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Author Topic: Plucking vs. skinning birds  (Read 801 times)

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Offline Conan The Librarian

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Plucking vs. skinning birds
« on: February 27, 2012, 03:59:11 AM »
What's your favorite way of plucking a bird, or do you skin it?
 
I tried plucking grouse but the skin is so thin, it just tears, so I end up skinning them. Woodcock, I just pull the breasts out.
 
I've tried plucking pheasants, but it takes forever per bird. Is there a secret to speeding it up some?
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Offline briarpatch

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2012, 04:18:41 AM »
 Youtube has some good vids on this. Several (many, many) years ago a few of us went pheasant hunting in west Kansas and after the hunt we brought our birds back to the hotel room and plucked them. I guess they are still cleaning up feathers in the rooms. Heavy doses of Peach brandy did most of the plucking.
Skinning was much easier.
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2012, 04:27:39 AM »
Don't pluck anything but ducks.  Skin pheasants, quail, grouse.  Breast geese, doves, other smaller birds like sniper or woodcocks.  I breast all the ducks I don't plan to give to someone. 
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Offline Bugflipper

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2012, 10:32:29 AM »
Pretty well everything gets plucked that I eat. The problem I have with skinning is losing the fat that flavors the meat. And losing the moisture from the meat when cooking. I just don't like dry flavorless food. A lot of folks will wet cook a breast in a soft drink or something to get the moisture back. But personally not my cup of tea.
 I just use an auto plucker. A quick dip in hot water and throw it in the plucker. Mine is a commercial unit that looks like a washing machine tub with little rubber fingers all in it. You just throw them in and let them spin awhile. I have seen little deals on youtube where they put those rubber fingers on a drill and hold the bird to it to pluck him pretty quick as well.
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2012, 10:53:09 AM »
Skin everything from quail to geese even wild turkey. Think browning bag  ;)
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Offline KIMBER45

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2012, 11:24:36 AM »
I either skin or breast the birds I get. When my friends son killed his first goose, he insisted on plucking it. His dad and I finished several beers before the boy was finished. He never plucked another.
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2012, 11:30:39 AM »
I wouldnt pluck anything by hand.  Life's too short.
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Offline KIMBER45

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2012, 01:56:09 PM »
Quote from: dukkillr on February 27, 2012, 11:30:39 AM
I wouldnt pluck anything by hand.  Life's too short.
My grandmother plucked chickens. I can still smell the scorched pin feathers as she held the bird over burning alcohol.
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"In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway."__Mother Theresa
-----------------
Not everyone will understand your journey. That"s fine. It's not their journey to make sense of. It's yours.
--------------------------------
Hawkeye: My father warned me about you...
Chingachgook, he warned me about people like you. He said "Do not try to understand them".
 "do not try to make them understand you. That is because they are a breed apart and make no sense".
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Offline 223fan

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2012, 02:19:03 PM »
It just so happens that I have skinned thousands(really) of turkey's,so for me it's the way to go.On the up side with so much practice I m pretty quick at  getting them peeled and getting the breast off.
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: Plucking vs. skinning birds
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2012, 02:25:41 PM »
Quote from: KIMBER45 on February 27, 2012, 01:56:09 PM
Quote from: dukkillr on February 27, 2012, 11:30:39 AM
I wouldnt pluck anything by hand.  Life's too short.
My grandmother plucked chickens. I can still smell the scorched pin feathers as she held the bird over burning alcohol.
My grandfather walked to town.  I'll be happy to take my truck when it's raining tomorrow morning. 
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