pass'n on certain birds

[jeepguy]

i  been wondering why i have seen more divers being harvested such as buffle heads ,golden eye ,scaup i have always considered them to be less desireable and would and do  hold out for puddlers everybodys different just curious why maybe cause thats the target species ? thats all thats around to shoot ? how do they taste ? certainley all ducks taste vary from what thier  main diet is . in my youth i have harvested scaup but that became tobe not so challengeing are the scaup species depleted ? i remember where i used togo there would be hundreds just curious thats all

[Kola16]

I shoot divers all the time. I let them sit in beef bullion and then fry them up. If I don't do that then I just feed them to my dog. She likes them plain 

[Special T]

I think some people aren't too picky just want some shooting... I know male buffle head are so easy to identify that that makes them a big target...

[seth30]

I shoot all thats legal,and all that I shoot either becomes a feast that night, or jerky for me and the dogs.

[270Shooter]

I usually pass on the buffleheads and goldeneye, although I am known for shooting a nice drake GE once in a while. We don't pass on scaup though, a limit of drake greaters is really cool, especially when half the ducks you see on the river are scaup, you need those 3 to get your limit when the widgeon aren't working. Never pass on redheads or cans though.

[jordano]

I usually pass on the buffleheads and goldeneye, although I am known for shooting a nice drake GE once in a while. We don't pass on scaup though, a limit of drake greaters is really cool, especially when half the ducks you see on the river are scaup, you need those 3 to get your limit when the widgeon aren't working. Never pass on redheads or cans though.

  you and goldeneye...

[dannysdaddy]

i try to shoot puddlers only but will occasionally shoot whatever. 

[Stilly bay]

this year I started passing on buffleheads; they are about as smart as a clay pigeon, and they eat like one too.  about the only sport they offer is their speed or dog training - other than that they can fly on by as far as Im concerned.  I guess somewhere in my sporting career I decided that I don't have to shoot at something just because its legal or because I need to reach numero seven for a limit... not that a limit of buffleheads is anything to be writing home about.

[JJB11B]

Dad and I always say we are only going to shoot Greenheads when we meet up and go hunt. But inevitably we will get a good sized flock in and the shooting gets hot and heavy and my little girl Missy (my lab) will bring back the ducks and then Who The Heck Shot That??? We do it just to make it a little more challenging. Last year I gave up on it one afternoon becuase a flock of Wood Ducks came in and I got a double on Drake Wood Ducks (pure luck)

[Ellensburg]

I go for drake mallards when hunting mallards.

I generally pass on buffleheads and all *censored*ducks but if my trigger finger is itchy, I'll let the lead fly on them buffleheads.

[JJB11B]

I always sling steel at the divers that raft up outside my deeks on the columbia and suck the birds away from my spread. they are always at least. 50yds out of range but the hard "rain"makes them fly a little farther away

[Camp David]

I'll let the lead fly on them buffleheads.

No lead shot for waterfowl   

[ducksdogsdownriggers]

I usually pass on buffies unless the dog needs so work.  If I were to prioritize ducks that I consider reasonably common in order of most desirable to less it'd go like this for me (drakes if possible):
1. Canvasback
2. Redhead
3. Mallard
4. Pintail
5. Wood duck
6. Teal
7. Gadwall
8. Widgeon
9. Ringneck
10. Scaap
11. Goldeneye
12. Bufflehead
(Eurasian Widgeon would be #1 since I've never shot one)

[BigGoonTuna]

i don't like wasting meat, and don't like the taste of diving ducks, so i let them all go.  my diver ID skills aren't that great either.  generally i'll only shoot at mallards, pintails, widgeon and gadwalls.  i usually let the teal fly by, they're challenging to hit and taste good but they're just so small.

[johnsc6]

mallards, mallards, mallards......

[Special T]

If it flies it dies! I want my dog to earn his keep, and i like seeing him work almost as much the actuall shooting.  If you don't like divers because they taste bad you need to experiment with some different ways of cooking them... 

[SurfingScooter]

If it flies it dies (legally of course).  I also follow the traditon of if you kill it you eat it.  I even ate some couts a year ago.  Use lots of BBQ sauce on couts.  30% cout, 70% BBQ with each bite and their not bad. 

[Holg3107]

Not sure why anyone would shoot something they dont want to eat. I have no interest in mergansers, goldeneyes, coots, ect..... If I just wanted to shoot something ill go to the trap range. I killed enough crap in high school that ended up going to waste because it tasted like mud that Ive learned my lesson.

[Stilly bay]

If it flies it dies (legally of course).  I also follow the traditon of if you kill it you eat it.  I even ate some couts a year ago.  Use lots of BBQ sauce on couts.  30% cout, 70% BBQ with each bite and their not bad.

what blows my mind is that there is a rather large learning curve hunters have to go through to become proficient at killing lots of birds, combine that with the amount of effort and money expended to kill said birds - but it all stops there because very few people have any idea how to cook the miserable things.

kudos to the folks who don't know how to cook water fowl, but choke them down anyway by making petrified little chief jerky. thats better than cleaning the bird and stowing it in your freezer till its so freezer burnt it must be thrown out.

if you want to move past nasty (admit it - its nasty) Little chief petrified jerky or jalapeno wrapped duck, check this blog out for starters.

http://honest-food.net/wild-game/duck-goose-recipes/

all of these recipes are something anyone who has moved past instant ramen noodles can cook. this is my favorite so far.
http://honest-food.net/2011/12/27/how-to-make-smoked-duck/

[D-Rock425]

Not sure why anyone would shoot something they dont want to eat. I have no interest in mergansers, goldeneyes, coots, ect..... If I just wanted to shoot something ill go to the trap range. I killed enough crap in high school that ended up going to waste because it tasted like mud that Ive learned my lesson.

what about coyote hunters pretty sure they don't eat them.

[Special T]

I shoot every merganser i can legally... There used to be a bounty on the damn things. 

[Holg3107]

Not sure why anyone would shoot something they dont want to eat. I have no interest in mergansers, goldeneyes, coots, ect..... If I just wanted to shoot something ill go to the trap range. I killed enough crap in high school that ended up going to waste because it tasted like mud that Ive learned my lesson.


what about coyote hunters pretty sure they don't eat them.

Sorry D-Rock I should have said game animals. If you shoot a merganser or a golden eye by law you are required to do anything within your power to consume the bird. You are not legaly obligated to eat a coyote. I would rather go home with a short stack than a limit of something that I dont want to eat.

[D-Rock425]

I know what you meant.   

[Holg3107]

 

[steeleywhopper]

Divers and merg's get a free pass through my spread. Dad made me eat the stuff I killed and I'll be damned if I ever try and eat another stinking diver again. Once was enough!

[seth30]

Not sure why anyone would shoot something they dont want to eat. I have no interest in mergansers, goldeneyes, coots, ect..... If I just wanted to shoot something ill go to the trap range. I killed enough crap in high school that ended up going to waste because it tasted like mud that Ive learned my lesson.

what about coyote hunters pretty sure they don't eat them.

WHAT???  You havent tried a coyote burger or coyote jerky?

[jordano]

I will not shoot a Goldeneye... almost never, but seldom a drake buffie.. and I try my best to shoot drakes to be sporting and all, but they all taste the same.. I stay within the limits and rules but if it flies it dies for me! ha ha 

[Kola16]

My friend just shot what he thought was a mallard. It turns out that it was a hybrid between a mallard and some other duck (not a pintail). It is big and kind of ugly. He goes by the rule, "If it flies it dies (and is legal)." He is going to learn the hard way eventually that that is not the best way.

[jeepguy]

gadwall maybe?  black duck? not sure if black ducks make to the wset coast or pacific flyway, canvasbacks would be the only diver i may shoot when i get to go again. as much as good shells are and gas i would not want to blast away at fish eaters of course 90% of the time i am field hunting on puddles so slim chance for fisheaters.

[270Shooter]

I will not shoot a Goldeneye... almost never, but seldom a drake buffie.. and I try my best to shoot drakes to be sporting and all, but they all taste the same.. I stay within the limits and rules but if it flies it dies for me! ha ha 

That went out the window today huh? lol just messin' man

[Skagit_Hunter]

I try to only shoot drakes. And won't even think about shooting any diver but reds and cans. Or nasty seaducks. I hunt for the freezer not the wall.
Divers and seaducks will ruin a good batch of pep sticks or sausage fast.

[ICEMAN]

I like to bring meat home, so when I have shot divers etc....it is shishkabob time. Very good cooked on the grill this way, yum.

[jeepguy]

i am sure some taste ok i guess it depends on thier main diet shishkabobs sound good

[upwind]

When i lived in Kodiak the sea ducks tasted better than puddle ducks.Maybe they ate differant food,  

[Jim Sr.]

I always pass on buffelheads & merganzers but everything else gets tickled or dropped.