when i was young we used to kill the lobsters brin before putting him in the water. my father showed me how to do it. a sharp thick needle right between the eyes on the skull--right through the shell and hes dead, quickly. you can put hin to sleep first by facing him head down and stroking his back. he falls imobile--probably asleep and will stay imobile while you quickly stick in the needle--and hes brain dead as quickly and painlessly as possible. you can do this on a rock or a beach.

i suspect few people do this now, but everybody did this out in old nova scotia when i was young.

by the way the colder the water, the better tasting the lobster so the atlantic shore of nova scotia is by far the best. new brunswick lobster is best early in the season when the water is still cold, and they say the best is from greenland, but they are far and few betwen there, and no self respecting maritimer would stoop to eating warm water maine lobster--might as well eat big shrimp for all the taste they have.

maine lobster!!!???? ugh what a thought.