Knife for dressing Pheasant

Yer fingers!? Ewwwww!!!!

GSP,
Do you hunt anything other than birds. Since I've been hunting (25 yrs and counting) I've stuck my hands in some god awful places and really never got the EWWW factor.

It's just a bird, yank a hole between breast and pelvis, fish around in there until you've got all the guts out, pop a pinky thru the pooper and yank. Viola, field dressed bird. Wipe hands, take a dip of your favorite tobaccy and keep hunting.

If you have to use a knife, use a small pocket knife. I use a small three blade JPringle on deer. Birds and rabbits are easy to clean with your bare hands like the above posts say. When you see a hunter with a large knife on his belt, that is just costume jewelery like the rings worn by entertainers. A knife looks good on some people and gawdy on others. I personally don't care for the big ones. Mine is small with maybe a 4.5 inch blade. I wouldn't use it on anything smaller than an elephant. I use my pocket knife for everything else. I don't carry it except when I hunt. I tried whittling but all I can make is shavings. :roll:

I'm with JLP. You hardly need a knife at all for birds. The only thing you need to cut are the neck, wings, and the legs.

If you are going to cook the entire bird you don't wan't to go cutting a lot of skin anyway. Just make a hole big enough to get that hand in there and grab all them gizzards and pull :wink:

Nope, dont hunt anything other than birds. I'm just not into it. And to be totally honest this is my first season hunting them too!
Now you can see why I'm wondering whats the best way to clean um.

I was thinking of something small like pocket knife size. I should get alot of practice cleaning birds at this pheasant hunt in Oct.

GSP Lover said:

Nope, dont hunt anything other than birds. I'm just not into it. And to be totally honest this is my first season hunting them too!
Now you can see why I'm wondering whats the best way to clean um.

I was thinking of something small like pocket knife size. I should get alot of practice cleaning birds at this pheasant hunt in Oct.

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A good pocket knife is all you really need. If sticking your hand in there bugs you that much, you can get a box of latex gloves at any pharmacy. Heck they even sell them at most sporting good stores, it will probably be cheaper at the pharmacy though.

I'm sure there will be someone there that can show you how to do your first bird. It's pretty easy to do.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR HUNTING SEASON :lol: :twisted: :lol: 8)

I was just saying ewwww for effect really. When it comes down to actually doing it I'm sure I'll just get it over with. After all there can't be that much in a small bird.
I think I'll just use my swiss army knife.

A Swiss army knife is fine for doing birds... I use a mini-Buck - it's got about a 2" drop-point blade. In the field, I pull the innards without using a knife, and drop the bird in the vest (watch that the dog don't chow down on the innards, though...my golden retriever will even sneak back for a chance at 'em). Once we're back at the shack, I skin the bird (just pull it off) and use the knife to make a neat cut at the first wing joint and the joint at the end of the drumstick, then cut off the head and pull the windpipe and esophagus out (they usually break off somewhere in the chest when you pull the guts in the field). Wash it in good cold water, put in in the cooler, pop a brew, clean the guns, tell some lies, play some cards (more lies), draw straws to see who fixes dinner....

i use a set of gerber shears. works great for cutting through the bones and stuff. i snip of the head, legs and wings. then each side of the breast by the thighs and yank out the guts. takes about five minutes. piece of cake!

A good pair of kitchen shears are worth their weight in gold. I've got a pair from Wally World pair that are great, just throw them in your back pack and you're good to go and oh by the way GSP if you have a good place to hunt pheasants me and my vizsla are available for one-on-one bird cleaning lessons.

jlptexashunter, I'm (and my GSP of course) going to the annual Pelee island pheasant hunt at the end of oct where they release 25000 birds over 3 weeks. You have a 10 bird limit.
Hunting should be good .
Pelee island is in the middle of Lake eerie at the west end of the lake. Be a bit far to drive for you I'd think.

WWB,
I actually let my dogs eat the hearts as a treat when I field dress the birds. Keeps them from looking for the rest of the guts they go one way and heart gets thrown next to him and I make him stay until I release him to get the heart. Works pretty well.

GSP,
Good lord that's a lot of birds. I usually make it up to the hinterlands at least once a year. Generally I go to Washington State for a little mixed bag of Pheasant, Quail, Chukar, Grouse.
Is there any wild birds up that way?

There are some yes. I dont know numbers but I dont think its terribly high. There is a program going on to reintroduce wild birds in Ontario at the moment. I just wish they were releasing 25000 wild birds at a time instead of only 18 or so.

I've never actually used one on birds, but I always liked Cold Steel's "Bird & Trout Knife".

I've never liked using folding knives (Swiss Army, etc) on gutting/cleaning jobs, as the goop gets down in the blade pivot area and can be a bear to clean out.

-- Sam

Man, don't give yer doggie the hearts! As far as dove go, the hearts and gizzards (the outside part that is) are some of the best eatin'!

jlptexashunter said:

It's just a bird, yank a hole between breast and pelvis, fish around in there until you've got all the guts out, pop a pinky thru the pooper and yank. Viola, field dressed bird. Wipe hands, take a dip of your favorite tobaccy and keep hunting.

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Now that's what I call... "Good Huntin'"

Try standing on the wings and pulling on the feet. Then twist off the wings at the second joint and your all set. I do use a gerber for trim out the legs and then a quick twist and all done.

I use a Browning pocket knife with a gut hook.