# Humane Way to Kill Bird



## woodedareas (Nov 10, 2008)

Perhaps I am not the best shot but many of my birds are not DOA. So I have the job of terminating them. I don't like looking at those beedy eyes as I finish the job. What is fast and humane?


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## anon21511 (Jan 13, 2006)

Squeeze down with your thumb and fingers on from the back of the bird on both sides of the spine. You'll find a spot on each side just back of the wings that easily gives. Squeeze there, that will compress the lungs. Goes pretty quick and doesn't leave that nasty wringed neck look, or worse when you try that method. Hope this helps.


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

My papa and dad raised and raced pigions, they showed me how to snap the neck(wich they had to do to birds from time to time due to age or inj.)neck between first and second finger lift bird then quick downward motion with arm then wrist. i could never do it cleanly. maybe it will work for you. I use birdhunter1's method


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## brookie~freak (Jul 8, 2007)

I hate to dispatch a bird that way but I get a few winged birds retrieved back to hand still alive, two within the last two weeks. 

I remember my grandpa telling me stories about birds "waking up" in the back of a vest or in the car on the way home.

Interestingly enough, my first "bagged" grouse of the season wasn't even shot at, dog snagged it off the ground and brought it back to me.


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

I remember my grandpa telling me stories about birds "waking up" in the back of a vest or in the car on the way home


This happened to my friend 


kim a few yrs ago in kansas. had the bird in his vest hoped in the truck to head to the next field, and he started freaking out yelling for me to stop the truck. turns out the bird was not dead, did a bit of damage to. the rooster drew blood! lol


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

Google "Cervical Dislocation"


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

I ran into a guy a few years back that was all bummed out. He took his recently shot pheasant out of his game vest to throw a retrieve for his dog and the bird took off flying away!! HA...


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## snowman11 (Nov 21, 2006)

cervical dislocation is both fast and humane. thoracic compression is not as fast, nor as humane.


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## SteelSearchin (Apr 8, 2004)

I used to wring their necks when I was younger, but I had a couple grouse wake up on me in my vest so I quit doing that. Now I just put a knife blade through their skull. It's a fast and humane way to kill them.

For VDD/DK/NAVHDA duck tests involving dead duck (drags, retrieves, etc), the common way to kill the ducks is to tuck and grab the bird's wings and squeeze the bird's chest (suffocating them). This keeps the bird from bleeding and reduces the temptation for dogs to eat/mutilate the bird. I've done this with a few grouse and pheasants and it seems to make the breast meat a little more blood shot (aka puppy mouth) so I quit doing it. I think they also make a product called something like a "duck wringer" that separates their head from their neck. Basically looks like a pair of channel-locks.

On ducks and geese I typically use the Phil Robertson method (especially if one of my squeamish buddies is around). :evilsmile


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## woodedareas (Nov 10, 2008)

WestCoastHunter said:


> Google "Cervical Dislocation"


Sorry for my ignorance but what does cervical dislocation mean?


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## justbehindit (Nov 30, 2005)

woodedareas said:


> Sorry for my ignorance but what does cervical dislocation mean?


It's a quick twisting, snapping motion which separates the spinal cord from the base of the brain. Supposed to be fast and painless. The only problem with this or spinning a bird's neck is that you run the risk of separating skin, or the head from the bird. 

Personally, I spin most of mine unless it's something I want to have mounted. I also use the squeeze method. Place thumb and forefinger on opposite sides of the rib cage under the wing in the pits. Squeeze hard and you will compress the lungs and stop the heart. Most birds collapse immediately and die within seconds. Get good squeezing hard enough to get your finger and thumb to feel as if they are touching.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

woodedareas said:


> Sorry for my ignorance but what does cervical dislocation mean?


According to the following website....

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/avflu/plan/plan-appje.shtml

Cervical dislocation is considered a humane method of poultry euthanasia by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Use the following steps to perform a cervical dislocation:


Place the bird breast-down on a flat surface (or hold the bird against your hip).
Use one hand to hold both wings behind the bird's back.
Using your other hand, hold the head between your third and fourth fingers, with the third finger on the back of the chicken's head.
Sharply turn the head 90 degrees while at the same time pulling it firmly and quickly away from the body (in a motion like stretching the neck). See diagram below. You will feel the vertebra separate.
Hold the bird in this position until agonal flapping stops.


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## griffondog (Dec 27, 2005)

Put your thumb on the back of the head. Head is now inside your hand.

Hold legs just below the feet in your other hand. With the head next to your thigh give a hard pull down. You will feel the neck separate. Pull to hard you have a head in your hand.:tdo12: 

Griff


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## Hoppe's no.10 (Sep 16, 2007)

woodedareas said:


> Perhaps I am not the best shot but many of my birds are not DOA. So I have the job of terminating them. I don't like looking at those beedy eyes as I finish the job. What is fast and humane?


If you're grouse or woodcock hunting a quick smack of their head against a tree, while holding their body in a firm grasp, quickly does the job. When pheasant hunting and no trees or hard objects are in evidence holding the head/neck firmly while letting the body hang from your grasp and giving a quick spin of your wrist quickly snaps their neck.

Thank you for this post. It shows that you - unlike some others on this forum - have respect for those creatures whose killing brings meaning to our lives.

Hoppe's no. 10


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## 6thMichCav (Nov 8, 2007)

Exact reason I bring a 9mm with me when hunting. Birds with no head don’t flop long and can’t look at you.


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

12 year old thread! 

I'm a southern country boy. I just twist their heads to break their neck and stick them in my vest. Easy enuff and I never cry...


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Shooting a bird could be considered by some as inhumane. That being said after a thousands of birds shot hunting, training and gunning field trials I have never given it a second thought. I did carry a thigh bone of a whitetail cut down to 10 inches with a knuckle on the striking end. One whack with that tool it was lights out for ever bird i hit in the head with.
My English friends refer to that tool a "Priest" very effective.








Solway Feeders: Priest Gamebird/ Fish Dispatcher


This traditional priest dispatcher has an ounce and a half of brass loading to make it heavy enough for use on a wide range of bird species. It is also suitable for game & fish. The wooden handle has a brass eyelet at its base, and a length of brown polyprop cord which is handy for slipping...




www.solwayfeeders.com





Hal


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