From Yard to Table With Bucks D2

Thanks PCL & 338. Gees, packing out an elk at 100* would be tough. Then the meat would just about be jerky by the time you arrived at the truck.
The 110 with blue and green handle is the one with D2 steel. When I went thru Meat Science you had to identify the cuts and dissect them off the carcass. Meat cutters today don't have to know that. As they come prepackaged. DM

That's the drawback to archery season in Oregon David. It starts the last weekend in August and goes for five weeks. I'm still able to pull it off at 53, but the last time I did it a couple years back, it really tried to kick my butt, and it was in the low 90's...

Even without packing an elk, after five weeks of humping up and down canyons, I am wiped. Doesn't help that I developed hip issues a couple years back, and my knees are messed up. I've had two surgeries on them but I'm not getting any younger.

That really surprises me that they don't have to know the cuts. Things have changed. We have always processed our own animals.I want to make damn sure we get our meat back because I know we take care of our game...
We are lucky. The area we hunt there is a nice spring that runs all the time, and it is cold. We were able to build up a small chilling pool that we can fit a deer or four elk quarters in, and leave them in long enough to bring the temp down of the meat until we can make a run to town, to get them hanging in the cooler.
Never had to worry about that when I was still rifle hunting for elk. I always went second season and that is late October, and the Wilderness area we hunted is about 6500 feet. It was rare if there wasn't at least a foot of snow on the ground.
 
Great thread David. It makes me wish I had ordered the club 110 D2.

By the way, I'm a yankee northerner and I save the liver, heart and gizzard.

How long did 26 birds take you? That many takes me about 7 or 8 hours if I don't have help.
 
338, Two years ago I was on a bow deer hunt (Sept. 1-15) and it turned warm like your talking about. I passed on a legal buck because I didn't think I could get him processed quickly enough to prevent meat spoilage. The season comes back in Jan. 1-15 and then you don't worry about meat spoiling. Live the dream, hang tough. DM
 
Thanks Gedd. This 110 works well for tasks like this. I think we will have some good moments. Chicks develop at different rates even though these looked to be within 2 weeks of each other at purchase. (Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red) They gain different. So, at 3 months the Buffs looked filled out the best. But when I processed the first 2 I thought their breast looked not as plump. So, I stopped and decided to feed them another month. I may process another one or two between now and then to check. I can usually do 8 in a hour. Not hitting any snags. Both me and wife wash and bag them then head to the freezer. I stop at 8 as there is some preparation time and clean up. Then watch and schedule another day. Sometimes I use a dip net to catch them coming of the roost. Other times I'll ban them at night and use my air gun later. Look at the rooster in the photo and you'll see a pellet mark in his neck. Avian Bird flu is decreasing our chicken populations and causing eggs and meat price to increase. Plus, we're utilizing our farm land to put meat on the table. DM
 
Gents, this is an up date on more chicken processing with Buck knives at the Martin Farm. Here's my youngest lending a hand and learning good knife skills while putting food on the table. DM
 
Some of you gents have mentioned using wire cutters to clip legs and wings during processing birds. So, I included some of this style using my Buck Lite Tool.
I'm actually separating the wishbone from the breast. This tool works well for this cut. DM
 
David,

Were these taken using fair chase methods and proper permits. Did you slip the local head politician a bribe. Was the chicken lured outside the Chicken Park using unscrupulous means. Will you mount the red feathered chicken head over the fireplace..........have you gone into hiding.


Thanks for showing urban trapped Buck folks another look at the world most of us actually grew up in and if we are not careful as a society, may be thrown back to or worse. Where will we learn the skills, that knives helped us survive with in the past.

300
 
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300, This may not be in vogue these days. Still, being raised with farm duties I'm passing the knowledge on to my offspring. Girls & boys need to learn knife skills somewhere. As it may come in handy some day. Both mine have been thankful I taught them such early on. These were legally purchased chicks at Tractor Supply and raised here for the freezer. At least the roosters. We took good care of them, not loosing a single one. The hens will live a long, happy life producing eggs, in a free roaming, protective fenced yard. When I saw the Avian Flu out break coming. I suspected eggs would go up in price per dozen. Now, they've risen 50%. Eggs being a good source of protein and a diet staple. Chicken meat as well and on our budget beef is a pricey option. The Buck knives used here were offered thru the collectors club and we're merely showing how they can be put to a wholesome everyday use around a household. It's not our intent to offend anyone, merely educate. Did you notice in the 2nd photo above the dog's head in the lower center. At least he's Very interested in this process. DM
 
Thanks, Tony. Chickens are a easy project and many suburban folks could have 2-3 in there back yard. Just no crowing. Which could net their family fresh wholesome eggs for years. I try to think up interesting topics for our Buck knives discussion. DM
 
David, a good demonstration of the proper use of the knife. The younger generation should know how to use a knife, no matter where they grew up on the farm or in the city. :thumbup:
 
Nice knife work David. It is important to pass along the knowledge.

