What do guides do with all their birds!?

[Hunter guy]

You know it baffles me, as I watch tv shows, one guy in particular kills 250
Snow geese a day, you can’t tell me he eats them all or sends them home with the clients!? Anyone else ever wonder

[sns2]

I think a lot are donated to food banks. Just a guess.

[Hunter guy]

Originally Posted by sns2

I think a lot are donated to food banks. Just a guess.

I wasn’t sure you could donate waterfowl

[Oldan Grumpi]

...and hundreds end up in the dump.

I once counted 61 Canadas in a small town landfill, not even cleaned. Hundreds more get tossed or fed to dogs after they’re freezer burnt. I’ll bet that of those shot, maybe one in four ever makes it to the table.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Hunter guy

I wasn’t sure you could donate waterfowl

Think someone told me one time that's what some guides do. Could be mistaken.

[cody j]

I doubt any wild game could be donated to a food bank without being properly inspected and processed, and that’s probably not a simple process

[cody j]

Of course on the tv show it could have been in the states which means the rules could be totally different

[mulecrazy]

more than a few have been caught dumping them. Was it last year or the year before a pile were dumped by taber? I know an outfitter based near Calgary has been nailed in the past.

[WinefredCommander]

Ask Phil!

[Dewey Cox]

They make truckloads of jerky, and give it to the land owners.
If you want some bird meat, ask an outfitter. They probably have freezers full.

[Hunter guy]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

They make truckloads of jerky, and give it to the land owners.
If you want some bird meat, ask an outfitter. They probably have freezers full.

Yes I’m sure they make truck loads of jerky, I’d more be willing to say they go to the landfill

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Oldan Grumpi

...and hundreds end up in the dump.

I once counted 61 Canadas in a small town landfill, not even cleaned. Hundreds more get tossed or fed to dogs after they’re freezer burnt. I’ll bet that of those shot, maybe one in four ever makes it to the table.

When in Saskatchewan many moons ago I hunted migratory birds with a fella....after two morning sits I had so many birds, toss in some rabbits and upland birds.....after that I just couldn't go out cuz I knew there was going to be a huge waste come spring etc but if I was a migratory bird hunting freak, which is not a bad thing I would find a place to feed those not so well off.

[colvert]

Because you have the money and a non-resident alien most of the time, I would say it if immoral to come here and shoot all the birds you can, leave them here, care of the outfitter - not my problem- and go home happy after a great shoot. After all aren't we supposed to eat what we kill?
At the same time outfitters should be write a binding report after each shoot to explain what happened to the killed birds.

[Sledhead71]

Just my opinion, I was taught to eat what I harvest and not gift away to others unless it was cooked and on a plate .... Those who thrill shoot a pile of birds every season are really missing the conservation aspect of our passion..

Those who waste their harvests should be banned from hunting for life.

Before anyone jumps on me for my opinion, yes there are those less fortunate and others who are limited in their ability to enjoy our sport... Share by serving it up at your table, not by dropping of piles of birds so you can go out tomorrow...

[tikka250]

Lots goes into sausage and jerky for the clients at the lodge though very large amounts of it go back with the clients. I can't vouch for it cause I can't remember the source of the info but I remember hearing at least one outfitter giving a lot to the hutterites.

[Dewey Cox]

Maybe trying to reduce the population (especially of snow geese) is a good conservation move, whether or not the meat gets ate by the guy who shot it?

[jef612]

There is currently a severe overpopulation of snow geese in North America - and there is a continent wide conservation order to help REDUCE the population so they don't completely destroy their arctic nesting grounds.
They are literally eating themselves out of house and home up there.

Most of the outfitters I have ran into are absolutely willing to give away as many as you can legally possess free of charge. Usually just a phone call and they will tell you when to come. They also process most of it into sausage and jerky.

Any outfitter who would knowingly dispose of unprocessed birds is basically throwing their entire business on the line - as not only would the law enforcement have a field day with them - but the social media blowback would prevent them from ever operating again. Not saying it doesn't happen - but the idea that all or most of those birds are just tossed in the trash is ridiculous. Most go into jerky - goose jerky is fantastic!

