# Cure for "PNDD"



## BRDCHSR (Oct 31, 2006)

Hi,

I came back home Saturday after a (4) day hunting trip in North Dakota. This was my second trip of the (2) I make each year. I had to make this one by myself. Just me and the two Brittanys. There is something to be said when going alone. I love to have my son or brother along but they can only make it once.
Every time I have gone to North Dakota I feel like it was the best trip yet and this was no exception. There was a skiff of snow, the temperature was single digits, and I never seen another hunter in the field all (4) days. It was like I had the state to myself. The birds were brilliant when they flushed against the white snow and the bright sunshine. I am 57 years old and will never get over the beauty of a rooster pheasant. I missed several just because I was so taken by the colors I hesitated to admire them and lost my timing or maybe because I am 57. 
My dogs really had the energy with the cooler weather. On the first couple of days they had too much and a little hard to keep in range. They are responsible for at least half of the birds. They either chased them down or found them in the thick cattails for me. There is not a lot of things a pheasant hunter could enjoy more than watching his dog or dogs working and pointing.
The only down side to the entire trip was when I went into the cleaning station the motel had for hunters I noticed that there was (2) trash cans to clean the birds. In each can there was (3) roosters that were complete. Or so I thought. I thought the hunters had brought the birds in and set them there and were going to come back to clean them. I did not want to place my birds feathers etc. on theres so I picked up a couple to put them in the other can. When I turned one over I could see that the people that shot these birds had just taken the breast from each bird and did a very poor job of doing that. It disgusted me that people would have that little respect for the wildlife. I know that it was there birds to do with what they wanted but it sure is a waste. I find it unacceptable to kill such a magnificent creature and chop half of the breast off. This goes for all game. But enough of that.
I hope the weather this winter will be kind to the wildlife of North Dakota and some how help the farmers etc. with the drought conditions. I am already looking forward to next November. If the weather, health, and life allows it I will be back again in November with my son and Brittanys for the most wonderful time of our life. Until then is there someone out there that can give me a cure for "PNDD" (Post North Dakota Depression)?
Thankyou again for all of your work to have the PLOTS ground and thanks to all of the people involved that work to gether to make it possible.


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

it is great to hear that you had a good time. ND is a great place to share the memories with others. However, most people I know only take the breast off of the bird. I am sure there is A LOT of other people in ND that don't, but all the people that I KNOW only take the breast. Personally, I take the whole bird but find that the legs are a little boney for my taste. I believe that if a person wants to only take the breast off the bird then by all means take the breast. It is their choice.


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## maanjus11 (Nov 17, 2006)

I agree. I used to take the entire bird but the last couple of years I quit doing it because nobody in my family will ever eat the legs anyway. They get cooked and then thrown away. So I guess whats the point.


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## jlvatns (Jan 29, 2007)

Legs w/thighs in the crock pot with bar-b-que sauce cooked low & slow are awesome!!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Most of the time it is breast only for me. Stringy leg meat. Also, the legs seem to get really shot up.


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## Benelliman (Apr 4, 2005)

We shoot so many, it doesn't make sense to do anything but breast them, when we are throwing cooked meat out after the meal and it sits around in the fridge, noone want to deal with them.

We still cook a few up the normal way, but I tell you what, there is nothing like pan seared pheasant breast cooked with your favorite wine and jelly glaze! mmmmmmm


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Benelliman said:


> We shoot so many,
> 
> :-?


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## Benelliman (Apr 4, 2005)

hunt4P&Y said:


> Benelliman said:
> 
> 
> > We shoot so many,
> ...


I should have said throughout the entire season, when you have a father, brother, sister, cousins etc, that adds up to several dozen birds to cook up or process at the end of the weekend.

make sense?


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## BRDCHSR (Oct 31, 2006)

I keep the complete bird. The neck, wings, both backs, both thighs, both breasts, and I do use the drumsticks to keep the rest of the bird off the bottom of the pressure cooker when I cook them. To me just keeping the breasts is like just keeping the backstraps from a deer and tossing the rest. Every piece has some meat to offer. It does take extra effort to clean all the pieces, taking the time to get the meat from them, but what you do get is better than the breast.
I bet you probably don't order a bucket of chicken from KFC.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I know what you mean, I was just trying to get you to clarify, before you got ripped on. Trust me there is alot of pheasants eaten at my house. 

I think for the amout of meat you get from the rest of the bird it isn't really worth it. I can't really get myself to eat that stringy stuff.


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

I don't know anyone that does anything but breast them out honestly. Maybe different in other areas I guess but how many people hunt just for meat nowdays anywho. I dont have a problem with people just breasting it's a lot better than nothing.


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