Rookie question - go easy on me...

[Black Bird]

Hey there,

Sorry, if this is a stupid question, but here I go.

Does it make sense to gut geese (Canada geese)?

My friend has just got into hunting geese and came back this weekend successful with a few birds thanks to the help of an experienced hunter showing my friend the ropes. My friend is giving me one (like a said - he is a good friend!), and he processed one at his house (took out the breasts and legs). I took the two remaining birds back to my house where I have an outdoor fridge I can put them in. My friend was told, or lead to believe, that you don't need to gut geese. I am a deer hunter and I just can't help but think that it is always a good idea to gut an animal. So, last night before putting them in the fridge, I gutted them. It was my first time gutting geese and I followed the advice from the book "Dressing and Cooking Wild Game - from the Complete Hunter series (http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Cooking-Wild-Game-Waterfowl/dp/086573108X)". I started at the vent, made a rather large incision towards the sternum, and then pulled everything out. I guess I expected more of a gut sack like what is in a deer, but it was pretty much all the bits and pieces tucked in without any sack that I could find. Still, I got everything out and then put the birds in the fridge.

My plan is to leave them in there for another day or two, and then take the breasts and legs off.

Any advice, or critiquing of my thinking would be most appreciated as I have never done this before. I did a couple of google searches for how to field dress geese, but I never saw anyone gut them, although that is what was suggested in the book I read.

Cheers,
BB

[BiG Boar]

I say why bother. For how many seconds it takes to get the breasts and legs out, you've just got your hands dirty, and for no real reason if you're not keeping the birds whole. Next time, just take the breasts and legs the same day they are killed.

I'm supposing that you are trying to age the birds. If you feel a few days of aging is necessity then keep doing what you're doing.

[MB_Boy]

We have always gutted and/or breasted in the field......leave the mess out in the marsh and it's generally a bit easier when the bird is still "warm".

[Foxton Gundogs]

I hang my waterfowl 3 days WHOLE then breast them and taske of the legs and thighs. Just the way Ive always dont it. leave the carcus in tact with guts in place.

[MB_Boy]

I hang my waterfowl 3 days WHOLE then breast them and taske of the legs and thighs. Just the way Ive always dont it. leave the carcus in tact with guts in place.

Hey Foxton.....just curious as to the reasoning behind leaving the guts in while they hang?

[lorneparker1]

I dont know why, but i do know all the market hunters back in the day did that. And well there must be some reason because they sold those birds.

Birds usually dont last an hour after the hunt around here.

[MB_Boy]

I dont know why, but i do know all the market hunters back in the day did that. And well there must be some reason because they sold those birds.


"Marketing appeal" to boost sales??? :tongue:


I know we have always done them in short order......also helped warm your hands up!! :wink:

[Fella]

What do you guys do to remove shot and clotting?

Someone told me to sit the meat in a container of cold water in the fridge for a day to get rid of some of the gamey taste. Is this something you guys do too or is that BS?

[Sasqman]

Someone told me to sit the meat in a container of cold water in the fridge for a day to get rid of some of the gamey taste. Is this something you guys do too or is that BS?

I've heard the same thing, except with salt water and a bit of pinnaple juice (Let sit overnight). My brother in-law did this with a couple of my goose breasts last week, then marinaded them for another day, then smoked them............and he loved them!

[Singleshotneeded]

I've heard the same thing, except with salt water and a bit of pinnaple juice (Let sit overnight). My brother in-law did this with a couple of my goose breasts last week, then marinaded them for another day, then smoked them............and he loved them!

Yeah, a friend of mine does that too, 1/4 pineapple juice, 3/4 water, and a handful of salt...afternoon and overnight. Then freeze or cook.
But always gut everything in the field right away or asap, and then rinse with water and put in a cooler if possible. I couldn't handle
the taste of a friend's roast grouse once, years back, and I love roast grouse. So after nibbling on the spuds and veggies I asked him
what he did with the grouse after he shot them. He told me he tossed them in his bird sack, continued hunting, and then gutted and
cleaned them after he got home...no wonder they had that nice gamey flavour, lol! I got him to step on the wings and pull up on the
legs right away, rinse the grouse breast with cold water, then toss them in the cooler. He and his whole family thanked me after that!

[Captainkf]

I have gutted and plucked right away to roast whole, like a turkey. I have also just gutted, pulled the skin back while warm and breasted/thied them. The latter is simpler and faster but roasted is nice. The skin is ver delicate if you choose to pluck and I have torn it accidentally before though. I know some like to dip in hot paraffin wax to remove the small feathers but I found a propane torch worked well. I always soak game birds ( quail, grouse and geese) in salt water over night in the fridge. It really helps with game meat. I lived in the arctic for a couple years and it also helps remove the gaminess of walrus too! When I cooked whole goose it would be filled with apple and orange slices, tipped up and filled with orange juice then baste the bird with juice. Be sure to add more juice part way through the cook. The sauce kept it moist and added a nice gravy. Hope this helps!!!

[Foxton Gundogs]

Hey Foxton.....just curious as to the reasoning behind leaving the guts in while they hang?

Cuz there is no reason to take them out lol

[shotgunjohn]

Hang them head down and you can leave the guts in. Remember you have to leave a feathered wing attached until you get to your residence.

[Dannybuoy]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/shades_of_green/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by MB_Boyhttp://huntingbc.ca/forum/images/shades_of_green/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=1297612#post1297612)Hey Foxton.....just curious as to the reasoning behind leaving the guts in while they hang?



Cuz there is no reason to take them out lol

Just doesnt sound appetizing to me .... you thinking it adds to the flavour having the gases from from the guts permeating thru the meat ?
I'll stick to a timely removal of the guts from the critters I eat

[Mr. Dean]

Gutting a big game animal is done to ensure cooling it out.... Birds cool off just fine without pulling their innards.