From the Smoker!!!!

KDM · Apr 14, 2017

Had a goose, a chicken, and some turkeys in the freezer that I've been promising to run through the smoker for a couple months now and finally got to'em. Soaked them in kosher salt, apple cider, brown sugar, onions, garlic, and black pepper for 12 hours in the fridge and added a heavy smoke for almost 4 hours at 180 to 200 ish degrees in the smoker with apple wood. I used some bacon to cover the open spots in some of the skins which ended up being a pretty good idea. They all turned out moist and very flavorful. Might have to pluck a few more geese and turkeys as THIS is a fantastic way to prepare these wild critters!! Enjoy!!

Before the Smoker:

After the Smoker:

Petras · Apr 14, 2017

That doesn't look edible at all. You should send them all up to me and I will properly dispose of them for you.

Crankn · Apr 14, 2017

There goes my diet again looks really great!:;:cheers

NodakBuckeye · Apr 14, 2017

Nice! I would like to have a mechanical plucker, worth the effort to pluck and leave whole or quarter. I smoked some mallards a few weeks ago, lower temps and more for flavoring. I breast them and sear in a skillet so I can eat them medium rare.

Auggie · Apr 14, 2017

Crankn said:
There goes my diet again looks really great!:;:cheers

It's low carb, so you're good.

RustyTackleBox · Apr 15, 2017

the chicken is low carb... but the 12 pack isn't

Brian Renville · Apr 15, 2017

Well done fellas!

ItemB · Apr 15, 2017

Is there any tricks to plucking a bird by hand? What is the best technique? Be patient and just start pulling feathers?

Them birds look to good will need to try this

RustyTackleBox · Apr 15, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg4nAKYoD3Y

this is how you diy pluck chickens (I'm making one this summer for ducks and geese)

Lapper · Apr 15, 2017

espringers · Apr 15, 2017

But, no instructions. How does it work?

NodakBuckeye · Apr 15, 2017

That is pretty slick, no pun intended. I always pluck a few birds when I have time and they are not shot up to bad. If you dove hunt, take a few minutes and pluck a half dozen for the grill, not a huge deal after you have done a few and worth the effort. On another topic, save hearts.... trim, skewer and grill medium rare. Just about anything except divers and spoonies

- - - Updated - - -

ItemB said:
Is there any tricks to plucking a bird by hand? What is the best technique? Be patient and just start pulling feathers?

Them birds look to good will need to try this

For waterfowl, I rough pluck guard feathers and leave the down and dip in paraffin melted in a kettle of water, couple of dips and allow to harden and peel. Remove the feet and wings, I just remove the tips and pull the flight feathers. Turkeys are pretty easy and go quick. Pheasant and huns skin is easy to tear, just go slow. I dry pluck upland birds.

Bed Wetter · Apr 15, 2017

espringers said:
But, no instructions. How does it work?

Here's a DIY video. Seems you can order the vital parts. If I build one, my wife will HAVE TO let me hunt every weekend. I could test it on the honkers and quackers accross the street. I bet no one would notice...

https://youtu.be/oX3VMJXjnrY

KDM · Apr 15, 2017

ItemB said:
Is there any tricks to plucking a bird by hand? What is the best technique? Be patient and just start pulling feathers?

Them birds look to good will need to try this

Best if you can pluck them warm. If you can't, take your time as getting in a rush will result in torn skin. Get the main feathers off and then submerge the bird in melted wax. DON"T gut the bird first. Doing so will make it much more difficult to get the small feathers off the back end of the bird. Melt the wax using water deep enough to get the whole bird under the water. The wax will float on top. That will ensure the wax gets to the entire bird. Let the wax harden on some old newspapers and then peel off with a butter knife. That should give you a nice "naked" bird at the end. If not, repeat the process until you get the desired result.

NodakBuckeye · Apr 16, 2017

For waterfowl, I wonder if it would work better with smaller fingers and more of them in the tub?

KDM · Apr 16, 2017

I've got a commercial cylinder plucker and it won't touch waterfowl. I've tried it several ways from dry to wet to scalded wet and mine won't pull hardly any feathers from a duck or goose. It might be the fingers, but the ones I have will pluck a chicken in about 30 seconds. I might need different fingers, but I only pluck a few ducks and geese per year so I don't mind sitting with a beer and covering the yard with feathers every once in a while.

2400 · Apr 16, 2017

KDM said:
Soaked them in kosher salt, apple cider, brown sugar, onions, garlic, and black pepper for 12 hours in the fridge and added a heavy smoke for almost 4 hours at 180 to 200 ish degrees in the smoker with apple wood. I used some bacon to cover the open spots in some of the skins which ended up being a pretty good idea.

Enjoy!!

After the Smoker:

When does the big brown Santa show up at my place with a box of smoked goodness?

espringers said:
But, no instructions. How does it work?

It runs by PFM.

BotnoJoe · Apr 17, 2017

ItemB said:
Is there any tricks to plucking a bird by hand? What is the best technique? Be patient and just start pulling feathers?

Them birds look to good will need to try this

I pluck as many feathers as i can by hand and then use a blow torch to burn away the remaining feathers. Works pretty well for me. Plucking geese is very time consuming with this method but ducks are pretty quick

tikkalover · Apr 17, 2017

Meh, your all just a bunch of chicken pluckers! :;:smokin ;:;boozer

406Joe · Apr 17, 2017

KDM what did you do with the legs? I have yet to find a way to "consume" them with out playing a round of "throw them in the trash". Too many tenants and such. Other than being a novelty item part of a "whole bird".. Admire smoking of the whole bird, but have only found the breast editable. Ticks were so bad last year, It was was a buzz kill of the spring turkey season only to be covered right out of the shoot. Ended up not applying due to my last outing.

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe I'm a pessimist, but have a hard time keeping pheasant legs for the same reason. Maybe I'm missing something????? Thighs, I can see the effort, Otherwise, no dice. Believe me if I could mustard the effort, I would.

From the Smoker!!!!

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

★★★★★ Legendary Member

Founding Member

Founding Member

New member

Similar threads

Friends of NDA