Prairie Chickens - Needle in a Haystack?

[Dean Weber]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

Prairie chickens have always been on my list but was always hesitant to take my dogs there because of the rattlers. Nice pics but who is who? I'll be in Hitchcock, SD for the opening of pheasants at our usual haunt. I'll wave going through Sioux Falls.

How are they for table fare?

Daryl,
As a way to identify, I am shooting a GH16, Scott Smith is shooting a black diamond Model 12, and my buddy John Lowry is shooting a Citori. We all chose our guns which provided enough choke for the longer shots.

As for taste....well they do not taste like chicken. However, we coated them with olive oil after tenderizing and seasoned with Tone's garlic and pepper blend. Cooked rare-ish, they tasted more like a red meat. To be honest, I was floored how delicious they were. All commented the same.

[Larry the Gun Guy]

Originally Posted by Dean Weber

Daryl,

As for taste....well they do not taste like chicken. However, we coated them with olive oil after tenderizing and seasoned with Tone's garlic and pepper blend. Cooked rare-ish, they tasted more like a red meat. To be honest, I was floored how delicious they were. All commented the same.

What a great hunt! I think now we can all understand why the market hunters took so many birds for the big city restaurants back in the day. They are great eating birds. I have only shot a few and I did have one mounted. Are any of these birds going to be mounted Dean?

[Dean Weber]

Originally Posted by Larry Stauch

What a great hunt! I think now we can all understand why the market hunters took so many birds for the big city restaurants back in the day. They are great eating birds. I have only shot a few and I did have one mounted. Are any of these birds going to be mounted Dean?

Larry,
These early male birds don’t have their “horn” feathers grown out. The big boomers with long horn feathers are taken late in the season. So, none to mount for me. However, something to shoot for….maybe a late pheasant/chicken combo while in search of chicken horns!

[Mark Kircher]

Dean

Great hunt! Happy for You and your crew. Brought back memories of my only prairie chicken hunt maybe 25 years ago. We hunted with Bob Tinker out of Pierre and chased them with dogs on horseback.

Big fun and we were on target all 3 days. The 3rd day we hunted the ranch where much of the film Dances with wolves was made. I almost had a 3 day 9 bird limit but doubled on a covey for my last 2 birds and the second was a sharpie. Great memory! Hunting with the Tatanka! You live in a very special area.

Glad it all went your way.

I found some pictures (pre-digital) so these are pics of those pics.

The gun was a 20 bore single trigger Zoli with 28" tubes if I remember correctly.
Stolen from me soon after. ��

[Dean Weber]

Originally Posted by MARK KIRCHER

Dean

Great hunt! Happy for You and your crew. Brought back memories of my only prairie chicken hunt maybe 25 years ago. We hunted with Bob Tinker out of Pierre and chased them with dogs on horseback.

Big fun and we were on target all 3 days. The 3rd day we hunted the ranch where much of the film Dances with wolves was made. I almost had a 3 day 9 bird limit but doubled on a covey for my last 2 birds and the second was a sharpie. Great memory! Hunting with the Tatanka! You live in a very special area.

Glad it all went your way.

I found some pictures (pre-digital) so these are pics of those pics.

The gun was a 20 bore single trigger Zoli with 28" tubes if I remember correctly.
Stolen from me soon after. ��

Hey Mark!
I did not have your success when I hunted with Tinker. Good for you, cool hunt. The gentleman who helped in our hunt scouts with binocs to know which land the chickens are using. This helps locate those coveys without wandering around for just any grouse. I have hunted this area previously and it was just what you run into and meant many sharpies.

I just want to say I did not shoot any sharpies on this hunt…..one person in our party shot both on the 2 day hunt…..just sayin’ without sayin’ who!

[Scott Smith]

Sharpies! The Rodney Dangerfield of game birds. They just don't get no respect!

[J. Scott Hanes]

Originally Posted by Dean Weber

Daryl,
As a way to identify, I am shooting a GH16, Scott Smith is shooting a black diamond Model 12, and my buddy John Lowry is shooting a Citori. We all chose our guns which provided enough choke for the longer shots.

As for taste....well they do not taste like chicken. However, we coated them with olive oil after tenderizing and seasoned with Tone's garlic and pepper blend. Cooked rare-ish, they tasted more like a red meat. To be honest, I was floored how delicious they were. All commented the same.

So their meat is dark? Like a duck? I have never seen nor hunted them. Sounds like a great time!

[Dean Weber]

Originally Posted by J. Scott Hanes

So their meat is dark? Like a duck? I have never seen nor hunted them. Sounds like a great time!

Yes, the meat is dark. When you cook it rare to med-rare it leaves some blood for moisture and tastes like red meat.