This question involves assessing the training and expertise of the principal investigator (PI) with regard to the use of firearms. The qualifier 'highly skilled' is not precisely defined, so its interpretation is appropriately left to the IACUC. As described, this practice has been continuing for a number of years, so the simplest and most straightforward solution is to ask the investigator about his or her proficiency and experience with firearms: how often has the technique been used over the past years and with what results? It might seem counterintuitive to seek consultation from the individual under review; however by doing so the IACUC can gain clear, tangible and perhaps even quantifiable insight into the PI's experience with this technique. The IACUC is also well within its purview to request documentation of the PI's proficiency. Documentation can include data from previous years or targets showing shot placement. It is also worth noting for this scenario that, while a .22-caliber rifle, presumably in Long Rifle (LR), might be used in training, proficiency with such a weapon translates well to proficiency with any firearm suitable for the species listed.
A question of more importance for IACUC deliberations is whether gunshot is being used for “euthanasia” or “humane killing”? The AVMA guidelines state that “gunshot is acceptable with conditions for euthanasia of free-ranging, captured, or confined wildlife, provided that bullet placement is to the head (targeted to destroy the brain)”1. If the use described in the protocol meets the AVMA restriction of destroying the brain, then the animals listed are almost certainly trapped, because suitable shots on free-ranging animals the size of a skunk, raccoon or fox would be uncommon without baiting. If, instead, the investigator is using gunshot as a means of “humane killing” (anything other than a shot through the brain as described in the AVMA guidelines), the AVMA guidelines for euthanasia do not apply, as noted on page 68 (ref. 1), and an IACUC-approved departure is warranted.
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