Ducks and Geese

[Islandbowhunter]

Tagged out this morning with a nice mountain spiker. Fortunately, I have a new Browning BPS on its way next week :lol:.

I saw a couple threads on Island ducks and geese, but only a bit on the quality of the meat...good eats?

[Ian F.]

I've eaten just about every species of waterfowl common in Canada and by and large they are all good eats. The limiting factor is the skill of the cook, and the dinner's willingness to eat it rare.

You will get off ducks every now and then, and you will have a badly shot bird from time to time, but the majority of birds are just fine!

I would suggest you shy away from Oldsquaw and mergs, more work then it's worth to put them too the table.

Very best,

ian

[303Brit]

As Ian has posted it's more about the cook then anything else. While you learn to cook them or with the ones that are kind of shot up, remove the bloodshot of course, then you can grind them or slice them and they make excellent jerky.


just my 303cents

[longshot]

what ever you do: DONT SHOOT MERGANSERS!!!!!!!!

Back when I was 10 (i am 15 now) I always couldn't tell between a merg and a pintail. I remember my first duck ever was a merganser and when i went in the boat to get it thinking it was a pintail, I could already smell it. I brought it back to my dad and he looked like he was going to puke when he smelt it. :lol:

We still took it home cause it was my first duck. After opening it up, it stunk even worse!!! Took a can of lysol to the kitchen to kill that fish odor.

jr.

[heyblast]

I agree about Oldsqaw, very poor eating duck as are Rudy ducks which I've only seen half a dozen of since I moved to B.C. Hooded Merganzers are alright to eat as they tend to eat more vegetation. I only clean birds that have a few pellet holes in the the breast the rest are breasted out used for jerky or ground. Steel shot and teeth are a poor combo. I think the best way to cook is in the barbecue on the rotisserie.

[blindman]

Maybe it's just me, but I tried soaking breasts in Diet Pepsi, and the second they hit the pop, blood starts coming out of the meat and after they are cooked, I'd swear that they taste milder, but still the way a duck should taste.

[Islandbowhunter]

Thanks for the replies everybody! What I'm wondering about is the diet of the birds...I see them in heavy agricultural areas, in the city, etc., and wonder if they're pesticide and pollutant-rich. Also the fact that they seem to not really migrate out of the area due to climate. Does lack of migration make any difference? I could be way off in my observations, I have not been out hunting ducks/geese for over 20 years, and never on the Island. Appreciate your input and experience...

[Ian F.]

Who and what else eats from those fields?

Yeah that's right, you and me and the critters we eat, worry not about that! Wild meat is as organic as you can get, and pretty damn tastey too!

Ian

[Islandbowhunter]

Yes, I agree about eating wild meat. And hunters ethically harvesting game quite possibly helps normalize the trend towards large-scale industrial agriculture, or at least influences the choice of amendments etcetera. Very eco-friendly. I'm just being super-cautious as I'm putting this food into my baby's mouth. I must say it makes me awful proud to feed the family game!!!