How to Clean Dove
It’s that time of year! Dove season! Don’t worry. I’ll do another one on cleaning duck. For those of you who are hunting dove for the first time or are just curious in the process, here are the steps.
- Hold the bird by the body and pull off the wings. It’s easier if you twist them a few times first.
- Have the bird’s belly facing you. At the bottom of its chest you will feel the breast bone. It’s a similar feel to a human. Find the bottom of the breast bone and pull the bone up as you pull the rest of the body away. This should leave you with a big chunk of meat.
- Clean out any other innards that got stuck. The head and feet should’ve come off with step #2. Brush off the additional feathers. A lot will probably be stuck to your hands due to the blood.
- Rinse the breast under a hose. Place the breast in a ziploc bag.
- I like to soak the breast in salt water so remove any excess blood. It also removes any of the “gamy” taste. This is the trick if you don’t like the taste of wild meat.
- Either put the breasts in a bag in the fridge if you’re eating within the next few days, or put them in a bag in the freezer. Make sure to label with the type of animal meat and the date they were cleaned.
Here’s a quick video demonstration brought to you by my dad.
