Ducks, ain't they something?

Ducks are all fine and dandy until you eat one.
4abc76ff29b26fc1.jpg
 
Nice art work. Waterfowl was my #1 passion for a very long time. I'd deer hunt until duck season opened then put the rifle up. A lot more fun to shoot 25 shells a day than one shot (maybe) a year.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-16 AT 11:19PM (MST)[p]So true 911, they aren't moose meat, are they.

There are folks that claim they can mak'em tasty but they've never had me over for dinner.

I haven't hunted ducks in over 40 years, got spoiled hunting them in Alberta many years ago but never could make it work down here in the P/J, so I hunted what was more available. Since I retired (actually, since I got fat and lot my ability to handle the steep stuff) I've had this burning urge to get back to the marsh. Killing steaming doves is a challenge, same for pass shooting pheasants, in a screaming wind, but there is nothing more fun than shooting ducks, spilling air, over a itty bitty pothole, tucked up against a willow patch, at sun set. Got to get back to it somehow. Maybe a walkabout up to Saskatchewan this fall would scratch that itch for me.

Oh ya eel, it really is all about pressing that trigger, isn't it. I love those deer, the aspens, the pines and the timberline but running a box of shells through a 12 gauge is the best. You got any secret duck sausage recipes for 911 and I?

39488ducks.jpg


DC
 
1911 there is a restaurant in Durango, Colorado that serves duck with a cherry sauce glaze that will change your mind about duck being tasty. while eating there you can watch the narrow gage steam locomotive heading out for Silverton.

RELH
 
When it came to waterfowl I was much more a trophy hunter than I was a meat hunter.:) I'd travel hundreds of miles to hunt a species I hadn't taken.

I've eaten more than my share and they're all pretty much just okay. Black Brant or a valley Canvasback would be my favorite. I had several friends who liked duck and I kept them well supplied. One old timer would give me a box of shells for a limit of ducks.
 
Love to see all the empty 12 gauge hulls I've shot up growing up.....bought my first 870 remington 12 gauge and a case of shells for 158.00....I was 14....by January I was buying more shells...needless to say I did plenty of Duck and Goose pickin too..
 
I wish I could have acquired a taste for them, it may have given me more incentive to driven back to the old haunts, years ago.

Now domestic duck is an entirely different matter, I have eaten many of those and find them very good. Not at all the same flavor in my opinion.

Some times one of my Uncles would grow seed peas and after they were harvested he'd flood the field for a few days. Water, dry peas, and ducks are just about as wild a hunting experience as I have ever had. Honestly when those northern migrating mallards found those pea fields I think you could have stood out there and knocked them out of the air with 9 iron.

As a kid with a short barreled shotgun, it was days in the field I'll never forget.

DC
 
Soak breasts in buttermilk over night. Blot dry with a paper towel. Wrap thin cut breast meat around a green chili then wrap with bacon. Grill as desired.

I used to give away all my ducks to a guy to make jerky until I was given this recipe.
 
I agree Longun, that is a pretty picture. I wish it was mine but I have to confess it was one I came across on the internet so I can't take credit for it, but........it's a perfect image of mallards dropping Into a marsh. Make's my heart beat faster just looking at it. :)

DC
 
1- Salt brine the breast meat for at least 12 hours

2- trim and cut into small cubes

3- fry hot in a skillet

4- turn the electric skillet down way low and cover the meat with beef gravy.

5- cover and keep skillet temp low so it just bubbles every few minutes

6- cook for 3-4 hours

7- serve over rice with a side citrus flavored leaf salad.

This is the best way to eat waterfowl (according to my clan) and often my adult kids ask me to make it for them.

aout the only thing I like to shoot that I won't eat is a coyote and I've never been tempted to try them at all. haha

Thanks 2Lumpy for the beautiful art and wonderful memories of my countless hours in the marsh, ponds and fields!

Zeke
 
TeeHee, Zeke and coloradoman, against my better judgement, I'm going to give both your recipes a try. Truth is I can't image either changing the taste enough to meet my palette's objections but I'm a guy who can't understand why some folks say antelope meat is nasty, when I love it, so as they said in Dumb and Dumber........so there is a chance.....! I regularly get after friends for giving away their antelope, so I'll try ducks......again.

Whether duck meat rocks your world or not, they are an amazingly beautiful animal and when spilling air in order to quickly drop into a small pond, they are as challenging as anything I've ever tried to shoot (limited as it is) and I think the entire experience is something every hunter should try to have, at least once in their lives. I intend to do all I can, to do it again.

