# Breasting



## slough

A friend of mine said he heard from another person that got a sizeable fine for waste because they only took the breasts out of their pheasants. Is this really illegal?


----------



## Sparky477

No. From Game and Fish website:

26. Wanton Waste of Waterfowl, Migratory Game Birds, and Upland Game

No person shall kill, cripple, waste, destroy, spoil, or abandon the *edible flesh* of any migratory game bird or upland game without making a reasonable effort to retrieve the bird/animal, and retain it in his/her actual custody, at the place where taken and between that place and either (a) his or her personal permanent residence; (b) taxidermist; or (c) a common carrier. *Edible flesh means the breast meat of any game bird* or the hind legs and lower back of a squirrel.


----------



## Canuck

But the legs and thighs of a pheasant or hun are the best tasting part of the bird. :roll: 
Canuck


----------



## Chaws

I'll take just the breasts on small immature birds but will also go after the legs and thighs on the more matures. Good eats in deed!


----------



## dogdonthunt

according to sparkys post only the breast is edible.... and the legs do not apply on game birds.... thats what Im reading there.... the legs and back seem to only apply to squirrels... sounds like your friend is starting a rumor "that he heard from a friend of a friend of a friend and so on"


----------



## Chaws

It's not that they're not edible, it's just that it takes so damn long to get at it and for the amount of meat that's removed, sometimes it's not worth the effort for the legs, thighs, wings, and back.


----------



## Chuck Smith

Slough......

it depends if he was transporting the birds. If they are cleaning them in the field the birds need a breast and attached foot for identifications. Or a head attached.

So if he just breasted out the birds in the field and was transporting it back to his place of residence.......yep major no-no. But if he is at home and is putting it in the freezer. Should be no problem....or that is the way I read into it.


----------



## slough

Yeah, you're probably right Chuck.


----------



## deacon

Upland according to ND regs need a Wing, Head or Foot.


----------



## Sparky477

Yup, if he was cleaning them in the field and transporting just the breast without foot, wing or head attached...big no no. If he brings them home and cleans them and just saves the breast, have at it


----------



## Canuck

I takes about 2 minutes to snip off a pheasants wings, rip off the skin, split it down the back with a pair of bird scissors, scoop out the guts, pick out bits of lung and snip off one leg. Result 2 - 2 1/2 pounds of bird.

For those of you who think the legs, thighs and backs are "inedible" ...get some new recipes...or just freeze those parts and I'll be over to pick them up when my 12 bird limit is eaten.

To each their own though, eh. :beer:

Canuck


----------



## Stu_Loves_His_GSP

That sucks I can only have 2 bags. That is 4 birds.


----------



## stonejs1

If you only want the breat then just grab the two legs and jerk them apart to break the hips. Then peel back the skin to the head, stick a finger in between the neck and body area and while holding the bird thee you just pull on the head and neck and every part of the bird rips pff of the breast except for the two wings. Then you just need to cut one wing off and stick the bird in the freezer untill you are ready to cook and then you just cut the other wing off. Or you can do it like the previous guy said and it ends up looking like a rotiseri chicken. His way is the one I do the most but if you are in a hurry or only want the breast this way works good to. Both ways take a matter of seconds per bird.


----------



## Dak

Four birds? For the year?


----------



## takethekids

I used to throw away the legs as well, but not anymore. I cook mine in a frier usually and the legs are great. I'm with Canuck, put the legs in a bag and save them for guys like us!!!


----------



## stonejs1

I can shoot 3 birds a day and have up to 18 in posession and then when I eat some I can go shoot some more.


----------



## Chuck Smith

stone.....if you live in ND isn't possession 12?


----------



## Sparky477

stonejs1 said:


> I can shoot 3 birds a day and have up to 18 in posession and then when I eat some I can go shoot some more.


There is no "freezer limit" on upland game birds in North Dakota once they are at your permanent residence. There is for waterfowl though.

From Game and Fish website:

"Possession Limit" means the maximum number of the particular game referred to (except waterfowl and migratory game birds) that a hunter, legally licensed by this state, may have in his/her actual possession during any phase of any single hunting trip, venture, or expedition of more than one day. No more than one daily limit may be taken on any one day.*The possession limit at one's personal permanent residence, except for waterfowl and migratory game birds, is unlimited.*


----------



## Chuck Smith

Is that just for Residents? Because the Non-Res license only allows 12 for possession.


----------



## Sparky477

Chuck Smith said:


> Is that just for Residents? Because the Non-Res license only allows 12 for possession.


If you are here on a multiple day hunt, the most you could have in your possession would be 12.

If I went on a multiple day hunt and stayed somewhere besides my permanent residence, the most I could have in my possession on my return to my residence would be 12. But I could go on another multiple day hunt, bring back my possession limit of 12 and have 24 in my freezer at my personal permanent residence and still be legal. Make sense?


----------



## Chuck Smith

Gotcha. :beer:

Thanks for clearing that up.


