Many of us do it by hand and some pay the local plucker for that joy but does anybody still use the hot wax method ?
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Many of us do it by hand and some pay the local plucker for that joy but does anybody still use the hot wax method ?
When I hunted more I did the hot wax method. Made for a beautiful finish.
Now I pluck and singe with a blow torch or early in the year just skin them
fortunately don't get much waterfowl early just breast them out if not heavily pinned will pluck. Any other bird gets plucked using hot water.
I have done both over the years. I made myself a plucker, and now rarely find a reason to wax, although it does a neater job. Someone advised me that 'cheese wax' is better than paraffin for waxing. I got some, and it is true. Better job, and somewhat reusable. I still do breast the shot up ones, and usually geese.
I pluck chickens and guinea fowl, breast ducks and geese, use the standing-on-wing method for grouse, and would probably pluck pheasants like I did 35 years ago.
Hand pluck just the breasts so they have that delicious skin on when cooked. The legs, & upper wing parts get skinned out to be used for sausage along with any extra fat. I save the hearts separate for a meal of "meat olives" and the livers get saved separate for wild duck liver pate. Just don't care for the texture of gizzard.