Odds of Survival
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Zbone
01-Feb-24
Left rear leg dangling, will she make it?
From: RonP
01-Feb-24
nope, not a chance. i'd be surprised if she makes it a month.
From: SBH
01-Feb-24
Only see one front leg too....weird pic...
From: Matt
01-Feb-24
There was a doe in AZ that had a broken back leg and got along fine. Raised at least one fawn after the injury before a hunter killed her to “put her out of her misery”.
From: casekiska
01-Feb-24
Here in WI I have seen one deer brought into camp that had a front leg somehow amputated above the knee. The stump was all healed over and the deer was getting along fine and running with other deer. You'd never know it was handicapped!
From: Basil
01-Feb-24
Don’t count her out. I’ve seen many 3 legged deer doing just fine. Shot a 3 legged doe several years back. Mercy killing, figured she just lost it in shotgun season. She was completely healed & haired over & doing fine. She even had a fawn.
From: Bent arrow
01-Feb-24
She may surprise u. Have a doe here that was hit in back left leg just like this one. That was 4 yrs ago. She has raised twins first yr and trips last 2 yrs. She is a great mom and healthy. Depends on front leg.
From: Will
01-Feb-24
I'm assuming it's 3 legged - pic almost looks like it's two legged which seems impossible.. If she's 3 legged, she will surprise folks. As others noted, many 3 legged deer get along really well.
From: fuzzy
01-Feb-24
Possible
From: Slate
01-Feb-24
Absolutely she could survive. Yes I have seen a 2 legged deer which got around just fine.
From: Bou'bound
01-Feb-24
3:1 odds in favor on draft kings
From: Beendare
01-Feb-24
Lucky the missing legs aren't both on the same side- grin
From: q d m
01-Feb-24
Thru the years i have seen half a douzen one legged deer and one with both front legs missing 4 or 5 "
From: sitO
01-Feb-24
I'm calling BS
From: drycreek
01-Feb-24
Yes, unless infection sets in. Animals are tough. We had a three legged doe on my lease that could jump a fence as easily as four legged one could, and her back one was the one she was missing.
From: Thornton
01-Feb-24
Nobody can say for certain. My uncle had a doe with a broken front leg last for years around his house and even had fawns.
From: Duke
01-Feb-24
I would say 50/50. Inherent on predators and readily available food sources in that order. She is probably the weakest link that will be targeted early on. Deer are unbelievably resilient animals and tough as nails.
From: DonVathome
02-Feb-24
Not sure on odds but I have seen, and harvested, many deer with a badly broken legs, many times missing. All times it was at or below the middle of the leg (not sure if this is their ankle or knee). One deer was walking on the bone protruding from her rear leg. He tracks with 2 hood prints and a hole.
If I were to guess I have seen at least a dozen deer that were fine, not infected, normal and had a missing or dangling leg. One year in a place near many highways there were 3 good bucks, all with broken rear legs, and all with a poor misshapen antler on the opposite side as the broken let. It was frustrating, I eventually harvested one.
That said for every one I saw maybe 10 died? 100? 1? None? No way to know.
From: Buckdeer
02-Feb-24
I have seen deer that looked like they broke their ankle and from there down the foot would just fall off.I had a doe for several years that had fawns every year and if I ever had her walk by me I didn't notice but got trail cam of her.Then had a yearling do it and found her dead that spring shed hunting so it just all depends.
From: Scoot
02-Feb-24
Hard to say but that's a weird picture. Like was said above- it looks like 2 legs are missing.
From: sticksender
02-Feb-24
Trail cams give weird effects when stuff is moving....very possible that's a normal deer.
From: Zbone
02-Feb-24
sticksender - The photos are screenshots from video, she has 3 good legs, the left rear is dangling and looks like it was shot off with just hide holding the hoof on... She actually stands on the stub... Will try to get a better still shot...
From: Recurve Man
02-Feb-24
I seen a 200” buck with one leg, one eye, and no ears. Nicknamed him lucky he was as 15 years old and we had 9 sets of sheds from him.
Beat that one QDM.
Shane
From: Zbone
02-Feb-24
Its a cheap trail-cam and as said screenshots from video while she was moving so they are blurred... This first one photo attached shows her 3 good legs, the other I tried to highlight the dangling/flopping portion taken on Jan 16th and the only video I got of her, nothing since except this coyote on the 21st taken from the same camera... The coyotes probably got her, she'd be easy prey with that leg flopping around, she wasn't getting around very good... I've seen crippled and 3-legged deer surviving but with that dead portion still attached the coyotes will probably get her and if not infection might... If it rots off maybe there is/was a chance of survival... Would think she took a slug during one of our four statewide gun season the latest ending on Jan 9th so hard to tell how long it will take to drop...
From: Zbone
02-Feb-24
From: Jack Whitmrie jr
02-Feb-24
I had a doe that lived in a neighborhood where I used to live, had a front leg missing. She raised 2 set of twins and a set of triples before 2 dogs killed her.
From: Gileguy
02-Feb-24
On a cold morning after a late February thaw a wolf chased a doe into our yard. It had snapped its front leg about where this one's back leg is broken. She snuggled up to our house & the wolf was too nervous to come for her, scared the crap out of our horses though. Deer lived for years, leg mended but had no control over her foot. Meanest deer in the area, survived & raised fawns for years. Tough animals but back leg might be worse. Had a lab that still hunted with a back leg amputated at the hip but he didn't have to outrun coyotes.
From: JB
02-Feb-24
Have video of a 3 legged buck fighting bigger bucks and not backing down. Saw him 3 years in a row with 3 legs and he was doing fine.
From: keepemsharp
03-Feb-24
We had a doe around here that lived at least two years after loosing both front legs in a swather, some folks thought it was a kangaroo.
From: Grey Ghost
03-Feb-24
I have some old video of a large Mule deer buck, with one hind leg blown off at the knee, attempting to breed a doe. Every time he tried to mount her, he'd lose his balance and fall off. It was kinda funny and sad at the same time.
Matt
From: ahunter55
03-Feb-24
I have seen worse that survived. Sometimes, state can determine live or die. Predator's in the state, weather like severe winters ect..
From: 4nolz@work
03-Feb-24
she'll survive imo,its amazing what deer can survive
From: APauls
03-Feb-24
Finally killed a buck 4 years after hunting him in a similar situation. Called him Hopalong.
From: NCK
03-Feb-24
very good
From: Zbone
04-Feb-24
I haven't checked the trail-cam since I pulled the SD card last week when I got the footage... Our bowseason ends today and will pull the card again on the way in after my last hunt of the season to see if it captured her again...
From: Iowa booner hunter
05-Feb-24
I think qdm is sayin he saw deer with one leg missing not only one leg left
From: Tracker
05-Feb-24
I have pics of a decent buck that live for several years with one back leg. washed him attempt to bread a doe one fall. If they don’t get a bad infection they can very well survive.
From: Zbone
08-Feb-24
I pulled the SD card today and the 3-legged doe was a no show... Only captured on trail-cam that one time, coyotes probably got her...