[wwbirds]

What good it serves to discuss this on an open forum. those who waste are hopefully prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. discussing the minority gives ammunition to those who would like to paint us all with the same brush. Where did you hear about wanton waste of birds in a dump? AO of course.
Stupid is as stupid does.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by sns2

I think a lot are donated to food banks. Just a guess.

Only true for Red Deer north..at least for big game. Here in the South we cannot donate wild game to those who need it.

[KyleSS]

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

Only true for Red Deer north..at least for big game. Here in the South we cannot donate wild game to those who need it.

Ryan's meats is a donation location in Calgary

[Ronaround]

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

Just my opinion, I was taught to eat what I harvest and not gift away to others unless it was cooked and on a plate .... Those who thrill shoot a pile of birds every season are really missing the conservation aspect of our passion..

Those who waste their harvests should be banned from hunting for life.

Before anyone jumps on me for my opinion, yes there are those less fortunate and others who are limited in their ability to enjoy our sport... Share by serving it up at your table, not by dropping of piles of birds so you can go out tomorrow...

Well said!

[RACKER]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Maybe trying to reduce the population (especially of snow geese) is a good conservation move, whether or not the meat gets ate by the guy who shot it?

I have been wondering who has updated the latest snow goose numbers?If the birds are overcrowding themselves wouldnt they ruin their own nesting sites thus leading to reduction naturally or can someone explain what is factfully going on.And to add to the original comment there is no way a party of 5-8 hunters limiting out on snows is going to process every bird.I would love to see the average waterfowl hunter show me cleaning 50 geese in a morning or overnight!That is not counting the ducks that get shot as well.Its a blast shooting that many but im guessing there is a ton of wasted meat out there.My favorite excuse that its for their dogs!

[jef612]

Originally Posted by RACKER

I have been wondering who has updated the latest snow goose numbers?If the birds are overcrowding themselves wouldnt they ruin their own nesting sites thus leading to reduction naturally or can someone explain what is factfully going on.And to add to the original comment there is no way a party of 5-8 hunters limiting out on snows is going to process every bird.I would love to see the average waterfowl hunter show me cleaning 50 geese in a morning or overnight!That is not counting the ducks that get shot as well.Its a blast shooting that many but im guessing there is a ton of wasted meat out there.My favorite excuse that its for their dogs!

In our group we can process 50 birds between 4 hunters in maybe half an hour? From field to freezer. Using a bird breaster and a couple of guys cleaning and one guy bagging. It is usually not that big a deal. If you wanted to pluck each one - you would be there all day for sure. Many hands make light work!

The link below is older but explains the troubles with the snow goose population - it's not the physical overcrowding so much as the way they feed and the terrain in the arctic wetlands.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north...high-1.3095247

[vcmm]

Wow !! Wasting birds I wish I could go hunting for them. Work and health tend to interfere with hunting season.

[ganderblaster]

Birds are better sausage,jerky and pepperoni meat then deer. Less sinewy and easier to work with plus more tender. They make absolutely amazing sausage. My group shoots more then average and nothing gets wasted. I do hope they change the possession laws to not include birds once frozen as they are proposing as then a guy could do bigger batches at once for less sausage equipment cleaning. Hank Shaw has some absolutely unreal recipes

[roper1]

Our extras go to the local colony. The gals use the down in quilts & we get them to make us some jerky. They use the rest

[Jim Blake]

If I have the chance to go on a shoot we of course breast them out and keep the legs and slow cook them with moose or elk stock. Fall off the bone and delicious.

The Specs get plucked..yes it takes time but they are THE best, and we cook them on The Big Green Egg on high heat.

Definitely not an Outfitter but I can't see throwing the legs away.

[trigger7mm]

Coyotes love waterfowl outfitters.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Jim Blake

If I have the chance to go on a shoot we of course breast them out and keep the legs and slow cook them with moose or elk stock. Fall off the bone and delicious.

The Specs get plucked..yes it takes time but they are THE best, and we cook them on The Big Green Egg on high heat.

Definitely not an Outfitter but I can't see throwing the legs away.

I so much agree with this. I keep, both but would far rather have the legs than the breasts.

[Dewey Cox]

I'm a breast man myself.