Duck pluckers

[Brittany Chukarman]

With chukar still recovering from 16/17 winter I'm looking to do more duck hunting this Fall. I usually skin them but plucked a few last year and like the way they cooked up. I'm thinking with Hank Shaw's book and some fat mallards I could turn out some good meals. Have any of you had any experience with electric motor or drill motor duck plucking systems?

 

[jrabq]

I tried one a real long time ago, it was a mess. On really fat ducks if you let the rubber fingers hit the skin it would cause oil to exude and slime up everything. Not counting the feathers going everywhere. And I don't think any motorized plucker will do a good job on the wings and legs. Unless you have a really large number of ducks to pluck, I'd just recommend dry plucking with your fingers, with some practice you will get faster. I don't even think the wax thing is worth it, IMO.

 

[Tradewind]

... Prob better if I leave this alone...

 

[MThuntr]

depending on how many you have plucking by hand then dipping in wax to get pinfeathers is an option. We used pluckers on domestic birds but I was too young to remember if they were an issue with greasy feathers.

 

[kenton]

I dip them in wax right from the start. If you dip them slow, no plucking needed.

 

[jrabq]

Just to add some info, I dry pluck and then hit any remaining down/fuzz with a small propane torch. I end up plucking about half of my birds, try to pluck all of the better tasting ones I will roast or cook with the skin on. Shot-up or marginal ducks get breasted out, but I will also save most of the legs.

 

[mplane72]

I plucked with wax too back when I was hunting ducks a lot. I had a big junk pot filled mostly with water and just added enough paraffin to get a good coat on the bird. Worked pretty well.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Thank you, guys. I have arthritis and bone spurs in both thumbs so I'm looking for an easier way than dry plucking.

 

[Frenchy]

Rubber gloves help getting those fuzzy little pin feathers off as well.

 

[phutch30]

Just to add some info, I dry pluck and then hit any remaining down/fuzz with a small propane torch. I end up plucking about half of my birds, try to pluck all of the better tasting ones I will roast or cook with the skin on. Shot-up or marginal ducks get breasted out, but I will also save most of the legs.

This is what I do...up to two pellets in breast I pluck after that I breast out. With practice u can dry pluck a mallard enough to torch in about 2 min. 99% of the time I do this in the field after the hunt...or if the action is slow
don't try to take too much at once. I just take a pinch of the tips of the outer feathers and get them out then do the down. Be careful around the flank feathers they tend to be anchored in firmer than the breast and back

Ive on occasion been able to use large drum type pluckers and they work great. I bought a drill mounted plucker yrs back and it worked ok once u learned how much pressure to use. Stay off the skin, u just want mod pressure on the feathers so the rubber fingers grip the feathers.

Ive used hot water and wax and pranckly by the time I get the wax ready I can have 7 birds plucked and ready to singe and don't have to deal with hot wax and wax covered feathers

 

[jrabq]

…. I have arthritis and bone spurs in both thumbs so I'm looking for an easier way than dry plucking.

Well that sucks, hope you can find a method that works for you, without the pain.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

After researching the different pluckers I settled on a $35 attachment from Lucky Buck. It works well, getting better at it each duck. My nephew is up for Thanksgiving and is keeping me in green heads.

 

[jrabq]

Results look great! Glad you found something that works, the jig for the drill, genius! The one I tried a long time ago had much bigger "fingers", maybe that's why it didn't work for me.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Thanks. There's still some hand work to do on the wings but to do a couple at a time it works well. If the skin is tore badly I skin them.