# Bird Cleaning



## gboyd242 (Jul 6, 2005)

Hi guys,

I was out in ND last October just to do some freelance hunting and was not able to find anywhere that would clean the birds for a decent price. The only place I found was going to charge like $15 per bird to clean them. I thought it was too much so we just cleaned the birds ourselves. Here in CA there are numerous place where I get ducks cleaned that charge about $3 for small ducks, $4 for big ducks and $5 for geese. Anyway, it turned out to be kind of a hassle to clean all the birds and we didn't get to hunt as much as we could have. One more thing was that because we were traveling we had to keep one wing feather in order to identify the bird. As a result, a couple of the birds ended spoiling. I definitely don't want that to happen again. I heard that certain places have a license so they can tag the birds and there is no need to have the feathered wing. If any of you guys have info that you think be useful I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,
gboyd242 (Garret)


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## scissorbill (Sep 14, 2003)

Cleaning your birds is part of the program,get used to it. Also why the hell would a bird spoil because of a wing being left on? You guys must be a real bunch of dandies.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Maybe you could just go to the grocery store instead... they are cleaned and packaged, and you don't have to worry about all that physical exertion and cold. :lol:

Dandy... :rollin: :laugh:


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

What area you hunting? If your paying I will clean them for you.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

If you dont want to clean it or eat it, dont shoot it.


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## HATCHETMAN (Mar 15, 2007)

By cleaning I would assume you mean "plucking". Save yourself the headache and skin every bird you kill, eviscerate it, and leave one fully feathered wing on it (this process takes <2 minutes per bird). PACK THEM IN ICE separately in ziploc bags and DO NOT let them sit in water of any kind unless it's salt water. It's not even a bad idea to tag them with your name, address, phone and license number, species, and date taken....this makes it easier (and quicker) for the police, warden, or fed officer to check you and let you be on your way. If I were in a hurry, I would pay Leo "porkchop" Porcello to clean mine....TOOOOOO EASY!!!

HM


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

> I was out in ND last October just to do some freelance hunting and was not able to find anywhere that would clean the birds for a decent price.


Oh man, times is hard!



> Anyway, it turned out to be kind of a hassle to clean all the birds and we didn't get to hunt as much as we could have.


Yes, it's such a hassle to have to actually clean the birds after a guy shoots them. Sure cuts into the killin' part...

On the assumption that your actually joking and not serious, who writes your material? This stuff is priceless!!!
:rollin:


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

You pay people to clean your birds!? Holy crap! If you're hunting this year and you see a blue 93 Chevy with a makeshift trailer full of Big Foots behind it you be sure to flag it down, I'll clean birds alllll day for 3 bucks a pop!


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## wetlandfarms (Oct 10, 2005)

sounds like you need to hire a guide :stirpot:


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## gboyd242 (Jul 6, 2005)

I have never actually paid to have my birds cleaned. I clean all my own birds by hand but there are places here that will do it. I am surprised that there aren't any there apparently.

Since I only have limited time in ND I would have like to spend more time scouting and hunting less time cleaning birds. It can take a while when you have 4-5 ducks and 2-3 honkers to clean by yourself.

Also, I am curious, do most you guys pick all your birds, skin them, breast them out or what? (for ducks and geese) Do you use wax or a picker or by hand?



> Cleaning your birds is part of the program,get used to it. Also why the hell would a bird spoil because of a wing being left on?


I am not 100% sure why but a couple of the geese were spoiled when we got home. We put them in ziploc bags with the wings separated from the rest of the body and froze them in block ice. They were still rock solid when we got home.


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## fatfish (Jan 17, 2007)

gboyd242 said:


> Since I only have limited time in ND I would have like to spend more time scouting and hunting less time cleaning birds. It can take a while when you have 4-5 ducks and 2-3 honkers to clean by yourself.
> 
> .


You've got to be kidding me. Go ahead and throw in your daily allotment of 3 pheasant, and you're looking at MAYBE a grand total of 15 minutes cleaning birds, and that includes cleaning UP your cleaning area.


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## ndgooseslayer (Jul 26, 2007)

If you ever get to SC ND and want to pay $3 or $5 a bird to have someone clean them look me up...........For that price you can bring me a limit of ducks, a limit of geese, and even a limit of roosters and I'll have them done in a half hour.

With my ducks I either breast them out or skin them. The only time I pluck ducks is late in the season when I shoot a real fat mallard.

The geese I usually try to pluck if it works. Some early season geese just don't seem to pluck very well, so I'll either skin them or cut the breasts and thighs out of them. I should mention that I have a big chicken plucker, so that makes the job alot less work.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

I usually breast all the ducks I shoot, and the geese too. Maybe two minutes at most per duck and a little more for a honker. I went 2 seasons hand plucking them and dint really care for it-got the same amount of meat as breasting-so I switched back to breasting

How do those pluckers work for you guys?


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## TNduckKLR (Aug 5, 2007)

WOW!! 
This is must be how those High Class hunters do it.....
You would be laughed out of the blind where I come from.. and that is the nicest I can say it...