As I've aged, my interests have evolved, as my physical strength has declined, I have been in a pretty constant assessment of "what can I still do, within in my present constraints" to stay active in the lifestyle. I can no longer pack out elk, a quarter at a time, I can no longer hike into timberline meadows at 11,000 feet for mule deer, I can't drop into the deep rocky canyons for brown trout, but there are still a whole lot of thinks I can do and I'm continually adjusting to those things. As a youth I loved hunting ducks, then moved to an entirely different environment and ducks were not part of my last 40 years, but as things in my life have changed again, I am going to take a run at getting back to ducks and renewing some of those early experiences of my youth, cuz I think it's something I can still do and I think I'll get as much pleasure out of it as I did chase bucks and bulls for the last 40 years.

Regardless, they are a colorful, visually appealing critter, and as eel said, worth long drives, to hunt the many varieties available across the country. I suppose it's a bit of nostalgia and "attempting to relive the past" that some old men are want to do, but what the heck, as long as we're having a good time, I'm perfectly happy with reliving the old days. Makes me happy. :)

DC
 
where you at 2lumpy? Someday I'd happily invite you to my place to change your mind about wild ducks! I love (most of) them! There are definitely a few crucial things you need to do, and plucking the breasts and a proper sear with the right seasoning/sauce pairing makes a world of difference. I've managed to convert every naysayer who's managed to sit at the table so far (about a dozen or so). Not everybody is willing to put in the effort for them, but a nice seared teal, mallard, or widgeon breast rare with crispy skin is a thing of pure beauty. And if you learn how to make confit, you'll never leave the legs in the carcass again and with that method even shovelers are tasty.
 
CaElkSlayer & FishLakeElkHunter Will Argue with You NaySayers!

Problem is:

I Never Could Gut a Raw Quacker!:D








[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
Place duck breasts on roasting pan.

Top with thick slab bacon pieces.

Place in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Feed duck breasts to dog.

Make Bacon/Lettuce/Tomato sandwich with extra mayo on sourdough bread.

Delicious!
 
>Place duck breasts on roasting pan.
>
>
>Top with thick slab bacon pieces.
>
>
>Place in oven at 400 degrees
>for 20 minutes.
>
>Remove from oven.
>
>Feed duck breasts to dog.
>
>Make Bacon/Lettuce/Tomato sandwich with extra mayo
>on sourdough bread.
>
>Delicious!

I've Been Waitin for somebody to Post this Recipe!:D










[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
Wahoo johnnycake, I'm your huckleberry!!!!

So the question is not "where am I at", the real question is, "Where are you?" Cuz........I'm headed your way, what time's dinner. :)

Seriously, I'm in south central Utah and I would be more than happy to drive anywhere, within 350 miles, in any direction to learn how to prepare duck that's as you've described.

Maybe I'll load up 1911, if he's willing, on my way. Two for the price of one? ;)

Regardless, thanks for the recipe and the offer.

DC
 
>Place duck breasts on roasting pan.
>
>
>Top with thick slab bacon pieces.
>
>
>Place in oven at 400 degrees
>for 20 minutes.
>
>Remove from oven.
>
>Feed duck breasts to dog.
>
>Make Bacon/Lettuce/Tomato sandwich with extra mayo
>on sourdough bread.
>
>Delicious!

Well Mr Mbogo, I guess the dog has to eat too!
Zeke
 
BC. one of my son's was invited to hunt ducks with FishLake and CaElk a couple of years, he had a great time. Even shot a few ducks.

Besides the good company, he was most impressed with a huge container (barrel) of hot wax, that they dipped ducks into, to remove their feathers. Now......... those ole boys are into duck hunting, a barrel of hot wax is a dead give-a-way. :)

I actually thought I had a trade with CaElk worked out, for a trip over, but we couldn't ever seem to get the schedules to line up so I gave up on it.

If you would get your sorry a$$ retired, maybe there would be someone that would go prowling the north country with me. It's the sh!ts when all your old buddies either die off, get too stoved up to move or loose interest.

DC
 
there is a reason that market hunting nearly wiped out water fowl and it was not because they tasted bad, a good chef will have you back for seconds with coot.there is certainly more effort in cooking waterfowl but if its not very good you dont have the bird to blame.keep trying good luck.
 
