Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: Curly on January 18, 2009, 10:20:49 PM
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I have a question for you guys that hunt sea ducks: How do they taste? How do the ducks like scaup, bluebill, ringneck, and the like taste?
When I used to duck hunt, we would pass on shots at diving ducks because we didn't want to eat them; my dad said they would taste like :crap:. I believed him, because as a kid I just assumed he knew what he was talking about.
But, now I have to think that most of those ducks wouldn't taste any different than widgeon or teal or mallards that we would shoot. Afterall, they eat basically the same stuff, don't they? They just get it from underwater instead of on the surface or just under like the other ducks, right?
Question #2.....or maybe part two of the question......do you shoot and eat fish eating ducks like mergansers? :puke:
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1) Yes and 2) Yes also, sea duck breasts need to be filleted, get ALL the skin and fat out, rinse and soak overnight in cold water (please, do not add salt to water, it will coagulate blood inside muscles).
I have not hunted sea ducks in a long time but if you give me your GPS coordinates, I will harvest some and cook them for you to try :IBCOOL: ;D :lol4:
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Diet depends on climate and area of harvest.
Mallards will feed on just about anything. Fish, clams, shrimp, grass, corn etc.
Wigeon prefer more water weed than anything else.
Teal eat lots of small animal matter.
Divers tend to eat clams, fish, and other mollusks. But cans and redheads are known for their liking of under water grass's as well. Cans love wild celery. It gives them a less gamy taste and is what drove the market hunters to harvest a lot of them. They taste better than mallards imo.
Sea ducks on the other hand have large strong bills (mainly scoters) for crushing shells and moving rocks around to get to the clams. They tend to have a gamier flavor.
If you locate a mussel bed the scoters will be there.