Pheasants of the Mind

T

Tomahawker

Well-known member
By Datus Proper
Great book, charming and witty while deadly serious about hunting pheasants. Highly recommend. Last chapter has some good recipes.
 
Indeed, great book, great read.

I had it, read it and loaned it out. It got passed on and never returned. :(

I think I'll Amazon a used one. It's out of print now. $75 for a new one. $12 for used.

Has anyone had the um....err.....guts to try his pheasant recipe where he hangs the birds for a few days? I think it was Pheasant with Dragon Sauce or something.
 
View attachment 9634Made it yesterday! Did not use the liver, but all else as directed. Hung in feather for 7 days, plucking was a slow process with a few skin rips. Have to say it was very good, bird was tender and flavorful, sauce was absolutely delicious. A hardy wild bird.
 
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I keep saying I'm going to do it but my hunting partners give me funny looks.

We have a base camp in SD with full kitchen and every time I mention this, the other guys are not enthusiastic. I guess I just need to pull the trigger so to speak.

BTW, why did you not use the liver?
 
To be totally honest, I made a mess of the guts looking for it. Got the heart right away and smooshed around to much for the liver. In the stock pot I had the heart, feet, neck. I think it would of added to an already tasty sauce. It was nice change up. We mostly marinate and grill the breasts and “chicken” salad /chicken and noodles the rest. My wife has no idea I’ve been doing this. I got my kids hooked on roasting on an open fire in the woods, day of. I keep pill bottles with salt and pepper in my vest.
 
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Actually, hanging a dressed bird in the right conditions makes perfect sense. Here at home I often leave the birds out at least overnight before cleaning them. You pay good money for aged steak. Why not a bird? The poultry you buy in store has hanged in a meat locker for some period, too.

To be tender and flavorful meat needs to at least go through rigormortis. Aging helps. This fall a brother shot a big buck, but didn't need the meat and offered it to me. It hung for over a week in the shade at his place, temps in the 30's. I had it another several days before butchering. This is some of the best venison I've ever had. I grilled steaks a couple days ago and it was friggin awesome!

Compare that to some deer we butchered without hanging years ago that was gamy and tough.
 
Ranger Rick said:
Actually, hanging a dressed bird in the right conditions makes perfect sense. Here at home I often leave the birds out at least overnight before cleaning them. You pay good money for aged steak. Why not a bird? The poultry you buy in store has hanged in a meat locker for some period, too.

To be tender and flavorful meat needs to at least go through rigormortis. Aging helps. This fall a brother shot a big buck, but didn't need the meat and offered it to me. It hung for over a week in the shade at his place, temps in the 30's. I had it another several days before butchering. This is some of the best venison I've ever had. I grilled steaks a couple days ago and it was friggin awesome!

Compare that to some deer we butchered without hanging years ago that was gamy and tough.
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Check out Hank Shaw’s info on hanging game birds. I don’t do it often but the results are spectacular.
 
I have this book it is great. Apparently Datus fell in a trout stream and hit his head and drowned in shallow water. A very good read for anyone interested in pheasant hunting.
 
I’ve got the book, it’s one that I reread from time to time. Didn’t realize how valuable it is.
 
After a good friend from Montana shamed me for cleaning pheasants the day we killed them, I haven't done it since. Much tastier to wait. We go to ND every year , we clean birds on Friday night or Saturday morning . Thats from Monday through Friday. You can tell the Friday birds. Meat is still tight and smell much worse. He was right , let them age, you will never want same day birds again.
 
If the weather is cool, I hang my birds for several days.
 
Guess I should have said, 45 degrees down to freezing. Dont want them froze. We lay ours on a concrete floor in a quonset.
 
I just finished The Old Man and The Boy by Robert Ruark and they talked about hanging the birds for a few days before cleaning and eating.
 
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