How to skin a dove

kickflip484 · 10-13-2007, 05:24 PM

I was wanting to go dove hunting but i'm not quite sure how to skin them. Does anyone know of any videos on youtube or anything that could explain this. Or can anyone explain it for me, thanks

jerry · 10-13-2007, 05:59 PM

If it's warm when you shoot them gut them by piercing with your finger or knife at the base of the abdomen. Use your index finger like a hook and remove the guts. Throw on ice if you have it.

When you get home. Stick your index finger in the body cavity and tear the whole breast off the rest of the body. You will have to cut the wings with snips. Peel the skin from the breast and wash with clean water. If you want, you can take a fillet knife and fillet the meat from the breast bone, usually not enough to mess with.

AZ-Mike · 10-16-2007, 12:03 AM

My First post here!

The way I clean my doves is pretty simple all you need in the field are some rubber gloves and zip locks. When you get home you can finish the clean up.

I am right handed so I'll describe it that way. Also here in AZ we need to keep one wing on the bird until we get out of the field.

Hold the dove in your left hand, its back in your palm and its head sticking out between your thumb and pointer finger. Take its head and either rip it or twist it off.

Then take the wing closest to your fingers and twist it off. You can also break the bone where the wing attaches to its shoulders then just rip the skin if you like. I prefer to twist it off because it removes it real close the breast and doesn't leave a sharp piece of bone to poke you with.

Now put your palm up and rip the feathers off the breast. It seems if you rip up toward where the head was, it leaves the skin on, if you rip downward it removes that skin and exposes the breast meat. I prefer to leave the skin, but it's up to you.

Now with the breast exposed take your right thumb and find the base of the breast bones. Dove breast is shaped like a shield so you are feeling for the point at the bottom. Once you are there push your thumb through until it is into the bird and on the inside of the breast. Now just rip upward on the breast and downward on the back and it will separate. All the guts and stuff will go with the back in your left hand, the breast and wing will stay in your right hand.

Put them in a zip lock and you are pretty much done, save for any tidying up you might want to do at home.

10-13-2007, 05:24 PM	#1
kickflip484 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1	How to skin a dove I was wanting to go dove hunting but i'm not quite sure how to skin them. Does anyone know of any videos on youtube or anything that could explain this. Or can anyone explain it for me, thanks

10-13-2007, 05:59 PM	#2
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,870 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	If it's warm when you shoot them gut them by piercing with your finger or knife at the base of the abdomen. Use your index finger like a hook and remove the guts. Throw on ice if you have it. When you get home. Stick your index finger in the body cavity and tear the whole breast off the rest of the body. You will have to cut the wings with snips. Peel the skin from the breast and wash with clean water. If you want, you can take a fillet knife and fillet the meat from the breast bone, usually not enough to mess with. __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

10-16-2007, 12:03 AM	#3
AZ-Mike Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 7	My First post here! The way I clean my doves is pretty simple all you need in the field are some rubber gloves and zip locks. When you get home you can finish the clean up. I am right handed so I'll describe it that way. Also here in AZ we need to keep one wing on the bird until we get out of the field. Hold the dove in your left hand, its back in your palm and its head sticking out between your thumb and pointer finger. Take its head and either rip it or twist it off. Then take the wing closest to your fingers and twist it off. You can also break the bone where the wing attaches to its shoulders then just rip the skin if you like. I prefer to twist it off because it removes it real close the breast and doesn't leave a sharp piece of bone to poke you with. Now put your palm up and rip the feathers off the breast. It seems if you rip up toward where the head was, it leaves the skin on, if you rip downward it removes that skin and exposes the breast meat. I prefer to leave the skin, but it's up to you. Now with the breast exposed take your right thumb and find the base of the breast bones. Dove breast is shaped like a shield so you are feeling for the point at the bottom. Once you are there push your thumb through until it is into the bird and on the inside of the breast. Now just rip upward on the breast and downward on the back and it will separate. All the guts and stuff will go with the back in your left hand, the breast and wing will stay in your right hand. Put them in a zip lock and you are pretty much done, save for any tidying up you might want to do at home.