For the last 6 weeks or so I have noticed a mature mule buck that has had a front leg/should injury. We can't use it and doesn't run tries to lope but can't. I have got some good close looks at him with binos and can mot see any injury to that front side he favors. No swelling or any visual appearance of an arrow that maybe lodged or color difference etc.

Yesterday I went to the ranch for the day to get a few things done and he was in my alfalfa field. He started walking away and fell to the ground three times till he entered the timber canyon.

Do you think he may have gotten injured during the rut? Do you think he will survive?

I doubt he makes it thru winter.Wolves,coyotes,etc will most likely get him.

Be nice if someone could put him down.

If he is falling down and can't run, I'm betting something is going to eat him before long.

Deer are tough creatures. I've seen them on their death beds in the winter and back to their old selves in the spring. Sometimes with three legs. If they have a good food source next to good bedding they can recover from many injuries/sicknesses.
Who knows what one million things could have be fallen that deer. Could be something natural or maybe internal injury caused by a automobile. Maybe one of those diseases brought about by the deer farms.

I have some pictures of some large bucks with broken horns during the rut which makes me think an injury than. He looks weak and thin in back quarters yesterday when I was maybe 70 yards from him. The thing is he might live through it, but I can also tell, he isn't getting stronger from the first time I seen him two months ago with the injury. The falling down thing isn't a good thing. I'm surprised the predators haven't taken him down yet.

CWD?

The injury is leg or shoulder. He could move right along a month ago with three legs I doubt cwd.

Nature is sometime cruel

Probably got injured fighting pre or during rut.

Chance he will survive and a chance he will die a terrible death
If you kill him there is no way to know if he would survive but you know he had a quick death.

Maybe call the local GW and let him come out and handle it

I have had them tell me to just let nature take it's course when I asked

Great advice!! I know a terrible death maybe on the horizon, but I opt to let nature do its thing. I just did a little research and mortality rate from rut is pretty high from injury due to losing a lot of weight and going into tough winter months. I had some mature bucks with heavy horns broke off main risers that must have been in some down and dirty fights this rut. They said brain injury can occur from fighting that will eventually kill them.

Agree! That's what I would do. Not legal, but I can't stand to see a critter suffer!

Cwd disease can have very long incubation time and an injury can definitely speed it up.
If he's falling down there's more than an injured shoulder or leg going on at this point and considering the time line of getting worse over an extended period of time my guess is there's little hope for him surviving

Yeah our book says it is illegal to put an animal out of its misery, say hit by car or something,
However, police officers and game wardens have always let my husband do so if he called in and reported it

I'm of the same mind. once had a opossum cop tell me I should not have shot a small buck someone had hit before I drove through. I was heading to the store and saw it laying on the side of the road and pointed it out to the boys they were very young. They didn't see it so I angled over and when the headlights hit it the dead bucks head came uo and he tried to get uo several times and couldn't. So I got out and shot him a d called the game warden to get a tag for it I had some people wanting smdde that were not financially stable so took it to them.

took 2 hrs for the warden to get there and when he did he was about 5'1" and a real life barney Fith. Said I should have waited tell he got there. I just told him I was not going to let the thing suffer for 2 hours and I will shoot them any and every time I'm not going to wait. then he said some to the ef of he would skinn it and look for damage but he saw a spot on its neck so I was ok and he didn't need to. And I responded he could take it right down to my house and skin it if he want to that would be great. But it he looked he would not only have seen the damage to the deer but busted turn singles and grill parts scattered on the road at the deer clearly showing it was a vehicle collision. He didn't like he missed that and had it pointed out to him.

I learned a few things . I have not called about a deer since just shoot them and move along.

Last year there was a doe with broken leg falling down in a field. I pulled over walked out the 80 yards to her got about 15 yards away she got up fell and up fell 3 or 4 times making it about 8 yards. I shot her in the head with my glock. called the sheriff's office told them what I did and where the deer was if they had anyone on their road kill call list that wanted to come get it and drove on into work. They thanked me and that was it.

Something else's Dinner

The secret to handling things the way you see fit is to act and not speak/type

Smash I was not talking about a deer/animal hit by a car, more the natural cause stuff. They frown on putting a road injured critter down but most are willing to let it slide if the situation is dealt with in a safe manner

^^^ Shoot Shuffle off on your way Shut up

I called the local Sheriff dept on a deer with a front leg that was just hanging in place. It didn't move very good.
Sheriff showed up and went after it. Got to about 50ft then he started banging away with his service revolver.
The deer hobbled away as the sheriff empty his revolver at it.
Sheriff gave up after that, I guess he didn't want to chase it thru the snow and use up all his ammo

If you’ve noticed the decline, put it down. I have to put down deer throughout the year for one reason or another, EHD or even deer hit by vehicles that make it onto the property. I’d rather end their suffering than them to possibly be eaten alive. Sometimes you just do what’s right and not post anything about it. I’ve got pics of a Zombie deer that still gives me the creeps!

Nothing lives for ever. Do you want someone putting you down when you start limping and falling? Its is a deer not your Mom or Dad, let nature do its thing. It could save something else.