# Do Deer Feel Pain?



## merc123 (Oct 15, 2013)

Recently I was watching a Rage YouTube video.    A guy shot a doe with a Rage and you saw it run off and every time it would jump you would see blood spray.  The wife wasn't too happy with this as she said the deer was suffering, and was in a lot of pain while it was struggling to keep standing after the blood loss.  Just about turned her off on bow hunting before she got started.  I had to Google it though and see for myself.  Good read.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/Outdoors/Subject/SubjectRead.aspx?sid=0&aid=141630&type=A

http://www.buckmasters.com/do-deer-feel-pain.aspx


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## SemperFiDawg (Oct 15, 2013)

Yeah.  They feel pain.


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## DCHunter (Oct 15, 2013)

Of course they feel pain. However, whenever I've had a big traumatic wound of some sort, it's always hurt less than if I just cut myself with a knife or something.


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## merc123 (Oct 15, 2013)

Read the articles...


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## heartstopper4 (Oct 15, 2013)

good read!


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## deast1988 (Oct 15, 2013)

good read!

Ive shot one, one timethat was a complete pass through grazing in a pasture. Saw my arrow zap right through double lungs spitfire max. Deer flinched like a bee hit it. Went back to grazing while it was leaking every where then the wobble and drop. Deer never even acted it had just been blitzed by an arrow till I watched it topple. Makes since especially with a bow, they live in the woods and im sure they get scracthed up and nicks like we do just theyre so accusomted to it they dont think about.


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## treehugger49 (Oct 15, 2013)

We've all experienced cuts with sharp knives that we hardly noticed until our attention was called to it. Based only on my somewhat limited observation, it appears to me that in many cases a pass-through shot from a bow that doesn't strike heavy bone goes practically unnoticed. I don't know that the internal organs generate the same type of pain we associate with the "suffering" of an animal, but the articles referenced seem to support this idea.

The hydrostatic shock accompanying a bullet strike may be a completely different situation.


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## kmartin112888 (Oct 16, 2013)

I shot a six pointer about 12 years ago. That had been shot in the shoulder about an hour and a half before I killed him. By another hunter in our club with a 270. The shot he put on it was a bad angle facing him. The bullet went in and out of the same shoulder breaking it. When the deer came in on me the way I spotted him was that he was rubbing a tree. I had no idea he had been shot prior to me shooting him until looking at him on the ground. He showed no sines of pain what so ever.


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## NCHillbilly (Oct 16, 2013)

I think deer (and most other wild animals) are a lot tougher than us as far as going on about their business with what would be debilitating wounds to us, but I bet you if you heat up a wire and stick it to one's butt, he'll jump just like me or you would. Of course they feel pain.


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## merc123 (Oct 16, 2013)

I know I shot one in the leg at the knee with a gun.  It ran to me and veered 20 yards from me. It stood there looking around with a leg missing.  Never made a sound. Fortunately I was able to put it down.


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## GA DAWG (Oct 16, 2013)

I've had em holler out in pain. Can bears feel pain? Why they do a death moan?


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## Stone11413 (Oct 16, 2013)

Very good read, never really thought about that one.  Thanks for posting!


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## headhunter 07 (Oct 16, 2013)

Of course they feel pain... there just a lot tougher than humans, they don't smoke, dip, drink, eat junk food etc... there vegetarians who exercise daily needless to say there in good shape!


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## BANDT (Oct 16, 2013)

yes. this is ridiculous


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## rutnbuk (Oct 16, 2013)

come on...just one more step,,, "ole painless is waitin on ya" lol


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## Huntinfool (Oct 17, 2013)

GA DAWG said:


> I've had em holler out in pain. Can bears feel pain? Why they do a death moan?



I made a bad shot on a doe last year.  Spined her and felt terrible about it.  She made a noise that I have never heard from a deer.  Literally sounded like she was screaming in pain.  About 5 other does came running up to the edge of the woods from all directions trying to get to her.

IMO...yes...they feel pain (at least in certain situations they do).  I would imagine that a spine shot is incredibly painful.  Something I hope I never do again to a deer.

It won't keep me from hunting.  Not even a little bit.  But it did definitely motivate me to work harder to make sure I don't release that arrow until I'm super comfortable with the shot I'm about to take.


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## Stealth (Oct 21, 2013)

Well if my broadhead tipped arrow hurts a deer when I shoot it, it has to hurt considerably less than getting torn apart and eaten by a pack of coyotes.


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## spencer12 (Oct 23, 2013)

Sure they do, but with a well placed arrow it's over in about 20 seconds.


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## BowhuntingFanatic35 (Oct 25, 2013)

I had one deer holler real loud when i spine shot it. It was definitely pain. On every other kill though the deer run off like there fine and just seem to get woozy and drop when they loose enough blood. Theyre probably in some pain though.


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