How many of you pluck waterfowl and/or turkeys and how many take the breasts?

[Papaclaude]

Just wondering how many of you guys take the time to pluck your game birds, and how many take just the breasts? How many of you also take the legs, neck, giblets?

 

[DFarmer]

All of the above.
Sometimes we pluck ducks and geese.
Sometimes we breast them
We take geese hearts, legs, and gizzards to add to the sausage pile.

 

[jlovie]

I generally take all the meat that I can, granted, I'm lucky if I get 3 birds a season.

 

[visbuurt]

My option isn't there I skin them out. a lot less messy

 

[sherlockbonez]

Sometimes all of the above depending on what it is.

 

[53Izzy744]

I generally take all the meat that I can, granted, I'm lucky if I get 3 birds a season.

Lol same, until i start getting a ton of birds, i take as much meat as i can get! Once i start getting a bunch itll just be breasts. The legs take a lot longer to prep.

 

[FishHog]

My option isn't there I skin them out. a lot less messy

Same here for most of my ducks and geese. I will pluck a few nice big birds a year just because they cook up nicer, but way too much work to hand pluck all of them.

 

[1963beretta]

My option isn't there I skin them out. a lot less messy

This...I skin them. Sometimes I keep the bird whole or sometimes I take the breasts, legs and neck depending on how I plan to cook them. Usually keep a few birds a year whole to stuff and cook in the oven. Breasts usually go to the grinder for sausage, burgers and the such. Legs and necks are slow cooked in sauce or for stews.

 

[Papaclaude]

I hadn't thought of the skin only option. I tried to add the question to the Poll, but didn't see where I could. Just out of curiosity, when you do skin them completely, how do you gut them? Through the butt-hole? Do you cook them whole? If so, how do they compare to a plucked bird for cooking?

 

[sherlockbonez]

Divers get skinned out. Late season mallards gets plucked, skinny early season birds get breasted. Hearts and liver off honkers and puddlers for dips.

 

[1963beretta]

 

[iron cat]

I take everything on some, just the breasts and legs on others....
Cat

 

[Hand Skills]

NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Skin 'em out. Use all the meat.

Glad to see I'm not alone in this. Works for upland too.

 

[Suther]

Isn't skin-on duck breast really popular in the culinary world? I haven't gotten into waterfowl hunting (high on the to do list this year though) but I'm surprised to see so many skin them. I'm assuming it's mostly a time issue?

 

[1963beretta]

Isn't skin-on duck breast really popular in the culinary world? I haven't gotten into waterfowl hunting (high on the to do list this year though) but I'm surprised to see so many skin them. I'm assuming it's mostly a time issue?

You are correct, but more often then not, those are farm raised ducks. The skin of wild duck can take on a variety of flavours depending on the species. Some can be far from desirable

 

[Suther]

You are correct, but more often then not, those are farm raised ducks. The skin of wild duck can take on a variety of flavours depending on the species. Some can be far from desirable

And this is why I ask! (and also why I love this community.) I never would have considered that.

So then which species are known to have the most palatable skin? Because I'm definitely interested in making up some skin on breasts when I finally do get some on ice...

 

[1963beretta]

And this is why I ask! (and also why I love this community.) I never would have considered that.

So then which species are known to have the most palatable skin? Because I'm definitely interested in making up some skin on breasts when I finally do get some on ice...

My preference would be wood ducks, teal and widgeon. Mallards and blacks are ok as well, but not as easy to pluck. As a general rule, dabbling ducks are best. But it always depends on what the duck is feeding on. For example, you’ll likely notice the difference if you eat a mallard thats been feeding in grain fields vs a mallard that has been eating swamp grass. Same goes for divers...you can eat a blue bill thats been feeding on aquatic vegetation and while it may not be as good as a dabbler, it will be ok. Catch another blue bill that spent its summer eating zebra mussels and shell fish and it will be gross

 

[sherlockbonez]

You can smell the bird before deciding if its worth plucking. Sometimes you get a limit of birds, there maybe 1 or 2 funky ones that hangs out at the sewage pond, even though you shot them all in the same field.

 

[Workin Man]

I voted breast only, though I often take the leg meat to make sausage. The breasts are usually done into jerky, but occasionally sausage as well. This is mainly geese and a few ducks. I don't hunt turkeys.

Jim

 

[BigUglyMan]

I have always been a breaster but people like Steven Rinella and Hank Shaw have made me think that I'm missing out so I'll try plucking so this season.