Preparing Birds for the Cooler
Most folks who watch hunting shows on TV or who are new to the sport may never see what happens to birds after they are brought to hand.
Because we camp and travel most of the season, often in places where access to fresh water is limited, we like to clean birds in a way that requires very little water and lets us take them straight to the frying pan with minimal work.
There are other methods of butchering birds which may be faster. But we believe our technique allows us to get the most meat from the bird while leaving the carcass in the field where the bird was taken.
On occasion we’ll actually pluck birds and do a whole bird preparation (that makes the professional chefs happy). Or with smaller birds at times we’ll butterfly them. We’ll plan to demonstrate both these later in the season.
If you get in the habit of prepping birds right when you return to the vehicle, it just becomes a natural extension of the hunt and less of a perceived chore.
I actually enjoy butchering birds. It gives a feeling of accomplishment. And call me crazy but I make a point to say a quiet thanks to the birds when I return their hulls to the field.
