troutdudes

I don't know how to clean any upland game birds except for just standing on the wings and pulling on the legs,( which I have also never tried). I was wondering if anybody had a diagram or a website that shows it, or maybe a small video from a website?
thanks much appreciated.

sean665

For the smaller birds like dove and quail, I do the stand on the wings and pull on the legs and disjoint the shoulders. Then just reach in behind the breast with a finger, pull the breast out and chuck the rest.

Mite

Are you asking how to clean them in the field or at home? This is how I do it.

Field cleaning a fresh kill: I grab a bunch of feathers just below the tail and pull. Sometime you can get some of the skin off but you want a half dollar size clearing of feathers. One hand grab the tail and the other just under the breast and pull enough to rip the skin (or use a knife and slice across the bird). Stick two fingers inside the bird to slowly pull the gizzard out. Almost everything will fall out then if you're careful. Detach the smaller instestines.

At home I just skin the bird.I take a sharp knife or cleaver and separate the wings at the first joint. Also the legs. A smaller bird just take the breast. Almost as easy as a chicken.

Nord QC Bouman

Many just take the breasts - but in larger birds this is a shame.

All you need to do is:

1) Cust off head, feet and wings and chop off the tail area.
2) Push through the feathers on the belly and rip open the skin - sounds bad but is really not.
3) Just peel off the skin by working around hte body, legs and wings - until all the skin is off. Bird looks normal now.
4) Cut under the rib cage to make a small opening, reach in with 2 fingers and pull the innerds out - watching to make sure the waste end is all out.
5) Flush real well in cold running water - good time to look for shot and make sure the cavityis clear of any glands,veins, tracts, etc.
6) Pat dry and outin a baggy to freeze.

After you do one this will take you about 2 minutes.

Champlain Islander

I always just step on the wings and pull the feet. I do it in the field when the grouse is still fresh and it comes right apart. I carry a bag for the breasts and put them in a cooler back at the truck. So simple and no tools needed.

NoDakHunter

In Dakota country we clean our birds by first completely skinning them, cut the wings, the head and the feet off; and then cut the thighs off with a game shear. To get the breast with the bone WITHOUT wasting ANY meat you cut on the back of the bird with a knife where the "shoulder blades" meet the breastbone. It's really slick and doesn't waste any meat. Furthermore, all the parts fit nicely in a ziplock water bag for storage. I keep my birds this way sometimes up to two years without any freezer burn.

Good luck!

porknbeans

I'm a stand on the wings pull on the feet guy.

AkhunterTeen

Another easy way that i do for grouse sometimes is to rup the skin at the bottom of the breast, and pull it over the top of the bird, then grab the neck and gizzard, and pull down, this disconnects everything but the wings.
works great

700bdl870exp

Lay it on its back grab a patch of skin and feathers in the middle of the chest and make a small cut with a knife. The skin should just pull off then pretty much i then use a knife to pop the shoulder joints apart and do the same with the legs. the i cut the tail off and the head. Thebreast is attached to the legs and stuff by like a membrane stuff i just slit it and take out the gizzard and the heart and when you make that slit you can almost dump all the guts and stuff out and then i go out to the well pump and wash out the inside cavity real well and you good to go.