Best Way to Finish Off a Wounded Game Bird?

I mostly hunt grouse when it comes to birds. I use my thumb and forefinger of one hand behind the head and while holding the body with the other and a quick jerk pop the head clean off. Instant death and bleeds them out.


This, works with anything other than geese, which takes much more force.
 
This, works with anything other than geese, which takes much more force.

Geese I hold them and slit the throat after giving it a whack on the head to stun it. I have a small stainless bar that I have one end coated with liquid rubber for grip that I use as a fish bonker but works on water foul too. My Becker BK9 by KBar works too...
 
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I'd recommend against cutting the partridge's head off - it's way easier to use the head while you're cleaning them, as it removes the heart, lungs, etc. I go with the stomp and twist. Quick pop and the neck is broken.

Of course, the simple answer is to be sure of your kill shot....but I don't want to start anything lol

Cannon
 
I hold the head of upland birds and give them a quick sharp spin... it is immediately effective. Not so much on waterfowl... after many years of neck stretching and wrestling, I came to use a small pocket knife and thrust from the base of the underside of the bill into the brain of all ducks and geese.
 
Am I the only one who doesn't like carrying, headless bloody birds? Makes for nasty pictures also.... I also don't want that mess in my game bags or field vest or on the floor of my duck boat... I find game birds beautiful and often admire the plumage after harvesting them... not so pleasant when the are covered in blood and sand and leaves or marsh grass.
 
Am I the only one who doesn't like carrying, headless bloody birds? Makes for nasty pictures also....

I don't carry them whole, and rarely take photos of them. I do the wings-legs pull-out, then grab the winged breast and put it in an open zip-loc in my pack, and carry on.
 
Am I the only one who doesn't like carrying, headless bloody birds? Makes for nasty pictures also.... I also don't want that mess in my game bags or field vest or on the floor of my duck boat... I find game birds beautiful and often admire the plumage after harvesting them... not so pleasant when the are covered in blood and sand and leaves or marsh grass.

You absolutely correct hoytcanon.
There is much more than the killing of the bird.
Some have just gotten past that stage or have forgotten about it.
I like watching them both alive and after the fact.
But, right about then my belly starts to rumble and reminds me of whats for dinner.
I'm beginning to find this thread a little distasteful along with the other one about grossness.
I dont care what people think or what they do for fun, but there is a certain amount of maturity that goes along with Hunting and the Killing of Game and it appears
it may have been tossed out with the common sense when it came to voting in yesterdays election.
Dont worry boys and girls not judging anyone in particular, just saying .
Rob
 
I hold the head of upland birds and give them a quick sharp spin... it is immediately effective. Not so much on waterfowl... after many years of neck stretching and wrestling, I came to use a small pocket knife and thrust from the base of the underside of the bill into the brain of all ducks and geese.

Exactly this. I too wrestled with some waterfowl that just wouldnt die. Then on one hunt in which I brought my then 12 year old nephew, the little guy decided to try something different to end the agony of a bird. And as such, stuck a pocket knife into its head from the bottom of the bill and the duck died instantly. Who says you can learn something new from a kid!
 
You absolutely correct hoytcanon.
There is much more than the killing of the bird.
Some have just gotten past that stage or have forgotten about it.

Some just want to end any possible suffering as quickly as possible, and aren't thinking about "style points" at the time.

I'll continue to refrain from getting my jolly pocket knife out of my trouser pocket and opening the blade, while my game bird continues to flippity-flop in agony.

Boot crushes head. Done. Pain over.
 
Some just want to end any possible suffering as quickly as possible, and aren't thinking about "style points" at the time.

I'll continue to refrain from getting my jolly pocket knife out of my trouser pocket and opening the blade, while my game bird continues to flippity-flop in agony.

Boot crushes head. Done. Pain over.

You clearly are unfamiliar with waterfowl. .. upland game birds are a snap... literally. Boot crush a goose or black in a marsh and all you do is have to extract your still alive birds head and neck from a foot of mud... wring it's neck? Ha! I have seen guys go around half a dozen times and all that results is a weirdly stretched, still alive bird... a belt knife to the brain is the quickest and most humane and neatest method of dispatching waterfowl IMO.
 
You clearly are unfamiliar with waterfowl. ..

You are correct, sir. All my comments are about grouse. It did occur to me that soft ground (near waterfowl) would make my method impossible.

I have hunted ducks a couple of times, but never was I presented with a situation of needing to finish off a duck. My gut reaction might be to simply shoot it in the head. Is there a reason why people don't use this option?
 
You are correct, sir. All my comments are about grouse. It did occur to me that soft ground (near waterfowl) would make my method impossible.

I have hunted ducks a couple of times, but never was I presented with a situation of needing to finish off a duck. My gut reaction might be to simply shoot it in the head. Is there a reason why people don't use this option?

If possible, sometimes a kill shot is required. But other times, all a kill shot will do is damage the bird and render it useless. When I retrieve a duck or goose that is still alive, I knife it under its beak and its done. Its the fastest and most humane way to end its life.
 
You are correct, sir. All my comments are about grouse. It did occur to me that soft ground (near waterfowl) would make my method impossible.

I have hunted ducks a couple of times, but never was I presented with a situation of needing to finish off a duck. My gut reaction might be to simply shoot it in the head. Is there a reason why people don't use this option?

I try to avoid the second shot as to not ruin any more meat. Generally I thump ducks and grouse over the head with a heavy stick or fish whacker (not sure what they are called). Never hunter goose, I imagine those are more difficult to dispatch.

Finally, anyone who says to not take a shot they arnt sure of to avoid wounding a bird has never hunted a day in their life. It's a shotgun, you can't take any shot and be 100%.
 
Generally I thump ducks and grouse over the head with a heavy stick or fish whacker (not sure what they are called). Never hunter goose, I imagine those are more difficult to dispatch.
.

Cwebber from wikipedia:A priest (poacher's, game warden's or angler's "priest"), is a tool for killing game or fish. The name "priest" comes from the notion of administering the "last rites" to the fish or game. Anglers often use priests to quickly kill fish.

Kill it !
Kill it F....ing Dead !
I'm just amazed at the about of discussion this thread has garnered is all.
Killing a wounded large wounded animal is harder yet.
hc, your method is pretty straight forward and yes watching someone swing a goose does result in many a stretched neck and the bird suffering needlessly.
Anyone ever try the biting between the eyes method?
59 posts and counting , haw far will this go ;)
Rob
 
Cwebber from wikipedia:A priest (poacher's, game warden's or angler's "priest"), is a tool for killing game or fish. The name "priest" comes from the notion of administering the "last rites" to the fish or game. Anglers often use priests to quickly kill fish.

Kill it !
Kill it F....ing Dead !
I'm just amazed at the about of discussion this thread has garnered is all.
Killing a wounded large wounded animal is harder yet.
hc, your method is pretty straight forward and yes watching someone swing a goose does result in many a stretched neck and the bird suffering needlessly.
Anyone ever try the biting between the eyes method?
59 posts and counting , haw far will this go ;)
Rob

Thank you sir
 
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