Duck ldentification what's good to eat.

[longbowhunter2]

So I been studying dabbling and diving ducks. What's your favorite.
Mallards, green wing teal, spoonies?
How about snow geese?

 

[ilovesprig]

I rarely eat ducks whole.....We either grind them into burger/ sausage or filet meat off bone and BBQ.....The best eating IMO are mallards on grain crops, specks, and sandhills.

Most divers (canvasbacks, redheads, bluebills ) these days don't get to eat wild celery.....And have more of a crustacean and pond weed diet.....No bueno

 

[longbowhunter2]

Thanks, Ducks Unlimited has a good website. Has interested facts, pictures of each species. Anyone ever go to old Mexico for duck hunting.

 

[Mud Pigeon]

Agree with everything above but I still like some divers. Cans, redheads and ringnecks are better than scaup IMO. Bufflehead generally get a pass ,but I shot a couple last year. Honestly, a lot of people don't know how to cook ducks, I shot 200 of them a year for a long time never enjoying it much. I just used recipes that covered up the taste. Of the puddle ducks we commonly shoot in the IV I have a mental ranking of pintail, green wing teal, wigeon, mallards, gadwall, cinnamon teal...................shovelers. With that said I'll shoot mallards over any of the others and gadwall instead of teal.
In general the whiter the fat the better the bird, more orange the worse.

 

[longbowhunter2]

Sounds like fun. Is a retrieving dog a must or is it possible with out
Thinking a small flat jon boat or ?

 

[nicapopolis]

Agree with everything above but I still like some divers. Cans, redheads and ringnecks are better than scaup IMO. Bufflehead generally get a pass ,but I shot a couple last year. Honestly, a lot of people don't know how to cook ducks, I shot 200 of them a year for a long time never enjoying it much. I just used recipes that covered up the taste. Of the puddle ducks we commonly shoot in the IV I have a mental ranking of pintail, green wing teal, wigeon, mallards, gadwall, cinnamon teal...................shovelers. With that said I'll shoot mallards over any of the others and gadwall instead of teal.
In general the whiter the fat the better the bird, more orange the worse.

I agree, Jeff.

I am a fan of some divers as well, their skin is so damn tough that many times I opt not to shoot them just because I dont want to clean them.

I think ducks are what they eat, similar to most animals. Deer eating sage and bitter brush arent the same as an alfalfa or corn fed deer. I shot 2 antelope in the past week, out here they eat high prairie grass. Amazing table fare. They definitely don't live up their "sage maggot" nickname.

I tend to just breast ducks out, but I have put them on the rotisserie on the grill before and it is amazing!

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[Aeon]

the years when the winter wheat is planted all over the birds get fat and yummy...you can sure tell when they are eating shrimp.

there are no ducks in old mexico, honest

 

[longbowhunter2]

there are no ducks in old mexico, honest

LOL

 

[longbowhunter2]

I need to get my passport.
Join a hunting club in old Mexico.
Who doesn't like carne asada
Tacos with dos x or favorite Mexican beer. Or better yet fish tacos.
Guacamole, hot salsa and corn chips

 

[longbowhunter2]

Not good for gout but who wants to live forever. Without beer and tacos.

 

[longbowhunter2]

Has any one ever tried duck breast soaked in salsa , onions, tomato, celantro, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Soaked over night.
Sounds yummy. Roasted then
Shredded for tacos.

 

[Mud Pigeon]

Has any one ever tried duck breast soaked in salsa , onions, tomato, celantro, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Soaked over night.
Sounds yummy. Roasted then
Shredded for tacos.

I've made pato asada with a marinade and put that stuff on top of the tacos after grilling it. You want duck breasts to look like backstrap after cooking.

 

[ilovesprig]

Jeff,

We ate some ducks (gadwalls, mallards, & bw's) from opening day in Montana....I have never seen wild ducks with so much white fat (looked like a bucks back)....Grilled with skin on.....Absolutely delish with horseradish.

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Mallards are usually everyone's favorite, and I think teal are great eating little birds, but I'll take a spoonie over all! Lol jk.. actually I don't mind them really. I can't pass up taking down a drake spoon if I have a shot. Honestly though I think the biggest factor of good eating ducks is that most people overcook them. A duck breast should be treated like a steak, no more than medium rare.

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[FISHNFRANK]

I think one of the worst eating ducks are gadwall, I’d rank them below spoonie. Not sure why, they’re such good looking birds and one of the most plentiful big ducks