Thread: 9 more days

Originally Posted by GMH72

Was watching the NZ Hunters show last night and was thinking about the prep of the bird. Once shot do you hang the bird somewhere cool for a bit or pluck and gut that day and put in the fridge or freezer. Cheers

Right....I pluck them straight away. Easier to do than when cool especially hen birds with pen feathers.
Then take some scissor cut the feet off at the join just below where the skin starts.
Then hang by the head to cool. Once home I get the heat gun out and singe off the fluff and down, you will see the skin shrivel take the heat off when you see this. You can do it by lighting rolled up newspaper but heat gun is cleaner.
Now gut them. Don't forget to get the lungs there hard to get as there stuck to the rib cage.
Risen the carcass out.
Now put them in a bowl of water with one table spoon of salt and leave them to soak in this over night our twelve hours. This will help take the bruising out and relax the muscles. It also takes away some of the strong gamey flavour.
Then freezes em. Eat before the year is out.
Hope this helps.