Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

3o8CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTYoupreservatives or taxidermist's equipment at all.are likely to have some absorbent cotton or gauzein j^our first-aid kit. With this, plug the bird'sthroat, nostrils, and vent, and wipe off any blood thatmay have escaped from shot holes. The feathersmust be disarranged as little as possible, and mustbe kept clean.Lay the bird on its back, head to one side, andbend the vrings backward out of the way. Partthe feathers from point of breastbone to vent,and make an incision straight from one point tothe other, being careful not to cut through theabdominal wall. Lift edge of skin and peel frombody until thigh joint is exposed. Sever leg frombody. Work thigh gradually out of skin, cut tendonsfree just above knee, and strip all flesh frombone. Do the same with the other leg. Use cottonor corn meal if blood or juice starts.Set bird on end, tail up. Bend tail backward, andcut through vent lining, tail muscles, and backbone,being careful not to cut butts of tail feathers, orthrough skin of back. Work the skin loose fromback, sides, and breast, to the wings, turning it insideout as you go. If the bird is large, you canwork better if you hang it up by a wire hook andcord, thrusting the hook into pelvis.Press wings forward strongly to loosen jointmuscles, and detach them at shoulder joints. Peelskin off the head. Then gently stretch and pushthe skin over the swell of skull, inverting it entirelyto the beak, pulling out ear linings and workingwith knife to free eyelids without marring them orpuncturing the eyeball. Cut off neck at base of skull,including enough of skull to leave a hole throughwhich brain may be scooped out. If the bird's headis too large to skin in this way, slit the skin frommiddle of back of head down nearly half the lengthof neck, and, through this Incision, turn and cleanthe head.Now remove eyes, brain, tongue, and jaw muscles.