here's how I prepare most of my birds: sauté a few onions (large yellow or sweet), chopped, with a whole "bunch" of celery (the whole bag) chopped, with some THINLY sliced carrots (one large carrot...I use a peeler to create the thin carrot pieces), a tablespoon or two of minced garlic, and a large can of sliced 'shrooms...saute all this with olive oil...about 12-15 minutes. I add the cubed pheasant (4-6 breast pieces, cubed...2-3 birds)...LOTS of ground pepper...some salt...let it sauté/simmer for 5-7 minutes...add some dry sherry...about 3-4 ounces...I then add 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup...let it simmer for another few minutes, then I transfer the dutch oven into the oven at 250 degrees for 90-120 minutes; in the meantime, cook a lb or so of wild rice, maybe 18 oz....set it aside when it is done, and drain it. When you take the dutch oven out of the oven, make sure the pheasant is tender...then add the wild rice...and then about 3 cups of sour cream...I add more black pepper, and then a good amount of smoked paprika. It turns out to be halfway between soup and casserole. I transfer the whole deal to a crock pot then...but you could use the crock pot to cook it from the beginning, but I like the dutch oven to do the cooking. I bring the crock pot to work, to my auto mechanic, etc, with a dozen dinner rolls and butter. They may be lying to me, but most of the recipients love this concoction! the crock pot is best left on low to avoid overheating....if you have some, use some herb's de provence as well when you are simmering the concoction...GREAT spice concoction!!!!! maybe 2-3 teaspoons...I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!