Transporting grouse meat

oopswasthatyourdog?

oopswasthatyourdog?

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I'm going to a new moose camp this year and it's crawling with grouse......Mmmmmmm. In the past grouse has been a shoot a few and eat em within the hour or day hunts, but this time I plan on bringing back my quota. Here`s my question. How do you transport them? They will be breasted out with one wing attached, in a cooler on ice for about three days. Do I put them in baggies? Plastic wrap? Cheese cloth? Is there a risk of contaminating the meat because of the wing? So how do you wrap em and pack em??
 
Don't put them in plastic. A mesh bag, like the ones that onions come in from the store is OK.
Fresh meat needs air, the more the better.
 
I'm not even sure u need a wing on them. Depends on the province. I don't think u have to in ontario. Not sure tho.
 
Canadian_Zuk said:
Why would that be? Because there were no thighs attached? Just curious, I always breast grouse myself.
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I have always felt that stepping on the wings thing, wastes a lot of meat. Grouse is wild meat at it's best and the thighs, while not huge, are, in my opinion, the choicest part of the bird. There is also a bite on the drmsticks and some good meat on the backs. The whole, dressed out bird makes beautiful soup/broth, then eat all the meat. You get at least twice the food value from the bird, as compared to just frying the breasts.
A grouse is so easy to fix the proper way, that I feel taking only the breasts is a lazy mans way of doing it. In the field a knife is not even needed to remove the innards. Break the soft spot skin with your fingers and pull out the innards. AT home, even with a cold bird, they skin very easy, a wash and you have a whole, nicely cleaned bird, ready for frying, roasting or boiling.
 
H4831 said:
I have always felt that stepping on the wings thing, wastes a lot of meat. Grouse is wild meat at it's best and the thighs, while not huge, are, in my opinion, the choicest part of the bird. There is also a bite on the drmsticks and some good meat on the backs. The whole, dressed out bird makes beautiful soup/broth, then eat all the meat. You get at least twice the food value from the bird, as compared to just frying the breasts.
A grouse is so easy to fix the proper way, that I feel taking only the breasts is a lazy mans way of doing it. In the field a knife is not even needed to remove the innards. Break the soft spot skin with your fingers and pull out the innards. AT home, even with a cold bird, they skin very easy, a wash and you have a whole, nicely cleaned bird, ready for frying, roasting or boiling.
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I agree that taking just the breast is a waste. I was taught to peel the skin back off the legs from foot to hip, and simply cut the legs right off. Not alot of meat but that is the point! With these little birds I think it is important to get all the meat off em you can! A bunch of legs helps!
 
Don't stick your birds in a cooler. They need air circulation. Don't breast them until they've aged if you're going to do it that way unless they're badly gut shot. The wings WILL contaminate them so it's better to keep them whole - for sanitary and flavour reasons. They will taste better if you let them age.

Leave the birds whole. Don't cut into them at all. 45-55 degrees F is the appropriate temp. They should be aged no longer than 5 days. 3 Days in the trunk of a car is fine as long as the temperature is held under 60 degrees. Just put them in a mesh bag or wrap in cheese cloth.

Plucking a grouse is not a chore you'll want to do, but I do keep the legs, liver and breast from grouse aged and fresh. I normally do the step on the wings thing to debreast but I keep the good stuff. It works just as well 5 days later as it does at the kill site.

If you do want to pluck the grouse, you can do the same as a duck. Pluck the large quill feathers by hand, dip in molten paraffin and they peel as easily as an orange.
 
H4831 said:
I have always felt that stepping on the wings thing, wastes a lot of meat. Grouse is wild meat at it's best and the thighs, while not huge, are, in my opinion, the choicest part of the bird. There is also a bite on the drmsticks and some good meat on the backs. The whole, dressed out bird makes beautiful soup/broth, then eat all the meat. You get at least twice the food value from the bird, as compared to just frying the breasts.
A grouse is so easy to fix the proper way, that I feel taking only the breasts is a lazy mans way of doing it. In the field a knife is not even needed to remove the innards. Break the soft spot skin with your fingers and pull out the innards. AT home, even with a cold bird, they skin very easy, a wash and you have a whole, nicely cleaned bird, ready for frying, roasting or boiling.
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So are you saying to gut them in the field then skin them once I'm home?

thebigslide said:
Don't stick your birds in a cooler. They need air circulation. Don't breast them until they've aged if you're going to do it that way unless they're badly gut shot. The wings WILL contaminate them so it's better to keep them whole - for sanitary and flavour reasons. They will taste better if you let them age.

Leave the birds whole. Don't cut into them at all. 45-55 degrees F is the appropriate temp. They should be aged no longer than 5 days. 3 Days in the trunk of a car is fine as long as the temperature is held under 60 degrees. Just put them in a mesh bag or wrap in cheese cloth.

Plucking a grouse is not a chore you'll want to do, but I do keep the legs, liver and breast from grouse aged and fresh. I normally do the step on the wings thing to debreast but I keep the good stuff. It works just as well 5 days later as it does at the kill site.

If you do want to pluck the grouse, you can do the same as a duck. Pluck the large quill feathers by hand, dip in molten paraffin and they peel as easily as an orange.
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I'm sure this is good advice, it just goes contrary to what I have always been told. Gut any animal asap to help cool the meat down faster.
 
I gut them while their still flappin, soak 'em in water with a bit of salt for a couple days & then dine. Ship to the inlaws overnight to Toronto on occasion too, with icepacks in a igloo-esque shipping box. No worries. The legs are often the strongest meat on the bird. Totally different taste experience from the breast, and as a result deserve their own recipe (usually in a partridge/veggie soup or the like).
 
oopswasthatyourdog? said:
So are you saying to gut them in the field then skin them once I'm home?

Yes, I think it's a good idea. Be sure and keep the rear opening open, and when you gut them, make sure the windpipe is drawn out, to leave an opening in the neck area, for air to circulate.
The skin and feathers keep them clean, and when skinned at home they look perfect.
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Geez, you guys are making me hungry!:p My Dad taught me this way:

Lay the bird down on its back with its head towards you; at the bottom of the breast, break the skin and peel it off the breast and the legs; make a little cut at the bottom of the breast; stick your fingers in the cut and pull the breast upwards, cutting along the sides a bit to facilitate the breast coming back towards you; break the bones at the joints at the top and cut them clear; set the breast aside; Break the leg joints right at the body and make a nice cut along the meat to free the leg; Break the foot part off and cut it clear; now take the breast and make a cut crossways, cutting the wishbone with a nice chunk of meat attached, cutting it clear; then stick your finger in the separation of the outer layer and cut it clear on each side. Two complete legs, wishbone with nice meat attached, two nice slabs of outer breast meat, and a nice rib cage with the inner, tender breast meat attached. Sounds complicated, but it is really simple and you get most of the edible meat. I sometimes clean them in the field or sometimes at home.
 
I rip out the breast the minute that its shot, then with one wing on I put them into a sandwich baggie but with the wing outside of the bag. When back to camp, I put them on a plate and toss them into the fridge or cooler where it can breath. I use the baggie to keep the meat clean during transportation, not for storage. For me, this is the most practical method whether on foot, vehicle, or quading.
 
The taste difference between a bird freshly shot and one aged for a few days is amazing.You should try it!They age beef for 28 days or so so 2 days is nothing.
 
I let them hang for a few days then gut them leaving one feathered wing then throw them in a plastic shopping bag with the wing on the outside. Then I tie the bag handles around the wing and throw it in the freezer. I have a camper (propane) fridge in the hunting trailer that I crank up so it freezes. Works good.
 
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