You're right WF, however........................ times and palette's change, from one generation to another. My folk's favorite meal was fried oysters and steer brains. It was nearly a neighborhood ritual, back in the 1950's remote farm community I lived in. I've tried both, the mere thought of trying either again, makes my stomach turn. I don't even want to be in the same room with that stuff, even the smell is nauseous, to me. I've eaten Prairie Oysters, ie calf testicles, since I was 4 or 5 years old and on numerous other occasions, when some cow hand challenges me to "try their recipe". Nope, they still taste like mussy nuts to me, no matter how I've had'em. Thanks but no thanks.

Having said that, sometimes we acquire a taste for something, through need or otherwise. Such as, I used to think diet Coke tasted like rat poison but after a need to reduce my sugar/calorie intake I forced myself to drink diet Coke long enough that I eventually acquired a powerful thirst for it. Now, rather than referring to it as "rat poison", I refer to it as "Nectar From The Gods".

Based on that "educational experience", I'm willing to try duck meat, yet again, albeit, I'm reserving my final opinion until I've processed a mouth full or two. :) Just saying, I'm all in, to try again, but I can rapidly go to full retreat, without waiting for permission.

DC
 
Zeke, a few years ago my boys brought home a couple of limits, to make jerky. Their buddies had told them how great it tasted. I thought hmmm, maybe. Duck jerky, marinated, slow dried/cooked, smoky,......... maybe, just maybe, that might turn the corner for me. So off we went, carving, and processing, 4 or 5 pounds of mallard, cinnamon teal breasts.

Without going into lengthy details, the boys were not impressed and either dog would touch it. So...... I'm not buying the "dog will eat it" bit either. At least until I try your slow cooked beef gravy proposal!!!!!!

Yet, I've sure got the itch to go "trophy duck hunting", as per eel's definition.

DC
 
"6- cook for 3-4 hours"

No offense to Zeke or anyone else, but there are a few species of sea ducks I've shot that, if you cooked them in the house for 3-4 hours, you'd have to get new carpet and re-paint the inside of the house. :D:D
 
DeLoss, yes Scott had a good time out here with FLEH and me. He was a pleasure to take hunting too. If you find yourself out this way between now and late January, we could take you out as long as I'm not already committed to take someone else.

And I'd damn sure show you how good ducks can be when you know how to care for and cook them. FLEH and another buddy will be hunting with me in early January. Really looking forward to seeing those guys as we've had some excellent duck hunts over the years.
 
My Bad!

I Meant CAElknuts!









[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
In all honesty, I used to hunt waterfowl pretty hard years ago. I made jerky out of everything.
I have eaten duck at restaurants and enjoy it, duck confit is great.
But there is a big difference between a Muscovy that has been fed nothing but grain it's whole life and an old wild widgeon that eats grass, weeds, snail ass, slugs, worms and who knows what.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-16 AT 11:39PM (MST)[p]You're a riot eel. They say that the best comedy is always better when it's half true. You print some pretty incredible mental images. Key word there......

Oh ya Mbogo, been there, done that.... but you can get burnt, eating those delicacies too.... Back in the 80's I owned a partnership with a few Apple Computer retail stores. In those day's Apple rewarded it's successful dealers pretty handsomely. Our stores won some kind of sales award and were invite to a big shindig in San Francisco. In as much as it included a fairly hefty monetary component, we all decide to treat ourselves to a "big city" night on the town and ended up on top of some old down town, high grade Chinese restaurant, where I proudly announce, I'm order'en "Peking Duck" tonight. It was dang good, and I picked my way through all the bones they'll chopped throw with the meat clever, and was feeling all smug with myself. ABOUT THAT TIME..... I noticed this little 2 inch black/purple thingy, that looked way too much like a swamp leach. Believing it wasn't, I pop it my mouth. Biiiiiiggggggg mistake. I mean, life altering. I went from arrogant, "YOUR DAMN RIGHT, MEET THE WORLD'S BEST COMPUTER SALES REP, JERK, to a sweating, screaming, red faced, did I say red faced, screaming, pouring sweat, panty wasted, whimping #####". That sucker was so hot it literally left blisters on the top of my mouth and the top of my tongue. Never had a blister on top of my tongue before, it was enlightening and/or igniting, to say the least. I could not taste a thing for nearly three weeks. So...... ya, I understand, not all duck is created equal.

