Brined Roast Pheasant " Outdoor Wisconsin" Style - cooking recipe

Ingredients

The brine
8 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed (the recipe says \"several\" garlic cloves; I tend to use about 3)
1 pinch ground cloves
1/2 lemon, juice of (I do use it) (optional)
1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (2 lb) whole pheasants
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Heat together the water and salt until salt is dissolved, then allow to cool to room temperature for about a half hour.
Add the sugar, syrup, onions, garlic, cloves, and lemon and cayenne pepper (if using).
Add pheasant, cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place brined pheasant in a roasting pan breast up and insert a tablespoon of the butter under the breast skin.
Rub the rest of the butter all over the pheasant, then roast uncovered for about 1-1/2 hours; check after an hour, though.
Baste frequently!
And if you like, to keep the breast meat moist, you can cover it with bacon strips as well.