Lead Load in Grouse

[Cowboy_08]

Hey guys and gals, quick question, i harvested a view grouse a few days ago. I mistakenly used lead shoy instead of steel like I normaly would. Now when getting ready to cook themup tonight i noticed there is large black spots on the breasts, I am wondering if it is the lead spreading through the meat and if it's safe to eat. Any info would be great as always

Cowboy

[1899]

It is probably just bruising/bloodshot.

[sawmill]

It`ll put lead in your pencil.

[Cowboy_08]

Just want to make sure it doesn't make anyone sick

[sawmill]

It probably is just bruising,but if in doubt,trim it out.You would have to eat a couple hundred pounds of grouse ,if it was lead contamination.Thousands of hunters have eaten the same and you never see any crazy old hunters do you.No ,really Do you?

[kgriz]

If you want to get rid of a lot of the bruising and gamey taste of grouse try soaking the meat in a cold salt-water mixture in the fridge over night. It seems to pull out a lot of the blood and associated bad taste.

[Cowboy_08]

it's all good just cooked them up and trimmed out the dark spots and they were great god I love wild game

[eastkoot]

Just cut it out or trace the path of the shot as it takes feathers from the outside and pulls it into the meat. If you don't take the time to get the shot out of the edible parts, I hope you have a good dental plan..

[huntwriter]

You’re okay the black spots are just blood shot spots. To avoid hitting the breast of the bird I always point the shotgun just above the head of the grouse and have yet to see pellets in the breast or a bird not killed outright. I use Federal Premium 12 gauge, 2 ¾”, #7 ½ Heavy Field loads.

[Cowboy_08]

I usually do without an issue this just happened to be the unlucky one of the bunch lol, but they still tasted great

[boxhitch]

I prefer # 4 or 5 for grouse, and head shots. fewer pellets to pick out, and many pass through.

[dunbartr]

I cooked up some Spruce Grouse a few weeks back that had already been into the needles and figured they might be gamey... I cooked them whole in a slow cooker for about 6 hours, wrapped in a couple pieces of cooked bacon, with a cup of broth and a cup or 2 of white wine and some poultry type seasonings. Best grouse I have ever had...... made gravy with the juice after too.

[Cowboy_08]

I did these ones whole in the oven but i injected a home made Jack Daniels BBQ sauce into the breasts with a injector and then cooked them real slow and they were great it was the first grouse my wife has tried and now she's hooked lol

[bcsteve]

You use steel shot for grouse??

[Cowboy_08]

usually I do but for some reason this time I had some lead shot, realized it afterwards

[Marc]

lead bruises and steel just passes through. That's one good thing about using steel shot for ducks that I've noticed you don't get blood shot birds like lead used to do.

[Big7]

Funny...never noticed a difference in bruising between steel and lead....maybe I don't shoot enough birds.

[KodiakHntr]

Hadn't noticed any difference either...