What's the best way to despatch a pricked pigeon?

The best way to despatch a pricked bird is to give it the second barrel as quickly as you can.

By Peter Theobald

Friday, 20 August 2010

Do you know what the quickest, cleanest, way to despatch a pricked wood pigeon is?

Pigeon shooting
PETER THEOBALD
This old chestnut comes up on a regular basis, and I am surprised that anyone shooting live quarry has not mastered the art of despatching wounded birds, cleanly and without fuss.

I hate to see birds swung round by their heads like a whirling dervish, in an attempt to break their necks.

It shows disrespect to the bird, and often results in the head parting company with the body, something else I hate to see.

The easiest way with any bird up to the size of a mallard, is to grasp the body firmly in one hand, to stop it flapping, then take its head between the thumb and first two fingers of the other hand, and rotate until you feel the neck dislocate.

Death is instant.

With pigeons, where you are likely to get several runners during an average session over decoys, the fastest and cleanest answer is to simply finish them off with another shot.