Hi all.

Does anyoneknow where I can get a dry plucker to do pheasant ducks and geese amongst other game?

All the ones I see on the Net are serious money nut I do tend to have quite a through put during the season so I need something quite "proper".

As time goes on I seem to have more pheasant breasts in the freezer than whole birds, andI'd like to redress the balance as I like a whole roast phgeasant occasionally.

Thanks,
FB

FB,
might be able to help you there, a friend of mine has discovered a bingham plucker when he cleared out an old house,don't know what his intensions are but will ask him as soon as.

regards
griff

Thanks Griff,

The Bingham is the one that I would really like but it is also the most expensive to buy new!!! I'd be really interested in what your mate suggests.

By the way, I did some Salmon to your recipe the other day and you were right about the dry salting. I left the sides curing for 11hrs as they were quite thin but expected them to be really salty. They were not salty at all.

I gave them 16hrs of Beech and Whiskey Oak smoke which eneded up as a medium smoked fish.

It's a lot dryer and firmer, (easier to carve) than the brine method I was using before, although the missus forgot to buy lemons this week so I haven't had a proper IanF style testing yet...

Rgds,
FB

FB

Now you are putting thoughts into my head!

Git your ass down here and a weekend of Roe & general debauchery will follow on nicely from a tasting session.

I'll buy the bagels and cream cheese - Artemis will be doubtless be providing the complete range of smoke and biltong venison for comparison purposes!

Keep well Bud - and best wishes for the trip to Cyprus!!

Rgds Ian

FB,

The most inexpensive "Wet" vs. "Dry" Plucker is the old-fashioned bucket of parafin. It works but it isn't fast.

Cabelas has one in their catalog, it is actually nothing more than a grinding machine motor with rubber fingers on it. They work good and I've seen one used up with an old kitchen stove exhaust fan to suck up the feathers (never mind - it doesn't get anywhere close to ALL the feathers).

With the strong pound the price from Cabelas should be very reasonable - big issue here is how to make the US 110 volt version work with our European 220 volt - perhaps it will work at double speed - at least once.

Good Luck with tis endevour and let us know how you manage - especially the $$$.

Hi Gerry,

Thanks for the heads up. I've looked into the wet pluckers, and it looks like you don't get the finish on them like you do with the dry pluckers. Also apparently the bird doesn't keep as well after wet plucking.

Anyway apart from that, If I had a bucket of parrafin and some kind of electrical connection nearby, then who wants to give a bet on how long I will still have my eyebrows?!?!?!? I'm really not kidding!!

Rgds,
FB

Ian, I'm hearing you big man!!!

I've been putting off the weekend of picking twigs out of my cider and playing guns down there for too long. I'll get right on it when I get home, (if I'm still allowed out and don't have to sell all my guns and fishing rods to pay for the house renovations.... )

By the way we shot about 200 crows rooks and Jackdaws in 3 hours on saturday. It got a bit hectic at times!!

FB

Excuse my ignorance but can someone please show me a picture of a plucker?

I'm sure pluckers are available in agricultural supply stores. That's where I would try first. In Alberta I'd look at the UFA (united farmers association) stores. There must be similar stores elsewhere.

the chef