Saskatchewan Sharptail

Dfbshaw

Dfbshaw

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Wife suggested I go out for a stroll in the valley so I wouldn't be underfoot while she got some work done. Figured I'd take my new CZ Canvasback out with me " just in case ".

Great day, temp about 1 degree, but no wind. Spotted a cautious coyote, who took off over a ridge, a flight of Canada's honking over head, and the scent of silver sage as I crunched through the prairie scrub.

I bumped a covey of sharptails about 40 yards from me and watched as they flew to the next ridge. I took the long way round and slipped a couple of no. 5 shells in the CZ.

They took off around 30-40 yards again and I smiled as my target pin wheeled to the ground.

I figure I'll hang it for a couple days, then pan sear the breasts and serve it with some mushroom and onion barley risotto.

Sometimes it pays to listen to your wife.

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Congratulations on a fine bird.

Chisholm, the procedure I follow is: Field dress immediatley, cool quickly, hang in 0-8°C temp with good air circulation and feathers on for 3-7 days. Dry pluck carefully. Cook quickly and with care not to dry out or over cook. Just like pheasant and partridge. Enjoy!
 
I started hunting only three years ago. I got some ducks and ruffed grouse and I liked the ducks but I found fresh ruffie breast to be like slightly tough chicken.

I managed to get some geese this year and my Scottish wife told me she wants roast goose for Christmas dinner. So while checking out plucking geese and recipes online I found Hank Shaw's website www.honest-food.net
He had a good article on hanging and plucking pheasants and other game birds. I followed his advice.

I adjusted the temp of my beer fridge so it was 50-55F and hung the two Snow's for three days, feathers, guts and all. I plucked them outside and burnt off the pinfeathers. It took me about a hour for both. Then I made a small incision and remove the guts, and washed them both with cold water. They are currently in the freezer. Both geese looked and smelled good, even the guts looked fresh with no decay or smell.

Hopefully I'll get some more geese to compare fresh breasts to hung roasted birds.

I think the idea behind aging game meats is sound, I did hang my whitetail for 6 days, butchered and wrapped myself as well.
I had some unaged beef in the Caribbean years ago and it was like shoe leather.

Anyway that's how I did it and I figured I'd do the same with this fat sharptail I lucked into.

If anyone else has opinions on hanging or not I'd love to read them.
 
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I enjoy Hunter Angler Gardener Cook quite a bit. Hank has some interesting ideas and recipes on there. I read the same article about hanging birds and was wondering if it was worth it. Have you eaten aged birds? Be sure to update when you do. I'd be interested to hear.
 
I was fortunate enough to get one this year too (the only one i've seen thus far). Managed to take it on the wing (my only wing shot this year) and like you OP, i was all smiles for the rest of the day. We don't see them to often in my little part of Ontario so it's a real treat to get a shot at them when the chance presents itself. Enjoy the bird. :cheers:
 
Busy day today. My brother and I filled our mule deer tags with a buck and doe standing together, then got three snow geese on the way home. Always bring your shotgun said the smarter brother.
After skinning the deer and breasting the geese I carefully breasted the sharptail that had hung for three days.

I invited a couple of friends over for dinner. The sharptail was the favoured bird, a simple pan sear in butter. I blackened the goose breasts and found they tasted like steak, both in flavour and texture. The kids especially liked the mushroom and onion barley risotto.
All in all a good meal and I think I'll keep hanging the birds.

Now to butcher our mule deer this Saturday (after it hangs for 6 days). A banner year for the Shaw boys that's for sure. After scoring zilch for our first two years we each got a whitetail and a mule deer!
 
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