Game animals and birds, just like their domestic counterparts, differ greatly in flavor and tenderness.  

On many occasions, I have been asked questions like: “Are wild hogs good eating,” or “ducks and geese taste like liver when cooked, right?” 

While there is no “blanket” statement that answers all the questions and doubts about preparing game and birds for the table, there are a few ironclad truths.   

Old boars are almost never good eating, regardless if they are taken from the wild or from farmer John’s pigpen. The same is true with deer. While older, rutting bucks are never as tasty as younger bucks and does, they do make good sausage and ground meat.  

Waterfowl is notorious for having an “off” flavor. But, prepared properly, wild ducks, geese and sandhill cranes are excellent.  Granted, diver ducks, which eat primarily fish, have a flavor that even I, a devout lover of waterfowl, do not care for.  Puddle ducks such as mallards, wood ducks, pintails, widgeon, gadwall and teal are excellent when prepared properly.  

Many years ago, Larry Large, who guides for bass and ducks at Lake Fork, introduced me to a method of cooking ducks that I have since taught to many others.

We had just finished a successful duck hunt and back at the cleaning table, Larry said, “Luke, if you watch and listen closely, I will teach you how to make these mallards, wood ducks and widgeon taste like prime cuts of beef.”

He then proceeded to fillet the breast halves, and then run his fillet knife almost completely through each fillet.

“Butterflying the breast meat allows the blood to drain away. It’s the blood in waterfowl that gives it the 'off' flavor," he pointed out.

Larry washed the duck breasts thoroughly in cold water, dusted them with garlic powder, then placed them in a freezer bag filled with equal parts of soy sauce and Coke Cola. The soy sauce gives the meat a great flavor and the acid in the Coke serves as a tendering agent.  About four hours in this marinade is all it takes.  

To prepare the duck breasts, simply place a sliver of jalapeno in the center of the butterflied breast, wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Grill or smoke for about thirty minutes until the breast is thoroughly done, forget about the old axiom that ducks have to be served "rare." I think eating rare, un-marinated duck is the primary reason many folks liken duck meat to liver.  

Geese and sandhill cranes are also excellent when marinated and prepared in this fashion. Another trick to cooking these larger birds is to roll up pieces of spicy breakfast sausage in the shape of a small hot dog, and place them in the butterflied breast halves, then wrap with bacon and smoke. The finished product should be sliced into "wheels” and served with crackers and cheese. 

I make a great deal of jerky out of waterfowl and, when I ask my guests what type of “meat” they are eating, most think it is beef or venison.

The trick to making good jerky from ducks and geese it not to overcook it, about 2 hours in a smoker (with just a little smoke) is all it takes. I marinate the jerky strips overnight with dry season before putting the strips on the smoker.  

In another column, we will go over making sausage from venison and wild pork at home. Each winter, I “crank” out sixty to eight pounds of smoked sausage in the backyard, and then enjoy it throughout the year on fishing and hunting trips.  

Allied Kenco Sales in Houston is a butchers supply house that has everything for the home sausage or jerky maker. For a free catalog, go online to www.alliedkenco.com or call 800-356-5189. 

REMEMBER TO LISTEN TO LUKE CLAYTON’S OUTDOORS RADIO SHOW AT http://www.catfishradio.com/

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