Pheasant Rena Wills South Dakota is the hunter's paradise, and the ring-necked pheasant is the king of its game birds. In order that you may better enjoy the results of your hunting in South Dakota, a project was undertaken by several state agencies to standardize pheasant recipes and to create variations in preparing pheasant dishes. It is good practice to field dress the birds as soon as feasible after they are shot. Normally, birds may be kept for a few hours before removing the entrails, but if a bird is quite shot up, the flavor of the meat is affected. Also, it is desirable to separate the birds to allow them to lose their body temperature as quickly as possible.
Field dressing birds hastens the cooling process.
Many hunters skin the birds rather than pluck them. However, others feel that flavor is lost when the birds are skinned. When cooking older birds, it is best to add small amounts of moisture at a time, and use a covered container during part of the cooking period. This is not necessary for young birds. In general, the age of the bird may be readily determined by the spurs.