# Field Care



## speedimager (Nov 2, 2006)

Just a general question. How do you handle your birds after the kill?
Do you clean on the spot? Or ice them and clean them later?


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## Nate (Sep 11, 2003)

Throw 'em in the back of the pickup and keep hunting.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Nate said:


> Throw 'em in the back of the pickup and keep hunting.


Diddo! Unless really hot then will clean immediately or place on ice.


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## JBB (Feb 9, 2005)

Clean them right away.Clean them in the field and put them in a baggie. It is easier when they are still warm, less weight to carry if you are still walking and smaller residue piles to dispose of. Leave the guts where a fox or yote will find them and where other people do not see them.


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

If it's hot gut them right away and clean them as soon as possible, if it's cold you can wait until your done huntin for the day. That's how I do it right or wrong.


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## DonC (Oct 9, 2005)

If I was going to put a cleaned warm bird in a ziplock I would want to get it on ice right away........ 8)



JBB said:


> Clean them right away.Clean them in the field and put them in a baggie. It is easier when they are still warm, less weight to carry if you are still walking and smaller residue piles to dispose of. Leave the guts where a fox or yote will find them and where other people do not see them.


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Don't forget the importance of leaving the ID of the bird until it's at your FINAL destination.

http://gf.nd.gov/regulations/smallgame/ ... tification

22. Identification
One fully feathered wing or the fully feathered head of all waterfowl, snipe, crane, and woodcock; and one leg and foot, or the fully feathered head, or the fully feathered wing of pheasant, Hungarian partridge, and all grouse shall remain attached to such game during transportation or shipment to its *final place of storage*.

Good luck on opener!


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Some tips for proper handling of game birds

To dress a pheasant, make a small lateral incision on the underside of the
breast with a clean knife. Pull the skin and feathers off the carcass. From the topside, cut down both sides of the back, starting near the head and cutting through to the last rib. Separate the carcass by pulling the
breast apart from the neck, back, and legs. The intestinal tract, heart, lungs, and liver will remain attached to the back portion. Avoid cutting the crop, gizzard, or intestines, since bacteria associated with foodborne illness may be found in these organs. Place the heart and liver in a plastic storage bag and store on ice. If the organs smell offensive or exhibit greenish discharge, black blood, or blood clots in the muscle, do not consume meat from these carcasses, and discard properly.
Remove the feet and lower legs at the joint below the drumsticks. For
purposes of identification, leave the head or a fully feathered wing Remove all visible dirt, feces, feathers, and bloodshot areas. Wipe
out the cavity with individual paper towels, then prop it open with a clean
stick or hang the carcass to aid in air circulation. If you wash the cavity
with water, dry it quickly to prevent spoilage.
After cleaning the cavity and in preparation for transport, place carcasses
in plastic storage bags and pack on ice or snow. Do not pile warm
birds together, as this will hamper cooling. Separate and cool the carcasses
quickly (to 35-40°F) to prevent bacterial growth. During transport,
keep the carcasses out of sunlight. To remove excess blood, soak
grouse, pheasant, quail, and partridge in cold water for 1-2 hours. It
is advisable to hold carcasses at 40°F or less, since freezing before processing may toughen the meat. If you will be aging the carcass, do so at 40°F or less and for 2-3 days.

Use these steps to field dress waterfowl:
1. Field dress the bird immediately. Remove entrails,
taking care not to break the gall bladder sac on the live because bile destroys the meat flavor. The shape of the bird's bill tells you about its diet. Broad and flat bills indicate plant eaters; pointed and serrated bills indicate fish eaters. (See preparation section about marinating
fish eaters).
2. Wipe body cavity with a dry cloth, paper towel, or dry grass. Moisture spreads bacteria, which cause spoilage.
3. Cool bird by allowing air to circulate in body cavity. Hold the cavity open with a small stick to speed cooling. Bring a cooler for transporting
birds.
4. When you get home, finish dressing birds. You can also age birds by hanging them for three or four days at 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, but do not pluck them. A fully dressed duck can be aged most safely by refrigerating for three or four days. This tenderizes and develops flavor. Many experts recommend that ducks and geese be plucked rather than skinned because the skin helps retain flavor and moisture during cooking.
Dry pluck as may feathers as possible. To remove pin feathers and down, use a paraffin treatment. For four ducks, place two cakes of paraffin in four quarts of water, bring to a boil, and dip the birds one at a time. Cool to harden paraffin, scrape off wax, down, and pin feathers with a small, dull knife. (Many hunters skin birds because it is easier than plucking. They often use bacon strips to add moisture during cooking.) Handle geese in the same manner as ducks.
Freezing
Do not freeze birds without plucking and cleaning them first. Immediately after cleaning birds, wrap them in moisture/vapor-proof material. Freeze immediately and store up to six months. Thaw by placing frozen bird in refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours. This slow thaw will tenderize the meat and help prevent growth of bacteria.


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## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

I always carry a field dressing kit (small dedicated cooler) with a gallon of water, knife and paper towels. One slit and a quick scoop to empty the cavity, rinse it a couple times and insert a paper towel to absorb the remaining blood. Its important not to let dead fish, birds or game sit with blood and guts in them as bad things start to happen rather quickly which impact the taste of the meat. Everyone field dresses a deer immediately yet for many its seemingly ok to let your birds rot all day. :eyeroll:


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## 2Socks (Apr 18, 2006)

I agree, my dad taught me, get the guts otta those birds now! I hunted with some knuckle heads in SD that threw their birds into the back of the ranchers pickup that had manure slurry in it. Disrepectful of the game and damn nasty.


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## JBB (Feb 9, 2005)

Clean them right away.Clean them in the field and put them in a baggie. It is easier when they are still warm, less weight to carry if you are still walking and smaller residue piles to dispose of. Leave the guts where a fox or yote will find them and where other people do not see them.

When I do this I clean the bird by standing on the wings and pulling up on the legs. You end up with the breast meat attached to the breast bone and both wings attached. I rinse it off with water and it is on ice in at least 1/2 to 1 hour. I carry my bird cooler with block ice in my van so tne birds are chilled soon. In the fall the weather is not usually that warm where an hour or so is bad.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

I use a rose bush pruning shears. Clip through the skin at the bottom of the breast bone. Tear the skin up the middle past the crop. Insert the shears, clip twice to get to the wing, leave it on the breast, do the same on the other side, and you have a clean breast with one wing for id. 4 snips total. Can save the legs the same way.

The carcass stays in one piece. Put the carcasses in a garbage bag and dispose of properly, never in sight of the road.


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