cleaning birds??


Hardwood_HD

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I havent done much bird hunting and when i have my dad always cleaned the birds. so im wondering whats the easiest way to clean smaller birds like doves and quail.. i dont know if you have to pluck the feathers or if you can skin them like a turkey.. also whats the best way to cook dove?? thank in advance for any info

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Doves are easy. Pull the breast feathers off, grab a fillet knife and go either side of the breast bone all the way to the back. The legs and wings are way too small to worry about.

You end up with two little breast halves about the size of a 50cent piece.

I marinade and smoke them. Kids love it.

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That can be tricky though. Wild birds are difficult to BBQ as you can make them tough, but that does sound good. I breast doves and quail. But Grouse, Huns and Pheasants depend on the recipe. Sometimes I pluck them sometimes I skin them and quarter them. When I want a quick meal I throw the breasts (whatever kind) in a casarole dish with cream of mushroom and bake it for 30 minutes or so. Throw in some onions and some french onions on top. Very easy and tasty. Tough to screw up.

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Doves are easy. Pull the breast feathers off, grab a fillet knife and go either side of the breast bone all the way to the back. The legs and wings are way too small to worry about.

You end up with two little breast halves about the size of a 50cent piece.

I marinade and smoke them. Kids love it.

Pull the feathers off first. Then I use a pair of shears that you would use in the kitchen. I cut on both sides of the breast where the wings attach. Ill de-bone them once I get home.

I usually do this almost immediately in hot weather. I have a small cooler seat that I carry. Throw them into a zip-lock bag. If the Game Warden comes along. I'll show him the breasts in the zip-lock so he can count them if he wants. 12 limit in PA.

I have never had dove but a guy here at the office tells me to take bacon, wrap the breast, and then throw them on the grill. He swears by it.

Thats what I do with mine, on the grill! Tastes good! Sometimes Ill marinate them in a little Italian salad dressing too!

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Guest hunter70

doves

i turn them belly side up remove some of the feathers around the throat area. put your thumb between the throat and inside breast flip towards the rear of bird and you should have breast in hand use your scissor or twist and pull to separate wings from breast.

cooking i use bacon wrap around breast lightly peppered. cook over barbecue grill with a hot fire. which doesn't take long. do not over cook other wise you round up with over cooked meat. which will be tough as leather.:(

marinated in italian dressing did sound pretty good.

round out with bake potato and corn on the cob and you have a meal even i'd like to be invited to. i'm thinking a brown sugar barbecue flavor lightly coated over the bacon wrap breast would be tasty. you figure out how many you can eat. i'm usaully putting down 5 to 6 birds at one setting.:D

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Guest trackerman64

try this,, it usually works great for small birds like quail and doves,,remove the head, lie the bird on its back, spread the wings and place one foot on each wing with the inside of each foot touching the body of the bird, now grab both of the birds feet and pull, it will pull the inerds and skin with feathers right out of the bird leaving the wings connected to skinless breast, now cut off the wings and you are good to go

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