Help me with tools for processing birds (shears? scissors?)

WNC2500

WNC2500

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I have used the search feature and did not find any answers

For those of you that bird hunt (pheasant, grouse, turkey), what do you use for cutting off wings, legs, etc. When I was in MT this past year, we had good success with grouse, and I just wanted to hear what everyone uses to make quick work of the bones, wings, etc. Any advice or product recommendations are appreciated.
I used my Gerber DTS last year, but wondering what is better.

Thanks in advance.
 
Usually a sharp knife that fits the size of bird you are cleaning. Shears can be handy with geese and turkeys.
 
I shoot upwards of fifty geese every fall and don't have freezer space for that many carcasses. They get boned.

Anyone who throws away the thighs on grouse or pheasants should be cited. I am not an advocate of the step on wings and strip the breast only method.

I use a four-inch drop point hunting knife to dress uplands. Make sure it's fairly sharp and as first step before skinning, place wing on cutting board and with blade as close to shoulder as possible, push down on top of blade with free hand until the bone breaks. Sometimes I wiggle the blade back and forth while pushing down. Then cut away wings. Go to legs and cut skin and tendons at knee knuckle. Then bend the joint sideways till cartilage pops. Then finish cutting the scale skin lower leg away. In Montana one leg/foot of rooster must remain attached. I usually just leave it hanging by a flap of skin so it can be tucked out of the way when bagging it (one rooster will fit snugly in a quart freezer bag if breast inserted first - I use the bags with zippers as they are easier to close when bag filled to capacity). Once legs and wings are removed, start skinning from center of breast. Chop off the tail with knife same as wings when you get to that point. Should cut off the bung hole with tail. Entire rest of skin (sans wings, feet, and tail) should stay together with head when it's cut off. Then gut the bird. Depending on how badly the bird is shot up, I can do one in five minutes. For birds that are going to be consumed, I bone out. Leave wings attached, skin back the breast and bone it, pull skin back off legs and thighs starting at thigh-drumstick joint and skinning both directions, bend thigh back till the hip joint breaks loose, cut skinned thigh and leg off together at hip joint, then bone thigh meat, then break the thigh to drumstick joint by bending backwards on upper leg bone, cut away the drumstick, clean all boned meat sections, place in saltwater overnight in fridge, drain, and prepare for cooking.

A word of warning: you cannot transport boned meat. Carcasses must be maintained whole as proof of possession limit. One leg must be retained on pheasants in Montana (to identify bird species and gender) and one wing on all other uplands and waterfowl.
 
I use shears for most of my upland birds. They have worked out pretty well in most cases. But getting good with any knife is all you need in every case! I'd say get good at any method and it's the right way for you.
 
OntarioHunter said:
I shoot upwards of fifty geese every fall and don't have freezer space for that many carcasses. They get boned.

Anyone who throws away the thighs on grouse or pheasants should be cited. I am not an advocate of the step on wings and strip the breast only method.

I use a four-inch drop point hunting knife to dress uplands. Make sure it's fairly sharp and as first step before skinning, place wing on cutting board and with blade as close to shoulder as possible, push down on top of blade with free hand until the bone breaks. Sometimes I wiggle the blade back and forth while pushing down. Then cut away wings. Go to legs and cut skin and tendons at knee knuckle. Then bend the joint sideways till cartilage pops. Then finish cutting the scale skin lower leg away. In Montana one leg/foot of rooster must remain attached. I usually just leave it hanging by a flap of skin so it can be tucked out of the way when bagging it (one rooster will fit snugly in a quart freezer bag if breast inserted first - I use the bags with zippers as they are easier to close when bag filled to capacity). Once legs and wings are removed, start skinning from center of breast. Chop off the tail with knife same as wings when you get to that point. Should cut off the bung hole with tail. Entire rest of skin (sans wings, feet, and tail) should stay together with head when it's cut off. Then gut the bird. Depending on how badly the bird is shot up, I can do one in five minutes. For birds that are going to be consumed, I bone out. Leave wings attached, skin back the breast and bone it, pull skin back off legs and thighs starting at thigh-drumstick joint and skinning both directions, bend thigh back till the hip joint breaks loose, cut skinned thigh and leg off together at hip joint, then bone thigh meat, then break the thigh to drumstick joint by bending backwards on upper leg bone, cut away the drumstick, clean all boned meat sections, place in saltwater overnight in fridge, drain, and prepare for cooking.

A word of warning: you cannot transport boned meat. Carcasses must be maintained whole as proof of possession limit. One leg must be retained on pheasants in Montana (to identify bird species and gender) and one wing on all other uplands and waterfowl.
Click to expand...
Great in depth write up! Do you cook the skin or do you leave it off? I really enjoy cooking with skin on for herbs and seasonings and love eating it.
 
Non-resident Hunter said:
Great in depth write up! Do you cook the skin or do you leave it off? I really enjoy cooking with skin on for herbs and seasonings and love eating it.
Click to expand...
No, I don't leave the skin on pheasants though I know some folks do. I am kinda culinary challenged. In the old days I plucked all my waterfowl and saved the down. Can't do it any longer. Arthritis has taken its toll. Damn shame. Goose breast feathers and down make excellent pillows. I have comforter my late wife made that's about ten inches thick! Plucking pheasants is a delicate matter. Quite time consuming.
 
OntarioHunter said:
No, I don't leave the skin on pheasants though I know some folks do. I am kinda culinary challenged. In the old days I plucked all my waterfowl and saved the down. Can't do it any longer. Arthritis has taken its toll. Damn shame. Goose breast feathers and down make excellent pillows. I have comforter my late wife made that's about ten inches thick! Plucking pheasants is a delicate matter. Quite time consuming.
Click to expand...
CBD salves and oils have helped my mom's arthritis out a lot. Something that may help you out as well. Thank you for your response
 
Shears for the odd bird you pluck to cut the wings off but that’s it. Can do everything else with a knife. Even a hatchet works for removing wings break the bone the cut through with a knife
 
I just use a knife. Know the joints on the drumette near the breast and the joint in the hip/femur. cut the tendons/meat from around the joint. If you take the leg of any bird and pry it away from the breast and towards the back the head of the femur pops out of the ball joint. From there your just filleting meat away from the bone. The drumette joint has more muscle/tendon connection and you have to find that connection with the breast meat to minimize cutting too much breast off and leaving it on the drumette. Like everything in life practice, practice, practice.

Also check hank Shaw's website hunter angler gardner cook. He has a tutorial on doing this.
 
I use snips for dove and ducks. I leave the legs on most ducks. I've got an old pair of Kershaw snips that work great. I've also processed a lot of ducks with a heavy meat cleaver.
 
I bought some kitchen shears off Amazon for about seven bucks, and they stay in my bird hunting tote. In my opinion, it is far easier and faster to clean chukars and pheasants by simply using the shears on the wings and the legs. I keep thighs and breasts off of both.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bird shears is the best,I keep a pair in bird vest . When I knock a chucker down I cut wings head and rear off then yard guts out. They will keep this way and meat will not be tainted or strong tasting. Always take the legs ,breast and the little back strap which is like candy. Got to be my favorite meal with potatoes and gravy with fresh garden corn.
 
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