How do you dispatch wounded birds?

[blueridge]

I've pulled turkeys' heads plumb off trying to wring necks. I've had "dead" geese come back to life and try to attack me in the boat. I've had chukar and doves give me a surprise back rub through my vest pouch. There's got to be a reliable way to quickly and reliably dispatch wounded/crippled birds. What's yours? Bonus points for good zombie bird stories and battle scars (pics required).

 

[BucksnDucks]

Ringing necks for 30 years. Geese and some ducks are tough sometimes. Recently got one of these gadgets, immediate nighty night.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Walking dead style. Have to get to the brain.

Hammers, katanas, shovels, baseball bats with barbed wire. All these work.

 

[mtmiller]

Bite the head. Can get a little bloody occasionally and Canadas can take some work.

 

[Nick87]

Bite the head. Can get a little bloody occasionally and Canadas can take some work.

 

[D4570]

Put the bill or beak on your inner wrist, the neck between your center fingers, and spin.
Works from small doves to extra large swans and cranes

 

[Nick87]

Doves I usually just pull there head off.

 

[Doublecluck]

Ring their necks, finisher, or……

 

[Wild Bill]

Bite the head. Can get a little bloody occasionally and Canadas can take some work.

I thought for sure I'd be the only one mentioning this one. Super easy on almost all birds, but yea the Canadas can take a little more. Right at the base of the head on the posterior side. After the first couples crunches you get over it.

 

[Birdbander]

I only hunt upland birds and have found this method very effective, quick and leaves the bird looking good.
Squeeze down with your thumb and fingers 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.

 

[MThuntr]

If it's a cripple and I have to chase it, a water swat may be necessary.

I only hunt upland birds and have found this method very effective, quick and leaves the bird looking good.
Squeeze down with your thumb and fingers 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.

I do the same. If it's a goose and it is still kicking, I kneel on its back but not too hard. You'll hear it push the air out. I don't want to pop the heads off because I want to reduce the amount of excess blood leaking.

 

[Gravelyctry]

Really depends where I recover the bird. If I have my dog and he brings in a cripple, I’ll grab it by it’s feet and just smack the head on the boat/blind structur somewhere. Otherwise wring it’s neck.

 

[blueridge]

Ring their necks, finisher, or…… View attachment 265853

After the first couple whacks, the goose probably wishes she didn’t have the recoil pad on her shotgun so it would be over sooner.

 

[johnp]

Easiest way for me to wring a bird or rabbits neck is to grasp the neck close to its head with my left hand . with my right hand grasp the head and twist until I feel the neck break . May have to kneel on the body of a hard Flapper until you feel the snap. The head usually stays attached and the skin breaks just enough to sometimes drain some blood.

 

[Knight.54]

Smaller birds I flip my side by side over, hold them by their legs and frap their heads on the barrels.
Ducks or geese I usually ring their necks or frap their head on something hard, kinda holding them around their shoulders.
Cranes I shoot again.
I don’t mind a little blood. I don’t like headless birds.
Hunted with a guide in Mexico who would pull a wing feather and stick it in a soft spot where the skull and spine meet…and leave it in, so they all looked like little Indians

 

[blueridge]

Ringing necks for 30 years. Geese and some ducks are tough sometimes. Recently got one of these gadgets, immediate nighty night.
View attachment 265847

I saw those when googling. And has a bottle opener built into the design! I like the instant nighty-night. May make my own by putting a bend on an old ice pick.

 

[MTLabrador]

Curb stomping the head is definitely the best method.

 

[steveshuntn1]

Decades ago when my cousin and I were the retrievers for our dads during dove season my cousin would bite the head off the doves and spit them out. His dad thought it was hilarious!

 

[2rocky]

Somewhere, I have a photograph of a perfect, three blade, Broadhead hole through the side of a turkey head. I even surprised myself that I made that shot.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

I started shooting birds with a .22 years ago, naturally I only go for head shots so it's a non issue.