Grouse/partridge dressing

[haggisbasher]

I guess this is a 'Canadian' thing !
Stand on the wings and then 'RIP' the bird apart

NOW, before anyone jumps down my throat about being 'Canadian' let me assure you that 'I AM'

HOWEVER,what is considered a game bird, in my mind surely deserves a better and more civilised ending than 'standing on the wings and ripping it apart'

In Scotland, for most of the time (rightly or wrongly depending upon your preference) we hang the birds for a while THEN prepare the bird

Treat the 'Game' with more respect rather than 'ripping' the bird to pieces like an animal

 

[Calum]

I'm planning to eat the edible portions of the bird, not have a wake for it.
But you are right...one needs to show some respect.

I have a butchers poultry knife and a pair of shears at home.

 

[Maxable]

Ontario as well requires last i checked with the MNR

I don't recall reading anywhere in the Hunting Regulations Summary that you have to keep a wing attached for the ruffed grouse, but I could be at fault.

I do the step on the wing procedure as well. I don't do it until I get back to 'base' though. I also use the .22 and go for the headshot. We'll upgrade to shotgun if they flush early (like near the end of the season)

 

[Republic of Alberta]

I guess this is a 'Canadian' thing !
Stand on the wings and then 'RIP' the bird apart

NOW, before anyone jumps down my throat about being 'Canadian' let me assure you that 'I AM'

HOWEVER,what is considered a game bird, in my mind surely deserves a better and more civilised ending than 'standing on the wings and ripping it apart'

In Scotland, for most of the time (rightly or wrongly depending upon your preference) we hang the birds for a while THEN prepare the bird

Treat the 'Game' with more respect rather than 'ripping' the bird to pieces like an animal

Yes, nailing them up to the barn and letting them sit for a few days is "respecting them"

 

[iouri]

I’m new to this, so can someone explain to me what exactly supposed to happen when you step on the wings and pull the legs?
Bird comes apart with legs and entrails in your hands (which you throw away) and wings and breast (which you keep) on the ground?

 

[PeakXV]

I’m new to this, so can someone explain to me what exactly supposed to happen when you step on the wings and pull the legs?

Well if she's game and a little willin .....

Oh sorry you were talking about the other kind of bird

...... feathers/innards go one way ..... and most of the breast/flesh
go the other!

 

[Maxable]

When you pull up the legs, (make sure to step on the wing joints, as close to the body as you can) the 'guts' and most of the unwanted innars are pulled out too. The head will sometimes follow depending on where you shot the bird and how you pulled. What's basically left is the breast meat attached to the wings. Grab a knife, cut just on the inside of the wing joint and you should be left with what you want!

 

[haggisbasher]

Yes, nailing them up to the barn and letting them sit for a few days is "respecting them"

I don't shoot them "in the barn" and leave them there, like i said, not everyone "Hangs" the bird but when dressing the bird, i prefer not to rip them apart.
I either 'breast' them out, OR peel off the skin complete with the feathers leaving the bird whole and then dress out the innards.
But hey, each to their own, i just prefer and feel better about doing it the way that i do.

 

[huntinstuff]

OK fellas, I've a couple questions for you.
I am currently getting back into hunting and have taken up birds, grouse or partridge as some call them.
I took my limit on the first couple days, utilizing my .22 w/ scope and some good clean head/neck shots.
My questions are; a) is a .22 the way to go, as it seems to work for me
b) do you guys field dress them right away or after you're back to camp / home, assuming a couple hours only between shot and cleaned?
c) what method do you use to dress them?
The method I used was to spread out on the ground, stand on the wings and pull up on the legs separating the body from the breast and pulling the innards out with it. Then I only had to remove the wings at the shoulder joint. I waited until I was back at home after about a two hour hunt and it was pretty crisp outside.
Am I doing things correctly?

Yes.

 

[northwoodslivin]

I'm planning to eat the edible portions of the bird, not have a wake for it.

Omg that was funny... some of you guy's on here are brilliant lolz

 

[northwoodslivin]

I’m new to this, so can someone explain to me what exactly supposed to happen when you step on the wings and pull the legs?
Bird comes apart with legs and entrails in your hands (which you throw away) and wings and breast (which you keep) on the ground?

Yes that is exactly what happen's. Although some time's when you use this method you will still have some entrail's attached to the breast bone area in which you just stick your finger's in there and give a yank. Fairly easy and I have done this myself for the first time this hunting season as well.

When you pull on the leg's, be slow and firm and make sure your feet are as close to the body as possible.

EDIT:

Also when using this method. Make sure the bird's head is facing away from you, meaning the head is looking up at your ass "lol" best way I can explain it. And pull up on the leg's.

Happy Hunting

 

[iouri]

Also when using this method. Make sure the bird's head is facing away from you, meaning the head is looking up at your ass "lol" best way I can explain it. And pull up on the leg's.

Happy Hunting

Thanks.
It would've taken me forever to figure out who of us should be looking at who's ass .
I actually feel like I know what to do now. I think we're going this weekend.

 

[grayrc]

Thanks guys - this will be my first weekend of grouse hunting too and although I've heard about the 'stand on the wings and pull' method many times, I've always pictured the bird's head out in front - you learn something new every time you come on here. Someone should post a video. Maybe I will.

Anyone know off-hand if you need to leave a wing on grouse in Quebec (I'm from Ontario but hunting in Quebec this weekend). I have the regs and will look it up ... just being lazy.

Any good recipe's for the camp (not too elaborate)?

/gc

 

[death-junky]

step on wings and pull legs
ttyal
Riley

 

[Gatehouse]

I guess this is a 'Canadian' thing !
Stand on the wings and then 'RIP' the bird apart

NOW, before anyone jumps down my throat about being 'Canadian' let me assure you that 'I AM'

HOWEVER,what is considered a game bird, in my mind surely deserves a better and more civilised ending than 'standing on the wings and ripping it apart'

In Scotland, for most of the time (rightly or wrongly depending upon your preference) we hang the birds for a while THEN prepare the bird

Treat the 'Game' with more respect rather than 'ripping' the bird to pieces like an animal

Haggis

Us colonials liek to pul the guts out of the birds fairy quickly.

I've hung grouse, guts in, I've breasted them by stepping on thier wings, etc...

What I find is that guts in make poor tabe fare. I don't want to taste the stink of the grouse guts.

What I find the best thing to do is kill them, rip open thier ends with my hands and a quick slice of the knife, pul the guts out, and then hang them in the fridge in thier feathers for at least a day, maybe 2 or 3.

Then i generaly louck them or skin them and take thier breasts, depending on their size.

I alwyas use thier legs in some way, if nothing else than to make a stock form them and make a grouse sauce to go with the breasts.

However, there are times when you are out hunting, and it's been some time since you had fresh met, so I will breast them and gri them or fry them or whatever..

I was stuck on a mountian a few years ago, and those 2 grouse I shot int he head with my 270, and roasted on a stick over a fire tsted pretty good, hanging or no!