----------



## lynxx69

Maybe I am wrong here but most people breast out their birds no matter what they are hunting... I can't beleive people do that... On a pheasant there is not as much meat on the legs but very good part of the bird or a goose there is alot of meat on a goose leg and people still Breast them out... for what reason-my opinion-LAZY people


----------



## KEN W

lynxx69 said:


> Maybe I am wrong here but most people breast out their birds no matter what they are hunting... I can't beleive people do that... On a pheasant there is not as much meat on the legs but very good part of the bird or a goose there is alot of meat on a goose leg and people still Breast them out... for what reason-my opinion-LAZY people


I agree.....I like the legs off the geese the best.Not a lot different than chicken drumsticks.You don't have all that blood to make them taste strong.


----------



## Dak

I have to agree. On pheasants, I use the lower part of legs to make broth for soups. Then I pull the meat off and make a sandwich spread or enchiladas. The thighs are great as well. I debone them. Put them in a Thai peanut/garlic marinade overnight and then deep fry them.

Good eats.

:beer:


----------



## KEN W

I do the same......thighs and drumsticks make excellent chow mein,pheasant/wild rice soup,pheasant pot pie,and gumbo.


----------



## Dak

Ok, this is more than most folks would ever want to do but save some hearts and livers sometime. Fry them up with a little onion and garlic. Put them in a food processor with a little mustard, bbq sauce, and mayo. Pulse till you have a nice consistency for a spread and bring out the crackers and beverages.

:beer:


----------



## lynxx69

Your going to tell me that you eat pheasant LIVER... I could undserstand GIZZARD... I eat the gizzards and hearts all the time... That just caught my eye a little bit...


----------



## Dak

Yep. Good stuff.


----------



## Gooseguy10

Dak said:


> Ok, this is more than most folks would ever want to do but save some hearts and livers sometime. Fry them up with a little onion and garlic. Put them in a food processor with a little mustard, bbq sauce, and mayo. Pulse till you have a nice consistency for a spread and bring out the crackers and beverages.
> 
> :beer:


I live by what my dad told me a long time ago....never eat any part of an animal that had a job! :beer:


----------



## Dak

You miss out on a lot then...pretty much every part of an animal has job.

:beer:


----------



## stonejs1

Gizzards, hearts, and livers? Distquisting! And I can have as many pheasant as I want in my freezer and I can have a lot in my possession because I have a Minnesota, SD, Iowa, and ND license.


----------



## meathunter1

Canuck said:


> I takes about 2 minutes to snip off a pheasants wings, rip off the skin, split it down the back with a pair of bird scissors, scoop out the guts, pick out bits of lung and snip off one leg. Result 2 - 2 1/2 pounds of bird.
> 
> For those of you who think the legs, thighs and backs are "inedible" ...get some new recipes...or just freeze those parts and I'll be over to pick them up when my 12 bird limit is eaten.
> 
> To each their own though, eh. :beer:
> 
> Canuck


Bravo!!! If you can't pull 1 1/2 lbs if decent eating off a rooster, you aren't trying.


----------



## muskat

stonejs1,
You might want to be careful there. I don't think you can be in ND and try and claim your ND, MN, IA, and SD license possession limits combined. If you are in ND hunting, you can only have 12 pheasants in your possession. I would imagine the other states are the same as well, not 100% sure on that.


----------



## KEN W

muskat said:


> stonejs1,
> You might want to be careful there. I don't think you can be in ND and try and claim your ND, MN, IA, and SD license possession limits combined. If you are in ND hunting, you can only have 12 pheasants in your possession. I would imagine the other states are the same as well, not 100% sure on that.


I don't think that is right.Otherwise when you cross the border coming back from Canada and have 16 ducks.....all hen mallards,you would be breaking the law.

As long as you have the proper licenses you could hunt in Montana and then ND and have whatever possesion limit is for those 2 states for upland,but not waterfowl,since there is a federal limit on waterfowl.


----------



## blhunter3

muskat said:


> stonejs1,
> You might want to be careful there. I don't think you can be in ND and try and claim your ND, MN, IA, and SD license possession limits combined. If you are in ND hunting, you can only have 12 pheasants in your possession. I would imagine the other states are the same as well, not 100% sure on that.


You just hace to have your NR license with you.


----------



## muskat

It seems odd to me that you could possess more than 12 birds at your non permanent residence in ND.

I would be interested to see how a Game Warden would handle the following situation:

A ND resident coming back from a SD hunt with 15 birds in possession. He lives in Minot (or some northern city), but decides he is going to hunt the afternoon, to maybe spell the time he has to listen to his wife nagging about being gone for 6 days. After a successful walk with his trusty dog, he has bagged two more roosters. Upon arriving at his vehicle there sits a game warden. Would a SD license be enough to sway the game warden from a citation?


----------



## KEN W

It should.He did not break the law.


----------



## Stu_Loves_His_GSP

2 birds a day and have up to 4 in possession. this a great year here. How is it for all of you.


----------



## Stu_Loves_His_GSP

I dont think they will search the freezer though.


----------



## gonedoggin

Here's a trick for breasting birds that I can't believe I hadn't learned about years ago.

Step 1) place the bird breast up, w/ the head facing away from you.

Step 2) put your boots on each wing as close as possible to the body of the bird.

Step 3) pull the legs straight up. Alternate the pull a little from one leg to the other.

You'll end up w/ a clean breast attached to the wings w/ little or no guts left. Cut the wings off and you're done. (Note: this doesn't work as well if you've broken a wing)


----------



## deacon

Well, discribed that is exactly what I do! Clean and quick. Even works the next day.


----------

