How Do I Field Dress a Grouse?

Grouse are one of the easiest game birds to hunt.

Grouse are one of the easiest game birds to hunt and are great starter birds for teaching sons or daughters how to bird hunt. Knowing how to properly field dress a grouse, as with all wild game, is an essential component of humane hunting. It can also make the difference between a disappointing meal and a thrilling culinary experience. Fortunately, grouse are easier to field dress than most other game birds.

Things You'll Need

• Small knife
• Plastic freezer bags

Instructions

1. Step on the bird's two feet as firmly as possible, making certain that the tail is free.

2. Grasp both wings in your hands and begin to pull up slowly but forcefully. You'll feel the skin (with feathers) begin to break loose from the bird's body.

3. Continue pulling until the skin has been pulled free of the body up to the neck. Use your knife to sever the head and discard head, skin and feathers.

4. Grasp a wing and give a sharp twist to disconnect the muscles and tendons from the body. Discard and repeat for the other wing.

5. Take your knife and make a shallow cut from the top of the breast plate down to the anal cavity. Make the cut deep enough to completely separate the flesh, but not deep enough to puncture any organs.

6. Use your thumb and forefinger to pry the breast plate open. Remove the internal organs and discard.

7. Store the remaining breast pieces in a plastic freezer bag and place in the freezer, unless you will be consuming the bird within a day or two.

References

• Ken Walcheck: Game Birds: Field Dressing to Table
• Hunt Washington State: Grouse Hunting Tips