Close flushing rooster

M

Madison COunty

New member
I was hunting with a young man today that works with me (21 years old) and I had a pheasant flush real close to me. It was probably about 20 feet away, I let the pheasant fly and the young man shot it. It blew a big hole in the pheasant and there was no meat left. We saw lots of hens today and only one rooster. I know he was using a 20 gauge with 5 shot.

My question for you is how far do you let a close flushing bird fly before you take a shot? It was great hunting today here in Iowa but I wish someone could have taken the bird home and ate it.
 
I prefer to shoot them over 30 yards but sometimes I have trouble holding off and I have decapitated several. Don't remember having a bird where at least some wasn't salvageable and I shoot tight chokes and heavy loads.
 
i have the reputation of not waiting long enough to shoot and causing a feather explosion.

I have been working on letting them get out a bit farther, but just as I do that, last saturday, I had one get up in a thick area. if i had waited even a split second longer, I wouldn't have had a shot.

normally I just breast out the bird, but if i do damage a lot of meat, i will take the time to fully dress it so i can salvage as much as i can.
 
What about the legs and especially the thighs? They make some of the finest lasagna and breakfast sausage there is. :D. I enjoy everything about those birds and try to use as much of them as I can. YUM!!
 
Game farm birds are the worst for me! I have a pointing dog that holds a solid point and I always am inpatient and have destroyed many birds. When I go to a game farm I switch to 1 oz 7.5 shot to keep myself from pounding the birds.
 
I haven't blown one up in several years. I shoot #6 shot on pheasants but generally have #7.5 in around here hunting quail, so I end up shooting a number of pheasants with 7.5. With Imp cyl and those loads, 15 yards is not a problem.
i'm shooting a 20g
 
519vx said:
What about the legs and especially the thighs? They make some of the finest lasagna and breakfast sausage there is. :D. I enjoy everything about those birds and try to use as much of them as I can. YUM!!
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Agreed. Potpies, soups, stews etc... I love the thighs and legs!
 
I like close flushing birds, therefore I shoot skeet/imp cyl. I don't/ won't take a long shot when I'm choked that way..
 
Madison COunty said:
Do you cook these parts in these stews or soup on the bones or do you cut the meat off? Got any stew recipes?
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I boil them until they are just done. KEEP THE WATER it is the best soup or stew base there is. Let the legs cool then hand shred them. The drumsticks do have a lot of tendons but the thighs have just a single heavier bone.

I'm with quite similar to Reddog for chokes. When hunting Stocked birds here or game farms, I shoot 6s with both skeet chokes. Late in the season when hunting cattail swamps on PHG, I switch to an IC on top and a modified on the bottom and usually go to a 5 shot.
 
Madison COunty said:
What goes in the soup? Anyone have any good easy recipies?
Love me some pheasant!
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Whatever veggies you like. Carrots, onions, peas, mushrooms etc.

For something extra, add some small pieces of bacon. Heavy whipping creme is needed if you want a creme soup. To thicken any soup, stir in flour. The best soup is cooked on low heat on a covered pot. I'm getting hungry!!
 
legs

last year we cooked the legs in a fry pan with a little breading just to brown them. Then take and put them in a pan in the oven on some sort of rack that sits in the pan we added about a quarter inch of water in the bottom of the pan below the rack baked em for 2 or 3 hours until the meat fell off the bone. This was by far the best way I have ever had legs. It takes some time to eat them because of all the tendons but man the meat was moist.
 
mmelton said:
last year we cooked the legs in a fry pan with a little breading just to brown them. Then take and put them in a pan in the oven on some sort of rack that sits in the pan we added about a quarter inch of water in the bottom of the pan below the rack baked em for 2 or 3 hours until the meat fell off the bone. This was by far the best way I have ever had legs. It takes some time to eat them because of all the tendons but man the meat was moist.
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Boy that sounds good. Did you bake them covered or uncovered? Going to have try try that. :thumbsup:

I also use the leg/thigh meat for pheasant jambalaya. It takes a while to make but is just outstanding.
 
legs

cover the pan loosely with tin foil and make sure the water doesn't run out this keeps them moist. The breading will get soggy but it adds the flavor.

As far as stew or soup goes I would use at least 8 legs and thighs for a good sized pot. Make sure to put in the backs and necks this adds great flavor to the broth along with some chicken bullion. I always like potatoes and carrots with onion and corn in my soup. I like to make some egg noodles to add to it or just pour it over rice or biscuit.
 
Madison COunty said:
Do you cook these parts in these stews or soup on the bones or do you cut the meat off? Got any stew recipes?
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First off if you do it right you can get almost all of the tendons out of the legs by breaking the foot between the spur and the knee, step on the foot and pull up hard. Most tendons will slide right out of the leg with the foot.


4 legs and 4 thighs should feed 4.


For a simple stew I'll leave meat on the bone. Brown the pieces well in a heavy pot and put off to the side. Saute veggies (carrots, onions, celery and lots of mushrooms) in pot. When they have sweated out add a palm full of flower with the veg and cook until brown. Throw the pheasant back in and cover with stock. Cook in oven at 400 until the meat is tender and finish your stew with a bit of cream. Serve with home made biscuits and enjoy.:cheers:
 
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