Kill an injured deer with a .22?

[etpm]

This morning a deer was hit by a vehicle in front of my neighbor's place. It was badly injured so he killed it and he called me to find out if I knew anybody that would want the freshly dead deer. I did and it was butchered this morning. But I was wondering what I would do in a similar situation. My only firearms are .22 caliber. If I had to kill a deer with one would it work? Where should I shoot? I would be shooting point blank. If I had to I could probably borrow something bigger but that would require a neighbor to be home. This morning I watched 6 deer walk single file through my backyard and then while talking on the phone with the neighbor saw them walking through my front yard. We have too many deer here and I'm not surprised one was hit on my road.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[JJT]

A .22 will get the job done with a head shot.

 

[RSKY]

I once had to put down a large older cow with a 22. It was one of only three left when mom sold off the herd after my dad died. It had been down for a week before I found out about it. It was the oldest cow on the farm and the poor thing could barely hold her head up. Just to be sure I put four or five rounds in it's forehead in a diamond pattern.

It was one that mom had raised on a bottle and bucket and she didn't want it to suffer.

RSKY

 

[anomad]

You can also deliver the coup de grace with a sharp knife to the throat. Kind of up close and personal for some.

Shooting into the brain around the ear or into an eye socket will avoid the thicker parts of the skull. 22lr would be just fine at point blank range for humane dispatch of a wounded deer. I'd give it a few pills for good measure.

 

[Sigarms]

.22 LR will suffice just fine for a head shot.

Personally, I'd put more than 1 in the head very quickly just because I'm me...

Shooting as Euthanasia | Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management

 

[ponytug]

FWIW: The local butcher routinely uses a .22 to put steers down. One central shot.

All the best, Peter

 

[paulsharvey]

When I was a kid, Dad was a firm believer that deer on his property, eating his grass or crops, were huntable 365 days per year, but to avoid "imperial entanglements" he used a 22lr during off season. Worked fine on head shots. Seen many drop to that Marlin Model-60.

Ive never actually shot a deer with a 22lr; but as mentioned, I have slit their neck after hitting them.

Was taking youngest daughter to a doctor appointment one morning, had to get some shot or she got thrown out of daycare. I hit a 6 point; pulled over slit its throat, threw it in the back of the Toyota Highlander and dropped it off at home, before going to doctor. Lady told me, "Your like 25 minutes late", I know, sorry, I hit a deer. My daughter say "daddy cut its head off" to this lady, and I just shrug.

 

[not2old]

I watched one of my school mates kill a cow for butchering in the early sixties. The first two shots into the forehead with a 22 had no effect on the cow other than a stupid expression.on it's face. It got accomplished fairly quickly with a sharp knife to it's throat. I can kill and gut fish but would be reluctant to do anything else as I wouldn't know what I was doing and would not want the animal to suffer.

 

[LouNY]

Been many thousand of deer, hogs and cows killed with a .22lr.

 

[paulsharvey]

with deer, I basically go across the front, into the vertebrae. Its cuts the veins/arteries, wind pipe, and everything. Not be graphic, but i cut to the white meat (bone).