Injured Roo - what to do?

Fortunately no Joey Wayne.

I'll post my actions later as want to give chance for
some replies.

It was quite a sensitive matter though and animal was larger than
Wallaby, but probably could have carried it.
However it was still suspended from fence with one leg obviously broken.

Being in steep terrain, maybe 15km dirt from road, taking it
to animal shelter didn't even enter my mind - thanks for raising
that one , should be prepared for that when circumstances permit.

Robin Miller

Hi Wayne

Don't want to get sidetracked into firearms issue , its personnal choice , but in sort of country I was in with lots of forrest sections bordering onto private farms there are significant feral animal issues of all kinds , and have not the best , memories of a Wombat leaping into by back wheel on a snow covered track recently whilst I was leading a trip , lot of blood on snow and it was still alive. Wasn't carrying rifle and it took several hits with an axe and was very messy to kill, espically with people around. Rifle is much better.

Robin MIller

Each to his own. I consider an accurate rifle in 'broken down' form a good thing to have around on any trip.

I wouldn't dream of going bush without a gun - for various reasons. Don't fall into the trap of thinking "guns are bad": they are just a tool in a similar fashion to a chainsaw.

Robin:
I would have shot it. By the time children get to their teenage years they are old enough to cope (where do they think their BBQ steaks come from?) and _should_ be introduced to the realities of "real" life in the bush. If they didn't want to see they could take a walk before I shot it. We try to sanitize death in The West and that's not a good thing.

I hate killing but I hate animals suffering even more and nature would kill that roo otherwise, slowly and painfully - she has no mercy.

Mike Harding

Yeah ditto a rifle, not an essential tool by any means. But always handy to have a long. Wouldnt go bush without the trusty .22 in the back.
Agree also that teenagers are "sanitized" and have no frigging idea what goes on outside of the city limits.
Had a conversation a while back with a good mate and was stunned to hear he had not fired anything but a BB gun (43yrs old).
Roos are common as, and personally I would think that animal protectionist groups would be better off to spend there money rescuing bilbies and other rarer animals than your run-of-the-mill kangaroo?
No I dont shoot roos except in the above situation, only rabbits and foxes.

Have done the same, driving over a roo after it jumped in front of me.
Usually carry an axe and use that, the blunt side, the sharp side results in too much blood.
Have had the family in the car, so have driven over it at night rather than letting them see me in the car headlights hitting the roo with an axe.
It had a broken back after tumbling through under the car.
Checked for a joey first as best as I could.

oh yea if it has a pinky joey dong that too, If they have hair you have some chance of raising it otherwise send it the same way as its mother. ones at foot can sometimes be caught as they take shelter

agreed. hit a roo near Mt Augustus and was very sad to see its pouch moving. get it over with quickly. also, dpending on the circumstances, a sharp knife to the throat (of the roo) is an option depending on how toey it is. it's never going to be fun.

Yep!

Hey on that same line, I agree, kids are wrapped up in bandages these days. Some kids grow up watching up thousands of TV murders but are not aloud to get dirty!

Doug & Phantom,

Yep, no argument here - the kids helped feed the piglets at a mate's place, along with the lamb - Kids sure appreciated the hand fed 'meat', not too tough for little teeth!!!

Bottom line for the kids - piglets and lamb are great to look at and play with - but better in a camp oven!!!

Well said

Wayne

So what DIO do you suggest would have been his correct and most humane course of action. Leave it there to die hanging in the fence as you often see or perhaps not go out in the bush in the first place? I agree with the theme of most of the other posts. Put it out of it's misery and if there are teenagers there well they have got to learn sooner or later the responsible thing to do in these situations. If they are too young or you don't want to expose them to it, which is every parents personal choice, send them for a walk as was suggested. Regarding your suggestion "If (IF) you were in possession of a firearm whilst you were out clearing tracks for a 4wd event, then the law is likely to consider such possession as inappropriate (I certainly do and probably many others would agree)". I also am a responsible licensed firearms owner and no, I don't cary them with me everywhere I go, but I don't agree with you in the respect of your comment about what the law considers appropriate. Unless you are in a firearms prohibited area e.g. National Park it is the licence holders decision alone and I don't see that it is anybody elses business where you carry a firearm and you are allowed to do that subject to the licence conditions being met such as it being kept secure, out of sight, etc. All the station owners and farmers with large land holdings that I know would never go out on their properties with a rifle (kept out of sight) and a sharp knife. It is standard kit in the vehicle should they have to destroy any sick or injured stock or come across any vermin while on the property. It is also a good back up to radio and mobile phone communications (if available) to attract attention in the case of an accident or injury sustained while alone. To them it is just an everyday tool that they carry without a second thought such as a city dweller carries a laptop or mobile. Regards the RSPCA, I would be very happy to go to court charged on the grounds of destroying humanely an injured animal which otherwise would have no hope of recovery and if left to nature would die a cruel and miserable death of

Problem with some people, is they have a supercilious attitude.

eg "I do not like the idea of someone in possession of a firearm, in the bush, without any justifiable reason." Then this "YES, I am a firearms owner, consider myself to be responsible and despise anyone whose actions might contribute to my right to legally own firearms"

So it's OK for you to tell someone else what to do, but you despise the reverse.

