How to Field Dress a Duck (with Ben Cole of RootedTV)

Learning how to field dress a duck is simple, but there are a few key steps to know to keep the meat safe and make sure you enjoy as much of the bird as you can (after the work and fun of hunting them).

Our friend Ben Cole of RootedTV shares his tips for field dressing a duck. He also shares some of his favorite ways to enjoy cooked duck. (Hint: you won't want to skip his cooking tips)!

Ben's Tips for How to Field Dress a Duck

You've hunted and taken down your limit of ducks, so now it's time to capitalize on that delicious duck meat.

When field dressing a duck, the very first thing you do is find the breast bone and push the feathers back. Then, depending on what kind of duck it is, you can pinch it with both hands, and the skin will literally just come apart. Or, you can take a knife and run it down the breast bone (run it all the way down) and pull the skin back on each side.

From there, take your knife and put it right next to the breast bone and follow it all the way down and around, where it stops up by where the neck starts. You want to angle back and just follow that muscle curvature all the way down to the wing bone.

Then, you can start filleting everything back until you have your entire chunk of meat. But don't leave out the inner loin. The inner loin is really good and tender, and makes a nice little popper.

Repeat that process on the other side. You can also take the legs if you want them, but there's not much there since they're so little.

It's really as simple as can be to field dress a duck.

How to Prepare a Duck for Cooking (and Field Dress a Different Way)

You can also field dress your bird another way and get it ready for cooking.

• Pluck every feather.
• Snip the wings and legs off where they connect to the carcass and where the web foot starts and the muscle stops (at the joint).
• Take the neck and head off.
• Pull the entrails out (like big ol' turkey you're about to smoke or deep fry).
• Leave the skin on (especially for those big migrating mallards). The skin has a ton of fat underneath that helps build flavor.

Stuff the bird with carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers, etc. Put it in the oven or drop it in the deep fryer for deep-fried duck.  

How to Cook a Duck (the Ben Cole Way)

One of my favorite ways to cook a duck is to wrap it in bacon. Put cream cheese in between the bacon and the duck meat.

Then I'll put it on one of those pellet grills (although you can cook it any way you want or on any cook surface). I put some Creole seasoning on it (my favorite go-to is Slap Ya Mama seasonings). Then just put it on the grill or smoker, just don't overcook it. That will make it tough.

To take the "gamey" taste out of it before cooking is to let it sit in a brine. I'll put all the meat in a cooler with some ice and salt. That will take all of the blood out and make it nice while taking all that gamey taste out of it, making it more palatable for people who may or may not like wild game. I do it with deer meat, too.

Duck (or Geese) BBQ

Another way to cook duck (or even geese) is to make barbecue.

You let the meat cook in a slow cooker for the better part of a day. Come back, pull it apart like you would any barbecue meat. Then I literally douse it with BBQ sauce and make a sandwich. It's awesome

Duck Jerky

Duck and goose jerky is fantastic.

I'll take the meat and cut it into really thin strips and season both sides of it. Sometimes I'll let it sit in some sauce for about twelve hours. Then I'll put it on a dehydrating rack, and then do a light seasoning.

The seasoning depends on what I'm feeling that day. Sometimes I go with more kick with the Slap Ya Mama seasoning. Other days, I'll just dial it back with some garlic powder, maybe some onion powder. Then I let it dehydrate for 8-12 hours.

The time you dehydrate it depends on what you like. I like it crunchy sometimes, and at other times I like it more chewy. Depends on the day.

Then you have snacks. Sometimes I'll eat the whole pack before I get to where I'm going.

Find More Ducks to Dress and Cook with HuntWise

To make sure you have plenty of chances to field dress a duck and cook it this season, get the HuntWise app. You'll hunt better and have plenty of birds to try with the cooking tips Ben Cole shared today!

As Ben says, HuntWise "changed the game for me by knowing the wind before I get there. It's helped me be better-suited for making an in-depth plan."

No more crumbling up leaves and dropping them to figure out the wind when you get to your hunting site. The WindCast feature in the app helps you know the wind before you head out to hunt, so you can plan the decoys and time you need to get set up and ready in the ideal spot (before birds start flying in).

Plus, you can scout with HuntWise to mark where you see birds and what they're doing, so you know where they are (and where you should be) for successful hunts.

Don't have HuntWise yet? Get it now before the season begins! You get a free week to start planning your hunt.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We have answers to questions about field dressing and how to cook a duck!

Q: Can you field dress ducks?

A: Yes, you can field dress ducks in the field! Remove the entrails soon after harvest to help preserve the meat.

Q: What to do with a duck after shooting.

A: Retrieve it quickly and keep it cool. Then, either field dress it or store it in a game bag or cooler until you can process it.

Q: How long are ducks good for after shooting?

A: If kept cool and dry, ducks are generally good for up to 2-3 days before cleaning. However, dressing and cleaning sooner is always better.

Q: How to remove skin on a duck.

A: Make a small cut on the breast and peel the skin and feathers back with your hands. Continue pulling until the skin is removed from the body.