doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Most humane way to dispatch a bird?

I was on my way to the dump here Saturday morning . That route can take me through miles of open farm fields so after making a hard right on the edge of a public section of land, I and ran across a gang of sharpies sprinting and then flying across the road ahead of me. One hesitated long enough for me to stop and drag out my 870 truck gun. It was at some range and the 1st shot hit it but didn't kill it, the 2nd slowed it further but still didn't end it. I sprinted out across the right-of-way and gathered it up. Bleeding profusely and with a broken wing, I assumed that the end was near. I whacked it's head harshly against the Ford truck's bumper and a gout of blood flew out of it nose and mouth and It went limp, so I placed it on the passenger floor of the truck cab (the back was full of trash and smelly garbage cans).



I resumed my trip to the sanitary landfill/transfer station and began noticing signs of life. By the time I was unloading the truck, I had company...



The bird rode all the way back home with me like that and then I had to dispatch it there. More head wacking (against the deck this time), and even a bit of throttling.



Now, if this had been a ruffed grouse it wouldn't have even survived the initial shot, and then certainly not the 1st head whack, so these Sharpies are clearly made of sterner stuff. I used to wring the necks of my gamebirds but often the heads would come-off (which I found a bit harsh). What should I have done differently here?

I clearly don't want this to happen again. A clean kill is always my goal.