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## blja0601 (Aug 9, 2007)

come on guys, he was probably having his period during that week and was really cramping up and didn't want the hassel of cleaning the 10 birds his group killed, my advive to him is put a tampon in and get the **** done


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## mshutt (Apr 21, 2007)

2 of my freinds and myself, cleaned 15 geese, and 11 ducks in ONE hour(60 easy minutes) that also included cleaning the table and knives. we only take the breasts and thighs though, we dont do any unnecessary plucking of the feathers because that is just a whole nother mes itsself.

I bet many of you are thinking we shot over our limit, but 3 other people were with us and paid us 10 bucks each so they didnt have to clean there birds :lol:


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

ndgooseslayer said:



> I should mention that I have a big chicken plucker, so that makes the job alot less work.


I gotta ask, what's her name? :rollin:

For the original poster, do you look for a hotel with a Bidet so you don't have to go through "all that work" of wiping your own backside too? You must have some portable jobbie you bring with for your trip to ND.


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## HATCHETMAN (Mar 15, 2007)

To answer your question, I've never used wax to pluck a bird (the last time I plucked one was quite some time ago). Heat a big pot (turkey cooker) up with boiling water and a little bit of dawn dish soap to break the oil on the feathers. Dunk the bird for maybe 10-12 seconds, then remove and dunk again for another 15 seconds. Try to pull some breast feathers and if they come off easy, then get to pluck'n. Nowadays I don't monkey with any kind of plucking because you only usually end up using the breast meat anyways, so what sense does it make to keep the skin on?? With some years of experience a lesser goose or duck will take you less than 30 seconds to breast completely, and a honker takes me a little longer than a minute and most of that time is spent peeling the skin back. I use a filet knife to get around the meat hidden under and around the wishbone. If you can find someone to pick a goose for under $8 it's worth every friggin penny if you ask me...I'll never do it again, and whomever is doing the pluckin' has either never plucked many birds, or have done many and are set up right for it. The lady we use when we need one plucked for smoking or christmas has a commercial chicken picker, and she charges $9 per goose, and $5 per duck....I'll guarantee you she has all the business she could ever ask for. Even when this is done properly, it takes 10-18 minutes per bird for one person to boil, pluck, fine pluck, pick pin feathers, singe, eviscerate, and flush.

Breasting isn't gonna do much for you if you gotta leave a fully feathered head or wing on, so you might as well skin them, or leave the wing attached to the breast bone and clip the breast away from the carcass with some poultry scissors. If your meat was spoiled when you thawed it out it was spoiled when you froze it.....don't ever get caught with spoiled game (wanton waste) with a federally managed species... it's big business....the type of big business that will bankrupt you in a hurry. Good luck at whatever you end up doing!
HM


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## gboyd242 (Jul 6, 2005)

> To answer your question, I've never used wax to pluck a bird (the last time I plucked one was quite some time ago). Heat a big pot (turkey cooker) up with boiling water and a little bit of dawn dish soap to break the oil on the feathers. Dunk the bird for maybe 10-12 seconds, then remove and dunk again for another 15 seconds. Try to pull some breast feathers and if they come off easy, then get to pluck'n. Nowadays I don't monkey with any kind of plucking because you only usually end up using the breast meat anyways, so what sense does it make to keep the skin on?? With some years of experience a lesser goose or duck will take you less than 30 seconds to breast completely, and a honker takes me a little longer than a minute and most of that time is spent peeling the skin back. I use a filet knife to get around the meat hidden under and around the wishbone. If you can find someone to pick a goose for under $8 it's worth every friggin penny if you ask me...I'll never do it again, and whomever is doing the pluckin' has either never plucked many birds, or have done many and are set up right for it. The lady we use when we need one plucked for smoking or christmas has a commercial chicken picker, and she charges $9 per goose, and $5 per duck....I'll guarantee you she has all the business she could ever ask for. Even when this is done properly, it takes 10-18 minutes per bird for one person to boil, pluck, fine pluck, pick pin feathers, singe, eviscerate, and flush.
> 
> Breasting isn't gonna do much for you if you gotta leave a fully feathered head or wing on, so you might as well skin them, or leave the wing attached to the breast bone and clip the breast away from the carcass with some poultry scissors. If your meat was spoiled when you thawed it out it was spoiled when you froze it.....don't ever get caught with spoiled game (wanton waste) with a federally managed species... it's big business....the type of big business that will bankrupt you in a hurry. Good luck at whatever you end up doing!


Thanks for the advise and the warning about wanton waste. I don't think the birds the birds were to the point that it would have gotten you sick but they definitely wouldn't have tasted good.


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## wetlandfarms (Oct 10, 2005)

Do people actually use WAX to pluck their Birds....come on Now!..... :toofunny:


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

I guess I am confused as to how the birds could have spoiled if they were still frozen and not spoiled when originally frozen?

What was it about them that made you think they were spoiled??


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## Sportin' Woodies (Jun 26, 2006)

im not going hunting in nodak this year because last year we couldnt find anyone to load our shotguns for us in between shots.
with no one there to load my shotgun for me, i had fewer hours to scout and hunt each day.

give me a break 
:laugh:


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

Boy, a lot of useful replies on this one.

Must be getting close to hunting season.........


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Shu said:


> Boy, a lot of useful replies on this one.


No doubt. If you don't have anything useful to add or just want to rag on people, please don't post.


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