Don, I very much appreciate the invitation. I surely well may take you up on your offer. I'll leave you alone until after Christmas and the grandkid's visits, then check in and we'll see if we can't make it work. I can't imagine anything more fun. Take care of the Hatfield boys, I hear they can hold their own when push comes to shove. :)

Well I'm off to bed gentlemen, it's been a pleasure to exchange with you today. I've got to go locate a few cow elk, for a good MM friend's son, that's head this way in a few days. The sun still comes up here, well before morning, so I've got to hang it up a little early tonight. I'll not be hunting ducks tomorrow, it's back to those smelly ole elk.

DC
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-16 AT 11:48PM (MST)[p]Restaurant duck are farm raised birds. No comparison to wild birds. Only way I can eat waterfowl is cook the breast medium rare and cover in a glaze, gravy or some type of sauce. Once it gets past medium rare, it starts taking on that nasty liver taste. I've been known to mix in a handful of ground breasts in with 10 lbs of elk or deer burger. No one has been able to pick out the duck yet.
 
I've had the honor of hunting with CAelknuts on his waterfowl property. Not only is Dan a most gracious host, he happens to own the best duck hunting spot in California. The 50 mph winds that day raised heck with my shooting ability or we would of had easy limits. An experience I will forever be grateful for, and certainly never forget.
 
dang it fellas, I forgot all about my younger days and hunting ducks. With all this talk it brings up many memories, makes me want to go buy a canoe and throw out a few decoys again :)
Plus my mouth is watering, want to shoot some so I can try new recopies out now.

I had one hat trick as a kid shooting ducks, I was so dang excited and happy that day! nearly tipped the canoe over celebrating. Dad was getting nervous to say the least :D

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
Well since I relocated to Anchorage recently it might be a while lumpy. But I'll try to remember ya next time I'm in Utardia and have some ducks on hand.
 
Myself as well as my boys will happily eat a grilled canvasback breast prepared the same way I might cook a steak.
Living in the San Joaquin valley we at least have decent duck hunting for about a month and a half...
 
>"6- cook for 3-4 hours"
>
>No offense to Zeke or
>anyone else, but there are
>a few species of sea
>ducks I've shot that, if
>you cooked them in the
>house for 3-4 hours, you'd
>have to get new carpet
>and re-paint the inside of
>the house. :D:D


Eel,
I'm sure I've seen a sea duck but certainly never tried to hunt, cook and eat one. Don't they dwell around that deep, scary stuff called sal water AKA "sea"? No thanks, I'm not that brave.
Mallard, widgeon and teal are the Ducks of choice but even ruddy ducks, buffleheads and golden eye are not too bad and well worth the effort.
It's actually piquing my appetite with all this talk about fowl fare!
Zeke
 
At the turn of the century a plate of roasted Canvas Back would cost you over $4.00 dollars (more than a $100 dollars at today's price).

Back then Canvas back was the food of the very rich.
 
>At the turn of the century
>a plate of roasted Canvas
>Back would cost you over
>$4.00 dollars (more than a
>$100 dollars at today's price).
>
>
>Back then Canvas back was the
>food of the very rich.
>
Yes you got 2 dinners for 1 clams and Shoveler meat.
 
Used to wrap all of mine in bacon and sprinkle with cajun seasoning. Tasted
party darn good. The wife used to take every bit of my early season bag to
her school for the Thanksgiving feast. The kids couldn't get enough.

Last trip out a bunch of breasts came directly off the bird in to some cast iron
with a good amount of butter and some Montreal Steak Seasoning. Outstanding.
Probably the way I'll go from here on out.

Im convinced the bird makes the meal. If I could kill nothing but greening teal every outing
that would make for some great eats.






"If the DWR was just doing its job, and
wildlife and hunting were the actual focus,
none of this process would even matter.
But that is not the focus or the goal in any
of this. The current DWR regime, and
SFW were born out of wildlife declines,
and are currently operated and funded
under that paradigm. Those 200 Expo
tags would not even be worth anything if
the focus was where it was supposed to
be, and wildlife and tags were plentiful.
But under the current business model,
that is how the money and power is
generated. It is generated through the
rising "value"(monitization) of a declining
resource. A resource that is supposed to
be being beneficially managed for the
masses that own that resource, ie. US.
The problem is obvious, hedging is not a
long term sustainable strategy, and
others have to lose, for some to win. In
this case it is us, the many, and our
resources, that are being forced to lose,
because there is a minority who's power
and money is derived from our loses."

LONETREE 3/15/16
 
Ducks are the most vile, horrible, bad tasting game I have ever ate. Well, a Sage Hen is close. I have tried about every method there is to make them taste good.

