Gundog Training Forum

How do you despatch your birds ?

I have always twisted their necks and had no problems ,but reading a few articles thought I would try using a priest. So started last weekend and found it fine . Used the priest today on the first few birds then on the third drive this morning with a lively big cock bird missed his head and delivered the coupe de grace to my knuckles .
The rest of my day I deployed the tried and tested twist neck again .

So what do you deploy ? Should I stick with the priest and practice my technique or go back to the old faithful twisting the neck.?

Hold them by the wings, pull the wings up together and knock them on the head.

Agree with WGD hold them by the wings where the wings join the birds body and a quick sharp bonk on the head...Your hand is well out of the way then and you get a clean hit...The trouble with breaking their necks especially if the swinging em method is employed (which I hate to see) is, it stretches their necks and they then can literally fall off when strung up on the game cart...It's quicker for the bird too..

Rascal

Depends if you're carrying a gun or not. A priest isn't so convenient if you are.

Naj

I agree with Naj. I use a priest now when picking up but back when I did a bit of shooting I found it easier to do a single hand neck twist.

Wullie

I can see that it would be difficult one handed but soooo many folk I see swing em not once Wullie but loads of times....

It is a pet hate of mine that folk don't know how to despatch game properly, sorry...


Rascal

I agree you need to kill quickly & as cleanly as possible. Perhaps that's why the inexperienced give a few more 'twirls' than necessary, just to make sure. I also agree that you can easily severe the vertebrae if not careful, but at least you know that the job is done & although such birds might not look so 'pretty' paired up on the game hooks & may be in danger of falling apart if on a bumpy ride in the game cart, for a roughshooter like me this isn't an issue & they still hang the same as one with neck intact. Priests aren't fool proof, either, & the inexperienced can make a hash of it just as easily when using a priest - as Greenshank is finding out to his cost.

Naj

Rascal wrote:I can see that it would be difficult one handed but soooo many folk I see swing em not once Wullie but loads of times....

It is a pet hate of mine that folk don't know how to despatch game properly, sorry...


Rascal

Agree.

I'm with Rascal, swinging a bird around by it's neck looks clumsy and unprofessional and a not very efficient way to dispatch. Can you not put the gun down and use two hands ? I've only known one person who could dispatch with one hand and if he showed me once he showed me 1000 times and I still can't do it. He held the bird by the neck and pushed the head with his thumb and broke the neck instantly.
I would be lying if I said I've never swung a bird to dispatch but I use a priest now and I've the bruised and skinned knuckles to prove it.

Reckon I will persevere with the priest and try WGD 's technique.

Thanks for all the replies and hope your seasons are progressing well.