| Many of the principles founded in the human medical field of
forensic pathology for assessing gunshot wounds are applicable to animal forensic
cases. In fact, most of the available literature on this subject is published in
human medical journals and textbooks. However, there are many issues and scenarios
specific to wildlife forensic cases of which investigators must be aware. The
following are a few examples pertaining to gunshot cases. |
| Lead Shot Pellets |
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|
We already have mentioned the illegal use of lead birdshot in the
hunting of waterfowl. Why would anyone want to use lead shot? There are a many
reasons why people break this law, including the relatively higher price for alloy shot
and the belief by some hunters that steel and alloy shot has inferior field
performance.
One possible explanation for the latter complaint is the lower density
of steel (as compared to lead) and the effect of this characteristic on the shot
string. As ammunition companies produce newer alloys with more satisfactory
performance, this complaint may become less of an issue. |
Identifying lead shot in a carcass is simple enough by chemical
methods. The story becomes confused by the fact that game species have international
flight paths and that non-lethal, minimally debilitating wounds can occur during
migration.
Questions that require answers include: Is the defendant
responsible for the lethal wounding? Is the illegal type of ammunition responsible
for this wound? Could the lead shot be from an incident prior to the defendant's
inflicted wound? Answering these questions would require assessing the lethality of
the wound, the age of different wounds, and the type of shot involved with each. |
| Proving Lethality |
| Despite how they are portrayed in many movies, gunshot wounds
often are not immediately fatal. An animal (or human for that matter) shot
directly through the heart can survive a surprisingly long time before succumbing to
cerebral anoxia – at least longer than most people would think. This is
relevant to forensic cases when a wounded animal, such as a deer, can travel a significant
distance before death. A defendant could claim that the wounded animal wandered into
his or her vicinity before dying. It would be up to the forensic investigator to
analyze the evidence available and render a professional opinion as to the plausibility of
different scenarios. |
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For example, how far do you think that this white-tailed deer
could have traveled after receiving this wound (the green cord represents the spinal
cord)? OK - this was an easy one. |
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| Archery |
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One type of hunting that we have not addressed yet is
archery. Modern bows are capable of firing arrows that can travel completely through
the body of adult cervids. Arrows used today usually are tipped with broad-heads,
which are steel points hedged with cutting blades.
The wounds inflicted by arrows
have a few characteristics that distinguish them from those of firearms. The wounds
are made by incision, thus the skin edges may be re-apposed for almost complete closure of
the wound in a fresh hide. In contrast, firearm wounds usually obliterate the
epidermis/dermis upon impact and may leave an abrasion ring on the deep surface of the
hide. Also, the wound tract caused by an arrow is relatively narrow and
linear.
It is necessary to know these characteristics when unscrupulous hunters kill
an animal with a firearm and then punch an arrow through the wound to mimic an archery
kill. Field tests are available for testing tissue for lead and copper residues, as
would be left in a gunshot wound. Unfortunately, these tests are not very sensitive
and additional analyses must be performed in the laboratory.
In addition to the
above distinguishing features, radiographs can be used to look for metal fragments.
Evidence of metal fragments or a “lead shower” is strongly indicative of a
gunshot wound as broad-heads do not fragment. |
| Traumatic Injury >> |
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Veterinary Forensic Pathology | Issues in Wildlife Gunshot Cases