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CARE & HANDLING of WATERFOWL Part 1 of 3

By CHRIS FIEDLER

 

EQUIPMENT

• Safety glasses - Clear or tinted. Found at discount or hardware stores.

• Knife - Remington Upland or any folding knife with sharpening steel blade. Found at most good sporting goods stores.

• Game Shears - Soft Grip Poultry Shears. Found at DUCKNGOOSE.COM

• Garbage Bags - Heavy duty plastic garbage bags. Found at most grocery stores

• Plastic Bags - Re-sealable plastic gallon size freezer bags. Found at discount or grocery stores.

• Paper Towels - Rolls of kitchen paper towels. Found at discount or grocery stores.

• Rubber Gloves - Surgical type, lightweight latex. Found at paint or large hardware stores.

• Cooler - 48 quart Igloo (or larger), with a couple bags of ice. Found at Wal-Mart, etc.

• First Aid Kit - Always keep it handy. Check contents to make sure the kit has disinfectant, large, small and butterfly bandages, first aid creams, and snakebite kit. Be sure it stays dry. Found at drug stores and some sporting goods stores.

CLEANING SAFETY

• Wear rubber gloves - While dressing, skinning, picking .... any cutting operation.

• Wear safety glasses - Blood containing small particles of bone or gristle can squirt into eyes.

• Use the proper knife - For the operation being done. Never use a poor folding knife, they will un-lock under pressure. The result can be the loss of a finger.

• Use a sharp knife - For cutting. A dull knife can slip and cause damage to the bird and/or the user.

• Cut away from the body - or cut or chop down onto a cutting board. Always plan on the knife slipping and the blade going away. Because it will.

• Paper Towels - In a re-sealable plastic bag keep 6-8 panels or paper towels or a handful of toilet paper in your Blind Bag. To wipe the mud or dirt away from an open wound.
  

 

FIELD CARE

          Field dress the bird as soon as possible, if entrails are not removed immediately, at least rip open the crop (throat) to remove the grain before it ferments. Leave ID on the bird as per state game regulations. If birds are cleaned in the field, place all feathers, innards, etc. in a trash bag and take to a proper receptacle. Cool the carcass or meat immediately. TEMPERATURE ABOVE 40 DEGREES F can spoil the meat. Place birds in re-sealable plastic bags and on ice as soon as possible. DO NOT PILE WARM BIRDS TOGETHER. The combined heat will spoil the meat.

 

AGING

           Aging is the ripening or conditioning of meat. It is normally the holding of meat on or off the carcass for a period of time at a temperature around 34 - 37 degrees F. Aging allows the enzymes present in the meat to break down some of the proteins. Aging improves tenderness and in some meat it improves flavor. Waterfowl meat will tenderize from slow thawing in the refrigerator. Waterfowl that are to be chopped or ground for sausage, meatloaf, burgers, casseroles, etc. will not require aging. The chopping or grinding tenderizes the meat. Snow goose meat is very good link sausage and summer sausage.

"Quick Aging" is referred to as the period that occurs between kill and the time the meat is received at the processor. (The time the meat could not be chilled at 34 degrees F.)

 

BLEEDING

          Few waterfowl require bleeding. Most times enough blood vessels will be severed by the shot. Open the craw (the throat area) remove the stored food. The stored food can sour the meat. If the duck or goose is to be mounted. DO NOT CUT the neck. It will damage the waterfowl for mounting purposes.

 

Have a safe and successful hunt!