How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

I have hunted deer for years now and this year I am finaly branching out into birds. I have never been turkey hunting so I thought I would do some research. I have read some articles and watched some videos but one thing that never gets answered is how do you finnish off a wounded bird? Almost every bird seems to flop around after its hit and I want to be as humane as possible so how do I dispatch them quickly? Another shot? Step on their head?

I am also considering pheasant hunting this fall as well so any info with dispatching them would also help. Same method or not?

Thanks guys.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

the most common method of killing a turkey is to grab him by his head, pick his body up off the ground with just the one hand holding his headand spin the turkey almost like a cowboy spins his rope. this will quickly break his neck if done correctly. sometimes if you spin too hard you will decapitate and if you do it too soft you will only hurt the turkey further. after a couple of times you will get the hang of it. pheasants are the same way.

to recap you aren't spining the head with the body, you are making the toms body spin while the head stays in the same position. and it isn't a whirlwind up and over swing, the turky will hang there while you spin him. someone else might be able to describe this better but the first time you see it done you will get it.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

I've done exactly what is described above. Also, if you hold the head and the base of the neck and just pull that will do the job. Just be careful you don't get spurred.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

Ya know, I wasn't going to fess up because y'all would never believe it but the bird that I shot Wenesday was at a distance and when I approached him, I reached down and grabbed him by the throat, he obviously didn't appreciate this and climbed right up my legs, into my lap, over my belly then over my shoulders and fell back down behind me[:-]. I turned the wheelchair around, a little shook up at what just happened and rolled the wheel right onto his neck and he was done in a few seconds. It was wierd because he was obviously hit in the head. I'd like to see that on video, "Carolina longbeard whips up on crippled redneck in wheelchair", I can see it now:D. But seriously, I'm lucky that he didn't get those spurs in my face. I guess he wanted to get the last lick in.


God Bless,


Ray

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

I just step on there neck...:eek:

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

i would say stepping on the neck is about the slowest way, plus if you want a mount he will tear up his feathers/beardand spurr everything he can kick. basicly steping on the neck will only disable him from getting back up and running away or a 5-10 minute choke, plus he may still get air while flopping around. everybody has their own thing that works though.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

If he's down and flopping after the shot, 99.5% of the time it's a dead bird. The sympathetic nervous system still fires neurotransmitters for about 3 min after the animal is dead.

You can hasten the process in any manner you like. You can either snap his neck, as described by vmartin, or you can just step on his neck.

If you step on his neck, follow these steps:

1) step on bird's neck
2) grab legs, above the spurs
3) jerk the body upwards in one swift motion...

This quickly snaps the spinal column, and gives you much better control. Furthermore, you get the sastisfaction of inspecting his spurs ;)

I typically always finish my birds this way, and have yet to ruin any capes or feathers for mounts. More feathers are ruined by the actual shot than by any post-shot handling. The second way that mounts really get messed up is where the bird lands after the shot. IF they roll down a steep embankment or into water, don't expect a gorgeous mount [&:]

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

Define wounded. Like someone else said if they are flapping for all they are worth just give them a minute as they are dead. If they are obviously alive, they will typically be still. Approach with caution and be ready to shoot him again. You do NOT want to ring a turkeys neck if there is still alot of life left in him, as he will take some of yours away too. There wings and spurs hurt so when breaking the neck let them go after you feel it give. If your uncomfortable with this the easiest way is to just shoot them in the head again. Sure it might be bloody but it will get the job done. Pheasants are very easy to ring there necks. Just make sure that the neck is broke before you set them down or else you might not get him back.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

well put "STRUT AND RUT". i think that might work quite well. i have never tried it that way.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

Agreed, that sounds much easier.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

i just stand on their neck for a minute...they quit flappin pretty quick..its just nerves if you made a decint shot...

last year i did wound one...he really did need another shot...but by the time i found him i was furious lol...we went hand n spur a couple rounds....i won. young dumb n adrenalin and unhappy with him and myself...i just didnt think...though i know grabbing a bird is never a good idea....

who had the pics of their spurred hands on here a while back?? thats always my "reminder" on not to grab birds! lol

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

deep fryer

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

well i get up and run, and if it needs antother shot i take it. but if its not going anywhere i ring its neck

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

step down hard and fast, you will hear his skull/neck make a loud snap....game over. He will quit flopping.

Stomp his head.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

break the neck (Don't do as one friend of mine did) he walked up to the bird to shot it in the head an shot just as the bird moved an took out half the breast along with the beard

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

Maybe???

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

Yup! step on the neck,less than a minute later it's all over!
BTW, the flopping bird is probably dead already, similar to a chicken that continues to run with his head chopped off! The ones that go down w/o flopping are sometimes just stunned, get to those birds quick!

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

Here is my rule of thumb that has caused me to NEVER lose a wounded turkey (this is from almost two decades of shooting geese and ducks, and I use this rule with turkeys too):

If his head is down, he is down; if his head is up SHOOT HIS ASS AGAIN!

You will NOT catch a crippled turkey in a foot race. If he is flopping... let him flop... to hasten the process.. there are several things you can do: What I do with geese and turkeys is to stand on the head and grab the feet.. you gotta use two hands and be careful. With your foot on his head... pull up on the feet until you hear a deep, sharp POP. Then let him go cause he's already dead. Its important to keep the turkeys back TOWARD YOU! That way you cannot get spurred, and you cannot be flogged by wings.

As to grabbing him by the neck and spinning him like a goose.... thats not the way geese should be done anyhow... you gotta spin awfully hard to break the neck... and anyone who grabs a still living turkey by the neck and lifts him up is braver than I. Its a good way to get hooked right in the Easter basket. Also, if you are trying to save him for a mount... its about the worst thing you could do... if you think he is going to flop when you stand on his head... just wait 'til you try and lift him up....

My best friend has a decent method... he used a knife and finds the slit behind the ear and a quick jab.... lights out. Works on turkeys.

For ducks (phesants would apply too)..... I separate the last vertabrate from the skull... using God's own creation.. my canine tooth. For a pheasant, which isn't quite as hearty as a duck, I'd prbably just crush the skull with my thumb and forefinger like I do a dove.

RE: How do you dispatch a wounded turkey??
 

I caught a wounded turkey. Lost half my clothes in the throny bushes and was about dead when I did catch him but I caught him. The reason I had to chase him down was I ran out of shells, because I didnt take my time dispatching him...:eek: