What bird is this?

[lokidog]

There is a reason why you found it on the bank. I would avoid shooting them.

If I saw someone shooting that bird and leaving it, I would be turning them in.  It's not hard to ID Mergansers, if you don't want to eat them, then don't shoot them!   

[Timberstalker]

Loki do you eat the feet and bill? 

Wow, people have accused myself and my family of trying to starve coyotes by not leaving much of a gutpile from deer or elk, but coots and mergansers?  I've tried them and, well, it's an acquired taste I guess.

[lokidog]

Then don't shoot them.  Eating feet or bills has nothing to do with wasting game meat and overall just making hunters look like jackwagons.   

[Timberstalker]

I was laughing while typing, not saying I condone the wanton waste.  Didn't come across like I thought you'd take it.

More just poking fun at you.  Back on topic.

[AWS]

+1 Lokidog, even worse they kill them, throw them in the brush and don't count them toward their limit.     

[lokidog]

I was laughing while typing, not saying I condone the wanton waste.  Didn't come across like I thought you'd take it.

More just poking fun at you.  Back on topic.

OK, just a sore spot.  Thanks for the positive comment on my post this morning with some Mergansers hanging on the strap.   

[buckcanyonlodge]

There is a reason why you found it on the bank. I would avoid shooting them.

If I saw someone shooting that bird and leaving it, I would be turning them in.  It's not hard to ID Mergansers, if you don't want to eat them, then don't shoot them!   

They are destroying the salmon and steelhead runs..all they eat are baby fish...At least that is what some fish people say... 
I have seen duck hunters on the Yakima River shoot HUNDREDS of them. They would breast them out and chop up the boneless breast on a cedar plank then scrape the breast meat into the garbage and eat the plank.

[EWUeagles]

That my good sir is the every elusive ivory bill. aka coot or mudhen

Is that your bird? I would think a coot band would be one of the toughest one to get.

Coots and Mergansers both taste fine in a sausage pile. I am sure some of you folks out there with a great palette will claim you can taste the difference but I think they a full of it.

I like to try new recipes all the time and lokidog the Salisbury Steak has me interested. I don't know if I would try it myself but I think if someone made it I would give it a go. I have co-worker from Arkansas and he said they use to eat coot all the time in gumbo.

[lokidog]

There is a reason why you found it on the bank. I would avoid shooting them.

If I saw someone shooting that bird and leaving it, I would be turning them in.  It's not hard to ID Mergansers, if you don't want to eat them, then don't shoot them!   

They are destroying the salmon and steelhead runs..all they eat are baby fish...At least that is what some fish people say... 
I have seen duck hunters on the Yakima River shoot HUNDREDS of them. They would breast them out and chop up the boneless breast on a cedar plank then scrape the breast meat into the garbage and eat the plank.

There are a lot better ways to help salmon and steelhead than wantonly killing and wasting these birds.  Did you stop to think how many Pikeminnows they might eat as well?  Probably not....  If you shoot them, find someone that needs some decent protein to feed their family.  Oh wait, too much thought and effort might have to go into that.   

[addicted2hunting]

I think mergs taste fine when brined right... the hooded merg is my favorite looking bird...

I'm pretty sure there are much bigger threats to the salmon and steel populations... somebody somewhere will eat them... hell loki and I would love a nice pile of merg breasts if you got em!!!

[buckcanyonlodge]

"  that is what some fish people say "   ..." They would breast them out "  Just so you know Ldog I do not hunt ducks or mergansers. A lot of thought went into my post...supposed to be on the lighter side....but NOoooo you have to go and take offense and go postal on my lighter side comments.  Now that you have yourself all worked up... go think about it.. And that's OK I have thick skin. Calm down and have a nice night.

[lokidog]

"  that is what some fish people say "   ..." They would breast them out "  Just so you know Ldog I do not hunt ducks or mergansers. A lot of thought went into my post...supposed to be on the lighter side....but NOoooo you have to go and take offense and go postal on my lighter side comments.  Now that you have yourself all worked up... go think about it.. And that's OK I have thick skin. Calm down and have a nice night.

The problem isn't light-hearted/humerous banter, it is that in this form it can be taken completely out of context and used against us by antis or simply misunderstood by a new hunter as "the way to do it".  I've heard sooooo many negative comments about Mergansers specifically, that I just get tired of it.  One comment I've always liked  is "my dog won't even pick one of them stinky fish ducks up....", my response to that one would be, then maybe you'd better train your dog a little better......   

You haven't even seen postal, you should see the thread I am currently engaged in on Facebook regarding "resonable" gun laws.   

Hey OP, sorry to thread jack quite so much.  Shoot a Merg, try it, if you don't like it, toss it, I won't hold one against you, as long as it is the one that was going to eat my 42 pound king that I will be catching in four or five years.   

[McCRIZZLEY]

well that escalated quickly.

Now that I know they are open game, I will definitely be shooting my fair share for you fish guys. And I eat what I shoot for you other guys too. Coot was not too bad either, odd skin though. Anything can be made good or covered up if cooked correctly.

[metlhead]

Sako talked me into shooting sawbills and I don't regret it. Large breast makes fine fillets, seasoned well, pounded flat in flour and pan fried. Great for stroganoff and stir fry. Most bird hunters wouldn't know it from a Kansas mallard. Save a salmon or leave em for me, either way,  I win!

[lokidog]

Sako talked me into shooting sawbills and I don't regret it. Large breast makes fine fillets, seasoned well, pounded flat in flour and pan fried. Great for stroganoff and stir fry. Most bird hunters wouldn't know it from a Kansas mallard. Save a salmon or leave em for me, either way,  I win!

 

FYI McC, coots are in a completely different group of birds than ducks.