I do not believe anyone who says that they can make them taste.
It is nothing more than the hunter, who loves duck, not wanting to admit they are horrible.

Junior shot his first duck the other day. I decided that I better take a lot of time and prepare it. I plucked it, soaked and created a brine. I then stuffed it with fruit, put it on the traeger and anxiously waited. It looked great when it cam e off the grill.

We took a bite out of that duck and just about gagged.

From now on, I am donating all my "Quakers" to Bessy.......
 
>Ducks are the most vile, horrible,
>bad tasting game I have
>ever ate. Well, a
>Sage Hen is close.
>I have tried about every
>method there is to make
>them taste good.
>
>I do not believe anyone who
>says that they can make
>them taste.
>It is nothing more than the
>hunter, who loves duck, not
>wanting to admit they are
>horrible.
>
>Junior shot his first duck the
>other day. I decided
>that I better take a
>lot of time and prepare
>it. I plucked it,
>soaked and created a brine.
> I then stuffed it
>with fruit, put it on
>the traeger and anxiously waited.
> It looked great when
>it cam e off the
>grill.
>
>We took a bite out of
>that duck and just about
>gagged.
>
>From now on, I am donating
>all my "Quakers" to Bessy.......
>

NO You're Not woodruff!:D:D:D










[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
I prefer Mallards due to their large meaty breasts. Come to think of it I prefer my women that way also.
I slice the breast meat about 3/8 inch thick. light season with pepper & salt and garlic powder. Flour coat the breast slices and fry to a medium rare. Give it a try.

Eel you are right about those sea ducks, since they will eat small fish in the bay, they taste like crap.

RELH
 
Wow...I need to come on here more often.

Well, I will say that I was a HUGE naysayer about eating any ducks or geese! They are awful!!!! Until my first trip out hunting with CAElknuts. Dan knows how to cook them up right. I will confirm that I hated them...until I tasted those on that first trip. Now, every year I enjoy going back and shooting and EATING ducks with Dan.

2Lumpy, you are right, the wax method of cleaning them is amazing and something to behold.

CaElknuts......see you in a couple weeks!!
 
Eel, there is no way I'd eat any seaduck. Not oldsquaws, eiders, scoters or Harlequins. But, I'll taken any black brant you might have. I'll also eat canvasbacks if they come from the rice country, they're excellent then.

Zeke, there is no way I'd ever eat a ruddy, bufflehead or whatever that 3rd species was that you listed.

Now, if you take some good rice fed birds, most species that live and eat rice or corn in Sacramento Valley are pretty good, even spoonies or ringnecks if their breast skin is white (which means they've been eating lots of rice). You just have to brine them well, then cook them to medium rare and they're delicious. If the birds breast skin is purple, red or orange, or any color other than white or yellowish white, the bird probably won't be great eating.

The best species of ducks for eating are wood ducks, green wing teal, pintails, and then mallards followed by wigeon then the rest. The only goose I get excited about eating is specklebellies, and they're also the most fun to hunt over decoys, IMO. I've shot thousands of ducks and geese over the last 49 years, and eaten a good many too. The ones that were bad are less than 1%, way less.

We generally don't shoot at ducks that aren't good eating species unless someone wants to mount a bufflehead, goldeneye or one of the other species that generally eat poor. NEVER eat a merganser!!!!
 
I am very much hoping to taste Sacramento rice fed duck CAelknuts. If your offer is still open, after the 1st of January, I'll be howling at the door.

When are you headed down FishLakeElkHunter?

What could be better than adding a new meat to the kitchen menu. Especially a meat that you've long ago given up trying. Dan, do you train Hunters/Chefs in the culinary arts, along with a seat in the duck blind?

But, no oysters please, I don't hunt those, so I guess that means I don't have to eat'em..,, Anytime i get near the coast start I watch looking over my shoulder, for someone offering a plate of steaming oysters...... nasty!

DC
 
It really does boil down (pardon the pun) to location and what the birds diet is. I live on the coast, and any duck that spends much time in salt water gets pretty gamy, with the exception of Brant of course. They are an ocean bird and strictly vegetarian (eelgrass).

And the tendency is to cook ducks well done, but that is the worst thing you can do. Medium or medium rare.

I wish I had grown up in the valley instead of the coast when it come to eating ducks, but you know the old saying "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."
 