I like how you use all the Collector's Club knives. They are great knives and should be used.

Nice photographs.
 
RB, Thank you. I agree. The knife skills dad's teach their kids today will be put to good use tomorrow. Whether it's camping or preparing supper. DM
 
Gedd, Thank you. Not many collectors use them. My kids knew from a early age, what ever we are working on around the farm it is a 'family project' and your expected to lend a hand. They learned a lot by doing. Also, toward your previous post. I had my wife time me on one or two of these. It takes me 5-6 mins. to catch, dispatch and skin one rooster. Then gutting and dissecting the cuts off takes another 4 mins.. Sometimes she has me leave them whole or cut them up. Depending on what she wants to do later. Then washing the parts and cleaning the gizzard. Now, they're ready for the freezer. Plus, 10 of these are hens which we're retaining for egg production. DM
 
Good job David, I noticed the tip of Rover's nose right off. My daughter raises Coturnix quail to help pay for her horse showing. She skins and processes the birds. She prefers that I do the dispatching but she has done it in my absense when they needed to be processed. Anyway back to Rover, that looks just like our two, if I'm helping I generally toss them a scrap or two.
 
Eight, Thanks. I'm glad your girl raises those large quail. Your the first I know who raises them. (Japanese, Pharaoh and A&M variety) They are ideal to raise as a lot can be housed in a small area, their meat is of high quality and they're prolific breeders. With little disease problems. I think this is great. Does she use a favorite Buck to process them? Feel at liberty to include a photo of your activities. From the moment our dogs see me catch a rooster they are ALL in assisting me with the next step. For this I favor Buck's Bass Pro coated 110 with cmp154 steel. As there is not much real skinning involved. Mostly cutting thru the joints and removing entrails. Good luck to her in both endeavors. Mine girls showed horses as well. DM
 
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Thanks, she has the Manchurian Coturnix. I have to say so far this is my favorite bird to eat, dove/pigeon was formerly. I don't get to eat near enuff as obviously she needs to sell them.
As far as buck nope, I think the first couple I did. But found shears are way easier. I use heavy duty scissors to dispatch them, its quick, clean and simple. Then use some game shears to cut the wings and legs, I also cut the tail/vent just above that u shaped bone, skin them then with the game shears cut down center of back bone and down center of breast, this way it lays nice for frying. I started out saving the heart, liver, and gizzard for myself and family but just involved to much time to pick them out when doing 25-50 birds at a time. I think the best time averaged from dispatch to vacuum pak was about 5 min. per bird.
She got 8th in the 4-H state senior division, allowing her to go to regionals last wknd and she got a couple ribbons there.
 
This is great! I'm sooo proud for her. How you process them sound good. I've used pruning shears and this works well. Quail (Gambel) I (using a Buck knife) clip the feet, wings and vent and skin them. Leaving them whole. I always save the heart and gizzards in one bag for frying and the livers in another for fish bait. My kinfolks season and flour them all up for frying. Here we cannot raise quail without a permit and your watched closer if your raising, 'non-native birds'. I may could raise Gambel or Ring-neck Pheasant without too much hassle. Plus, our winters are hard on them and the growing season short. This month in higher country, 5 miles from us, they will see frost. DM
 
Thank you,
Ha, the only chance of frost here this month is if you put your beer mug in the freezer, it's scorch'n here.
Fl typically watches non natives pretty close but they don't seem to worry about the coturnix, up to 50 for personal consumption, 50 or more you have to get a $50 permit and they inspect once a year, (no big deal).
I skewered a bunch of hearts and livers and put them on the grill once, and they were excellent, I typically don't care for liver but these are much milder than a chicken liver. The gizzards, well that's just to much work for them little things, lol

I've always thought them Gambel quail are pretty cool looking, do they whistle similar to a bobwhite?
 
Agreed, the Gambel quail are a striking bird. With handsome plumage. Their call is not like the Bobwhite. It's more like a large African bird call sound, off in the bush. Not a whistle but more like a loud Guinea call. You have to center them well with 71/2 shot to down one. As they are strong, stocky birds, larger than a Whitewing dove. Like a collard dove. Not as large as a Bandtail pigeon. But with stocky legs. A 110 works well on them. I can tell a change of season is coming. DM
 
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