Kyle Riegle

Every day can be a challenge.  But with those challenges, accompanied with a positive attitude strong character and moral, they will bring with them amazing values appreciation for doing the right thing.

I was faced with such a challenge on the morning of  February 16th 2010.  I’d been there before as a young child having watch my father do the exact same thing I was about to.

I am a nature lover and respect every aspect of its natural beauty that is given to you and I as a daily showcase.

However, through the love and appreciation, a line always needs to be drawn.  Lines that can be viewed as  gruesome,  or even considered harsh and unnecessary.

I drove out of my driveway at approximately 6:22 am, headed for my usual 6:30 am workout, which I am typically late by 10 minutes for.  About a half mile on my journey, I saw it, just lying off the side of the road, possibly paralyzed from the hips, slightly unconscious, its right leg had a sever compound break at the knee joint, and starring directly into my eyes as if crying out for help, a deer had been hit by a previously passing vehicle.

Living in Northern Michigan for most of my 25 years, I have seen hundreds of dead deer on the side of the road, I’ve also seen them get hit and run off as if nothing even happened.  I’ve seen them actually run into vehicles, one actually almost killed my mother when she used to drive school bus.

She was stopped on the road waiting for the deer to cross, a car heading in the opposite direction didn’t see the animals.  The deer jumped, but the car still hit it, propelling the animal straight through the bus windshield.  It wasn’t a pretty site.

However, it’s a completely different feeling when a live wild animal looks you straight in your eyes and is completely helpless.  Knowing it’s fate was obvious.  Deciding to take control of its fate was my decision.

Most would have just kept driving, with the notion and belief that the poor thing will just freeze and die. With the hope and satisfaction  that coyotes, foxes and all other scavenging animals need something to eat too,…..right?

Not in my belief.  I have seen way to many deer left to rot away and never be found by mother natures clean up crew.

This animal was alive, and besides its fatal injury from the vehicle, was a very healthy and well animal.

I pulled over.   Snow covered roads, on a corner, in my dress shoes and Florida Gators workout shorts, at a crispy 24 degrees.  Crazy I know.

Now stopped I thought “great“, now what am I about to do?  Still alive and when I stepped out of the truck it mustered up some energy and pulled itself closer to the woods with its front legs.  Wow.

I didn’t think, I just did what I knew I had to do.  I didn’t have a gun, only a knife.

As I gripped the back of the deer’s neck with my left hand I felt a sense of relief and “thankfulness,” like a the calm after a storm, or the serenity of a fresh snowfall on a Sunday morning.   As if the deer was thankful that I had passed along knowing that I would take her out of her misery.

A few short minutes passed and the animal was at complete rest.  I threw it in my truck and headed back to the house.

In many situations I believe it is unnecessary to play mother nature, illegal poaching, animal brutality, dog fighting, poisoning and all the crappy things some humans do to animals.  But, I love venison, and couldn’t bare the thought of the deer rotting and not giving its energy to a better cause.

I think that some believe as humans, we are a step above mother nature. And shouldn’t “interfere” with what, or could have happened.    My belief is that we are all equally a part of the food chain as sharks, lions, foxes and coyotes.  Humans are just a heck-of-a lot smarter and more civilized.

I felt great with the fact that I saved, what very well likely would have been rotted and wasted food.  Also, thoughts of, “who am I to be mother nature“ crossed my mind?  But as I sated above, you and I are equally a part of this planet as the wolves and coyotes.   I saw it first and had the guts, pride, and tenacity to put a helpless animal out of its misery and place food on the table at the same time.