more damage to the animal. You never want to see a deer get shot in the head with a 1 ounce slug at close distance. Our routine was to quickly and effectively dispatch the animal with a heart stab with a 4-5" buck knife. A quick stab and twist separating the heart from the aorta and other main blood vessels ended the animal very effectively. Took some skill to get it done correctly and quickly but is much easier and more effective then trying to slit the throat of a thrashing deer.
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TimSr
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I carry a .22 pistol when I squirrel hunt with shotgun. A 2nd 12 gauge blast at close range does not make for a happy meal.
FL-NC
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Whichever is the cheapest.
On the very few times my brother, friends, or I did need to dispatch any game animal, it was knife or bare hands that did the work, no real reason, just works quickly and we never had reason not to. If I were hunting bear/moose I'd stick with my rifle anyway.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
I use either or, but generally my practice has been that if the animal is down, but not trying to get up, I use a pistol shot to the head. If the animal is trying to get up, I use my rifle.
Stony
Member
I tried to use a knife once on a doe that still had some life left in her. As soon as the knife started to cut, she brought up her rear hoof and darned near broke a knuckle on my thumb! No more of the knife stuff like that for me....
Gunnerboy
Member
Reminds me of watching my dad try that when i was younger... then i showed him how.. boot firmly in the front shoulders grab the antlers bending the neck back towards you and blade away insert right behind the air tube and arteries then its one push forward and left.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Heh. I vaguely recall maybe three occasions during the decades where a coup de grace was needed. One of those deals, "He's dead; he just doesn't know it, yet." So, a shot to the neck ended Bambi's problem.
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