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Bird gut hook?
#7082728
02/17/18 09:19 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,503
syncerus
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,503 |
Does anyone use a bird gut hook when cleaning their birds, or are hooks just gimmicks? I found a pretty neat pocket knife that has one of these hooks, but I wasn't sure that I'd ever use the thing.
Thanks
NRA Patriot Benefactor & DSC Lifer
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7082783
02/17/18 10:02 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
Here is the way I field dress mine. I start by cutting off the wings and lower legs. It's important to leave the head attached. There you have a whole skinned quail. Next, you pull the leg over the back, and pull the legs off one at a time. It's best to pull from the front to the back. Here you have a whole quail with the legs and thighs removed and in the pan. You could see that I had the quail by the head with my right hand. Just pull the head and neck off and the intestines come with it.. You can see that I have the breast in one hand and the head with the backbone and guts in the other hand. Notice that my hands are still clean I've done them every other way that's known, but this has always worked best for me. I can do them as fast as a helper can clip the wings and feet.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7082850
02/17/18 11:16 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,503
syncerus
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,503 |
NRA Patriot Benefactor & DSC Lifer
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7083013
02/18/18 01:40 AM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,285
bobcat1
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 8,285 |
I use the Oxner Method now. Very easy! Thanks Bill!
Bobby Barnett
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7083688
02/18/18 07:59 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 475
Mundo
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 475 |
Really only useful if you are going to pluck the birds and clean them whole for bake and stuffing recipes. Almost everyone skins the bird -- some cut out the backbone. Cutting out the backbone is called spatchcocking the birds and allows you to flatten it for a grill. In South Texas, people who have hunted in Mexico call it Mexico style or Mocatito Zip--it is the way birds boys in Mexico cleaned birds for Texas hunters when we could still hunt in Mexico.
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7083701
02/18/18 08:13 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091
Wacm
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091 |
I use one. I remove the guts from my birds asap. The guts of upland birds get nasty really quick. Its best to get them out as soon as possible. They keep in a cooler much better after that. Once the guts are out you can leave em whole in a ziploc in your cooler till your ready to clean them all at once. It's nice to get your pictures of all of your birds as well.
It takes a little getting used to but once you learn how you can hook all the guts at once, you can have them out in less then a minute. Don't let your dogs get them. I hear the dogs can develop a hard mouth that way.
Last edited by Wacm; 02/18/18 08:15 PM.
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7087844
02/21/18 09:43 PM
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 306
rowdydog1
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 306 |
WACM - so you're using a hook to get the guts out without cleaning the bird? Can you explain a little more or perhaps point me to a video?
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7090589
02/23/18 11:16 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091
Wacm
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091 |
I remove the guts cause they make the whole bird get mushy and smell awful. Once the guts are out the bird can sit in a cooler a few days or in your vest an entire day and be just fine. If you leave the birds on the best all day on even a few hours without removing the guts they fester and at least stink real bad and at worst start getting into the meat of the birds and breaking it down. You can stick your finger right through the bird.
If your on hunting trip for a few days you can gut your birds and leave them whole in a ziploc in your cooler until your entire hunt is over. Then pull all the birds out and take a picture of all of them all together. Then you can clean all of them at once. The birds will taste better and will be much more palettable for cooking
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7090624
02/23/18 11:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 47
fway
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 47 |
You can also leave them in the vest over the summer if you don't get em all out on the last trip.....not recommended tho!
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: fway]
#7090649
02/24/18 12:08 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
You can also leave them in the vest over the summer if you don't get em all out on the last trip.....not recommended tho! Been there. Found one on my friends Ranger my last time out.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7097815
03/01/18 08:46 PM
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 306
rowdydog1
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 306 |
WACM, I've never used a gut hook so I'm interested in hearing how this works. From what I can tell, you aren't opening up the birds in a traditional way. I would do this if it's easy and doesn't take too much time during the hunt.
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: Wacm]
#7097860
03/01/18 09:33 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,176
HoldPoint
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,176 |
I remove the guts cause they make the whole bird get mushy and smell awful. Once the guts are out the bird can sit in a cooler a few days or in your vest an entire day and be just fine. If you leave the birds on the best all day on even a few hours without removing the guts they fester and at least stink real bad and at worst start getting into the meat of the birds and breaking it down. You can stick your finger right through the bird.
If your on hunting trip for a few days you can gut your birds and leave them whole in a ziploc in your cooler until your entire hunt is over. Then pull all the birds out and take a picture of all of them all together. Then you can clean all of them at once. The birds will taste better and will be much more palettable for cooking My brain is locking up trying to envision how this is done
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: rowdydog1]
#7100091
03/03/18 10:06 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 475
Mundo
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 475 |
WACM, I've never used a gut hook so I'm interested in hearing how this works. From what I can tell, you aren't opening up the birds in a traditional way. I would do this if it's easy and doesn't take too much time during the hunt. Cut off the tail, stick the hook in the cavity, twist it a bit and pull. You may need to to it twice.
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Re: Bird gut hook?
[Re: syncerus]
#7102437
03/06/18 05:29 AM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091
Wacm
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,091 |
Ha, sorry hold the bird and feel to find the bottom of the breast plate. Just below that is the birds anus. So you want to open the bird up from the bottom of the breastplate to the tail. You can make an incision there or just grab the tail section and rip it open between it and the breastplate. It’s just skin there.
Then stick the hook in and pull the guts out..So the bird stays completely intact..it’s just hollowed out in the back. You can pinch that skin between the bottom of the breastplate and the butt and sever it without getting your hands dirty. It takes seconds to sever. On Pheasent I use a knife cause they don’t tear open like quail. I hope this helps.
Last edited by Wacm; 03/06/18 05:33 AM.
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