Ageing Geese and ducks.

[TheCircle]

Hello Fellow Hunters!

I went out this past weekend and blasted my first two birds! A Canada goose and a Mallard! I was just wondering how you all age your waterfowl?
What I am doing is leaving in my cold garage for 3 days guts in (they are not gut shot). I wanted to know what others do and there experience.

Also if you could point me in the direction of some delicious recipes!

Thank you

[TheCircle]

31 views but a single reply?

[Wild one]

I don't know anyone who ages ducks or geese pluck them or breast them right away seems to be the normal

only person I met who did this was when I was a kid. He was English and told us it was common in Europe but it seems to be rare in North America

I think in this case google is the way to go for answers

[swamper]

Clean them right away. They are not like moose or deer that have to hang for a few days prior to butchering. Never could understand why the English hung their duck by the head until they fell off the neck.

[RyoTHC]

Clean them right away. They are not like moose or deer that have to hang for a few days prior to butchering. Never could understand why the English hung their duck by the head until they fell off the neck.

Tender delicious meat.. I hang mine for 5 days, clean easier, much more tender meat and IMO far less game flavor.

[walks with deer]

leaving the guts in anything i have harvested goes against all my theories...

[bowhunter123]

I tried this with the last set of ducks I got after reading a bunch of articles on aging birds. Debreast them right away and clean any pellets or shot up spots. Then we laid the breast on paper towel on a cookie sheet and put it in the fridge for the night.
I've cut up my own deer meat for years and have a cold room so I've seen the changes hanging deer does over a couple days. Using the fridge to do the same idea on duck breasts does the same thing. Tasted great but haven't had enough luck to try this method for a couple days to see the right amount to age them.

[walks with deer]

yes aging is fine but with guts in not so much.

[LupieHunter]

Waterfowl doesn't need to be aged but always clean the birds as soon as you can. Leaving the guts inside keeps the heat in and leads to spoilage.

[Foxton Gundogs]

My old dog training mentor used to say "'ang 'em oop by the neck till the goots fall down and plog their a$$holes, then they are prime to eat"

[boblly1]

my dad used to pluck them them dress them out then hang them up by the neck usually overnight in the garage then mom would rinse them out the next day stuffthem with either wild rice or a strong sage dressing then roast them in the oven they were always delicious

[MichelD]

Take 'em home, pluck them, gut them and freeze them. I have a buddy who hangs them for a week or more, guts in, gut shot or not and when he brings his birds to a pot luck they taste like shit.

[Sasquatch]

I often age my ducks for up to a week in a cool spot. Whether they taste better is debatable, I'm confident they don't taste any worse. I've gotten a bunch of great recipes from the book Duck, Duck, Goose, but my favourite is still pan fry the breasts skin on with a bit of spice. I also make a batch or two of smoked duck jerky every year....I'm addicted to that stuff.

Most important thing to remember is to cook them med rare at most - over cooking waterfowl is the big sin and really makes them taste like crap. If the bird tastes like liver or gamey, it is probably overcooked.

[2forty]

Always soak them in kosher salt over night either breasted or plucked ,turn them into pepperoni and sausage from sumas meats delicious .

[303savage]

I know a guy that said that you hang a grouse by the head until the body falls of and then it was ready to eat.

[ACB]

There's just something about rotten fowl that doesn't turn my crank! If it's an older bird' with lots of fat,I pluck,em gut,em then brine,em in the fridge over night then stuff,em then roast,em slow. If their a young bird, breast them and brine them for stew or sausage.