Hi DeLoss, I just left a message for a buddy of mine to get the lowdown on the duck n goose season he's having in Southern MO near Cape. I'll let you know what I find out. Maybe he can hook us up in the future!

Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
Only after you take me up on a Utah deer/elk hunt Joe. :)

Funny how I've all of a sudden got this interest in ducks again.

With all my routing around about it, a couple of my grandson's have gotten interested too and been out working the small creek inlets, that are still not froze shut and are few yards wide, where they enter our irrigation reservoirs. They hauled me along Saturday afternoon/evening to "keep them flying", and do a little calling. It was great. They shot a couple mallards an a green winged teal. I'm afraid I've started another bad habit....

They promised they were going to cook them!!!! Mmmm.

Good to hear from you Joe,

DC
 
Now that's a deal!
Sounds like you had a great time with your grandkids.
I think you opened up another can of worms with the duck hunting again.

My brother in law Jr. and I hunted for the first time in several years, on the way out to the blind he looked at me and said "you know, I forgot how much I like this"

It's addicting

Your friend
Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
Yep, I certainly had forgotten how much I enjoyed it years ago and hope to get back at it.

DC
 
I do not think diver ducks taste as good as puddle ducks, however waterfowl definitely has its own taste. I like eating them, my girls love goose jerky.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
Farm Girl Cooks a Quacker!








[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
Daughters first duck today. Up at 3:50AM this morning to help set decoys in -2 degrees. Pounded this drake as he dumped in this morning. She might be hooked now.

26745image.jpg
 
Congrats to your daughter Cody!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas

Joe





"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
That mallard's neck looks like it has rigiormortis! ? Good job guys, your tougher than I. Not many young women would crawl in a duck blind, in the pitch black, at 0 degrees. Proud of you!

DC
 
Lumpy not rigamortis FROZEN! LOL!

Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
This guy keeps me going on the weekends, he loves to duck hunt. Our family loves to eat them, we brine them in saltwater and then fry them and make a gravy out of it with the meat left in and pour it over wild rice. Delicious!



18340image.jpg

Junior weekend 3 years ago.
1172image.jpg

First drake canvasback, this year.
14723image.jpg


30492image.jpg

First Brant, this year.
89489image.jpg


22928image.jpg

Kid does great! Been shooting a 12 ga. (Light loads in a semi-auto) since he was 8 he's 12 now.

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
That young man is getting a perfect education. That is a historic family record, Dad, good for you and your son. Can't think of a single thing Id rather see a family doing together.

Thank you for sharing those images.

DC
 
>That young man is getting a
>perfect education. That is
>a historic family record, Dad,
>good for you and your
>son. Can't think of
>a single thing Id rather
>see a family doing together.
>
>
>Thank you for sharing those images.
>
>
>DC
+1
 
Thank you guys. I really appreciate the kind words DC.

I take a ton of pics of my family while hunting and fishing most will never see the light of day but they are special to us.

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
16204image.jpg


Don't want anyone to think he's spoiled and doesn't work for his opportunities. Haha.

He's 10 in this pic and the hill is a bit steeper than it looks.

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
Bill, very nice! That's fantastic. It was a banner year here on the bay for Brant.

I think I know where he got the Cans. :)
 
Yeah we had quite a few brant here too Eel, very unusual for us. We always see a couple but this year I know of quite a few killed. I bet you do know where the cans were killed!

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
I have been doing my part to bring down the population of both Canada geese and Mallards.

Hunting fields for ducks is always fun. Hard to hide in Pea and Lentil fields, Snow is the great equalizer

goosehunting20174_zpsu4lo5oma.jpg


Cold helps too

coldgoosing8_zpsdiuryueg.jpg


goose20171_zpsrcnblijw.jpg


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LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-16 AT 10:48AM (MST)[p]NeMont, you're having way more fun than you deserve. :) :) :)

Those prairie grain and pea fields are monster duck and goose traps, when you know how to use them and you clearly do. It takes a savvy hunter to bang that many birds on a regular basis. Congratulations on getting it done. I'm neon green with envy.

DC
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-16 AT 11:51AM (MST)[p]eel,

I was questioning my sanity but once the action started it was fast and furious. Out in the field by 9am, home in my house by noon, a limit of mallards and 14 geese.

