Kidding aside, it really depends on the bird. My daughter got a turkey last spring ( the first wild turkey I had tried) and I was surprised how good the whole bird tasted. On the other hand what else ( besides the breast) is there to eat on a dove? In between you make your inividual choice. I take the breasts and thighs of pheasants, blue grouse and sage grouse. The drumsticks and backs just do not have enough meat and are way too stringy to cook particularly on pheasants. And you can take the breasts and thighs without even gutting the birds. Ruff grouse, chuckar, huns, and quail..... well the thighs really don't offer enough meat to make the effort worth the trouble. I usually just breast them out. I will add that ruff grouse breast makes a very tasty "grouse cacciatori" at elk camp.