Horrible Moment In A Brilliant Night's Shooting. Has This Happened To You?

[Bunnyblatter 1,012]

Some people just don't have compassion at all Mac. All animals, even a rat deserves our compassion and consideration when we pull the trigger

[tomburras 2,721]

While dairy farming I seen cull cows shot and a spring plug pushed in and out of their head and plugged. The reaction was sometimes as if they where conscious looking round and breathing as normal and after looking after theese cows for some time you really care a lot and I asked questions and it's common that sometimes they react like this but are stone dead. Quite distressing after caring for them and getting to know them. We all get this happen from time to time and I notices especially with young rabbits?? Even hit in the head with fac airgun sometimes it's like that and I remind myself what if seen in the past and they are dead humanely but still find myself despatching by hand to be sure. If anyone says everything they shoots drops stone dead they are lying or haven't shot many rabbits.

[Lab 10,979]

 

Jesus mate it was a dead rabbit twitching not someone's child hit by a random shot in a war zone,perhaps you should stick to target shooting,you got hands stop wasting pellets and use them dear oh dear what ever next ffs

You obviously don't have the same thought for our quarry.

Nonsense.....he's 100% right. Never have I heard the correct way to dispose of any animal/bird is to pump more pellets/bullets into it. Especially if it's a stone throw away.

[Dr B 186]

Great thread and discussion chaps.

 

Every hunter has experienced this. It is entirely possible to shoot an animal in the brain and the animal still be 'active' for a few seconds, possible tens of seconds afterwards. The trick is, shoot the brain, but also take out the brain stem. I'd suspect, for whatever reason, your pellet was just outside of that zone. If the animal is spooked before being shot you will get more kicking and twitching because their arousal is higher in the first place. However, the animal is probably still 'dead' from the point of impact and not aware of anything.

 

Some just roll over, some leap, some twitch. Their alertness at the time of being shot plays a big role here.

 

I have experienced it more in the past with squirrels than rabbits, tough buggers squirrels, and a much smaller brain.

[squab 2,875]

 

 

Jesus mate it was a dead rabbit twitching not someone's child hit by a random shot in a war zone,perhaps you should stick to target shooting,you got hands stop wasting pellets and use them dear oh dear what ever next ffs

You obviously don't have the same thought for our quarry.

 

:thumbs:

 

Just what i was thinking

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

 

well doesnt that just show how wrong you can be,iv done a lot of shooting over the years air rifle and shotgun as well as working a lurcher,yes quarry deserves respect hense,if i ever winged a bird i would instantly dispatch it rather than continue pumping lead into it,pre ban if my dog caught a deer i wouldnt let the dog rag the thing till it died id be straight in hands on with a knife to dispatch it,my point is if you cant get hands on with quarry and do the right thing then dont shoot it simple really,i could have walked over and dispatched the rabbit long before you put 3/4 pellets into it so id have to ask myself who of us has more respect for the quarry not you it seems atb

[charlie caller 3,654]

If you were not so obviously concerned by the affair, I would have been tempted by a sarcy comment like use a .177 next time however I wont, I have shot them through the head with the .22 rimfire producing 100 ftlbs and seen the same thing, I think your idea of despatching it by hand next time is the best one, I always do if possible, strange stuff happens some times, I saw my mate the Seeker, shoot a fox @ 100 yards or perhaps a bit closer with his 6.6x55 Swedish Mauser, a broadside chest shot from a rifle producing some 2000ftlbs the fox ran it took us about half an hour to find it, stuffed into a hedge, stone dead with a hole in its chest that you could have pushed a tennis ball through, the animal clearly had no heart or lungs, yet it ran about 70 yards stone dead, as hunters it is important that we expect these strange happenings from time to time, and be prepared for the appropriate action, which you clearly demonstrate, you were.

[Bunnyblatter 1,012]

 

 

 

Jesus mate it was a dead rabbit twitching not someone's child hit by a random shot in a war zone,perhaps you should stick to target shooting,you got hands stop wasting pellets and use them dear oh dear what ever next ffs

You obviously don't have the same thought for our quarry.

:thumbs:

 

Just what i was thinking

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

well doesnt that just show how wrong you can be,iv done a lot of shooting over the years air rifle and shotgun as well as working a lurcher,yes quarry deserves respect hense,if i ever winged a bird i would instantly dispatch it rather than continue pumping lead into it,pre ban if my dog caught a deer i wouldnt let the dog rag the thing till it died id be straight in hands on with a knife to dispatch it,my point is if you cant get hands on with quarry and do the right thing then dont shoot it simple really,i could have walked over and dispatched the rabbit long before you put 3/4 pellets into it so id have to ask myself who of us has more respect for the quarry not you it seems atb

I didn't get that impression from your post about it being someone's child in a war zone ??

Why do I have no respect for my quarry ? Have I said that I've done what was described ? No I haven't have I.

[bigmac 97kt 13,730]

:snack:

[bigmac 97kt 13,730]

:snack:

[walshie 2,804]

However it has been put, necking is the answer, not blasting away till it's dead. We aren't Americans.

[bigmac 97kt 13,730]

However it has been put, necking is the answer, not blasting away till it's dead. We aren't Americans.

:thumbs:

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[villaman 9,979]

By putting another pellet in to head is a lot quicker than getting up and running over and necking it ,that normally does it

[tomburras 2,721]

Each situation is different, I'd rather use a fast follow up shot if the rabbit is near cover or it's warren and edging closer to it. As if it is wounded it may speed up its getaway when it sees you approach and escape before you get to it.

[Lab 10,979]

By putting another pellet in to head is a lot quicker than getting up and running over and necking it ,that normally does it

And I take it you do that while its doing backflips and jumping about? The John Wayne of the airgun world...?

[tomburras 2,721]

 

By putting another pellet in to head is a lot quicker than getting up and running over and necking it ,that normally does it

And I take it you do that while its doing backflips and jumping about? The John Wayne of the airgun world...

As said each situation is different in that case it would be quickly picked up and despatch end by hand. Either way has it's place and basic common sense tells you which is appropriate at the time.