Ask Fish and Game

Q. What can a private citizen legally do when a game animal, such as a deer, is mortally wounded (as in a recent case involving a deer and a car) and needs to be dispatched as quickly and mercifully as possible? A. Doing what seems the most expedientÑand decentÑthing to do at the moment has the potential to cause the citizen to have to explain this action to a magistrate. To avoid this potential, it is best to call Fish and Game or local law enforcement agency. Many of these incidents occur in city or county jurisdictions where discharge of a firearm by private citizens is not legal, causing a problem with the law not even related to Fish and Game laws.