Anyone else hunting sea ducks right now?

[TheCoachZed]

...well, not at this exact minute. But the NB sea duck season opened Monday and I've been out in my buddy's skiff twice. So far we've bagged four eiders and six oldsquaws. We passed on a LOT of oldsquaws today because we were initially confused about whether or not they were legal to shoot. If we'd shot at them, we would have easily limited out. They seem very, very stupid! They are nowhere near as wary as eiders, although they are just as tough . . .

I wish we could still shoot black ducks. It's unreal to see the numbers of them still around, and we could hunt them from shore. We had to pass on a couple pairs of shell ducks, too.

 

[M12shooter]

What do you do with sea ducks once you have shot them... can't be worth eating?

 

[steve-o1979]

What do you do with sea ducks once you have shot them... can't be worth eating?

Most people around here (southwest nova scotia) would much rather eat a sea duck or a coot over any other kind of duck.

 

[Pudelpointer]

What do you do with sea ducks once you have shot them... can't be worth eating?

I went down this road a few years back when a 'back easter posted some pics of the merganzers he had shot (and was very happy about BTW). FWIW, fish eating ducks are not seen the same way there, as they are here.

Here if someone yells "diver" when the ducks are coming in, no one shoots. I get a chance at ringnecked ducks, coots and goldeneyes every year, but I just can't bring myself to pull the trigger. I really want to try them, but.....

I will not even shoot shovellers (due to past experience).

 

[TheCoachZed]

Well they taste fine to me. Of course, my family says I will eat a car tire as long as it has syrup on it . . .

I cooked up an eider today. Had half of the breast for lunch, the other half for supper. Tasted good!

 

[sealhunter]

How many eiders and lords and ladies and turrs and mergansers and etc etc etc hounds etc etc have I eaten...hundreds

Shoot em up, !

 

[ben hunchak]

Okay, i think we need an interpreter here!!

 

[Boombb]

All that east coast speek and Screech wasnt in there at all.

 

[peddler]

Just waiting for the inevitable post, "oh, it tastes just like chicken!" I'll pass.

 

[TheCoachZed]

It certainly doesn't taste like chicken!

I wish we had turr here, sealhunter. I've never hunted them, but it sounds pretty extreme, from what I've read.

 

[Pudelpointer]

Okay, what are "lords and ladies, .... hounds" and "shell ducks"????

 

[sealhunter]

It certainly doesn't taste like chicken!

I wish we had turr here, sealhunter. I've never hunted them, but it sounds pretty extreme, from what I've read.

Turr huntin' ain;t for the hangashores let me tell ya.

De heve and hove of da sal####er in da middle of february... can be a wonderful day or your worst nightmare in a matter of minutes..

but it's some fun!

 

[sealhunter]

Okay, what are "lords and ladies, .... hounds" and "shell ducks"????

Lords and Ladies are a pair of Harlequin ducks (drake and hen)

Protected sine 1989 or 190 I believe... only a thousand or so left..

Hounds are Old Squaw and shell ducks are Mergansers..

 

[TheCoachZed]

around here, we call some other duck shell ducks, not mergansers . . . and we call scoters coots.

 

[G P]

We call mergansers 'shell birds' in Labrador.

 

[a j cave]

Out here we call coots crap

 

[mooncoon]

around here, we call some other duck shell ducks, not mergansers . . . and we call scoters coots.

Out here scoters are scoters. In salt water they are pretty strong but in fresh water they taste like liver. Coots are also known as mud hens and are a sort of round black duck with blue grey feet and beaks.

cheers mooncoon

 

[CV32]

You can have the mergansers, but other sea ducks and turres (murres) ... yummy.

 

[JamesM]

I've always wanted to try it but something about freezing temps and my lack of expireince on the bay keeps me from venturing forth.

 

[syecod]

ducks

[/IMG]

There is nothing ( OK almost nothing ) I would rather do than be duck hunting. But we can't for two reasons : 1st the St. Lawrence River is froze over and 2nd: the duck season is over!!