I guess not 100% beyond the realm of possibility, but methinks I smell a PETA rat. What do you guys say?

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Duck Shot by Hunter Cheats Death Again

By Associated Press

Sun Jan 28, 10:24 AM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Perky is one tough bird.

The ring-neck duck survived being shot and spending two days in a hunter's refrigerator _ and now she's had a close brush with death on a veterinarian's operating table.

The one-pound female duck stopped breathing Saturday during surgery to repair gunshot damage to one wing, said Noni Beck of the Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.

Veterinarian David Hale revived the bird after several tense moments by performing CPR.

"I started crying, 'She's alive!'" Beck said.

Perky entered the headlines last week after a hunter's wife opened her refrigerator door and the should've-been-dead duck lifted its head and looked at her. The bird had been in the fridge for two days since being shot and presumed killed Jan. 15.

Perky is recovering with a pin installed in the fractured wing, and probably will not have more surgery because of her sensitivity to anesthesia, Hale said.

Who in hell would put an uncleaned and ungutted duck in their refrigerator?

Even if there was an explanation for that - any duck hunter would wring its neck or use it for training a retriever if it was alive.

Whoever the PETA rat was that came up with this crap has got to be very young.

I'm with you on this one Kamo

Kamo Gari

What this old (retired) hunter says is that he is ashamed that he missed so many obvious holes in this story (as you and Palmer have noted) I was dumb enough even to think:"Gee,what a miracle!" -and didn't stop to think. I sincerely hope that it wasn't a PETA story -because it got a lot of play locally -and I hate to think that I was so easily fooled.

I guess I should help try and stop all the innuendo and misinformation on this one. The story is true and the guy is a hunter, not a member of PETA or any other group of bunny huggers. He is a local businessman that owns a roofing company. Take it from someone that lives in the same town this story originated from, it is 100% true and accurate. He did shoot the duck and put it in his refrigerator while it was still alive. I have seen threads of this all over the internet and many people responded the same way everyone here did. You have to ask yourself how in the world it could happen. I do not know him personally but I'm sure he is embarassed. Even the sign in front of the vet's office had something like "Good Luck Perky" on it for several days. I bet he's really pleased with his wife right now. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what the truth is on the story.

SH

I would NOT want to be invited over to THAT house for dinner!

Putting an un-pluked, un-cleaned bird in the fridge?

Yuk!!!

I wander if it shat in the salad? That ain't "chunky blue cheese" dressing there pardner!

I remember a story of my grandfather bringing home a goose and having it come to life in the kitchen. We used to routinely hang ducks with the feathers and guts in, I suppose if you didn't wring it's neck it could happen a couple days later.

the chef

Calgarychef, what you remember is exactly what many people did and still do today. A fair percentage of hunters do not clean their game the same day it is brought home. In fact, the vast majority of game prepared undrawn (with entrails intact) is not cooked the same day it is killed. As for the concept of hanging birds by the neck, the original intent of that was that when their weight caused the body to separate from the head the meat had broken down properly and was ready to be prepared. Perhaps not the most pleasant thought but it would not have been as common as it was if it didn't have some benefit.

SH

Snipe Hunter,
Thanks for your information on this. I would have bet my dads 870 that it was just another PETA story.

I would like to hunt with that fella some time. My blind buddies would appreciate some fresh stories.

Does it rain very much where that fella (in the roofing business) lives?

You are welcome. If it hadn't been a local story I'd have likely been just as skeptical. In the guy's defense, from what I know of him he is a nice guy. I do know his business is highly reputable. Still, even if he didn't wring the duck's neck he should have wrung his wife's.

SH

Snipe Hunter

Along with Palmer, I'll add my thanks for the info - but I really don't think his wife's neck should be at risk. Didn't this guy notice in the hours after he picked up that bird down to when he dumped it out on the kitchen table -that the bird was still warm? Heck! I've more than once seen a downed bird's heart beating when I walked up. OK, they were pheasants and ducks have more fat on them but you get my point. However, all's well that ends well. It wasn't a PETA planted story. That's what counts!

MY THOUGHT ON IT IS THAT HE PROBABLY DIDN'T CLEAN IT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GET IT STUFFED AND DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT RIGHT WHEN HE SHOT IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE PUT IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR INSTEAD OF THE FREEZER UNLESS HE WAS ONLY PLANNING ON IT BEING THERE FOR A FEW DAYS. THERE HAS BEEN MANY TIMES THAT IF ME AND MY BROTHER HAD PLANNED ON HAVE A DUCK MOUNTED WE WOULD PUT IT HEAD FIRST INTO A LEG OF A PANTYHOSE AND PUT IT INTO THE DEEP FREEZE UNTIL WE HAD THE MONEY TO TAKE IT TO THE TAXIDERMIST. IF YOU DO THAT IT WILL KEEP FOR A LONG TIME LIKE THAT AND STILL BE GOOD TO GO WHEN THE TIME COMES.

About 50 years ago we used to raise a few turkeys for sale. The instructions we recieved were to pluck the birds but leave them undrawn. Apparently the local buyer would freese them and they were shipped to England. It seems thatmany Brits wanted to see the innards themselves to be sure the bird was healthy. If you go to some of the ethnic grocery stores in large cities you will see sheep, goats etc hanging skin on and intact.

I like to keep fish alive and gut them as soon as possible. While in Guam,I noticed the Guamanians strung the fish from their belt and the fish would die and be dead all day and they cooked them whole-guts still intact. Guess different strokes different folks.

Come on, don't the rest of you guys store your half-dead ducks in the fridge too?

quote:

Originally posted by Tex21:
Come on, don't the rest of you guys store your half-dead ducks in the fridge too?

Nope. My standard is 9/16 dead or better. Some of us have standards, y'know...Sheesh!

They're only half dead to a pessimist. To an optimist they are half alive.

Kamo Gari:

Snipehunter-took me awhile to wander back to this post. You're right we used to hang the birds, undrawn until the necks would begin to stretch although we didn't wait til the birds dropped onto the floor. That would be "stretcing it too far!!" Once there were enough ducks accumulated the cleaning would begin. I think it's also useful when using the down-the ticks that are sometimes presend might leave the bird although I'm guessing on this one. Grandma used to bake the feathers in the oven to kill any bugs if she was going to use them.

the chef

calgarychef 1:

Do you actually say puns like "stretching it too far" about hanging ducks -around people with guns in their hands?

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
Snipehunter-took me awhile to wander back to this post. You're right we used to hang the birds, undrawn until the necks would begin to stretch although we didn't wait til the birds dropped onto the floor. That would be "stretcing it too far!!" Once there were enough ducks accumulated the cleaning would begin. I think it's also useful when using the down-the ticks that are sometimes presend might leave the bird although I'm guessing on this one. Grandma used to bake the feathers in the oven to kill any bugs if she was going to use them.

the chef

I have heard my Dad tell many times of shooting ducks - lots of ducks! - and then shipping then by train to the Chicago market, shipped just like they picked them up. And somebody bought and ate them. I can't imagine how long from when they were shot until they were cooked but had to be several days! And I would think it very possible some of them were probably shipped out alive - unlesss they had had their necks wrung!