Best tasting bird

Redneck cuisine from the hunting camp.
Post Reply
User avatar
howl
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1465
Joined: April 25th, 2013, 10:26 am
Location: Middle GA

Best tasting bird

Post by howl »

Which part of the country grows the best birds for eating? I vote FL on account of all that corn they eat.
User avatar
Grumpy
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 4858
Joined: January 22nd, 2012, 12:03 pm
Location: N.C. Montana

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Grumpy »

Well you can rule out any state where they eat acorns. :shock:
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
decoykrvr
Posts: 853
Joined: February 10th, 2015, 1:28 pm

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by decoykrvr »

I've eaten just about every bird species legally hunted in North America, with the exception of some of the diving ducks, and the best is the Sandhill Crane aka "Ribeye of the Sky." I've got two Sandhill breast halves in marinade right now which will be wrapped in bacon and grilled tonight. Now, I love my smoked turkey breast and dumplins, smoked breast turkey salad, wild turkey soup, etc., but until you've tried Sandhill Crane grilled over coals w/ cherry or pecan, you have missed a real treat.
User avatar
howl
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1465
Joined: April 25th, 2013, 10:26 am
Location: Middle GA

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by howl »

Yeah, i don't know why turkeys seem to like red oaks. Reckon they can't taste or something. Sq. are the same way. Sq. cook down good regardless of food source. That's greys. Fox sq. here are kinda chewy and seem to prefer pine nuts and red oaks. I don't shoot fox sq. unless the dog is young or has done an especially pretty piece of work and deserves 'em.

I've heard about the cranes, but never had any. My favorite non-turkey so far is the wood duck aka "flying backstrap". Most just grill the breast, but truth be told on that one is the whole bird is excellent. Serve one woodie per person and get back a clean skeleton.
User avatar
soiltester
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3708
Joined: March 31st, 2015, 8:04 am
Location: Gaffney SC

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by soiltester »

decoykrvr wrote:I've eaten just about every bird species legally hunted in North America, with the exception of some of the diving ducks, and the best is the Sandhill Crane aka "Ribeye of the Sky." I've got two Sandhill breast halves in marinade right now which will be wrapped in bacon and grilled tonight. Now, I love my smoked turkey breast and dumplins, smoked breast turkey salad, wild turkey soup, etc., but until you've tried Sandhill Crane grilled over coals w/ cherry or pecan, you have missed a real treat.
The Sandhill's we brought back from Saskatchewan sure tasted like liver to me, and also even after we smoked one :banghead:
Woodies never set good with me either, for whatever reason other than mallards are best!!
Why I don't even duck hunt here as the woodie population is at about 85%!! :slap:

Now those corn fed Toms & mallards & geese in the Michigan crop fields .. MMMMMMMMM tasty good :cheers:
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
User avatar
appalachianassassin
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1216
Joined: February 24th, 2014, 1:11 pm
Location: East Tennessee

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by appalachianassassin »

I like grouse the best. as far as best tasting turkey... well, its the turkey your eating at the time.
El Sicario
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3564
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by GLS »

I've found that what folks describe as a "liver" taste in wildbirds is caused by overcooking. Woodies, teal, grain and acorn fed pintails and mallards are my top tasting ducks in no particular order. Little birds in descending order: Woodcock, snipe, dove and quail. I prefer baked or grilled rare to medium rare with no bacon or marinades. If I want bacon flavor, I eat bacon by itself. If I use the oven to bake birds, it's set for 500 F and it's done quickly. Gil
User avatar
Waddle Whacker
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2220
Joined: August 13th, 2012, 9:47 pm
Location: Louisiana

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Waddle Whacker »

I don't think I've had turkey that had a better flavor than another. I think it's all good. Woodies are probably my favorite duck, with teal a close second. Ducks killed in the south LA marsh do taste different. I much prefer a bird out of the rice fields or timber. He spends too much time in the marsh, he starts to taste like it to me.
Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts.
User avatar
RapscallionVermilion
Posts: 484
Joined: February 17th, 2013, 4:24 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by RapscallionVermilion »

I would agree on the exceptional flavor of Sandhill crane. More like fine cornfed venison or well aged beef than any other fowl I've had. Best duck I have ever had, wild or domestic, was a bull canvasback, pan seared to rare, skin on, in duck fat. OMG good.
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3564
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by GLS »

RapscallionVermilion wrote:I would agree on the exceptional flavor of Sandhill crane. More like fine cornfed venison or well aged beef than any other fowl I've had. Best duck I have ever had, wild or domestic, was a bull canvasback, pan seared to rare, skin on, in duck fat. OMG good.
I cooked with rendered duck fat for the first time this year. Great stuff. Bought it at Whole Paycheck. Gil
hookspur
Posts: 505
Joined: August 15th, 2011, 6:12 pm

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by hookspur »

I'm serious as a heart attack when I say that coots eat better than any duck I've eaten....and I LOVE duck! One of my buddies told me how they ate them in Louisiana all the time and so I shot a couple on the last day of duck season. We served them beside teal and mallard breasts, and every single person at the dinner voted that they tasted the best.

