What do you keep in your freezer?

[beestie]

Plenty of Woodcock here too. Heard somewhere that since the recent roding counts, there's a realisation that they're not in decline at all and more than previously thought.
If we shoot 'em we eat 'em. Taste a damn site better than battery farmed chicken!

 

[countryman]

woodcock make a lovely centre bird in a thirteen bird roast too

 

[countryman]

only take what you need for the pot leave the rest and there is plenty letf for the twitchers to see

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Migratory Woodcock numbers have risen significantly in recent years to the point that it is now possible to shoot modest bags without damage to resident stocks, providing a fresh challenge to even the most experienced shot. For the past two seasons we have been providing quality driven Woodcock days within the British Isles.

http://www.shavesgreen.com/gameshooting/gs_woodcock-shooting.html

That is the only thing of concern to many people - the emergence of commercial woodcock shoots which could eventually put undue pressure on a totally natural wild gamebird (even grouse number increase can be encouraged by good habitat management and the laying down of medicated grit and driven egad!) Shooting the 'cock on a driven pheasant day I think is acceptable but woodcock days shopuld be small, walked up affairs - a truly 'rough shooting, hunting 'day IMHO anyway

 

[george]

I always boil and bleach my deer trophy heads . Burying them leaves them an awful drab brown colour .
As for not shooting Woodcock . I do this once a season, if I am lucky . Its always walked up and more often than not will see nothing . I do object a little to organised shoots killing large numbers , especially if the weather is hard and they keep trying to get back to the only open damp piece of ground . Takes no skill at all . A bit like reared Duck desperate to get back to their pond last thing in the day .

 

[drstitson]

"I always boil and bleach my deer trophy heads"

Top tip from the world of forensic path - bio washing powder at 65C.

Removes all the unwanted flesh and leaves the bone smelling and feeling nice.

 

[MrB]

woodcock make a lovely centre bird in a thirteen bird roast too

Thirteen what are the other 12

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Not quite so exotic - a couple of pizzas

 

[Storm™]

We mount quite a few red deer heads,and they are always boiled,no problems at all,this is not the entire head,only the skull cap,which is cut of in a cross just below the eye sockets,then down from behind the antlers. Have a shed with a around 150 sets of antlers in at the moment,some good,some not so good heads. Used to always boil them when i stalked for a living in Scotland as well, but that was in another life a long time ago.

For whatever reason I had to find out how to preserve but also clean a skull. Searching endless taxidermy forums the results were - boiling is fine if you don't care. However if you want a specimen or a good result that lasts for years and produces museum grade skulls - domestid Beatle. Look it up. They can clean a skull off to the bone in a week. But boiling us too brutal and many of the fine bones structures will be lost. The next best thing is a bucket of water outside. Rocks on to stop foxes etc. Every week tip fat and water away and replace. Takes about 3 months and putrification is hideous so way down the end of the garden. Last and least desirable is boiling. Which can split bone and also stain the bones with the rendered fat. Which can in turn go rancid. And it retains that boney smell. With the water method you obviously remove as much flesh as possible and the brain if you can through the spinal cavity.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

For whatever reason I had to find out how to preserve but also clean a skull. Searching endless taxidermy forums the results were - boiling is fine if you don't care. However if you want a specimen or a good result that lasts for years and produces museum grade skulls - domestid Beatle. Look it up. They can clean a skull off to the bone in a week. But boiling us too brutal and many of the fine bones structures will be lost. The next best thing is a bucket of water outside. Rocks on to stop foxes etc. Every week tip fat and water away and replace. Takes about 3 months and putrification is hideous so way down the end of the garden. Last and least desirable is boiling. Which can split bone and also stain the bones with the rendered fat. Which can in turn go rancid. And it retains that boney smell. With the water method you obviously remove as much flesh as possible and the brain if you can through the spinal cavity.

is there a vegetarian option?

 

[Hivemaker.]

But boiling us too brutal and many of the fine bones structures will be lost.

What fine bone structures on a deer skull cap? does the saw not class as damaging. You sure your not talking about fossils...read the pathologists report.

 

[The Cumbrian]

This from a shooting website.

Migratory Woodcock numbers have risen significantly in recent years to the point that it is now possible to shoot modest bags without damage to resident stocks, [/url]

Yes but the migratory Woodcock are somebody else's local birds that have had to move for the winter. All you are doing is reducing their population. Which according to bird surveys are in decline Europe wide.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes but the migratory Woodcock are somebody else's local birds that have had to move for the winter.

So we get to shoot a few instead of the Russians.
Refer to post 19.

 

[george]

First option , boiling .. every time .
Remove cape from skull , get as much fat , flesh etc from skull. Put in boiler with washing soda added and simmer for an hr or so . Pressure wash(carefully) to remove any stubborn bits .
Wrap in kitchen paper so it touches as much of the bone as possible . Put in old washing up bowl , pour peroxide over so all paper is wetted . Leave for min 12hrs and then rinse . Deer shot one morning can go home with client on car , boat or plane without customs getting stroppy, the next morning .
If you are doing a half skull the damage to nasal bones etc is so catastophic I cant see what difference it makes .
I have been helping a deer stalker friend of mine in East Anglia for many years , he , and all the professional guys round him boil and bleach everything .

 

[countryman]

thirteen bird roast starts with the woodcock works up through all the game birds in size ending with the goose makes for an interesting days shooting with your mates how many we can get or end up having to buy the worst bit is the plucking and deboning of all the birds 7-8 hours work but the end result is well worth it like carving a joint but with the taste and all the colours of the meats just the thought of it is making my mouth water i will have to do another one over the holidays

 

[countryman]

like pheasant shoots i dont agree with the idea of woodcock shoots just blasting away at anything that moves across the line of guns is just mass murder not sport ONLY GET WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE POT and leave the rest that way there is always something for everyone not just a few if there are to many nature will sort it but if there are to few then you loose it !!!!

 

[Storm™]

What fine bone structures on a deer skull cap? does the saw not class as damaging. You sure your not talking about fossils...read the pathologists report.

No not fossils Pete. Bone. But yeah in your circumstance it matters little and if it works for you then what i say is irrelevant pretty much lol.

 

[johnnythefridge]

I'm not keen on sprouts myself, I'm not keen on how they are cut up whilst they are still alive.

 

[Hombre]

Hi John, We know someone with something interesting in the box . . .

 

[drstitson]

"I'm not keen on sprouts myself, I'm not keen on how they are cut up whilst they are still alive."

we're the same with French beans - can't bear the thought of the death squeak.