How do you clean your birds?

[Pathfinder101]

Grouse I do the step-pull method, breast 'em out, cut 'em into strips and cook in a cream of mushroom caserole.
Quail and pheasant I skin, wrap in bacon and bake
Turkeys I pluck and bake in an oven bag

FOr duck I have a special receipe:

Pluck 1 wild duck and split the cavity open enough to insert a small block of cedar
Insert the cedar block, pin the cavity shut with toothpicks
Place the duck in a roasting pan, bake on 350 for 1 hour
Remove the duck from the oven
Remove the cedar block from the cavity of the duck


Throw away the duck and eat the wood...

[Gobble Gobble]

Nice one Pathfinder 

It depends on my mood and how cold it is outside whether I pluck or breast and how big the bird is and how I will be cooking it.

[klickman]

Usually just breast them and maybe get the leg meat if its a larger bird.

Klickman

[captbly]

So whats the best way to skin?

[Gobble Gobble]

I pluck a little of the breast to expose the skin then slice down the breast and start pulling skin away cutting skin where needed. I have found the wormer the bird (fresher) the easier it is to skin.

[Redstar]

Good tips, I've heard of people skinning grouse that way but never seen it done. I'll have to try it this year, sounds much easier than skinning or plucking.

[stumprat]

FOr duck I have a special receipe:

Pluck 1 wild duck and split the cavity open enough to insert a small block of cedar
Insert the cedar block, pin the cavity shut with toothpicks
Place the duck in a roasting pan, bake on 350 for 1 hour
Remove the duck from the oven
Remove the cedar block from the cavity of the duck


Throw away the duck and eat the wood...

 

[Kain]

Pheasants

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Or if you just want the breast you could get one of these.

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Or

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Or you could try the free way

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[Cascade_Sherpa]

For Grouse...step on their wings and pull on their feet. 

+1 on this technique.  For smaller Ruff grouse I get the breast only. I've found the wings and legs just aren't worth the trouble of plucking and skinning.

However, for larger Blue grouse it is worth the time for the more meat that you get.

[WCTaxidermy]

BOY I'll tell ya, a post like this one makes a bird taxidermist like me roll in his grave. bash:
"just pull the feathers off" "step on the wing and pull" "pluck it"    My hunting buddy's always think I'm crazy, because when we get back from hunting, I always pull out my scalpel and skin the birds for Taxidermy later   Oh well, call us down right crazy.   John 

[Pat/Rick]

Skin 'em,then cut as much meat off the bones as I can. Kill an animal for food? Then use the animal for food.Do not disrespect the animal spirit.

[ecnclan]

Skin the grouse and pheasants, just remove the breast on Quail and doves.  If you are skinning, the sooner you do it after killing the bird the easier it goes.  I like the method Pathfinder101 uses with bacon, keeps the birds moist and bacon makes everything better.

[JackOfAllTrades]

For Grouse...step on their wings and pull on their feet. 

yea heard that one before a buddy of ours told us that , so i asked him to show me he couldnt do it

It doesn't work as well if you don't cut the head off first.

-Steve

[Wayne1]

yea heard that one before a buddy of ours told us that , so i asked him to show me he couldnt do it

Lay the bird on it's back, put both feet on a wing as close to the body you can, grab the feet and pull up.

[Blacklab]

Usually just breast them. Never heard of the wing thing on a bird. Will have to give it a try this year.