Great Ptarmigan haul yesterday

[ceriksson]

Went out yesterday morning with a buddy. We ended up getting 16 birds between us (legal limit for NWT residents is 10 per person)

Used my old Sportsman 48 that was passed down from my father many years ago. Still working flawlessly. Poly choke works pretty well.

On one spot we came across a flock of about a dozen. We managed to get 9 of them as they were dumb enough to, twice, fly only a dozen or so meters and land again.

Prepped Ptarmigan by ceriksson, on Flickr

Prepped Ptarmigan by ceriksson, on Flickr

Prepped Ptarmigan by ceriksson, on Flickr

Prepped Ptarmigan by ceriksson, on Flickr

 

[trebor2880]

Nice! What would you compare them to in taste?

 

[Superbrad]

Beautiful.... Miss hunting those.....

As for taste, if you have ever had woodcock, its very similar only a decent size....

 

[ceriksson]

Nice! What would you compare them to in taste?

On their own they are pretty strong tasting in terms of "gamey"

Perhaps similar to a spruce grouse maybe?

I like to soak mine in milk before cooking to smooth the flavour out a bit

They have very dark meat as you can see. When cooked looks an awful lot like beef.

 

[FLHTCUI]

cericksson, nice brace of birds.
Are they processed like Grouse down South, step on wing method???
I know they can get kinda large, but what shot size and range?
Obviously shotgun range....
How much longer is the bird season up there in the Great White North?
Rob

 

[kamlooky]

...........I expected the second to the last photo to be a pawt sizzling away and the last photo a
dinner plate........ready to manja them berds............


Good job and great photos..............

 

[inthehizzy]

Jealous. Looks sooo good!

 

[ceriksson]

cericksson, nice brace of birds.
Are they processed like Grouse down South, step on wing method???
I know they can get kinda large, but what shot size and range?
Obviously shotgun range....
How much longer is the bird season up there in the Great White North?
Rob

Yes I process them exactly like down south with ruffies. Step on the wings and pull. These guys are a little more delicate than grouse I have found but with care and a slow and firm pull you can do the same thing.

I am using 12ga 2.75" 6 shot heavy lead load (winchester) and a friend of mine was using a 20ga with 8 Shot fiocchi high velocity.

pretty much all shooting was less than 40yds. Mainly in the 20-30yd range.

All birds were taken very cleanly with very minimal meat damage as you can see in the photos. Mix of on the wing and on the ground.


The season is really long here: 1 Sept to 30 April but the birds near Yellowknife don't tend to show up until end-Nov/Early-Dec and trail off by mid to late March. They move north in the summer to breed on the tundra. come south due to food sources freezing up on the tundra and come south of the treeline for food.

 

[ceriksson]

...........I expected the second to the last photo to be a pawt sizzling away and the last photo a
dinner plate........ready to manja them berds............


Good job and great photos..............

Saving these ones for family and friends who manage to come and visit to taste. I'll have a plate ready for you if you want to make the trip!

 

[TedNugent]

Funny how birds that are so similar can be so different in terms of dark/white meat. Look great btw, grays on a good hunt.

 

[MiG25]

Good work!

 

[Superbrad]

Ceriksson.... Where were those taken?.... I used to hunt these in Gjoa Haven area....... Just curious..... Milk works and bacon can be your friend......

 

[City Boy]

Looks like a fun day! Never had ptarmigan, but had a spruce grouse that was kind of gamey (although it was cooked on a fire immediately after without seasoning lol); I'll try soaking them in milk next time. I always enjoyed upland game birds like these .... It's always just such a fun packed day.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Saving these ones for family and friends who manage to come and visit to taste. I'll have a plate ready for you if you want to make the trip!

You got Narwhal Blubber too??
I'll be on the next weekday flight if you do !!
Kidding of course...Thanks for the choice of shells and the added Hunting info too.
Rob

 

[madtrapper143]

Great hunt. I love the old school 48 with the classic Poly Choke.

Darryl

 

[tiriaq]

We would parboil them, bread and brown the breasts in a skillet, put them in a casserole with mushroom soup, and finish them off in the oven. Excellent.

Before the NWT Gov't brought in limits for non-natives, I got 19 one fall day with my muzzleloading 14 bore.

 

[wbaad]

Nice!
I've not shot a single one yet this year. Used to trip over them most places but pretty thin this season.

 

[MiG25]

We would parboil them, bread and brown the breasts in a skillet, put them in a casserole with mushroom soup, and finish them off in the oven. Excellent.

Before the NWT Gov't brought in limits for non-natives, I got 19 one fall day with my muzzleloading 14 bore.

I remember reading an article from the 1950's, where the author was saying the most experienced bird hunter he knew used a muzzleloading 14 gauge.

 

[ceriksson]

Nice!
I've not shot a single one yet this year. Used to trip over them most places but pretty thin this season.

We didn't see any this time until we were past the big blue gravel shelter past the first rest stop heading towards becheko.

The last flock (the one from the photo) was pretty close to Stagg River

 

[ceriksson]

You got Narwhal Blubber too??
I'll be on the next weekday flight if you do !!
Kidding of course...Thanks for the choice of shells and the added Hunting info too.
Rob

I actually do have Narwhal Muktuk in the freezer! let me know which flight

Still have a couple squares left

Muktuk, Narwhal blubber and skin by ceriksson, on Flickr