[chris_bdba]

“I will admit that I am not familiar with the butcher process for pigs and cattle, but I highly doubt they disembowel the cow and or rip calves from wombs, that is unnecessary.

They were chucking spears at the whales like some backwards hellhole in Africa.”

You have no idea about butchering.The first thing that is done is the animal is hung and gutted.

[BwanaNdege]

Actually, the last time I was in a slaughter house the FIRST thing done was to kill the animal. They used a spring loaded captive bolt tool. It looks like a sledge hammer with a 1/2' pin sticking out. Cock the spring with the lever, retracting the pin. A tap on the animal's head triggers the spring release, driving the pin into the brain. Like a shot to the head, but no bullets flying around. Reusable.

I also understand that they come in pistol style and pneumatic powered versions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_bolt_pistol

Captive Penetrating Bolt Gun Cattle Stunner

Something like this might have caused the "half inch round hole, with no bullet fragments" that was found in the top of Ron Brown's skull.