Does it matter how they die.
- Thread starter moellermd
- Start date
Downtown Bang!
Member
I skin and gut the bird then soak in a cold brine for three to five days. Works great as long as I don't overcook them. They are all tough if overcooked.
Simple brine equals one cup salt per gallon of water.
519vx
Member
I leave the feathers and guts in the birds when I put them in the garage refrigerator. I've had no problems at all. Keep in mind even if you put a couple pellets into the guts, the guts don't directly touch edible parts of the bird, the breasts are separated by the rib cage.
BritChaser
Well-known member
Age of the bird? I've heard country people talk of tough old roosters (domestic chickens).
HolyMoses
New member
you are making me want to buy a smoker! :thumbsup:
that is what i currently do. if i don't freeze them, they go in salt water in the fridge for at least a night.
:thumbsup:
AtTheMurph
Well-known member
Why the refrigerator? You're in Wisconsin. The garage itself should be cool enough as long as it isn't heated I guess. I just hang mine in the garage and I'm in the deep South - Indiana.
519vx
Member
Two issues...the garage can get too cold and the birds freeze and second, if I take the mutts to go outside and they see or smell birds on the floor...well...
Funny story about cold garages. My original house was basically just a cabin with an unattached garage. The property itself is nice, and my wife and I decided to build a new home on that property. We were somewhat recently married and she had her own home where we lived. My house was to be torn down that winter but we still had some stuff stored there.
That fall, I got lucky and got a deer during our gun season. I butcher my own but always left them in the garage to hang. Well, it got cold. Super cold. Bambi was frozen solid, impossible to cut up. I didn't have heat in the garage but kept the heat on low in the house because of the stuff I kept in there. What to do...?
Easy one for a guy that had been single for a few years...I'd just slide the frozen solid deer into the kitchen of the old house and let it thaw out there.I told my wife about my plan...she wasn't impressed and we had a "discussion" about how that's not going to happen again. Yeah, whatever, I wanted some tenderloins.... Anyway, I went to the house after a day or two to check on the deer. On the door was a slip from the Gas Company that they had been there, and another slip for a UPS package. That door went directly into the kitchen where the frozen deer had been leaned against the sink counters, on its back with its feet pointing up. Just imagine what the gas guy and the UPS driver thought when they knocked on the door and looked inside.
1pheas4
Moderator
Two issues...the garage can get too cold and the birds freeze and second, if I take the mutts to go outside and they see or smell birds on the floor...well...
Funny story about cold garages. My original house was basically just a cabin with an unattached garage. The property itself is nice, and my wife and I decided to build a new home on that property. We were somewhat recently married and she had her own home where we lived. My house was to be torn down that winter but we still had some stuff stored there.
That fall, I got lucky and got a deer during our gun season. I butcher my own but always left them in the garage to hang. Well, it got cold. Super cold. Bambi was frozen solid, impossible to cut up. I didn't have heat in the garage but kept the heat on low in the house because of the stuff I kept in there. What to do...?
I told my wife about my plan...she wasn't impressed and we had a "discussion" about how that's not going to happen again. Yeah, whatever, I wanted some tenderloins.... Anyway, I went to the house after a day or two to check on the deer. On the door was a slip from the Gas Company that they had been there, and another slip for a UPS package. That door went directly into the kitchen where the frozen deer had been leaned against the sink counters, on its back with its feet pointing up. Just imagine what the gas guy and the UPS driver thought when they knocked on the door and looked inside.
Lol.....That's a sight I've yet to see. A whitetail deer thawing out in someones kitchen
I have to ask 519; Are you still married after all that?
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
Let's say you have traveled from another state to SD to hunt for a few days. It's December and cold (like today). Does anyone just pull the guts and place the bird in the back of the pickup to freeze and then take them all home in this manner? What about unthawing and refreezing the cleaned bird?
519vx
Member
Lol.....That's a sight I've yet to see. A whitetail deer thawing out in someones kitchen
I have to ask 519; Are you still married after all that?
Yep, still married but she doesn't eat much venison.
519vx
Member
DZ - I traveled from Wisconsin to hunt your fine state in October. The first rooster I shot was on a Thursday afternoon. I carried him in my vest for a couple of hours, then when I got back to the truck he was put whole (guts and all still in him) he was placed into a big cooler that I had 1/4 full of ice. I shot birds Friday and Saturday and those went into the same cooler. Got home Sunday and put all the birds into the garage refrigerator until I got home from work monday to clean them. They were all fine.
I was very careful to make sure I had a good seal on the cooler to keep the cold in, drained the cooler of water at the end of each day and did buy some more ice on Friday to replenish what had melted. Worked well for me. Traveling that far to hunt arguably the tastiest game bird, I want it in as close to ideal conditions as I can before I clean it.
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pheasantaddict
New member
The best temperature to age them at is 59 degrees for 3 or more days fully intact as long as not gut shot. I just read in a magazine.
Pheasantphan
Member
I think care of the animal after being taken is more important than how they die. We are typically not able to hang deer for long periods here in Arkansas due to the heat, but I do try to hang for a short while to allow initial cooling, then skin and debone, clean it an put meat in cooler or fridge for a few days and work through getting it cut up.
