Hunting House » Goose Hunting » Advice for Small Game/Bird Hunting/Cleaning
Advice for Small Game/Bird Hunting/Cleaning
Question:
>The easiest way to clean birds of the Grouse/Quail size: Lay bird on >its back with feet towards you. Place your feet on the outstretched >wings – close to the body. Grab the legs and pull gently but firmly. >The head, neck, skin and entrails will pull right through the body >cavity leaving you with the breasts and back – skinned and gutted. >Just break off the wings and back. >–
This method also works well on pheasants, a guide showed it to me a couple of years ago. I have to admit having never seen it before I thought the guy was crazy and my buddy who saw him start to do it told the guide he didn’t want ANY help cleaning his birds that is until he saw the finished product now I use this method all the time and still to this day razz my buddy about it. Can’t go wrong with this Dan Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> As a deer & elk hunter, I am used to the shoot it / clean it / move it / > skin it approach to hunting. snip
For elk, I change the order to shoot, skin, clean, move. Elk must be cooled fast. Skinning first will expose the quarters to the air much faster than gutting. Also, it’s a lot less mess to roll around in. Usually I end up boning out elk. Then I don’t gut them at all. I skin then bone. After skinning, I can have the boning done in not much more time than gutting. I don’t open the gut until last to get the inside goodies. Dick Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Well, from personal experience, we usually hunt our large game animals all day (all weekend) and for small game only mornings. We tend to stand hunt a lot for our deer, but we hunt our partridges (grouse) and hares on foot (on snowshoes), without dogs. Quite a bit of walking, I can assure you. I have yet to clean any of the small game that I shoot in the field. Since we usually hunt Saturday mornings, by the time we get home, eat lunch, shower, have a nice little nap, and the girlfriend starts nagging about chores for the afternoon, I usually just stick em in the fridge till after supper after the dishes are all cleaned up. Sometimes even till Sunday. Of course, if theres a gut shot rabbit, I’d rather do it right away than let it "stew" in its own juices (ack) overnight. On rare occasions, I’ll put them in the freezer for a rainy day, thats only if we shoot a lot (usually from duck or goose hunting) in a day and know ahead of time that most of the rest of that day is already occupied with chores. Have fun. Remeber, bing a better small game hunter can only make you a better large game hunter. Anthony >: As a deer & elk hunter, I am used to the shoot it / clean it / move it / >: skin it approach to hunting. However, this year I will be hunting game >: birds (turkey first) and small game animals in the fall & winter. >: o What is the rule of thumb on these smaller animals? >: o Can you hunt throughout the day and then pluck and clean at the end of >: the day? >: o What about squirrel & rabbit? >: o Does anybody have a good URL on cleaning birds? >: Thank in advance! >: Michael
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Hello Michael Clean it the minute you pick it up. Get rid of blood, hair, feathers, whatever. I do not pluck birds any more, but skin and gut them on the spot and leave the mess for the coyotes. Tom Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> As a deer & elk hunter, I am used to the shoot it / clean it / move it / > skin it approach to hunting. However, this year I will be hunting game > birds (turkey first) and small game animals in the fall & winter. > o What is the rule of thumb on these smaller animals? > o Can you hunt throughout the day and then pluck and clean at the end of > the day? > o What about squirrel & rabbit?
I recommend cleaning as soon as possible. Meat tens to spoil quickly and bacteria counts skyrocket quickly after and animal dies. Same reason you "shoot it / clean it / move it /". Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
HI: Well, most of my experience is with turkeys. With them, field dress them (carefully cut around the anal opening, and pull everything out – don’t puncture anything – it will spoil the meat). It’s fast and easy. Then get them in a cooler as soon as you can. You can only shoot one a day (here in Missouri that’s one a week) so it should be no prob heading back to the truck to stow the bird. We’ve left them out for an hour or so- usually it’s cool during turkey season, but on a warm day get it cooled down. As for small birds, field dress them (gut) them ASAP, and if it’s warm be careful them and get them cooled down. I wouldn’t go all day, but a couple hours should be ok as long as it’s not hot out. Rick Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
The easiest way to clean birds of the Grouse/Quail size: Lay bird on its back with feet towards you. Place your feet on the outstretched wings – close to the body. Grab the legs and pull gently but firmly. The head, neck, skin and entrails will pull right through the body cavity leaving you with the breasts and back – skinned and gutted. Just break off the wings and back. — "Our eyes and hands and feet will give us the same assistance in doing mischief as in doing good; but it would not therefore be better for the world, that all mankind were blind and lame. Arms are not to be laid aside by honest men, because carried by assassins and ruffians; they are to be used the rather for this very reason." -George Campbell Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
i agree clean it in the field as soon as you get it. http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/BILLNY/index.html Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
For squirrel and rabbits I usually carry a cooler with ice and put skinned gutted critters in. This is Illegal with birds so I gut and ice only.leave the skinning/plucking for home. > As a deer & elk hunter, I am used to the shoot it / clean it / move it / > skin it approach to hunting. However, this year I will be hunting game > birds (turkey first) and small game animals in the fall & winter. > o What is the rule of thumb on these smaller animals? > o Can you hunt throughout the day and then pluck and clean at the end of > the day? > o What about squirrel & rabbit? > o Does anybody have a good URL on cleaning birds? > Thank in advance! > Michael > Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
As a deer & elk hunter, I am used to the shoot it / clean it / move it / skin it approach to hunting. However, this year I will be hunting game birds (turkey first) and small game animals in the fall & winter. o What is the rule of thumb on these smaller animals? o Can you hunt throughout the day and then pluck and clean at the end of the day? o What about squirrel & rabbit? o Does anybody have a good URL on cleaning birds? Thank in advance! Michael Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
: As a deer & elk hunter, I am used to the shoot it / clean it / move it / : skin it approach to hunting. However, this year I will be hunting game : birds (turkey first) and small game animals in the fall & winter. : o What is the rule of thumb on these smaller animals? : o Can you hunt throughout the day and then pluck and clean at the end of : the day? : o What about squirrel & rabbit? : o Does anybody have a good URL on cleaning birds? : Thank in advance! : Michael My wife’s grandfather hunted rabbits with beagles all his life, and he would never gut the rabbit it the field. He figured the dogs would be after the "gut pile" rather than continue to hunt. He lived to be 86, so… not gutting them right away won’t kill you. Of course he did throw out a gut shot rabbit now and then, once he started to clean it. samg Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/