cleaning pheasants

[Ryan_V]

yah, I slow cooked the legs from yesterday, I think there is one tendon in the upper leg that doesn't get removed by this method. but it worked as the video showed, makes the legs produce alot of meat,vs cutting them out after cleaning.

[PurpleFloyd]

My son and I came up with what seems like a pretty solid method for fresh killed birds. We do the tendon removal first and then stand on the wings and pull on the legs. This separates the in adds and exposes the breast. There are tons of videos on that. Then I cut the wings off and have the whole upper body clean in no time at all. Then with the lower body I cut off the tail, clean out anything remaining and then cut the backbone out right above the hip leaving the legs, thighs and hips intact which is a lot of meat that I used to throw away.

On a side note- does anyone let the birds hang and age before they clean them? I tried that with two birds and it does seem like they were more tender. I am going to experiment more with that as the season goes on.

[Black Bear]

My buddy and I got 6 birds Sunday and I tried the tendon method for the first time. I used my shop vise at home and it worked like a charm.

[PurpleFloyd]

My buddy and I got 6 birds Sunday and I tried the tendon method for the first time. I used my shop vise at home and it worked like a charm.

Quick tip

If you are out in the field and want to do it here there is no hard ground to stand on to hold the leg, break it and then stick the leg through the slot in your trucks trailer hitch where you attach the chains, bend it back towards you and grab the foot in one hand and the leg in the other. Hold tight to the foot and pull with the leg and it will pull the tendons out. Pretty slick.

[dberl09]

anyone ever pluck the birds as you would a chicken? scald,pluck,gut. I have not tried it but could imagine leaving the skin on would keep it really moist and tasty if cook it just as a "drunken chicken" on the grill.mmmmm

[PurpleFloyd]

[yakfisher]

I've plucked several. I usually pluck a few late season birds. I usually do it when the birds are still warm. I have not personally scalded any but I know it works well too. I also try to pick birds that were head shots with little to no damage to the skin on the rest of the bird. It is extra work, but several recipes work better with skin. Including the one you've mentioned.

[Stick500]

I need a little backup from you guys that my buddy doesn't have a clue what he's doing

yesterday he tells me he has a pheasant for me in his car

so of course I was expecting to get a frozen, cleaned whole bird (he went hunting about 2 weeks ago)

instead I see a dead, whole pheasant in my front seat that wasn't even gutted!

I said what's this, and he says "Oh it's OK it's been in my garage all this time and it's pretty cool there. And one of the guys I was hunting with says you don't have to gut them"

well, my pal doesn't like it when you call him a freaking moron (most of my other pals can take it!) so I just left with the pheasant and didn't say much

now I've heard of aging cleaned birds for a few days in a fridge, but aging uncleaned ones in a garage!!

have any of you guys ever encountered anything like this?

I've been hunting since 1972 and every single bird I've ever shot got entirely cleaned that night and stuck in the fridge or the freezer

[onthefly]

I'm with you! No guts overnight and definitely not for 3 days in a garage!

If it's frozen, it's probably fine. I just don't like to take chances

[charliepete]

Aging birds with guts in is actually a fairly common practice in some places. 2 weeks is over the top, but given the weather lately it's just been frozen solid and not actually 'aging'. My buddy really enjoys eating aged pheasant guts in. He is typically only hanging them for a few days time. I will agree that it's more tender, but I am not a fan of the taste (it could be all in my mind though, the thought of rotting guts isn't for me). I age my birds guts out in the fridge on occasion.

[UMC]

If I'm hunting 3 or 4 days in a row, I often will let birds sit for the whole weekend before cleaning them as long as it is fairly cool. Never have noticed any ill effects.

[Stcloudangler]

Hate to say it, but you better dispose of that bird.... it was likely in his garage when it got back up to 45 degrees and it has a freeze/thaw/freeze cycle already to it..... yuck

[Stick500]

thanks for the opinions guys

my pal says he ate one the other nite and he seems to be OK but I just couldn't do it

set the bird out for an Eden Prairie coon, possum or coyote to get them thru these couple of frigid nites

sure hate wasting a bird though