Methods of Dispatch
If dispatching by blunt force, you will need a stout stick or a short length of pipe to use as a cudgel. We use a thick hickory hatchet handle about 18” in length. To begin, bring the rabbit to the dispatch site and set it on the ground. Let the rabbit calm down and perhaps have a nibble or two of hay or grass. Grasp the rabbit gently but firmly just forward of the hips, gripping mostly with the middle finger and thumb--this provides a safe and secure grip that will prevent the rabbit from kicking you during its death throes after dispatch, and is less alarming to the rabbit while still alive than grasping it by its feet.
Lift the rabbit’s hindquarters into the air. This presents the head downward, exposing the back of the head. Quickly deliver a sharp blow to the back of the head just under and between the ears. Blow placement is critical for humane dispatch, so do not linger when lifting the rabbit before delivering the blow or it will be likely to wiggle or move. If it does so, set it back down and try again. The swing comes mostly from the shoulder and elbow, with a snap of the wrist--very similar to the swing used with a machete or other similar too. When delivering the blow, drop your weight into your shoulder as if trying to drive a nail with one strike. A clean blow will cause instant death, simultaneously destroying the brain and breaking the neck. Often a good solid blow will result bleeding from the nose or ears.
To ensure proper dispatch it is ethical practice to deliver a second blow shortly after the first. Do so rapidly, but remember that blow placement is still paramount. This guarantees death in the case of an improper blow. While it is very easy to dispatch a rabbit this way, you should always be prepared for something going wrong so that you are mentally ready to finish the job properly in such a case.
You may set the rabbit down at this point while the rabbit goes through its death throes, but we suggest continuing to firmly hold it forward of the hips if possible, as this prevents the rabbit from becoming dirtied. After the kicking and spasms have ceased the rabbit may be hung and processed.
If using a pellet rifle for dispatch, set the rabbit on the ground and place the barrel of the gun at the base of the skull, angled such as to create a direct line from the barrel towards the nose. This ensures that the pellet passes through the brain properly and causes maximum catastrophic trauma for instant death. Again, wait until the death throes have subsided, after which the rabbit is ready to hang and process
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Lift the rabbit’s hindquarters into the air. This presents the head downward, exposing the back of the head. Quickly deliver a sharp blow to the back of the head just under and between the ears. Blow placement is critical for humane dispatch, so do not linger when lifting the rabbit before delivering the blow or it will be likely to wiggle or move. If it does so, set it back down and try again. The swing comes mostly from the shoulder and elbow, with a snap of the wrist--very similar to the swing used with a machete or other similar too. When delivering the blow, drop your weight into your shoulder as if trying to drive a nail with one strike. A clean blow will cause instant death, simultaneously destroying the brain and breaking the neck. Often a good solid blow will result bleeding from the nose or ears.
To ensure proper dispatch it is ethical practice to deliver a second blow shortly after the first. Do so rapidly, but remember that blow placement is still paramount. This guarantees death in the case of an improper blow. While it is very easy to dispatch a rabbit this way, you should always be prepared for something going wrong so that you are mentally ready to finish the job properly in such a case.
You may set the rabbit down at this point while the rabbit goes through its death throes, but we suggest continuing to firmly hold it forward of the hips if possible, as this prevents the rabbit from becoming dirtied. After the kicking and spasms have ceased the rabbit may be hung and processed.
If using a pellet rifle for dispatch, set the rabbit on the ground and place the barrel of the gun at the base of the skull, angled such as to create a direct line from the barrel towards the nose. This ensures that the pellet passes through the brain properly and causes maximum catastrophic trauma for instant death. Again, wait until the death throes have subsided, after which the rabbit is ready to hang and process
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