2Lumpy

We have had some great days lately. Will get after them again after Christmas. Son is home from college and his is a waterfowl addict

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74779_136257049858048_1040664375_n_zpsdhyyjopb.jpg


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1456554_255313377952414_2111155893_n_zpsrroafzrw.jpg


Even Swans

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10805622_403848539765563_6296409568979301648_n_zpsf6y1j1ye.jpg
 
Thats awesome Nemont! My 12 year old wants to come lve with you.....he'll i wanna come live with you!

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
Christmas, a son home from college, the Big Sky full of duck and goose down......... doesn't get any better than that. -32 is a touch ridged but it doesn't seem to be slowing down your swing. I'd be a quivering heap.

And by the way, those late season websters are sure fully colored and packing a heavy load. I suspect, if fowl can be made eatable, as many claim, those would be about as good as mother nature can provide.

Thanks for sharing your pics. NeM. Merry Christmas to all of you fowlers. Y'all have done nothing but further inflamed my desire to get back to the ponds and marshes.

DC
 
That Swan is awesome! Here in IL its a big No No to kill one those!

Merry Christmas to everyone

Joe


"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 

some last season hunts. Still working on this season's video.

We aren't professional camera men.

Nemont
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-16 AT 03:27PM (MST)[p]

Huntindad4,

You have your kid on the right path, I started my young too. He was kind of a scrawny kid back then, now 6ft2 and 220 lbs.

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Even started him on some of those damned exotics

100_0066.jpg
 
Muley, Huntindad, Nemont thanks for photos, brings back memories when I hunted waterfowl a lot in the 70's and 80's.

there are two kinds of ducks, "bull sprig and others" LOL.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"
 
Ain't Nobody that can Eat that many Quackers!

No Wonder Nemont is like He is!:D













[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-22-16 AT 07:26AM (MST)[p]> Ain't Nobody that can Eat
>that many Quackers!
>
>No Wonder Nemont is like He
>is!:D
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U.
>in My Future,Ya She's got
>a
>way with Words[/font]
>
>

Well Elkass,

I would rather be the way I am because of hunting ducks then be the way you are because of having too many gay lovers.

So it's all good.

Nemont
 
I got out this morning, Jan. 4th. with a couple friends who invited me on a Aleutian goose shoot. 3 of us shooting and we only got two flocks to come in, but we killed 16 birds.

A low of 40 degrees today. Burrrrr!

12989aleutiangeese2017003.jpg
 
>3 of us shooting and we only
>got two flocks to come
>in, but we killed 16
>birds.
>

3 guys, 2 flocks, 16 birds; that's good shooting!

(Assuming they weren't on the ground)
 
>>3 of us shooting and we only
>>got two flocks to come
>>in, but we killed 16
>>birds.
>>
>
>3 guys, 2 flocks, 16 birds;
>that's good shooting!
>
>(Assuming they weren't on the ground)
>

Nope. Part of one flock landed but none were shot on the ground.
 
Good on ya. Still banging away in January, can't do much better than that.

Those are interesting looking eel, hold one up so us Rocky Mt. boys can see what one looks like!!!

DC
 
Great read here!

>
>No offense to Zeke or
>anyone else, but there are
>a few species of sea
>ducks I've shot that, if
>you cooked them in the
>house for 3-4 hours, you'd
>have to get new carpet
>and re-paint the inside of
>the house.

This reminds me a couple years back we were killing a few honkers and one afternoon. My Non Hunting Mexican neighbor stopped by when we were unloading the truck. Attracted by the colorful plumage of the Honkers. He asked what we were going to do with them. I told him my son makes jerky out of them. He asked if they were good. I told him he could have one if he wanted. Off he went goose in hand proud as a strutting rooster. I didn't see him for a couple weeks then one day he shows up wanting something! I asked him how was the goose. He came unglued it was hilarious. He said his house still stinks. I asked why what happened. He said he took the goose in to his wife. They set up a camp stove in the basement filled a pot full of water boiled it for plucking the goose. In the house none the less.


Great pics and shoot Eel and Nemont.
Rutnbuck
 
Hi eel, 16 birds, 18 shells, that's some damn fine shooting brother Congrats!
My best for shooting multiply birds is 15 dove with 25 shells. Ive went 2 for 2 on Canada geese before but only a few times

Great shooting!
Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
Hunted in the cold and wind on Sunday to celebrate New Day 2017!!!

Had my son and my Buddy's son along.

Got 25 mallards, some are brown and 25 geese.

