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ramroad,

Ok how do you tell when they are done? If we are talking about 10's of seconds. Maybe this is why I have never liked the taste of Woodcock, maybe I over cook them.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Takes a bit of trust.....hard to give a time as heat, et al varies.
No blood...warm all thru.
Easiest way is cook one breast at a time and try 60 seconds on a side, then taste and adjust as necessary....you will develop a feel.
Overcook and understand the error...it's not rocketry.

We often cook in the motel(when possible) as appetizers before we go to dinner.....woodcock never leave the Yoop.

I'm with Skeetx--bobwhite quail legs are great. Even though bobwhite breast meat is number one in most everyone's book (murmurs from the ruffed and blue grouse folks, I hear you), quail legs are grabbed first when the platter hits the table at my house.

Frankly, I don't discard the legs of any game birds other than doves (simply too small to deal with).

In order to keep my brother from eating all the legs on the platter when he is a guest, I leave them attached to the breast, so he has to put the whole quail on his plate, rather than just start grabbing quail legs.

Years ago when I turkey hunted a lot, a lot of my buddies in turkey camp would attempt to throw turkey legs away after breasting out the gobblers, but I wouldn't let that happen. Even turkey legs, as stringy/spliny as they are, can be delicious in casseroles and other dishes.

Maybe my upbringing had a lot to do with it, but a meal of a dozen or so quail, legs and all, with a cast iron skillet of gravy and biscuits fed my family during winter months a couple of times a week or so back when I was growing up. We didn't discard anything edible, and we cleaned our plates.

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2125 Location: Hudson,Wy

I prefer to fillet the breast. A pair of side cut pliers will remove the legs quick and easy. It's fast, simple, and there's no need to mess with guts. When a wing must be left for I.D. the sidecuts can cut the bone but leave the meat connected so the wing stays attached.

WyoChukar,

We had some men that belonged to our Grouse Camp at one time, that really liked the Grouse legs and the Pheasant legs also, and they kept them attached and we cooked everything.

Myself it comes down to how much time I want to take to clean the birds, most times I just breast the Grouse, Woodcock and Pheasants. When I have to clean the birds at the log cabin, we some times leave the legs attached. We have no Quail here to hunt in our mountains any more, if we did I would leave them attached, I love the taste of Quail legs, in Texas I never removed them.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2125 Location: Hudson,Wy

What I imply is that, well, you have to cut the meat off when you eat the bird anyway, so I just figured it was quicker and less messy to fillet the breasts and snip the legs...both fit in the frying pan easier that way.

Joined: 26 Jul 2016 Posts: 5 Location: NC

MN game regs state that pheasant have to have the head or the legs on the carcass to prove sex. There is a line that states "while in the field". I asked the MNDNR to clarify that statement. Their answer was the parts stay on virtually until you prepare to cook, to include transport to the house, motel room, camper etc. I would consider "while in the field" to mean just that, as in your pouch on the way to the truck! I checked the actual statute law. The law states that the parts stay on until prep. Could you get a break? Don't know. My gut says that if you get sideways with the warden that this would be another infraction to add to your list of little problems. I have never heard of the wardens checking for this on its own merits.
I cut the feet and head off, tuck the legs, mit spurs, up where the guts were and vac pac them for travel.

I like bacon; I like game birds. Never the twain shall meet when I cook.
I don't want snipe, dove or woodcock's delicate flavors mixed in with the flavor of bacon I like Steve Bodio's take on dark meated game birds rare:

" I get tired of hearing how dark- fleshed birds "taste like liver"- good LIVER doesn't taste like liver when it is cooked rare, turned over quickly in hot bacon fat and butter. My disgusted French- born gourmand friend Guy de la Valdene, after he read an American recipe for woodcock that involved two cans of cream of mushroom soup and an hour and a half in the oven, wrote (in Making Game in 1990): "As this recipe negates the whole reason for killing the birds in the first place, why not take it a step further and poach the Woodcock overnight in equal parts of catsup, pabulum, and Pepto- Bismol."

Olive oil, salt and pepper, roasted quickly at 500 in the oven or gas grill, lid down with indirect heat. I make vertical roasting racks out of coat hangers which can cook 4 dove, snipe or woodcock at a time. Here's two ready to eat woodcock on a roaster. Last photo is them smoothered in chanterelles. Note how large and plump the legs are. Tasty, too. This may cut against the grain for some of you, but I often will vacuum bag a feathers on, guts in woodcock and freeze it. When I'm ready to eat, I pluck and gut. It tastes as fresh as if shot that day. Feathers on is a layer of freezer burn protection.
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Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 753 Location: Mn.

Game laws in Nebraska require proof of sex during transport and storage. I take that to mean in the freezer as well until prep time. A foot with a spur will suffice so I leave the best leg attached and cut the other leg, the head and both wings off and skin the bird. I then take paramedic shears and cut down the spine to the vent, around the vent and back up along the spine. The guts come out with the back bone and it's easy to get what's left of the lungs and little pieces out. You are left with a bird ready to be cleaned, frozen and legally transported.
When I'm ready to cook them I pull both sides apart and flatten them (I believe they call this spatchcock) and slow cook them on my pellet grill. I have used different rubs and have brined them and everyone seems to like them unless they are overcooked. I have also boned the breast out for various dishes and used the legs and thighs for stock.
AM

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 371 Location: mpls mn