Hunting is an age-old tradition and is especially important to the American heritage. Killing and dressing your own game for food is a vital part of some cultures, especially in the southeastern U.S. and the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and Canada. It is important, however, to know safely handle wild game and clean and prepare it properly. Anyone can learn to handle their hunt safely with a little knowledge and practice. Soon, you will be saving money and enjoying the pride of serving your own food to your family and friends.
Instructions
Field Dress a Bird
1. Remove all entrails. Remove the grain quickly as it can ferment.
2. Leave all identification marks on the bird as required by your local state wildlife regulations.
3. Get the bird cooled off as soon as possible to retain the quality of the meat. Meat will start to spoil above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Clean out the inside of the bird with a clean towel. Do not use grass, to avoid contamination.
5. Air the bird out by hanging it in a well-ventilated area.
6. Store your birds out of the sun in a chest full of ice to ensure the quality and safety of the meat.
Prepare Ducks
7. Wash hands, cutting board and knife with very hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly with clean warm water.
8. Remove the duck's wings, head and neck with the sharp knife.
9. Scald the duck with very hot water, at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit, to remove the majority of the feathers.
10. Remove the down and pinfeathers by first dipping the duck in a very hot bath of water and paraffin wax and then allowing the duck to sit on the work surface until the wax has cooled. Scrape the feathers off along with the wax.
Prepare Upland Birds
11. Remove the head, neck and wings with a sharp knife.
12. Pluck the bird well, making sure to remove as much of the feathers as possible, then gently brush a very light layer of paraffin wax onto the remaining soft feathers.
13. Scrape the wax off to remove the soft feathers.
14. Soak the bird in cold water for a couple of hours to remove all the blood form the carcass. If after two hours and a changing of the water the bird still is weeping blood, allow it to sit in clean water for another hour.
Related posts
This method for dry plucking your wild game ensures that all of the feathers are removed. Many people hunt for wild turkeys, pheasants, duck, and geese that are suitable for eating. Follow these s...
Nothing tastes better than eating a wild bird as a main course. Whether it is pheasant, turkey, duck or goose, they simply have a taste that does not compare to farm-raised wild birds. Try a wild...
Wild birds require special consideration for cooking. Their meat is denser and leaner than domesticated versions, with more dark meat and tougher connective tissue. As a result, wild birds are bes...
Keep the baby bird comfortable until help arrives.Spring is the time for buds, blossoms and baby birds. Every so often, one of these wild baby birds will fall from its nest. In some cases, the ent...
Wild infant birds go through several stages of development to mature into fledglings that are ready to leave the nest. Different species have different diets, and infant birds will eat different t...