As for turkeys, I've never been able to tell any difference in taste from where they came from. The only noticeable change was the color of the fat from the Hawaiian birds....it was snow white.
User avatar
Waddle Whacker
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2220
Joined: August 13th, 2012, 9:47 pm
Location: Louisiana

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Waddle Whacker »

hookspur wrote:I'm serious as a heart attack when I say that coots eat better than any duck I've eaten....and I LOVE duck! One of my buddies told me how they ate them in Louisiana all the time and so I shot a couple on the last day of duck season. We served them beside teal and mallard breasts, and every single person at the dinner voted that they tasted the best.
True story....but it's a pouldeau in LA, not a coot! :lol: Next mess you kill, pull those big ol gizzards out, clean em up, and cook em down in a gravy along with the breast meat. Mighty fine. And you can clean one in about 10 seconds. Stand on the wings, pull the feet. Done deal, you got a breasted out pouldeau! I still prefer wood ducks, but pouldeau are very good.
Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts.
Meleagris
Posts: 16
Joined: June 5th, 2017, 7:24 pm
Location: NC

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Meleagris »

I like the white meaters best; quail, pheasant, grouse, and turkey. Dark meat I like Cans or Redheads, Woodies and all the puddlers, but don't overcook em. Saw Coots mentioned. They're fine too.
hobbes

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by hobbes »

Ive noticed no difference in the flavor of turkeys from mountains to corn fields. After turkeys Id rank Montana's birds as follows: ruffed grouse, pheasant, huns, blue grouse, sharp tail, spruce grouse. Ive not eaten the big sage grouse so cant say anything about them, but I've not heard anythi g good. Sharpies, while upland, are actually dark meat, but not as dark as waterfowl.

We have sandhill cranes but Ive not hunted or eaten them. I rarely hunt waterfowl because I really dont care to eat it. I suppose the top of the waterfowl list in MT would be sandhills (from what I hear) and the bottom would be swans (from what I hear)
User avatar
kythunter
Posts: 339
Joined: April 23rd, 2015, 1:24 pm
Location: Western Kentucky

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by kythunter »

You boy's are making me hungry. Any of these birds sounds good with some biscuits/gravy and fried potatoes. :thumbup:
User avatar
RapscallionVermilion
Posts: 484
Joined: February 17th, 2013, 4:24 pm
Location: New Mexico

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by RapscallionVermilion »

Image
This is how I like to cook wild ducks. (canvasback)
Last edited by RapscallionVermilion on July 6th, 2017, 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Gobbler
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 7278
Joined: June 27th, 2011, 2:01 pm

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Gobbler »

Best bird is the Fried Chicken at Tiger truck Stop I-10.
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3564
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by GLS »

RV, looks great. Back in the days of market hunting, the can was the King of the Ducks fetching the highest prices. Gil
User avatar
Grumpy
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 4858
Joined: January 22nd, 2012, 12:03 pm
Location: N.C. Montana

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Grumpy »

[
Now those corn fed Toms & mallards & geese in the Michigan crop fields .. MMMMMMMMM tasty good :cheers:[/quote]







Best eating bird to me is also the Mallard Duck, small grain fed here, no corn, just wheat and barley. The best of the best around here is the Canadian Mallards when they come down ahead of the snow storms, the legs on those are almost fire engine red not the orange we have on these local birds, hunters here call them "Red Legged Mallards"
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by guesswho »

Wild quail is my favorite.
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
Coalman
Posts: 170
Joined: October 17th, 2014, 2:38 pm
Location: Seacoast of NH
Contact:

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Coalman »

Ruffed grouse for me.
Your eye in the northeast sky.
Coalman Blog http://www.coalmansblog.com
Swampchickin234
Posts: 148
Joined: January 28th, 2016, 2:49 pm

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by Swampchickin234 »

A deep fried one!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
youngoutdoors
Posts: 176
Joined: April 24th, 2017, 10:13 pm
Location: Mountains of NW NC

Re: Best tasting bird

Post by youngoutdoors »

Grouse for me too!

Gotta find something to eat now...thanks alot!

God Bless, Louis
Post Reply

Return to “Camp Dinner”