Tastiest Game Bird

My choices have been limited to ducks, geese, pheasant, lesser prairie chicken, dove, bobwhite and scaled quail. Of those I would choose bobwhite quail. I do want to try sand hill crane one day, as I hear it is excellent.
 
Wood ducks at the top of my list. Teal, torch seared, and then lightly grilled is pretty darn good too.
Pheasant, quail and doves; fried or baked in cream. Now that's comfort food.
 
Blue grouse, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse and pheasant are my favorites.
Blue grouse are hands down the best eating gamebird I've ever had!
 
Bobwhite quail- cooked just about any way- 1,000's- never had a tough one- practically melt in your mouth if you never over cook
we usually layed 9 or so in a baking dish with plenty of 1/2 white and 1/2 wild rice- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, enough water just so the rice absorbed and was tender- quail was just right- quite a dish

Ruffed Grouse- we used to call them Partridge-
never had a tough one- best one we can ever remember
2 brothers out working around the bog with a Golden Retriever
cleaned it, skinned, cut off head, feet, wings, and neck- made a fire of pine down to coals- made a kind of spit- cooked that grouse sprinkling every now and then with salt and pepper as it turned- sat and nibbled away- delicious

Wood Duck- we'd leave the skin on- mom would gather some of our wild rice, soak it awhile- plenty in a baking dish with cream of chicken soup and water- lay 4 wood ducks in and put in the oven- cook untill the rice absorbed the water- best duck we ever had
 
Bobwhite, Bobwhite & Bobwhite

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To me ruffed grouse are like chicken not a lot of flavor. If you like really white meat they are the bird for you. Pheasants have more flavor and I prefer them.

I'll take darker meat like woodcock duck or sharptail over either one. Just cook it like venison or beef. Medium rare at the most.
 
SetterNut said:
I had a goal of shooting some over point. Got that done, but never shot an adult male, that I would want to mount. Maybe next September.


I only walked about 20 miles for every PC I got pointed and shot :eek:
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20 miles sounds about right...:D And the flavor is... distinct.:eek:

But anyway... if you really want one one for the taxidermist you would probably get a much better specimen late in the season. My September chickens always have pinfeathers.

To the original question... Quail are tops, then Phez. Everything else needs bacon or marinating. That's not to say you can't make them delicious, but it just takes a lot of work, bacon, and marinating...:p

I am excited to make some goose jerky this year. I have heard it is delicious, which is great because I know where to find a lot more geese than quail.
 
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Y'all are making me hungry! I like grilled doves the best, but they must be late season birds with fewer pinfeathers, and plucked not breasted! Grilled slowly ove a charcoal fire while being basted with a lemonjuice ,butter,and flour baste that will build a nice tastey crust on the bird. You can eat the wing bones and the legs too if they are crunchy enough. YUM! Quail would be next chicken fried then grouse and pheasant about equal with the grouse.
Won't help your appetite for any of the others but when you open up a dove to eviscerate it, there is no bad smell! Sure can't say that for the others on my list! A dove has been said to be the cleanest of meats because they only eat grains. No extra charge for that info and worth what ya paid! Ha Ha! I really like green peas and mashed potatoes with bird gravy. Holy cow that's some fine victuals! I gotta go get somethin from the kitchen right now!
Enjoyed this thread.
 
onpoint said:
I have shot so many Ruff grouse over the last 40 years, it's pathetic. I'm kind of burnt out on the taste of them. My mom makes the best Pheasant you have ever tasted in your life. Still not the best game bird IMO. Goldeneye makes some fantastic Chukar K-Bob's on the grill. I would rate them Top Notch. I love Teal or Canvasback duck the best in waterfowl.

Never had Quail or Dove.

#1 Upland bird for me..Chukar(Goldeneye style), Pheasant(plucked)browned with cream soup, Ruff Grouse, browned with cream soup. garvy, mashed taters, fresh green beans or corn on the cob.

#1 waterfowl, bacon wrapped jalapeno goose wraps in Italian dressing BBQed on the grill, Roasted Canvasback, Roasted Teal...dressing, gravy, mashed taters, veggies, brown sugar & butter acorn squash and home made peach pie with ice cream. .
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Not asking for secrets and feel free to ignore me if you want to but where did you see that many grouse? We only have them in very north GA and commonly hunt several days without even hearing a flush now, since they are not cutting any timber there. I have wanted to go to UP MIchigan before I'm too old which I already am! LOL
 
OKIEGunner said:
Bobwhite, Bobwhite & Bobwhite

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SetterNut,

What I can tell you is that they are the most expensive birds that I have ate in the past 30 years. :thumbsup:
 
onpoint said:
I have shot so many Ruff grouse over the last 40 years, it's pathetic. I'm kind of burnt out on the taste of them. My mom makes the best Pheasant you have ever tasted in your life. Still not the best game bird IMO. Goldeneye makes some fantastic Chukar K-Bob's on the grill. I would rate them Top Notch. I love Teal or Canvasback duck the best in waterfowl.

Never had Quail or Dove.

#1 Upland bird for me..Chukar(Goldeneye style), Pheasant(plucked)browned with cream soup, Ruff Grouse, browned with cream soup. garvy, mashed taters, fresh green beans or corn on the cob.

#1 waterfowl, bacon wrapped jalapeno goose wraps in Italian dressing BBQed on the grill, Roasted Canvasback, Roasted Teal...dressing, gravy, mashed taters, veggies, brown sugar & butter acorn squash and home made peach pie with ice cream. .
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So you like your Chucker like this?:cheers:
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And your Duck like this? With or without the Garlic Bisquit:cheers:
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How about home made Blueberry instead of Peach?:D
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goldeneye said:
So you like your Chucker like this?:cheers:
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And your Duck like this? With or without the Garlic Bisquit:cheers:
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How about home made Blueberry instead of Peach?:D
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Ya Buddy! I lust licked the screen of my monitor clean, thanks to you..LOL
 
bknight said:
Not asking for secrets and feel free to ignore me if you want to but where did you see that many grouse? We only have them in very north GA and commonly hunt several days without even hearing a flush now, since they are not cutting any timber there. I have wanted to go to UP MIchigan before I'm too old which I already am! LOL
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Arrowhead of Minnesota. Millions of acres of public land and 1,000's of miles of logging roads. A virtual Ruff grouse paradise. Nothing beats a Indian summer fall day, tree's in full fall colors, your best hunting dog and carrying your finest bird gun in the woods of northern Minnesota.
 
Ah Driggs, I forgot about succulent young-of-the-year Spruce Grouse/Fool Hens. Not terribly sporting birds, but delicious beside a high mountain lake in the Fall after roasting over the coals from a dry Tamarack fire . . . I've not lived in my beloved Montana for far too many Fall seasons . . . maybe it is time for this old boy to retire & spend more time back there & less time at work. I just changed my #1 from Ruffies to Spruce Grouse. Thanks for the beminder . . .
 
Guys, guys, guys---you are making me hungry. All looks soooo good!

Only have a picture in my mind to share with you of a favorite simple fare, of pan fried quail, taters and gravy and a fluffy biscuit with real butter. Quite simple, quite good.
 
Quail would be my 1-10. Now if I work real hard maybe I can scratch enough together in the next 5-10 years for a meal. Probably a pipe dream..........sigh.
 
For me Chukars and Ruffies would be at the top followed by pheasants. I haven't eaten enough quail and dove to give an opinion. Sharpies wouldn't even make the list for me.
 
1. Northern Nevada chukar.
2. Kansas bobwhite quail
3. Colorado dusky grouse
4. Pheasant
 
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