Plucking pheasants

onpoint,

I agree with you 100%. I feel it is wasteful and unlawful to waste game. And just breasting game birds falls into this group.

But understand that most of us guys that skin pheasants are not "breasting" them. We end up with the same bird and same amount of meat as you, it just doesn't have any skin. At least that's the way I do it.

DZ
 
To Pluck or not to Pluck

I hate to pile on but I too skin. I do this by pulling back the breast skin and using my cordless electric fishing knife. I filet out the breasts and cut the thigh and leg at the thigh joint. I leave on the feet for identification purposes. This can be done in the field or back at camp.

I do smoke the pheasant filets and keep them moist by soaking them in a brine solution over night and then smoking them at a low temp 150 to 200
 
Never wanted to target you or any others. I'm glad most if not all if you use the breast, legs and thigh's

Skin is a preference, just something I like on all my game birds. I roll the cut up bird with the shin in flour and brown in a hot pan with a little oil, add some cut up some onion, salt, pepper and maybe some garlic. Simmer on low heat, keeping just a little water in pan to help keep them moist while covered. Then I cover in cream of mushroom soup or make a nice brown gravy over the bird from the drippings. A good bunch of mashed potatoes and maybe some fall squash with butter and brown sugar. Maybe a nice cocktail or two well preparing while watching a good football game on a Sunday afternoon.

Boys, it don't get no better. It's even better when shared with good friends

onpoint
 
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Onpoint, I agree with you on the better flavor of plucked birds. It is a pain to pluck them dry, but worth it in my opinion. Much more moist. I even stuff butter under the skin before roasting them. The guys I know that skin them, most of my buddies among them, don't waste anything. We call it filleting them. Take off the breast meat and remove the legs at the hips. It sure is fast. But for the best eating pheasant ever, leave the skin on. I also age them as well, up to a week before plucking and dressing. Makes them even more tender. One of these days I'll have to try the scalding method.
 
I agree with thoise that skin, I have tried to pluck birds several times and end up ripping the skin in the process. Then I skin it anyway, so I just say skin them and forget the plucking bit. I smoke and cook them all sorts of ways. I even make chicken type strips out of them. Last night I cooked my pheasant in Mushroom soup, milk, sliced onion and a can of mushrooms. With whipped potatoes and corn. A very tasty supper indeed......Bob
 
sdtEvergreen said:
I hate to pile on but I too skin. I do this by pulling back the breast skin and using my cordless electric fishing knife. I filet out the breasts and cut the thigh and leg at the thigh joint. I leave on the feet for identification purposes. This can be done in the field or back at camp.

I do smoke the pheasant filets and keep them moist by soaking them in a brine solution over night and then smoking them at a low temp 150 to 200
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Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're doing here, but if you're cutting up your pheasant in the field or even at camp, I wouldn't count on passing an inspection by the C.O., at least not around these parts. The MN and SD regs require that a transported bird be whole, with either the leg or feathered head attached for identification. In other words, you need to keep your legs attached to the breast via a whole bird. Pull the skin and guts, leave a naked pheasant. Maybe a C.O. here or there will let you by with pheasant parts if they add up to a legal limit of roosters but I would guess most would not.
 
Quote
"I usually just take the cheek meat & pitch the rest!

Oh - same with walleyes too! "

_______________________-

a real Yeye's @$$
 
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