We dont shoot any pheasants, but do shoot lots of ducks. I usually let them sit in as cool a place as possible breast up for about 12 - 18 hours. Then clean them, either the whole bird or just fillet the breast, wash the meat and then drain in a colander and leave the meat in the colander. Put the colander in a bowl to allow it to drain, cover loosely with foil to prevent drying out and then leave meat in fridge for 4 -6 days. Works kind of like dry aging and this seems to help with the color, flavor and texture of the meat.
To freeze, roll four to six breasts tightly in saran wrap and then butcher paper and it will keep for several months.
We dont shoot any pheasants, but do shoot lots of ducks. I usually let them sit in as cool a place as possible breast up for about 12 - 18 hours. Then clean them, either the whole bird or just fillet the breast, wash the meat and then drain in a colander and leave the meat in the colander. Put the colander in a bowl to allow it to drain, cover loosely with foil to prevent drying out and then leave meat in fridge for 4 -6 days. Works kind of like dry aging and this seems to help with the color, flavor and texture of the meat.
To freeze, roll four to six breasts tightly in saran wrap and then butcher paper and it will keep for several months.
Downtown Bang!
Member
I have had the birds begin to freeze unintentionally while riding in the back of the truck on late season day hunts in western MN. If not frozen solid it does make deboning easier which I like to do with the legs, thighs and breasts.
Ideally I don't like to freeze birds in any way before eating. It changes the texture of the meat and results in the loss of natural moisture during the thawing process. Whenever possible I eat the birds "fresh" after a few days in a simple brine.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
i dont get the hole leave the guts in the bird after death theory??? i was always taught to get them guts out ASAP & let the animal cool down...???
i do not know but do butchers like local butchers kill there chickens & age them with the guts still in them??? ive seen the guys who dip birds in hot water & pluck em then gut them & then age or freeze them... it just seems really bad to me to leave the guts in a bird for days??? i could never eat it after i did that guess its just my small brain???
does gut n them out 1st hurt the ageing process??? if not why the heck would ya leave the guts in the dead bird on purpose??? takes 30-60 seconds to field dress a pheasant... takes longer to wash ur hands after done...
i do not know but do butchers like local butchers kill there chickens & age them with the guts still in them??? ive seen the guys who dip birds in hot water & pluck em then gut them & then age or freeze them... it just seems really bad to me to leave the guts in a bird for days??? i could never eat it after i did that guess its just my small brain???
does gut n them out 1st hurt the ageing process??? if not why the heck would ya leave the guts in the dead bird on purpose??? takes 30-60 seconds to field dress a pheasant... takes longer to wash ur hands after done...
quail hound
Moderator
I don't think its a big deal. Clean them right off or age them, its all about preference I guess. I like to age mine but it doesn't bother me if others don't.
mustistuff
Banned
cold birds
if i am on the road and the temp. is cold, like less than 40 for the high, i leave the birds whole and not gutted. freezing and un-freezing meat does very little to no harm to it. the important thing is to remember how much time, days, it has been unthawed. most of my birds are not processed for 2 to 4 days temp. permiting and i am older than most of you so it must be working. i guess for those of you that kill two or three birds per year, you can eat them fresh and right away, try shooting a hundred of them and tell me how you do
cheers
if i am on the road and the temp. is cold, like less than 40 for the high, i leave the birds whole and not gutted. freezing and un-freezing meat does very little to no harm to it. the important thing is to remember how much time, days, it has been unthawed. most of my birds are not processed for 2 to 4 days temp. permiting and i am older than most of you so it must be working. i guess for those of you that kill two or three birds per year, you can eat them fresh and right away, try shooting a hundred of them and tell me how you do
cheers
small munsterlander owner
Banned
i can only imagine i did 12 strait skun every 1 & washed em then froze them & i was tired after that little chore lol 100 would be real work!!!
i still gut them ASAP then age them like said above 1-4 days or so then freeze them... i would only assume the guts are not needed in the ageing process???
ive seen aged beef & they do not age the hole cow intact they just age the meat itself steaks roast ETC.
its just like ruffed grouse people shoot them & while there still flop n they step on the wings & pull up on the legs u are left with a breast most of you know that trick im sure anyway never seen guys age there grouse guts in???
same with wild turkeys seen guys from FL to MN shoot & hang turkeys never with guts in them but then again its a touch warmer sometimes out turkey hunting in the spring especially down south... but we had access to a cooler or step in freezer & people always gutted the birds 1st???
i still gut them ASAP then age them like said above 1-4 days or so then freeze them... i would only assume the guts are not needed in the ageing process???
ive seen aged beef & they do not age the hole cow intact they just age the meat itself steaks roast ETC.
its just like ruffed grouse people shoot them & while there still flop n they step on the wings & pull up on the legs u are left with a breast most of you know that trick im sure anyway never seen guys age there grouse guts in???
same with wild turkeys seen guys from FL to MN shoot & hang turkeys never with guts in them but then again its a touch warmer sometimes out turkey hunting in the spring especially down south... but we had access to a cooler or step in freezer & people always gutted the birds 1st???
quail hound
Moderator
Ok we get it, you're scared of the guts. So keep gutting them like you do and don't worry about those who don't.