Was out riding my motorcycle earlier and spotted a turtle that had been run over but was still alive trying to cross the road. He was a pretty good sized turtle. I stopped to see if I could help him. One of his legs was mangled beyond use and his shell was severely cracked. All I could do was move him across the road in the direction he was going and put him in the shade. However I felt awful because I couldn't do more and didn't know if I should find a way to dispatch him...but discharging a firearm on the side of the road did not seem wise, and the fact that its a turtle...I really wasn't sure of a humane way to handle it.

The reason I pose this question was about a year ago, I had an almost identical situation with a small bird in the middle of the road.

How would you handle this situation? Would you use your CCW to dispatch it and end their pain?

Hit him in the head with a stick or rock or with a bird, pull his head off. There is definitely no need in discharging a firearm to kill a small animal. If it was a deer or dog or something like that, depends on where I am. Out in the country, yeah maybe shoot them.

The turtle/motorcycle factors make it a little complicated.

My first choice for small game is to run it over again.

If I, for some reason, cannot help, I allow nature to take its course.

I can’t recall how many animals I’ve put down that were in wrecks. We just shot them with our duty gun. And then had to do a bunch of paperwork. (Retired cop)

Never had to deal with a turtle though. I would imagine a good smack with a tire tool would be less of a problem than using your pistol in the city. But I realize motorcycles don’t have a tire tool. I guess you did what you could.

A stout fixed blade knife batonned through the neck.

How I handled it... Death Kick

I don't know about a turtle. I'd probably give that a chance. But in my State you have to call and get permission to dispatch any animal.

I have the non-emergency number for the sheriffs department dispatcher on my phone. I have a couple of times called in something similar and asked they handle it by the appropriate means. I usually don’t stop because that could cause another hazard.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
I have the non-emergency number for the sheriffs department dispatcher on my phone. I have a couple of times called in something similar and asked they handle it by the appropriate means. I usually don’t stop because that could cause another hazard.

We recently had a woman stop to move a turtle out of the middle of the road here in Florida.
Unfortunately she was hit by a hit and run driver and killed. They did eventually find the truck and the driver responsible.

Those people are a menace. Slam on their brakes, jump out of their cars in blind turns, stop traffic in both directions to move a gopher tortise. I fell badly that she got killed, but there's an element of personal resbonsibility there. I'd never purposely run any animal over.

Three or four years ago I was driving home in my truck, there was a truck ahead of me and a sedan ahead of him. There was a long incline ahead and I could see for well over a mile when the sedan hit a fairly large dog i could see race across the road from the trees. The sedan kept going but the truck ahead of me pulled over and I pulled in behind him. The dog was in the middle of the road, crying out. The poor guys leg and hip were mangled and he had a large gash along his side where you could see his ribs and intestines..

I ran up to the guy that was directly ahead of me standing over the dog. I got down and looked the dog over and then looked up at the guy and said that he was a goner. The guy nodded in agreement. I told him that I would go get my gun in the truck, he said no, I've got one...He shot him in the back of the head and we both pulled him off to the side.

I drive that road all the time and on occasion I think about that dog. Sometimes things just stick with you.

An injured turtle never dies until the sun goes down.

Had to kill a squirrel once that my dog got to. Broke my damn heart to do so. I mean I know it’s just a tree rat and it was already dying a slow death and I know I did the right thing but damn if it didn’t break my heart to do so. I still feel bad about it.

Manly ain’t I.

One of the worst aspects of my law enforcement time was having to put down injured animals. Especially cats and dogs. The county animal control would refuse to respond as they did not want to foot the bill for the Vet care. The volunteer organizations did not have the resources either. The only option was a bullet.

In winter of 1975 I dispatched a buffalo (that is correct) that had been hit by a full size chevy blazer.... buffalo laying in middle of a major roadway with compound fractures on 3 legs... Had to call Military Police (Ft Greely, Alaska) , Alaska State Troopers as well as Alaska Game Warden who had me stay on scene and help him field dress a approx 800 lb animal. ...Animal meat was donated to several needy families/senior citizens.... Animal did not go to waste................ drill sgt.

Kill it as fast and quick as possible, done it more than once and I hate killing any critter.

 
My wife (MD Park Police, ret.) was patrolling Black Hill Regional Park one night, and came across a possum dragging itself off the road. Its back legs didn't work due to a crushed spine. She took it to the side and shot it with her issue Glock 22. It exhibited typical death throes, jerking, etc. and she wasn't sure it was dead, so she shot it two more times. When she got back to the station to do the paperwork and replenish ammo, she received all kinds of friendly shit, such as "Three rounds to kill a possum?"

One of our rookies dispatched a small animal with a rock.

I got stopped on a road in another city by a deer that was struck and was blocking both lanes. Called the local pd and they said they were busy and will get there when they get there. I just made sure no one was moving and dispatched it myself and dragged it off to the side then we went about our way.

I've stopped my truck several times to help a turtle cross the road. Cute little buggers except
for the snapper that wanted to bite my finger off.