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So for the last year or so, I’ve tried freezing as few of my birds as possible and trying to eat fresh. Obviously this is hard to do during the peak of the season when the hunting gets good. So far this teal season I’ve cleaned my birds (picked whole), and placed in ziplock bag without any water, then I place bag in one of my metal bowls to prevent any messes. I’ve eaten the 2 batches of teal at 2-3 weeks from harvest.

How long have you or would you feel good about letting them “age” in fridge before eating?


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Approximately a week in the fridge has always been our "do something" limit, whether freezing or eating. But I've heard of folks preferring longer. Don't have a clue what's "best".

Like Rick mentioned, about a week is is as long as I will keep without eating or freezing, but have read where old school hunters (obviously in the Northern climes), would leave the skin and feathers on, gut the birds, and then hang them on the porch by their necks until the skin broke, before finishing the cleaning process and eating. The fact that you are not soaking in water, is probably helping your cause, and considering deer hunters will hang a carcass in a cooler for a couple of weeks before butchering, no reason to think it would hurt to do the same with ducks.

I don’t like soaking any kind of red meat in water.


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Deltaman wrote:Like Rick mentioned, about a week is is as long as I will keep without eating or freezing, but have read where old school hunters (obviously in the Northern climes), would leave the skin and feathers on, gut the birds, and then hang them on the porch by their necks until the skin broke, before finishing the cleaning process and eating. The fact that you are not soaking in water, is probably helping your cause, and considering deer hunters will hang a carcass in a cooler for a couple of weeks before butchering, no reason to think it would hurt to do the same with ducks.

Had an older fella from Illinois tell me he would hang his deer in the barn until “they get a second coat of hair”. That’s a little long for me. As for ducks, I’m usually a week or less myself in the fridge, but that’s only because that’s what my Mom made us adhere to as children. Probably just wanted the space back in her fridge.

Deltaman wrote:Like Rick mentioned, about a week is is as long as I will keep without eating or freezing, but have read where old school hunters (obviously in the Northern climes), would leave the skin and feathers on, gut the birds, and then hang them on the porch by their necks until the skin broke, before finishing the cleaning process and eating.

Guessing we have limited options for that down here in the deep south, would have to use a walk-in cooler. Have heard of some buddies tinkering with some aging efforts with their birds but I've not attempted it.

The 2 week old stored dry refrigerated duck meat is fine eating.


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Good to know Eric, Thanks!