Be Prepared for the Hunt: Remember to bring a sharp hunting knife, a steel or whetstone, light rope or nylon cord, plastic bags, clean cloths or paper towels, and a cooler filled with ice.

Field Dress the Bird Promptly: There are major rules to follow as soon as the bird is dead.

Remove the entrails and crop as soon as possible, because the grain in the crop may ferment if not removed.

The heart and liver may be saved for giblets. Store in a plastic bag on ice to keep them clean and cold.

Leave an identification mark on the bird as required by state game regulations.

The birds may be plucked or skinned in the field. If you pluck the birds, bring a plastic bag for storing the feathers.

Cool the carcass quickly to retain flavor and maintain the quality of the bird. A temperature above 40 EF is meat’s worst enemy.

Wipe out the cavity with a clean cloth or paper towel. Do not use grass or snow as this will contaminate the carcass.

Allow air to circulate in the carcass by hanging or laying the bird in a well-ventilated place.

In hot weather, place the birds individually in plastic bags and put on ice.

Do not pile warm birds in a mass.

Store birds in a cooler on ice out of the sun.

Keep the Birds Cool During Transport: The best way to store birds is in a cooler on ice. If this is not possible, keep the car well ventilated and put the birds on the back seat or the floor. Do not transport them in the trunk because the enclosed space does not allow heat to escape from the birds.

Don’t Cross-Contaminate During Processing:

Wash your hands, knife and cutting board with hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly.

When preparing ducks, remove the wings by cutting them off at the joints, remove the head and pluck out the pinfeathers. Feathers may be removed by scalding the birds in hot water (145 EF). Pin feathers and down may be removed by dipping the feathered bird in a paraffin wax/hot water mixture. When wax hardens, the feathers may be scraped off.

When preparing upland birds, such as grouse, pheasant, quail and partridge, skin or pluck the bird and soak in cold water for one to two hours to remove excess blood.

Birds Generally Do Not Require Aging: If you wish to age birds, holding them at just above freezing temperatures for two to three days may increase the tenderness of the meat.

Storage tips: For immediate use, birds should be stored in the refrigerator at 40 EF or less and used within three days. For long-term storage, the whole cleaned carcass or individual parts may be frozen at 0 EF or lower. Do not freeze birds without plucking and cleaning them first.

Freeze meat while fresh and in top condition.

The advantage of packaging parts instead of the whole bird is that bloody spots can be eliminated by cutting out or rinsing out with cold water. Parts also fit conveniently in your freezer. Parts may be boned, and the carcass and neck used as a soup base.

Use moisture/vapor-proof wrap such as heavily waxed freezer wrap, laminated freezer wrap, heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer-weight polyethylene bags.

Wrap tightly, pressing out as much air as possible. Label the packages with the content and date.

Use frozen packages within 6 months for best eating quality.

Thaw birds in the refrigerator or microwave. Slow thawing in the refrigerator 12 to 18 hours helps to tenderize the meat and prevent bacterial growth. Microwave-thawed food should be cooked immediately. Other thawed meat should be used within one to two days. Keep raw food and cooked food separate.

Fish-eating ducks (those with pointed or serrated bills) may need soaking or marinating. Use a marinade high in acid such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, wine or buttermilk. You may soak older birds in a solution of ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar per quart of cold water for 4 to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Wild game birds should always be cooked thoroughly. Check visual signs of doneness; juices should run clear and meat should be fork-tender. However, recent research has shown that color and texture indicators alone are not reliable. Using a thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure safety and to determine the "doneness" of meat and poultry. To be safe, a product must be cooked to an internal temperature high enough to destroy any harmful bacteria that may have been in the food

When cooking whole poultry, the thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. If stuffed, the center of the stuffing should be checked after the thigh reads 180 EF (stuffing must reach 165 EF). If cooking poultry parts, insert the thermometer into the thickest area, avoiding the bone.

The age of the bird determines the cooking method. Young birds have lighter legs, soft breastbones and flexible beaks. Old birds have darker, hard-skinned legs, brittle breastbones and inflexible beaks.

Wild duck meat is darker and somewhat dryer than domestic duck. To retain or add moisture when roasting older or skinned birds, cover the breast with strips of bacon or side pork and roast in a covered pan.

Game birds may be prepared like chicken. Dry cookery methods, such as frying, are appropriate for young birds. Moist cookery methods, such as stewing or braising, are appropriate for older birds.

Ducks and geese may be baked, barbecued, breaded, broiled, fried, and combined in casseroles, chop suey, creoles, gumbos and gravies.

To decrease the distinctive taste of some wild game, trim off as much fat as possible.

In roasting or broiling ducks use a rack to keep them free of their own fat and do not baste with fat.

Remove stuffing from the bird prior to storage, because stuffing is a good growth medium for microorganisms.

Use leftovers within one or two days, or freeze for later use.