Gundog Training Forum

pontbeck wrote:Judy, just a word of warning. When using your stick to give the birds a good bonk on the head be careful you do not alter the aerodynamics of the broom.

My broom is far too special for that! I save it for the OG...

Back before I used a priest I quite often had two dogs bring me in runners at the same time on picking up days. I used to take one of the birds heads in each hand , give a sort of vicious twitch with my hands and that was two dead birds at the same time . I once watched an SAS instructor geezer on the t.v. explaining to recruits on some barmy phony SAS training programme that they had to get used to the idea of killing. He used farmyard hens taken from a crate and I thought his method was very clumsy. I could easily have despatched two hens in the time it took him to do one and I could have done it with far less effort. I probably got more practice than him.

I was not so tidy at rabbit punching rabbits and hares. More than once I knocked their heads clean off !

One lady picker up I know always stations herself near to another picker up. She hates handling birds and will not kill them herself. She comes wombling over to me or anyone else handy to have them kill runners . I really don't think she should go picking up if she will not quickly kill wounded game. I once told her she could save herself an awful lot of worry and trouble if she used an HPR instead of a Labrador !

Wullie

I thought the whole point of picking up was to kill wounded game as soon as possible, you are right, she shouldn't be out. Mind you, I am quite happy killing wounded birds on shoot days but am squeamish about finishing off myxi rabbits or car damaged birds, how stupid is that?

I know someone who used to take runners to the nearest picker up for dispatch, they gave up picking up and now take gundog training classes instead, worries me that people can train other people's gundogs without having ever worked the final product themselves.

Back to topic, sorry! Priests are the best, as long as they don't jump out of your hand or pocket and vanish for ever as mine seem to do. A weighted priest is considerably more painful than a light walking stick, take my word for it!

I favour scented bootlaces myself, they tingle so deliciously !

Wullie

Liquorice?

Back to topic, sorry! Priests are the best, as long as they don't jump out of your hand or pocket and vanish for ever as mine seem to do. A weighted priest is considerably more painful than a light walking stick, take my word for it! [/quote]

This used to happen to me too until I attached a cord to the end of the priest which in turn was attached to my bag and kept in pocket. Simples !!:)

I stretch the necks. Hold the bird/rabbit by the legs, hold the head between you first finger knuckle and thumb, pull the head so that the neck is fully streched and once fully stretch roll the head backwards till you feel it pop, you know it's done correctly because the head will disjoint from the neck and you can feel it. If the head comes off or skin tears it is because your pulling to hard and holding the base of the head to tightly.

Although this is probably the most difficult technique and method I personally think it is the most discreet and humane.

For pheasants I use my beating stick which has a suitably heavy knobble on top. I place the birds head on a stone or fence post if I can which avoids finger damage. With ducks it is essential to hit them very hard on the back of the head (where the skull joins), I bend their neck right forward to achieve this (but watch fingers!). ON busy duck drives (not my favourite) with pricked ducks coming left right and centre I have a flicking technique which breaks the neck but I can't describe it very well!

I was told a long time ago that it was frowned upon to ( swirl) a bird around , !
As a gun on most driven shoots there is no need however I use my stick or a recent bought priest, if needed.

I saw a guy swirling a partridge on a shoot a while back and it's not a pretty sight really .