What to do with pheasant drumsticks?

[Bigshooter]

  I really don't know how people can sleep at night knowing they took only the breast and wasted the rest. The breast is only half the meat on a bird. Atleast stew up the legs,thighs and organs and feed it to your dog!

While I've not just "breasted out" any birds I've killed, I don't hold it against those that do. Any part of the animal I leave in the field goes back into the cycle and is food for someone. Not everyone has a dog. But knowing that other critters will benefit and being conscious of the taking and giving life that is the predator prey relationship, in my opinion is a good way to be.

Yeah but,... (and I am not tryting to start a fight over it...)  this same arguement that "meat left or lost" will benefit other wildlife, true to some degree, but I still feel guys should take the time necessary to learn to save and cook as much meat from anything they kill, not using mother nature as their reason to save time.

When I kill a bird everything comes home with me including liver, heart, and gizzard.  And I eat all of it.

[Heartsblood]

  I really don't know how people can sleep at night knowing they took only the breast and wasted the rest. The breast is only half the meat on a bird. Atleast stew up the legs,thighs and organs and feed it to your dog!

While I've not just "breasted out" any birds I've killed, I don't hold it against those that do. Any part of the animal I leave in the field goes back into the cycle and is food for someone. Not everyone has a dog. But knowing that other critters will benefit and being conscious of the taking and giving life that is the predator prey relationship, in my opinion is a good way to be.

Yeah but,... (and I am not tryting to start a fight over it...)  this same arguement that "meat left or lost" will benefit other wildlife, true to some degree, but I still feel guys should take the time necessary to learn to save and cook as much meat from anything they kill, not using mother nature as their reason to save time.

Agreed. Not as their reason to save time. And I do try to respect the animal as much as possible. I think it all comes down to how "true to some degree" we are talking. Obviously wanton waste is pretty darned disrespectful.

[singleshot12]

But what's considered "wanton waste"? Obviously dumping the whole bird in the garbage can is and is illeagle. So just keeping the breasts and canning the rest should be "wanton waste" IMO. This is kindof a grey area I guess 
As far as leaving the rest of the bird in the field for the preditors, bugs and worms to consume?  most people don't do that! They just dump the rest of their birds in the daily trash to go in the land fill.
I guess it all come down to personal ethics, I my self feel I owe it to the life the animal gave to use every edible part possible.

[woodswalker]

Simple, sack all the drumsticks in a stockinet (sp) bag and simmer them until the meat falls off and a tasty broth is had, open the bag and strip the meat from the tendons and bones...discard or simmer tendons and bones in more water for more broth, chop meat and return to stock while adding desired veggies and wild rice for SOUP!   

[surfj9009]

I take the tendons out and slice the drum, pack some jalapenoes in it, wrap it in bacon then grill it. MMMMMMMM yummmmm

[ICEMAN]

Simple, sack all the drumsticks in a stockinet (sp) bag and simmer them until the meat falls off and a tasty broth is had, open the bag and strip the meat from the tendons and bones...discard or simmer tendons and bones in more water for more broth, chop meat and return to stock while adding desired veggies and wild rice for SOUP!   

Wow, great suggestion to bag them...then simmer. May have to try this. Thanks.

[Stilly bay]

Simple, sack all the drumsticks in a stockinet (sp) bag and simmer them until the meat falls off and a tasty broth is had, open the bag and strip the meat from the tendons and bones...discard or simmer tendons and bones in more water for more broth, chop meat and return to stock while adding desired veggies and wild rice for SOUP!   

brilliant! I wish I would have thought of that!

[wildweeds]

Sounds like some of you fellers got enough gumption to try this.........From my grannys kitchen,her chores on the plantation around 80 years ago now..........take the dog the mule and the shotgun and fetch quail supper.She fixed me pheasants this way and pretty dang tasty.


   Take a pheasant and PICK it,cut up into parts,breasts wings,thighs/drums,Brown the parts in a pan(roll in pepper/salt/flour mix ,Take potatos and cut scallop style,put the browned parts in the bottom of a baking pyrex,cover with the taters,then make gravy with the drizzlings from the browning,make a lot and cover the whole works with the gravy(they never had cream of mushroom soup back then).cover with foil ,Granny cooked plain, pepper and salt. Bake @350 for 1 1/2 hours.........I might be wrong on the time it may only be an hour so check the taters at an hour.

  The skin is the  most important part  of this recipe and since there seems to be a tone of waste not want not...............giver a shot.Really good.

[Stilly bay]

wildweeds: I might give that recipe a shot tonight . I bagged two release site leftover birds today that are all dressed up with no where to go.

Im even going to honor your granny's recipe since I think pouring cream of mushroom on wild game is pure blasphemy... thousand island dressing should be illegal too but thats for another thread.

[JLS]

... thousand island dressing should be illegal too but thats for another thread.

That's funny stuff.  Take the legs and crock pot them with teryaki sauce and serve over rice.