Had a very successful pheasant hunt on Valentine's day with my wife. Like most places the birds were skinned. I brined them in a salt water/ brown sugar brine for about 6 hours. Started with 2 pieces of cut up bacon and 1/2 an onion in large Dutch oven. I then cut up the birds, and seared in the bacon love. Covered with 1 cup of chicken stock, a can of cream of chicken with herbs and a can of cream of celery soup. Cooked on 300 for about an hour and a half. Served over wild rice. Best pheasant I've ever had. The brining made an obvious difference