The day dawn cold, clear and Windy

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The results after an hour and a half. Got 25 mallards, yes I know some are brown and 25 geese.

double%20limit%20day2_zpsvfdze8ql.jpg


Nemont
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-05-17 AT 08:01AM (MST)[p]Thanks guys. I was actually the weak link that day, as I missed a couple shots. We had some doubles to make up for it though.

rutnbuck, that's funny.I feel his pain. haha!

Aleutian geese are pretty interesting. At one point back in the late 70's the population had dwindled down to less than 600 birds total, but they couldn't figure out why, as very little was known about them.

They finally located a few islands in the Aleutian chain where they nested. The islands were ideal nesting spots, but way back when, the Russians had planted foxes on the islands to raise for fur. The foxes were decimating the birds and nests. They removed the foxes and the geese came back big time. Last I read the population was pushing 650,000.

Now the limit is 10 per day with a late season here mid February to early March.

This is literally how it looked and sounded out over the decoys yesterday. What a thrill!

 
>
>Aleutian geese are pretty interesting. At
>one point back in the
>late 70's the population had
>dwindled down to less than
>600 birds total, but they
>couldn't figure out why, as
>very little was known about
>them.
>
>They finally located a few islands
>in the Aleutian chain where
>they nested. The islands were
>ideal nesting spots, but way
>back when, the Russians had
>planted foxes on the islands
>to raise for fur. The
>foxes were decimating the birds
>and nests. They removed the
>foxes and the geese came
>back big time. Last I
>read the population was pushing
>650,000.
>
>Now the limit is 10 per
>day with a late season
>here mid February to early
>March.
>

I was wondering about that because I thought they were "endangered" years ago, good to hear about the remarkable comeback.

[was only kidding about ground-swatting, not that there's anything wrong with that!]
 
Good stuff Eel! We haven't had many Aleutians stop this year. We will see how the late season goes.

Awesome hunt and cool pics NeMont.

We are still killing limits of Canvasbacks and a few Mallards.

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
Man I am jealous of being able to shoot some Cans. All we get this time of year is mallards and big Canada honkers.

Nemont
 
My goose hunting field as it looked a few days ago.

54154dry.jpg


My goose hunting field as of this afternoon. 1/9. Usually you can drive right to it.

Eel River runs along the right side of the photos.

85182ferndale.jpg
 
Yeah NeMont we are blessed with variety here as far as waterfowl species, only complaint would be we just don't get a lot of anything.

I saw those pics earlier Eel. A little wet in these parts too.

Bill

People who work for a living are quickly being
overwhelmed by people who vote for a living.
 
Eel,

that is some major flooding. Maybe your drought is over?

My fields are frozen solid but there are still birds around. On Sunday it was fast and furious.

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goosehunting20179_zpsnyykxx2k.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-10-17 AT 04:15PM (MST)[p]That's good stuff NeMont. Those birds look beautiful against a snow back drop. Fun, fun, fun!

Edit: Yes the drought in northern CA is over. Still tough in southern CA.
 
264mag,

Here is one of my favorites
enough for a daily limit of geese:

1 Gallon of apple cider, not apple juice
2 cups kosher salt
2 table spoons of Morton's Tender quick
some whole pepper corns, some whole allspice berries.
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste

Boil together until mixed and then pour into a container with on 7lb bag of ice, I use a food grade 5 gallon bucket.

Trim all fat, silver skin and blood shot meat off of goose.

Put goose breasts, thighs and legs in a container, again a food grade 5 gallon bucket works for me, and cover with brine, The meat has to be covered. I leave this in my beer fridge in the garage and stir daily for 5 to 6 days. Once out of the brine, rinse meat and let sit in clean, cold water for an hour and then air dry for 30 minutes. Brush with apple cider and sprinkle fresh cracked pepper on top.

Bring your smoker to 200 degrees and place meat on the racks until the internal temp of the meat reaches 135 to 140 deg. Remove from the smoker and let sit for a while. Usually you have to sample them. Slice thin and serve with pepper jack cheese and crackers.

I have standing orders for this every year and people will take them all so I don't have to worry about ever having too many birds.

Nemont
 
Another one is pulled goose:

Trim goose breasts of all fat, silver skin etc.

Put in a crock pot and add 2 onions quarters, garlic gloves and pepper corns. Pour in the cheapest 2 liter bottle of cola you can buy. Turn on high and walk away from it for up to 12 hours, Usually 8 is plenty.

The meat will pull just like pork, mix in your favorite BBQ sauce and server on a hamburger bun or Kaiser roll. Even the gals in the office will eat this one and like it.

Nemont
 

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