Selecting Feathers from a Hen Pheasant & Preparing Pheasant 3 Ways

Last week, I posted about a pheasant hunt that I went on with some friends.  To view that post, just click here.  To make a long story short, we shared some laughs, shot some birds, and made some good memories.  After the hunt, the task of what to do next presented itself.  If you've ever been on a successful hunt, you know what I am referring to.  If you haven't ever been on a hunt that ended in a harvest, let me explain.  After an animal is harvested, a hunter is charged with the duty of selecting the parts of the animal that will be consumed.  When I harvest an animal, I also try to utilize other parts of the animal if possible.  It seemed apropos to take some feathers to use for fly tying. 

In terms of the feathers, there was not a lot of variety with these particular birds.  Since these pheasants were hens, they were pretty drab and uniform in color.  My options were rigid wing feathers and fluffier body feathers.  I took a few of each although I'm not exactly sure how I am going to use them just yet.  I think the fluffier stuff would make good fins on a sculpin fly.

As for the meat, I wanted to prepare a few birds in a variety of ways.  I salted and peppered a couple of breasts and threw them on the grill.  I did this because I wanted to experience what they really tasted like with just a little seasoning.  I overcooked these and they ended up a little dry.  However, I dipped them in a little ranch and that helped.  I also pan fried the legs and thighs.  I didn't cook these all the way through and some ended up undercooked.  However, what I ate was really good.  Then I decided to BBQ a couple of breasts.  I don't know if this is common practice with upland bird hunters, but I'm from Kansas City and we BBQ everything.  Not surprisingly, this was my favorite.  

If I had this to do over again, I would remove the breast meat from the bone to cook them.  I think leaving them on the bone lead to them cooking unevenly and I don't want to do that again.  I would also check the internal temperature of the meat when I had them in the fryer.  As for the taste, yes, the texture was similar to chicken or turkey.  They should be because they are closely related.  However, the grilled and BBQ pheasant that I ate had a little tang to it.  It wasn't a "gamey" or "wild" tang to it, but there was a little extra flavor present which helped to separate it from chicken and turkey.  I hope my experiences help you if you go on a hunt yourself.  As usual, feel free to leave a comment or email me with any questions or ideas.