How to Field Dress a Pheasant

It is surprising what a difference field dressing pheasants will make in the taste of the meat when it hits the dinner plate. It only takes a few minutes, and is not at all difficult. Field dressing is also practical, since it helps to retard the growth of harmful bacteria.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sharp knife
• Disposable surgical gloves
• Rope or nylon cord
• Clean cloths or paper towels
• Disposable pre-moistened wipes
• Clean drinking water
• Resealable plastic storage bags
• Cooler filled with ice or snow

Preparation Prior to Field Dressing

1. Situate individual birds separately on the ground, on snow, if it is present. It is very important to cool the meat rapidly in order to discourage the growth of bacteria. If there is no snow but the air is cold, use a short piece of rope or cord to hang each bird separately.

2. Use warm soapy water to wash your hands and knife thoroughly. Routinely repeat this frequently throughout the field dressing process.

3. Slip into a pair of disposable surgical gloves, which will prevent your skin from coming into contact with any bacteria.

Field Dressing the Pheasant

4. Lay the pheasant on its back. Make a small horizontal cut directly under the breast. The cut should be wide enough for you to be able to slip 2 fingertips under the skin.

5. Pull the skin from the carcass by slipping 2 fingertips into the incision, grasping the skin and pulling it slowly and steadily away from the carcass.

6. Cut the pheasant down both sides from the base of the neck and through the last rib, just to the tops of the legs. To avoid contaminating the meat, do not cut into any of the internal organs.

7. Open the cavity by pulling the breast apart from the neck, back and legs. Remove the heart, lungs, liver and intestines, which remain attached to the back. Do not damage any of the internal organs.

8. Examine the internal organs for bad odor, greenish discharges, black blood or blood clots in the muscle tissues. Discard any birds that exhibit any of these characteristics. Do not eat any meat from these birds.

9. Remove the heart and liver from the carcass, taking care not to damage them. Place them into a sealable plastic food storage bag. Immediately put the bagged organs on ice.

10. Remove the head and cut off the feet at the joint below the drumsticks.

Cleanup, Cooling and Transport

11. Tidy up the carcass by wiping away all remaining feathers, dirt, bloodshot stains and feces that you can see.

12. Wipe out the cavity using clean paper toweling. Or you can wash the cavity out with clean drinking water. If you do that, dry it quickly with clean paper towels to avoid the possibility of spoilage.

13. Hang the carcass for about 15 to 30 minutes to allow the air to circulate well and continue cooling it.

14. Place each pheasant into a sealable food storage bag. Pack them immediately on snow or ice. Keeping the birds separated will promote faster cooling. The faster you cool the pheasant, the better it will taste on your plate.

15. Cool the carcasses quickly to about 35 to 40 F. Place them in a cooler. Maintain the birds at that temperature and do not allow exposure to sunlight during transport.

Tips & Warnings

• Soaking cooled Pheasants in cold water for 1-2 hours will help to remove excess blood. Keep the temperature 34-40F if you want to age the carcass for 2-3 days. Avoid freezing it during this time, which may cause the meat to become tough.
• Potentially dangerous bacteria that are capable of causing serious food-borne illnesses are present on all raw game birds. Additionally, proper sanitation practices will help to prevent spoilage of the meat. Wiping your knife off frequently throughout the field dressing process is probably one of the easiest and most important things you can do to ensure your safety.

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