If the 'roo is suffering, it should be put to death as fast as possible using the best available tool/object.

If you have a gun, shoot it, if not, a suitable lump of wood used as a club will do.

If there are teenagers present, ask them first how they will save it, and when they can't come up with a (non-existent) solution within 30 seconds, take the above action.

But make sure there are no supercilious hypocrites around, for they will surely dob you in for being humane.

Blown4by,

Good point about fronting Court - A guy over here put down his own injured dog with a hammer - three blows and the dog died without undue distress.

A witness reported the matter to the RSPCA who in turn charged the man with agg cruelty and he fronted Court.

The case was dismissed when expert evidence was called (Vet) stating the dog would have been in extreme pain and the owner having no other option decided to put it down. The vet further stated that the first blow would have been fatal and any further bodily movement of the dog would have been caused by muscle spasm.

At last, a good result from a Court.

Good point DIO.
I always use that good rule of the sea when driving, it is the repsonsibility of the vessel to avoid collision at all costs.
So if there are roos around I slow down.

If you miss them, the issue doesn't arise.
But I know it always that simple, I have hit a few (maybe 6 or so ) in my time.

>If the track came close to private property, then you were
>probably in a designated forest or national park. IF you were in
>possession of a firearm, you are probably breaking the rules (law).

DIO:
You seem to be suffering from a serious misunderstanding of the law in relation to firearms possession - at least in Victoria, where Robin lives and, I assume, the incident took place.

A person is permitted to be in possession of and use a firearm in State Forests for the purpose of hunting vermin, in areas of certain National Parks in Vic one is also permitted to possess and use a firearm.

I assume you're a target shooter? Do you actually spend much time in _remote_ bush?

Mike Harding

A followup post caused me to re-read this thread and I'm glad I did because I had missed the following from DIO:

>Everday wildlife somewhere suffers injury, is left to suffer - fend
>for itself most times without intervention from some well
>meaning passerby. That's life.

"That's life"! - is it really? And you always choose to look away, do you? Providing you're OK all is well in the world, eh?

Of course animals in the wild suffer - they don't subscribe to Medicare.

It is exactly this kind of mentality which walks aways from animals/people who need help. I can't save the world DIO but, sure as hell, I'll do what I can, as most would - and the majority of responses to this thread suggest.

Mike Harding

Looks like I've struck a cord with the red-necks and cowboys. Gee they've got thin skins, can't accept criticism of any kind. Attitudes and actions of some will only lead to tighter firarms laws and even more restrictions on ownership - for law abiding responsible people.

As for Mike Farding, you can't change nature and what happens in nature. You can only interfere with it. Man's reputation at doing that is miserable to say the least.

What a stupid statement - animals don't subscribe to Medicare. Everyone knows that.

Well I'm off to have my tablets. G'night boys.

i would have thought that was normal for most people, certainly was for me. Just part of growing up in Australia

X2.

Been there, done that.

Feel for you Luca.

Been in precisely that situation hot footing it from the Western end of the island to the hairport ... with pax on board.

And again in December same story.

Reversing over it on the road is the quickest way.

If it's stuck in the fence with broken leg, whatever the quickest way is - knife, axe, spade ... and I don't have a gun.

I don't have fire arms .... I have a multitool knife but I don'l like bood ....
I have seen doin it once with a knife .... very quick and effective !
I usually use my truck's jack's extention right on his nek ... NO BLOOD, NO PAIN ...
Fell miserable for few mins. after but I know this is the right think to do in this situation ...
Unfurtunally seen some time ago an idiot turist driving like an "idiot" and colliding with a kangaroo.
Car wad dammaged (radiator kaput!), he was stuck in the middle of the toad whit a big kangaroo male in agony .... I have to do "the job" in front of him + whife + childrens . He told me off sayng he is calling the animal protection association .... I gave him my name and tel. # ... I still waiting for the call ....

Mind you after doing this the wife said that it was a law to remove tail for stew...Must be some type of penance.

Oh yeah - and we let 'em watch violent garbage such as the films"Wolfe Creek" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

But don't whatever you do let 'em see blood and snot in real life. Oh no, that would never do would it.

No wonder they get de-sensitised to violence and they grow up thinking blood doesn't stick and bullets don't hurt people.

Oh yes and BTW - I would have shot the 'roo.

Bilbo

Bilbo, that is just about what I was thinking as I was reading this post, I can't believe that things of reality can not be explained to teenagers these days, if the kids were a much tender age, different story, but surely we can give the teenagers of today more credit.

BTW Iwould put it out of it's misery ASAP, I can't stand animals in pain.

from my exprience most teenagers would be begging to let them finish it off!

Agree with you totally, however our kids are not allowed those sorts of games. (The eldest boys are only 4 1/2 and are not allowed to watch their uncle's and Aunts play them either). Funny thing is my inlaws turn the channel over if a breast or anything is shown but violent computer games are fine... Go figure!

Was a cop out Robin.

Michael

Yeh good call but youd want to be bloody careful!
I still carry a gun.
Cheers