Duck Pluck & Gut, how long can delay?

[cowboycraig]

How long can a person wait to pluck and gut in cold weather?

Driving back from potholes to Seattle, and gets pretty late some trips. Usually stay up and get ducks in fridge. Wondering, is morning too late?

Can I only gut in the evening and plug in morning?

Thanks,
Craig

[kukusya]

No worries keep in fridge or outside. And tomorrow put one at the time in hot/boiling water for a minuet and start pluck right away.

[270Shooter]

Below 40 degrees they are fine. Helps to pluck the beast feathers real quick to help cool em down quicker though

[NW-GSP]

Don't want to hi jack the thread but what's your favorite recipe for ducks?. I deep fried one last week and it was ok but not amazing.

[lokidog]

I've had some go several days, outside if cold or in the fridge.  I've never noticed any difference in taste.

[270Shooter]

Don't want to hi jack the thread but what's your favorite recipe for ducks?. I deep fried one last week and it was ok but not amazing.

fried duck is not good to me. Try marinade in Italian dressing for 12 to 24 hours then BBQ rare to medium rare. If you cook it til it's brown on the inside it will taste like liver.

[lokidog]

Don't want to hi jack the thread but what's your favorite recipe for ducks?. I deep fried one last week and it was ok but not amazing.

fried duck is not good to me. Try marinade in Italian dressing for 12 to 24 hours then BBQ rare to medium rare. If you cook it til it's brown on the inside it will taste like liver.

Duck tacos aren't so good either.    There are lots of good duck recipes posted in the cooking section.

[cowboycraig]

No worries keep in fridge or outside. And tomorrow put one at the time in hot/boiling water for a minuet and start pluck right away.

The boiling water helps with plucking?

[huntingfool7]

You can leave them breast up for 3-4 days without any issue.

[constructeur]

I've had some go several days, outside if cold or in the fridge.  I've never noticed any difference in taste.

Hanging game at the correct temp is supposed to improve it's taste, within reason.


http://honest-food.net/2012/10/20/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

[ducksdogsdownriggers]

I've posted article this before, it's a good read:
http://honest-food.net/2012/10/20/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

Pheasants, grouse, partridges and geese I will hang 3 to 7 days, depending on how old they were.
Pen-raised pheasants, all quail, woodcock, snipe and ducks I only age 1 to 3 days, again, depending on size and age. The smaller the bird and the younger the bird, the shorter the hang time.

[h2ofowlr]

You can leave them breast up for 3-4 days without any issue.

Definitely leave breast up, so the body fluids don't settle into the breasts.  My grandpa used to gut them and hang them on the side of the shed for several days when I was growing up.  Helped break down the meat and make them not so strong tasting.

[Hannibal]

why not field dress,,?,,only takes second per bird......  cut pull repeat.............

[huntingfool7]

why not field dress,,?,,only takes second per bird......  cut pull repeat.............

Try it you might like it   Most meat is left to hang for a reason.  If you "cut pull repeat...." then toss it in a freezer in less than 3 days, you are freezing it in a state of rigor. 

[CP]

Hanging pheasants makes a big difference in how they taste and how tender the meat is but I don’t find that hanging ducks makes much of a differences.  Either does gutting them in field.  I did that in Texas because it was hot and it didn’t take long for the guts to out-gas and work up a stink in the ducks but here in WA it has never been a problem.

Keep them cool and they can go for days without cleaning them.  You do need to keep them separated to stay cool.  Ducks make good insulation and big pile of freshly shot ducks means the ones on the bottom stay warm.

[bowtechian]

Check out "hunters table" great waterfowl & other game cookbook

[vandeman17]

My go to is 3 days wait until I breast my birds. I leave them breast up and spread out on a plastic bag on the floor of my garage so they stay plenty cold. I hunt pretty much every Saturday and clean birds every Tuesday after work. I have found that is about the right amount of time and the best taste.

[magnus100]

IMHO getting guts out of anything fish, game, or fowl asap makes them all taste much better. If you can/will eat your duck breasts rare or medium rare I do the following. Lay the breast on a cutting board and filet off a very thin layer of the outside(skin side) of the breast. Feed it to dogs Slice remaining breast thin 1/4 inch and sear it rare in a little butter. Best duck I've ever eaten.