goose processing 101

This is Ms. Speckled Goose. I was visiting a student when her grandfather came back from a few days of goose hunting out on the rivers. He asked if I knew how to pluck, and when I replied affirmatively he dropped a goose in a paper bag and put the package on my lap.

So I brought home Ms. Speckled Goose that Friday afternoon and you can follow the photos through the plucking, singe-ing and gutting. We haven't eaten her yet...but we'll probably roast her up for Sunday dinner sometime soon.

When I got weary, Keith finished plucking the feathers off the body. The down on this bird was so thick that I saved it in a special bag with the thought of using it for something cosy one day...we'll see if that pans out.

Now the goose is ready to singe. So we built an open fire in a rusted out half of a fifty gallon oil drum.

The wings are rather difficult to pluck, and convenient to use as handles during the singe, so its nice the feathers will just burn off. We're about to just hack off the wings at the "elbow" anyways.

And here we are at the gutting station. After breaking off the head, feet and wings, I sliced through the tail end of the bird and slit up towards the ribcage. Then in a fine delicate procedure I rip out everything that I can get my fingers on. All the innards. Also with bloody hands I am beseaching that mosquito on my shoulder to just move on.

These are innards.

Then you just drop the bird in a bag in the freezer.

Job done.