How to Field Dress Quail
Once you have successfully hunted your quota of quail, you will need to clean and gut the birds. This process is known as field dressing. To clean your birds in the field, you will need to bring all of the necessary tools with you on the hunt.
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Things You'll Need
- Knife
- Cooler
- Resealable plastic bags
- Surgical rubber gloves
- Ice
- Clean water
- Clean towels
Instructions
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Allow the Quail to Cool Before You Dress Them
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1
Tie a short length of rope around the feet of the quail you have shot and recovered. Tie this through your belt or backpack.
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2
Use a separate piece of rope for each quail you retrieve. Hanging each bird separately allows the body temperature of each bird to drop. Lower body temperatures are more resistant to bacterial infection.
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Avoid piling the dead birds up in a bag or hunting jacket pouch. This allows retention of body heat, which can cause spoilage.
Pluck Each Quail
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Pick up a quail by the legs. While holding the legs firmly in one hand, you will begin to pluck feathers with the other hand.
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Begin plucking feathers from between the legs of the bird and work your way up towards the head.
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Use a strong but steady motion when pulling out feathers. Using a jerky motion can cause the skin to tear.
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Pull the feathers down, against the grain (the way the feathers grow). This will help you pull out the entire feather.
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Leave the head of each quail feathered. Some hunting licenses require this.
Gut Each Quail
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Cut the bird down the center of the torso. Begin between the bird's legs, and continue up to the base of the neck. Do not cut too deeply, or you may nick an organ and cause a smelly mess.
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Pull the bird's cavity open and begin to remove the viscera. Grasp the organs and pull them down and out of the cavity.
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Use your knife to cut out any organs that you could not pull out. Cut slowly to avoid injuring yourself.
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Wipe down the inside of the cavity with a clean, dry cloth. This will make the cavity a less inviting home for bacteria.
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Place a small stick horizontally inside the quail so that it holds the cavity open. This will allow air to circulate and dry the cavity, which is essential to getting the temperature as low as possible.
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Pack the birds in an ice-filled cooler for transportation home after you dress them.
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Tips & Warnings
Field dress your quail as soon as possible to avoid spoilage of your fowl.
