Review for Cleaning Birds

Follow these steps to clean a game bird:

1. Rough pluck the bird. If the bird is going to be skinned, rough pluck only the stomach and breast.

2. Carefully cut the skin from the bottom of the breast to the vent. Cut from front to back and hold the blade parallel to the wall of the body cavity to avoid cutting any organs.

3. Use your fingers and/or knife to remove all internal organs and the vent. Be sure to remove the kidneys and lungs which are tightly attached to the body wall along the back.

4. Wipe the inside of the bird clean using a cloth or paper towels. Clean water may be used to wash out the body cavity, but only if the carcass is dried thoroughly afterwards.