Trash ducks...is there such a thing?

[Wingman]

Okay, boys, we all know that everybody loves the mallards. I see a good many sprigs throught the season and enjoy shooting one to fill in my "off ducks" when I get the chance. I even like taking a big ole whiteheaded widgeon when the opportunity arises. But 6 gadwalls makes me just as happy. Now if I can take home four or better yet, six GWT, then I'll give you three days worth of mallards! But you know, some folks think mallards are the ONLY duck. I see alot of different hunters from all over the country when I guide. Some folks get a big kick out of shooting shovelers or scaup or ruddies. Heck, I guess it all depends on what you are used to. But it really irks me when folks will shoot a limit, only to throw away the ducks that aren't mallards. We tell our boys, if you shoot it, you pay for it to get cleaned, and you take it home. How do y'all feel about "off" ducks?
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Wingman

[Bluesky]

$hit ducks...Scaup, Coots, Mergansers, Spoonies, other fish eaters etc.

Quality Ducks....Mallard, Teal, Woodie, Pintail

Mid Tier Ducks....Gadwalls, Wigeon

[Wingman]

So you're saying a Canvasback is a trash duck? Man, they have legs that'd make buffalo wings run for cover. Shovelers from the rice fields taste as good as mallards; but only when they've been there a few days.



Wingman

[chance]

No one is including the Quest duck. The big black. The others fly if he is in the crowd.

[Delta Duck]

I don't eat those trash Black Ducks. Those ducks taste better on the wall.

[judge jb]

like everyone else i prefer the dabblers or puddle ducks... i just make sure to freeze the divers in seperate bags so i get no suprises...haha... they go good in gumbos and soups... they just need a little more attention, and i have never been able to give enough attention to a coot.....haha...

judge jb

[Jeff]

WEll anyone that only eats mallards never hunted in S. Louisiana. If you waited for mallards all day you would probably let 4-500 ducks go by and may still not finish with a limit of mallards. I like all puddle ducks and will eat most diving ducks. They are not my first duck to shoot, but if I shoot them I eat them period. My grandma can make a jam up gumbo with poole deau, as with divers. For example last Christmas when I was home and there was no water in the marsh but I told her there were plenty dos gris on the lake. She gave me two boxes of shells and said hunt every day till them shells are gone and I got some dos gris. Man that was some good eatin stuff. Now can I cook them like her heck no, but they are pretty good if you do it right, if you do it wrong, well better eat the pot rather than the birds. Mergansers nope won't shoot them for anything, YUK! and PEWEY!

[GulfCoast]

I like to shoot my limit of mallards as much as anyone, but I don't think that there are any trash ducks, other than sawbills. A mottled duck is just a mallard that does not migrate any more, for crying out loud! We play a joke on folks frequently at duck camp by making "spoonie gumbo" or "marinated spoonie breasts" and the loud mouthed mallard-only boys never know the difference until we coast boys tell them. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] Its all in how you fix it. If you shoot it, eat it. All that said, I would rather eat wood ducks and teal if I had my druthers.

[Blackduck]

Without a doubt teal and woodies are the best. Mallards are very good and make up in size what little they lack in taste. Haven't eaten enough sprigs to have an opinion. Widgeon and greys are just fine with me. Rice field hollywoods are better than expected. Cans are also better than expected. Dos gris and fishy hollywoods can be made down rite tasty in a thick brown roux with some sausage. The only duck I refuse to eat and try not to shoot is a ring neck or ringbill. Tough to clean and fowl( [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] to eat. I'd rather chew on aluminum foil than waste my time eating them. Divers may not be the best but if you can be proficient at shooting the little black darts than you have accomplished something. Everytime I think that I am becoming a good shot God sends those blistering black missles my way and I end up on my ass. I honestly think that teal are easier to shoot. At least they usually come in large numbers and you can get lucky.

[BirdDawgHunter]

In these days of P.C., you shouldn't refer to any of them as "trash". Maybe "less desirable" would be better, and more accurate. However much or little you desire a duck, if you kill it you damn well better eat it or know someone who will.

[Welldoggie]

woodies and teal are my eating preference without marinade...just salt, pepper, bread and fry.

And, we're always disappointed if don't at least get a group of mallards to work the spread...but, if it flys over and is legal, we won't discriminate. The "gamey" ones just get more doctoring if required.

[goosebruce]

We kill plenty of tasteys, so I don't pull the trigger on sumthing that aint. Don't care if 4 days worth of secret marniating makes it good, why kill something that hard to eat? To quote stano, you could marniate a dog turd in dales sauce and make it edible, that don't mean I want to eat one. Can's didnt impress me, sho pretty to see fly, but didnt do much for me on the grill. Teal babies get the nod for me, they dont even get froze at my house, straight on the grill. Widegons will outeat a mallard any day, and you cant tell the difference from a bean field gadwall and mallard cept for size. Beware though, not all gaddies are created equal... Kill an early arrival that been on a fish pond eating green slime for a month, and you'll swear off them for a while. Aint never aint no shovelhead, and dont plan too, save yo recipies. Only cleaned one blackjack, might be the tasteys thang that flies, but I wont be cleaning another one so its a moot point (flying squirrels they are!). travis

[dos gris]

1) Coot anin't no fish eater.

2) Nothin beats a teal on the grill.

3) Blackjacks are damn good eatin and by the way they too are seed eaters.

[Unkljohn]

I eat what ever I shoot. So I really try hard not to shoot "Smiling Mallards" it only takes one of those to make you alot more careful [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] Mergansers are definately off limits too [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] I try not to shoot the Ringnecks, but if I do they end up in a pot of gumbo.
I shoot and eat Mallards, Gadwalls, Widgeons, Woodies,Pintails,and Teal. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[RedEyed Duck]

Mergansers are definitely off limits.... Everything else tends to make pretty good table fare and excellent camping food if marinated properly. I agree with all those who stated, "if you shoot it you better eat it or know someone that will."