# Plucking/Waxing a Pheasant



## burbach (Sep 29, 2005)

Does anyone have experience with plucking a pheasant and then cleaning off the pin feathers using wax? Any advice?


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## wburns (Feb 27, 2009)

I have used a hotwater bath, never done the wax thing.


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## Bug Guy (Jul 19, 2009)

Growing up, my family used to raise about 8000 pheasants per year for slaughter and we picked some to smoke. We used the hot water method and a commercial chicken plucker with 6 in rubber fingers on it that spun around with a variable speed. Pheasant skin is extremely fragile and it took some flare to get it right. When we tried the hand pick method, we tore the skin alot. Most often on the breast area and on the back where the skin is stretched tighter. It was a big pain, even with the machine. Now add to the fact that our birds didn't have ready made holes in them either and you will start to see what you are up against. Unless there is a really special reason to pick a pheasant, I would just skin it. If you do choose to pluck be very careful and plan to be there a while. Good luck!


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## Canuck (Nov 10, 2004)

The secret is to pluck them immediately when they are still hot.

Canuck


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## Lucky Lab (Apr 28, 2006)

Dry pluck them as soon as you can I have plucked as I walked back to the truck usually do 10-20 a year this way. Bird that are not shot up work best


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

When they are so tasty and fall off the bone in the crock pot...why go through all the trouble? Do they taste that much better?


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## riverview (Sep 1, 2009)

a plucked bird keeps much better. I pluck right after i shoot them. gives the dog a break and they pluck easy.


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