Aging Ducks

[Shannon]

Was curious of what people did as far as handling there ducks for eating? Do you hang them whole for a few days if the weather permits and then dress them out or do you dress them the same day? Some guys gut them and then let them hang for a week. Others only breast them out and do it the same day of the hunt. What do you guys do and have you noticed a difference in taste and meat quality?

[The Weazle]

I breast/leg all ducks and geese the day of hunting...
I will rinse them clean, and then vacuum seal and freeze all meat for a minimum of 10 days.  I read that all wild game should be frozen for 10 days before consumption, so I have been doing it for years and have never been sick/poopy.

I then soak in a mild salt water solution overnight while thawing and then cook.  I either make kabobs, nuggets, or goose breast steak wrapped in bacon.

I have heard of ageing ducks/geese, but have never done it and never not liked the taste...

[road.kill]

i always breast mine out the day of the kill, but my hunting partners let them age. Im not really sure if it effects taste or not but you can do either way

[waoutdoorsman]

Ive been curious about this as well. Next bunch of ducks i get im going to give it a whirl, i found a really good website that explained the process fairly well.

Im going to pluck the ducks whole/gut-clean them. Then place them on a rack inside the fridge for 2-4 days.

[Coho]

I age uncleaned breast up in an old fridge for up to a week. If it's guts are shot up I breast as soon as I can. Freezing at the temps we normally use will not kill bacteria but stop its growth. It probably would affect some parasites that mammal game may have. We are able to eat wild duck rare as it does not have the salmonella issues domestic poultry have.

[Trashmonkey]

I let 'em hang 1-2 days depending on how bad I shot them up if I'm going to pluck.  For me it seemms easier to pull feathers if they hang awhile. 

[Shannon]

Just got done with a bunch of ducks. Skinning them the day of the hunt is a lot easier but I can see how plucking them would be way easier if you let them sit a few days. I remember as a kid my neighbor would let them hang for a week before doing anything with them. I never paid any attention until I got older. I wasn't raised in a hunting family so I have to learn everything the hard way. Something about letting them hang for a week doesn't seem right to me but aged beef or venison definitely is better. On another note, do you use a plucker or do it by hand?

[Coho]

I pluck by hand..in a residence a power plucker can throw feathers everywhere fast. Mallards even if you breast them..having the skin on adds flavor and helps keeping it moist.

[shorthair-on-point]

I always had the most success letting someone else clean them