How do you clean a fish/hunted animal?

[Katrina-Sisu]

Okay no one laugh at me, I'm a newbie ::) lol.

I've heard that if you pierce the bladder of a fish or animal while you clean it, it ruins the whole meat. Is this true?

How do you field dress a hunted animal properly? Or a fish?

If you do go to cut out the bladder of the animal, and the bladder is full..what would you do then?

Are there websites with pictures?

Thanks! And I know at least 85% of everyone is laughing at me :D Lol

Katrina

[bee_pipes]

...I've heard that if you pierce the bladder of a fish or animal while you clean it, it ruins the whole meat. Is this true?...

...Are there websites with pictures?...


Let 'em laugh, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask, and all that fallderall...

Cant' help you much with fish, the last thing I cleaned was a grunion. The neighbor swears on keeping a can of rinse water handy for catfish - if the blade touches the outside of the fish, rinse it before touching the fillet on the inside. There is also a vein of oil that has to be cut out of the fillet... like mackerel.

I would suspect game is the same as domestic critters. You want the remove the insides from the mouth to the butt hole. With chickens and poultry, you usually are starting without a head, so you work from the throat to the butt hole. The dicey part is puncturing the abdomen and chest without puncturing the works inside. There are tricks to this - like putting the knife tip into the rectum and cutting up through the abdomen skin. The chest, above the ribs, is easy because there's empty space. Once you have a place to grab the outside skin, you can slice from the abdomen to the chest.

Some of it depends on what you're dressing. Chickens and turkey work laying on their backs. Larger animals, like pigs and goats work better hanging in front of you.

I had heard the same thing, about puncturing this or that organ and ruining the meat. Some of it has to do with the intestines - that's full of bacteria and manure. You could get yourself sick by spreading that stuff around on the meat and leaving it there. I have puncture a few organs, but rinsed away any matter as soon as possible. The meat is frozen (after 24 hrs curing in the fridge) and well cooked before eating. Maybe you can ruin it by puncturing the bladder - can't help you on that one, but it isn't that hard to avoid it.

For domestic animals, keep them on 24 hrs of just drinking water, no food, and their digestive systems will be empty by butchering time. You don't have that option with wild game.

Here's a link on butchering a turkey:
http://www.freetimesw.com/blueoakranch/pasturedpoultry/turkeyprocessing.htm

Regards,
Pat

[Katrina-Sisu]

Thanks very much Pat!

The website was great and the pictures were super helpful!

Thanks again for the info! :)

Kat

[Backwoods_Bob]

I do all small to smallish animals the same.

Kill the critter.

Hang by the back legs.

take small sharp knife and starting at the back legs, skin the beast.

Open the abdomen and spill out the clockwork. Pull and cut it all out. save heart and liver if you wish

Somewhere along the line you gotta chop off the head, tail and paws-hooves. We use tree loppers sorta like these to remove feet/heads and such.
http://www.quisqualis.com/Loppers01.jpg

We call 'em "trotter-choppers" these days. ;D

This is how I do squirrles, rabbits, small deer, goats and any thing else small enough to easily hang.

Deer is alittle different if killed far from home. Then I'll gut it first to remove the clockwork and cool the meat. Then I'll hang it to skin, etc...

[Backwoods_Bob]

Forgot to add, don't worry about piercing the bladder or guts. It's nice not to, but it certainly happens. Sometimes you shoot a deer to far back and hit the stomach. It happens. Just process as usual and flush with plenty of clean water. No big deal.

[Katrina-Sisu]

Thanks tons Bob! :)

Katrina

[MadTripper]

Bass and panfish you can filet without cleaning. Basically, position the knife perpendicular to the fish behind the lower fin that is close to the head. Cut down to the spine and turn knife flat with sharp edge towards the tail. Cut underneath the meat all the way to the tail but avoid cutting the flap you have created off. Flop the meat and skin back, keep sliding the knife this time between the meat and skin/scales releasing the meat. There is a small section of bones to remove that you will see, cut around it and you have your filets! I wish I had some photos but I just never thought to take any. Perhaps some perch will become available during ice fishing this winter and I'll get an opportunity.

Oh, I tried this with a pickerel one time....no good! As I started to make my cut down the length of the body, I heard the tick tick tick of bones hitting my filet knife. Also, with any fish or game, (or anything else for that matter) a sharp knife can never be underestimated. Flexible filet knives are easier to use however a rigid knife works well after some practice.

Below is a link to the knife my friend had made for me. I love it and even use it to carve the turkey on T-Day.

http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/v/Various/Temp+023.jpg.html

[Katrina-Sisu]

Nice knife Madtripper! Thanks for the info!

Kat

[northern_neck]

It takes a lot to ruin a piece of meat. Don't worry about too much. Just try to keep things clean, and try not to spill urine all over everything. Just keep practicing. You'll be confident in no time.

[bigriks300]

I looked through several fish cleaning videos and these seemed easy enough to follow.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/6477_fish-recipes-round-fish-fillet.htm

Just remember; practice in these matters is what, well matters ;) Just keep doing it and pretty soon you'll be able to filet 50 crappie in 20 minutes too. ::)

[Hampster]

not a stupid question and look at all the great answers you got..