Cleaning a grouse

[Stump]

We step on the wings unless its a big blue.

[Jonathan_S]

You can clean grouse with just your bare hands. Tear the breast skin open, peel it all off. Pinch the abdomen wall and rip it open, the gut will come out with ease. You can then tear the wing skin and feathers off in one motion and remove any remaining skin with thumb and forefinger. Just remember to leave the head attached while in the field.

[dmoua]

I pluck and gut  them right after I kill them. I don't like to waste anything especially if I took it's life.

[JDHasty]

I pull the skin off and then take a poultry sheer and cut down both sides of the spine starting at the front.  I then grab the neck and pull the spine out and then take the guts out and keep the liver, heart and spine and a spatchcocked game bird.  It works w/partridge & pheasant as well. 

http://homecooking.about.com/od/poultry/ss/how-to-spatchcock-chicken-step-by-step.htm

[Jonathan_S]

I pluck and gut  them right after I kill them. I don't like to waste anything especially if I took it's life.

That's a good way to be. If you ever don't clean them immediately, don't be afraid to eat them anyway. They don't spoil 

Recently I killed three grouse and within five minutes of popping them, I had them dressed and skinned and in a cold creek. I hunted for two hours until dark and then plucked them from the creek. An hour later and I was eating them, skillet cooked in olive oil with salt and pepper. Wow are grouse tasty 

[Remnar]

 I either use method described by Okanogan , or a reserved step on wings method . Depends on size of bird and condition broken wings etc. Ive shot a few big blues that I just had to plain old skin .
 I like to save the thighs and giblets .

[TONTO]

 I've always done the step and pull, but then I will push the legs back up through the skin and snap off the feet. Not alot of meat on the legs, but if not shot up worth saving. The gizzards, well the yotes get to chew on them. As far as ID goes a few years back they told us to keep one wing, not the head. With the new mixed bag limit, I'm not sure whats reuired to keep now, but I supose if you only had three birds it shouldn't matter.

[huntinguy]

Just a FYI from page 88 of the game regs:

"The feathered heads of game birds must be attached to the carcass
when they are in your possession in the field or are being transported."

May want to save the breasting until you get home.