# Anyone Clean / Process Pheasants? - First Time Hunter



## missgisellem (Dec 31, 2020)

we are looking for a place where we might be able to bring hunted pheasant and have someone dress it / prepare cuts of meat? We did it ourselves after our first hunt last week we had about 10 birds) but the neighbors weren’t psyched about it, and we probably lost a good deal of useable meat due to our lack of skills. 

We are going shooting again in a few weeks and we would love to find a place we could bring the birds to have them prepared properly. We got breasts for example, but would love a plucked whole bird with the skin still on that we could roast, etc. I called a game processing shop but they only wanted cleaned game and would only make jerky and sausage. 

Does anyone know of a place that would consider prepping upland birds? We'll do it ourselves again if we have to, but I hate to think about how much we probably wasted. 


Thanks in advance!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

By the time that you pay someone to pluck and clean a pheasant you might as well just go buy a chicken.

Other than that YouTube is your friend.


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## OriginalOscar (Sep 5, 2016)

missgisellem said:


> we are looking for a place where we might be able to bring hunted pheasant and have someone dress it / prepare cuts of meat? We did it ourselves after our first hunt last week we had about 10 birds) but the neighbors weren't psyched about it, and we probably lost a good deal of useable meat due to our lack of skills.
> 
> We are going shooting again in a few weeks and we would love to find a place we could bring the birds to have them prepared properly. We got breasts for example, but would love a plucked whole bird with the skin still on that we could roast, etc. I called a game processing shop but they only wanted cleaned game and would only make jerky and sausage.
> 
> ...


Kill It, Clean It!! It's gospel and part of hunting.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

missgisellem said:


> we are looking for a place where we might be able to bring hunted pheasant and have someone dress it / prepare cuts of meat? We did it ourselves after our first hunt last week we had about 10 birds) but the neighbors weren't psyched about it, and we probably lost a good deal of useable meat due to our lack of skills.
> 
> We are going shooting again in a few weeks and we would love to find a place we could bring the birds to have them prepared properly. We got breasts for example, but would love a plucked whole bird with the skin still on that we could roast, etc. I called a game processing shop but they only wanted cleaned game and would only make jerky and sausage.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the Forum! This place is for the birds, let me tell ya.

I prefer to pluck my gamebirds/waterfowl.

Except swans, I skin swans. And Himalayan Snow****s. I've never shot a Himalayan Snow****. Ha


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have to admit that every upland game bird that I have shot I have skinned and not plucked. Pheasants, grouse, chuckers, and ptarmigan. 

The next one that I get of any of the above I'll have to pluck and roast.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

The next one that I get of any of the above I'll have to pluck and roast. 

In the 80's I came across a recipe in one of my Field & Stream magazines, it was a "Roasted Apricot Pheasant". That was some of, if not, the best Pheasant I've cooked. I wish I still had the recipe and there were wild birds plentiful again. It was more work but well worth the xtra time. 

https://utahwildlife.net/forum/15-u...ean-process-pheasants-first-time-hunter.html#


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Pheasant is the easiest of all birds to pluck and clean. Scald your birds before you pick. So easy, so simple, so quick. This works for any upland game bird that you want to keep the skin on. If you don't want the skin you can just breast them or skin them, very, very easily. As to the guts, well, just watch a couple video's and you'll be a pro.

Forget the other video's on here and watch this one.


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## OriginalOscar (Sep 5, 2016)

Found this while researching Kansas bird hunting for next year. I spatch**** on Traeger and this looks easy and prepares birds for grill. Thanks Kansas!

Click on How to Clean right side of page https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Upland-Birds/Pheasant


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## tshuman01 (Jun 23, 2018)

The easiest way to clean a pheasant is step on the wings with the feet in front of you, pull on the legs slowly until you feel it come lose and pull the legs and guts out! Clip the wings off. Takes about 10 seconds a bird.


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## maverick9465 (Nov 21, 2016)

I agree that it may cost you more to have a processor do it. Once you get the hang of it, plucking can go quickly. Don't lose that valuable skin on pheasants! Or you can breast them out and then part out legs, thighs and wings. The legs, thighs and wings are best cooked low and slow to give time for the meat to fall of the bones. That'll also save you the hassle of messing with all the tendons.


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## guner (Sep 25, 2007)

What it says above is correct, upland birds are easiest to clean, just skin it down to chest cavity the legs and cut the membrane,and you don’t pluck or anything, back when there were wild pheasants in Utah 😉 me and my dads friends son would sit on the back porch of my grandmas and clean all the birds, pretty much from when I was 8 on........... ah the early 80’s 😁


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

Oh man, watching him throw away those feathers makes the fly tyer in me cringe!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

neverdrawn said:


> Oh man, watching him throw away those feathers makes the fly tyer in me cringe!


Last summer while I was cleaning out my garage and getting into the back corners I found a couple of garbage bags that had survived a least 3 moves in 35 years. In them I found pheasant feathers, grouse feathers, squirrel tails, a few tails that I had no idea of what they were anymore along with a assortment of feathers that I had no idea of where they even came from. Mice had gotten into them and had a real nice nest for a while.

Sad to say I just stuck them into another bag and dumped them into the garbage can.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

In today's world, YouTube is definitely your friend. I understand not wanting to lose or waste meat, but you have to learn sometime. Why not now? Honestly, any good hunter needs to learn cleaning skills - it just comes with the territory. Learn how to do it, and then impress/gross out your non-hunting friends!


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

Where are you located/going to be hunting? I'm up North, but would be happy to help you and walk you through how to do it. That is a skill you will want to have if you are going to continue hunting birds.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The OP made this one post and hasn't been back for a month and a half

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


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