# Tablefare Of Different Ducks



## craig jansen (Nov 19, 2004)

Our first couple trips to North Dakota had us so spoiled, we pretty much tried to shoot nothing but greenheads, with the occasional widgeon or greenwing teal drake. The last couple of trips to North Dakota have been quite slower in the mallard department, but in our continued hopes of filling our tickets with mallards, we pass on a lot of other "small" ducks, if you will. This year, I'm bringing my first duck dog to North Dakota, so I want to give this new dog as much experience as I can in a week...which translates into shooting other species. I still hate to shoot ducks that I don't like to eat, so I'm wondering if there are any that should be avoided at all cost. I know mallards, pintails and teal are all great to eat (relatively speaking), and gadwalls and widgeons can hold their own, but how do shovelers, ringnecks, and bluebills stack up? Any thoughts?


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## tail chaser (Sep 24, 2004)

I myself don't like divers so I don't shoot them.

TC


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## jkern (Aug 10, 2005)

If you dont want to shoot birds you cant eat then dont even think about Spoonies. :lol:

The Bills and Necks arnt too bad, abit stronger than the better puddlers but edible.


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## bratlabs (Mar 11, 2005)

tail chaser said:


> I myself don't like divers so I don't shoot them.
> 
> TC


I personally dont like divers either. You cant beat woodduck breasts on a grill.


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

I personally don't think you'll have a problem shooting greenheads this year. From what I've seen so far around where I hunt the duck population is excellent. Everyday so far this early season we had greenies land in our goose dekes. I would just stick with mallards for the dog. Then you don't have to worry about taste. :beer:


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Stay away from spoonies and mergansers. Can't say I enjoyed the ruddy or two either that I've had. But other than that they've all been relatively tasty. I agree, woodies and teal are the number 1 and 2 best tasting of all.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I only shoot ducks that feed in stubble.....Mallards and Pintails.Everything else is stronger tasting.


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## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

Are Mallards and Pintails the only ducks to feed in stubble. Just wondering


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Widgeons & Wood Ducks also like grain fields besides Mallard & Pintails! Anything else is probably an accident!


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

I'm from Michigan, and we shoot quite a few divers here. I've eaten most of them, and *generally*, divers have a stronger flavor than puddlers. But a fat Canvasback or Redhead can be about as good as any duck, just a little different flavor. As others have suggested, avoid shovellers, mergies, and ruddies and you should be okay.


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## chrispbrown27 (Jul 29, 2005)

I have eaten a spoonie or two (had a spoonie honey hole one opening morning a few years back) and I personally can't tell a difference in flavor. No mergansers but I have heard them compared to sucking on a sewer pipe. Ruddys are not legal here in Illinois so I can't say anything about them, though i have seen a few and would love tobe able to take one for mounting. As with any meat if ya marinade it right the flavor can be altered. (this is probably why I can't tell a difference in the species) Many people consider snow geese trash birds but I've never had a problem eating them, its just a matter of how you cook them and season them. Garlic is the greatest spice in the world, I believe that if you gave me a bottle of garlic salty I could make just about anything tasty! And no I'm not willing to test this.


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## The Warden (Jul 2, 2005)

As a rule of thumb:

If the duck eats fish...it ain't a duck. Other than that their all good, especially wrapped in bacon.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

A number of years ago we did a taste test. Took Spoonie, Teal, mallard, redhead,Wid, and Gads, Cut the breasts into strips and seasoned all the same and cooked them all the same!

The result was Teal, Wigeon,Gads, Redhead, Mallard, Spoonies. With the Mallard and Spoonie being at a tie. We did this at a game feed, and the people testing simply had a # to chose. The guys serving did not even know what was what!

So in regards to table fair, shoot away and do not worry about taste.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

We'll give you all of Monte spoonies then and We'll take all the mallards.....................................DEAL?????? :lol:


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Don't forget Dano's favorite, the ND Black duck, you know the one with the white on its head!!!!! oke:


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

i have founfd that removing the entrails immeadiatly has obvious positive effects on any bird either upland or waterfowl. Some guys carry birds around all weekend before breasting or feathering, and wonder what the problem is? -- try leaving a deer on top of your car for a couple of days then gut it and taste the dif.

Later in the year when the pinfeathers are grown in and the nights are in the 20-30 range and the days in the 40's I often gut and pluck my birds while waiting in the blind then hang them or lay on the cool garage floor for a couple of days -- then wax them to get the fuzz off

try roasting a pair of ducks stuffed with onion,apple,pears in a roasting pan surrounded by potatoes and carrots soaked in red wine Life is good


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## Curtis (May 5, 2005)

Wood ducks and teal IMO are the bests. That redhead I shot last weekend tasted better than anything though......best diver I ahve eaten. I never had a problem eating buffelheads, or mallards.

Curtis


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## ND4LIFE (Sep 3, 2004)

I beleive it has alot to do with how you prepare them. Duck breast is a red meat, so prepare it like a steak, med rare to medium, it doesn't take long and is the world of difference. I have heard soaking stronger birds in milk takes some of the harshness away. I grill most of my duck breats, for the stronger birds I will add seasonings like, BBQ, italian dressing and for real strong birds I love Jerk marianade. I prefer Walkerswood, found in jar, paste form. Thin coat, grill medium rare, Its spicy so watch out. :beer: I have also had good success with kaboobs wrap a strip around a hot pepper, then bacon around that, again med to med rare. mmmm good

My favorite is Canvasback, there is a reason they were the most expensive in market hunting days.


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Hey Craig

Here's the scoop on the different ducks. Our family generally shoots many different kinds each year. Early in the season, the only ducks you want to shoot are the blue winged teal, woodies, and mallards. Most of the other local ducks don't have much meat on their bones, and tend to be shallow puddle ducks with lesser table fare qualities. You really can't beat early season blue winged teal and woodies, but they skip town within the first week of October en masse most every year. The first cold snap below 32 degrees overnight and they vanish south!

Later in the year, when you start seeing the migrating populatins coming down, you will notice the "northern migraters" having substantially more body fat. This applies to most every species. We have eaten "northern" gadwall, widgeon, and spoonies that were every bit as delicious as the mallards and pins.

However as others have mentioned here, the best table fare ducks later in the season IMNSHO (in order of table quality given that you shot a larger northern migrater) are:

1. Canvasbacks (king of ducks both in table quality and hunting experience)
2. Mallards
3. Bluebills (Lesser Scaup)
4. Widgeon or Pintails

After that it is a tossup. Many people in ND don't realize the value of Cans and bluebills on the table. I guess not many have had the ultimate experience of being on bigger water and having those big northern divers come buzzing over your head or down the shoreline in flocks of 20 along Devils Lake. THAT is an experience like none other!

My :2cents: 
Good luck everyone!

Benelli


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## blackls2 (Sep 22, 2005)

I've recently tried some new sausages a friend of mine brought to the bear hunt camp. They were quite good, except for the #4 steel shot i chewed on. I asked him what kind of moose or deer he had shot with a shotgun to which he replied , some duck and geese. I was quite surprised, and I think that your duck or goose or whatever can taste great when mixed with 50% pork.

(oh yeah, they were honey garlic) :beer:


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