Why do we hang/age waterfowl? Texture and Flavor. As time passes, natural enzymes break down the tissue and tenderize as well as add a savory and desirable flavor to the flesh! The optimal temperature for this IMO is between 35 and 45 degrees (though some will say 35-50!). Above 44 degrees and depending on the time of the year, the worry of undesirable bacterial growth, as well as flies and other bugs, is something to take into account. Between 35-40 degrees, bacterial growth is essentially slowed enough to limit any need of worry or basically stopped. Also, within that temperature range, most insects aren’t active enough to bother your birds. I like a 3-5 day aging timeframe, but some will go as long as 7-10 days depending on the birds and the aging conditions. Plucking goes better too, after a few days of aging and allowing the fat/skin to release the tension on the feathers.
So benefits of aging a duck are now:
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No need to get back to work after getting back from a hunt.
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Flavor profile improvement. The breakdown of what makes duck flesh so dark is the key to a highly desirable flavor in waterfowl.
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The texture of older tougher birds is improved by again.
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Easier plucking.
In considering my method of aging/hanging ducks, flavor and texture are paramount in the decisions I am making. For instance, if you have a bird with holes through the chest there’s a good chance the meat will degrade around the wounds (bloodshot), and that the innards will be damaged by pellet trauma (gutshot). These birds should be handled after the hunt as the wound channels need to be cleaned and the intestines being shot up do nothing good for flavor, and likely will make you wish you had at least breasted it before it got funky.
If a bird is shot in the head and or only a couple of holes in the top of its torso, this is a good bird to hang/age. Living in the Dakotas and the Front Range of Colorado I’ve always just hung the birds outside when the temps are right for it, or hung in the garage. If need be (think early season) I will stick the birds in the fridge (though you may get yelled at if you aren’t a happy bachelor living alone like myself!).
If I am hanging birds, I like to hang them by the head/neck to allow fluids to drain to the cavity and away from the meat, tho for a short aging process (teal or wigeon take 1-3 days) hanging by the feet is fine.
