Whether killing animals in an abattoir, on a farm or in the wild, humans must employ the quickest and least painful methods available, out of respect for the animals.

Professional sealers are required to be licensed, and to work rapidly and humanely in accordance with methods and regulations lain down by government authorities.

Two methods are generally used in killing seals: clubbing and shooting. Clubs are used to fracture the skull, and are well suited to the killing of young juveniles, which are more likely to stay still than adults. Clubbing also enables a seal to be killed without damaging the pelt.

A typical club is the hakapik, a multipurpose tool of Norwegian design. At one end it has a metal ferrule with a blunt projection on one side to strike the seal's skull, and a slightly bent spike on the other to secure the carcass and pull it, from the water if necessary.

Firearms, typically high-powered rifles in the hands of skilled marksmen, are generally used to kill adult seals, or in any situation where the hunt is conducted from boats.