To me, duck tastes like liver. I suspect that's what many refer to as "gamey". Whatever the case, I hate the taste of liver. So when I have meat that tastes like liver, I cook it in something spicy, for a long time. Examples of this are gumbo, chili, taco meat, etc.
This past weekend, a buddy and I shot two limits of ducks, mostly teal and spoonies. I had a bowl of homemade green salsa (made of tomatillos), so I simmered a few breasts in it for a few hours. I like the way it turned out, so I dumped the rest of them in, added the rest of the salsa, added some homemade red chili sauce, and simmered it overnight. It will make good tacos tonight!
I've heard snow geese referred to as "flying liver", and "flying carp". I tried cooking a snow goose breast like a steak, and it was a dismal failure (marinade was completely wrong). But I cooked them (including gizzards, hearts, necks, etc.) overnight, and made gumbo out of it, serving it to a group of guys who had never had ducks/geese before. It tasted like beef! And that's the thing about gumbo- it's the great equalizer! It makes even coots...yes, I said COOTS...taste like beef. Did I mention I put coots in that same pot of gumbo??? 8)
I'm also a fan of jalapeno poppers with dove or duck meat, as well as jerky. I'm sure sausage is fantastic as well, but I have yet to try it. So for me, long, slow, and spicy is the key!
And when guys say "don't overcook", they mean "don't cook it past rare". I agree with this assessment as well, unless you cook it as I describe above.
