Answer Man: Can I kill a deer with my bare hands? Brevard music rehearsals open to public?

John Boyle
The Citizen-Times
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Hunters in Western North Carolina bagged a record high number of antlered white-tailed bucks during the 2017-2018 hunting season.


Question: Can I kill a deer with my bare hands? Like, could I wrassle the deer to the ground and stab it with a knife in the neck?

My answer: Only if it's a cage match.

Real answer: The short answer is it's not a good idea, according to Capt. Andrew Helton with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. But this does get a little complicated.

"There's methods of lawful taking (of game)," said Helton, who oversees wildlife law enforcement in the 12 westernmost counties, including Buncombe. "The only legal method in taking a deer is with a rifle, muzzle loader, or bow and arrow, or shotgun. Essentially, firearms or a bow and arrow or a crossbow."

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The goal in hunting is to quickly and humanely dispatch the animal, preferably with one shot.

"The laws are there to protect the game, and we want quick, humane kills," Helton said. "If you're trying to come up with unconventional ways (to kill deer), you might not only harm the wildlife, but you might harm the public, too."

The goal of imposing hunting seasons and regulations is to maintain healthy, sustainable numbers of wildlife.

Of course, sometimes hunters do wound animals, and arrows often will cause animals to bleed out rather than die instantly. Helton said if someone has "harvested an animal and it's not dead, they can use other methods to make it a quick kill," such as a knife.


A final kill shot would be preferred, though. A hunter can use a knife to cut the animal's throat, but it is strongly discouraged.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission recommends against dispatching a wounded deer with a knife. A second shot with a gun or bow is preferred.

"I don't recommend doing that," Helton said. "I've seen that done before, and I don't like that. I bow hunt, too, and to me another arrow in the vital organs is the best way."

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website addresses all this in a section titled, "Wild Game Recovery – Before and After the Shot." It states plainly, "Never attempt to use a knife to finish off a big game animal."

It's also smart to be cautious "when approaching downed game animals, especially big game like deer or bear."

"With deer, it is best to approach from behind and, utilizing a stick or branch, touch the area near an eye in an effort to promote a response," the website states. "If a deer blinks and/or moves, another follow-up shot may be necessary to dispatch it. Most hunters prefer to place a finishing shot in the neck or lower chest area. Doing so minimizes damage to edible meat and results in a quick, clean kill as compared to shots placed elsewhere."

It recommends against a head shot at close range "due to the chance of a ricochet off the animal's skull plate."

"As a general rule, if the eyes are open and breathing appears to have ceased, the animal is likely dead," the site states. "If the eyes are closed, and or breathing apparent, the animal may still be alive. Approach the animal with caution and follow-up with another shot if necessary. Never attempt to use a knife to finish off a big game animal."

Helton noted that with some animals, such as wild turkeys, hunters who have wounded a bird may dispatch it by stepping on its head or neck to quickly kill it, and that is legal. Again, the overriding idea is to kill the wounded animal quickly and with the least amount of suffering.

If wildlife enforcement officers found a hunter was prolonging the animal's suffering or in some other way extending its life, a cruelty to animals charge could be appropriate, Helton said.

Question: Every summer in Brevard there is the Brevard Summer Music Festival. It runs from mid-June until early August. A friend of mine recently told me that the daytime rehearsals are free and open to the public as long as you are quiet. Could the Answer Man check out if that is true? And can you give us some background on this music series?

My answer: I've always found musicians enjoy some shouted tips from amateurs in the audience. And, of course, some hearty calls for "Free Bird!"

Real answer: "Only guests of Brevard Music Center who are on our campus during the day can sit and listen to a rehearsal at our Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium," said Cally Jamis Vennare, spokeswoman for Brevard Music Center.

She also provided the background about Brevard Music Center, which "stands as one of this country’s premier summer classical music training programs and festivals."

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"Each year, 500 gifted students (ages 14-post-college) come to the Music Center from across the United States and around the world to study with a distinguished faculty and renowned guest artists," Vennare said. "Each summer, students participate in a vigorous program of instruction and performance led by BMC Artistic Director and alumnus Keith Lockhart, the principal conductor of the Boston Pops and chief guest conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in London."

"Brevard’s hallmark is the powerful sense of community that reemerges every June-August as faculty and students present 100 remarkable concerts and events to summer audiences totaling over 40,000," Vennare said.


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