# Honest duck hunting question-now that the season is over



## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

My first real year duck hunting and I heard of a lot of folks avoiding the redheads. Why? They cooperate and are a blast to shoot. Shot lots of pintails and widgeon this year as well as blue bills, teal and Gadwall while filling our redhead limit. Why avoid them to begin with? They were fun for beginners, kids, and seasoned wingshooters.

Maybe some duck hunting code I didn't know about. Please explain. Not wanting to be dumb out there.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

If the limit on them was 6 I'd be more apt to shoot them. The problem is that in a lot of places - 2 redheads is ALL you might get to shoot. Who wants to spend all that effort on 2 piddly birds ... !!!


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> If the limit on them was 6 I'd be more apt to shoot them. The problem is that in a lot of places - 2 redheads is ALL you might get to shoot. Who wants to spend all that effort on 2 piddly birds ... !!!


 To a large extent, that is what duck has become. A lot of effort for only a few birds. BUT, it is a worth doing and I wish I did more.


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## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

Do not have your answer, but personally, I will not shoot ducks or geese that I will not eat. Some are just too nasty tasting for me. Prefer to shoot dark geese only and only certain ducks, like teal, woodies, mallards, fulvous tree ducks, widgeon, pintails. Learned early that many sub-specie ducks/geese are foul tasting. 

Here is a great tip for the snow goose hunter that are also crabbers: Snow geese will out-crab any other bait that you use. Is it legal? Crabs don't care.


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## SwineAssassiN (Jul 24, 2011)

Because they are divers. The aint that great to eat compared to a lot of puddle ducks. And after you duck hunt long enough a lot of people start seeing redheads as trash ducks, there like a dang coot. Just nasty


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## Copano/Aransas (Dec 18, 2011)

IMO, Pintails & Redheads taste great compared to Sculps and a few others. But to each to there own. Hunting the middle coast area we mainly shoot Redheads and Pintails, with some Lesser and Greater Scaups mixed in. This year we saw more Redheads and not very many Pintails, that seamed to be common for others in the Rockport area as well.


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## John Cocktosen (Mar 26, 2009)

Lots of Yankees pay lots of money to come to Texas for a chance to shoot our Redheads. I've met guys from Kansas and Arkansas that said they were sick and tired of killing Mallards! I guess its relative.


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## JavelinaRuss (Jul 24, 2007)

Love shooting redheads, Flocks of 100+ plopping into the spread is awesome.


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## aggiefishinDr (Sep 1, 2005)

John Cocktosen said:


> Lots of Yankees pay lots of money to come to Texas for a chance to shoot our Redheads. I've met guys from Kansas and Arkansas that said they were sick and tired of killing Mallards! I guess its relative.


 Yup, Exactly!!! My guide buddies always have people wanting to shoot redheads, and travel a long ways to do so. Opposite that I would love to shoot some mallards since I never have, but have had my fill of redheads.


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

Its all what your use to. I hunt with guys from Illinois and Missouri who shoot greenheads all the time and can't wait to come down here and shoot redheads. I like redheads, sure sometimes they are about the only bird you'll shoot on the mid coast especially late season but I think a drake redhead is a good looking duck. I've hunted many states and I have no problem going out to shoot divers. I'm not big on bluebills though. 
You can make some decent gumbo with them, just bleed them out real well, icy slushy water, change it out 3 or 4 times over about 24-30 hoiurs. Cube it up, make a nice roux, add okra, rice, and shrimp and/or oysters and its pretty good.


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

I m not so much into numbers anymore, I ll book three or four quality hunts each year, usually in SD or Kansas but most of my hunting is on the coast. I like taking my buddies out and working my dog, many times I don't even shoot, just work my dog. I do love shooting greenheads though, and having a shot at a can is always a treat.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Why did I know this was going to head that way...........lol my thoughts exactly.
Main reason is they are not the best eating.


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## Marshman (Jul 24, 2008)

It's a matter of what you're used to.

I rolled two perfect hen/drake redheads a few years ago. The guy I lease from saw them, and wanted them for mounts, he has a pair of everything hanging in his camp house, but not a pair of red heads. Mind you, this guy has tens of thousands of acres of marsh, but not a single pair of redheads. He was nuts over them.

Me, after long years of hunting Texas coast was like, sure OK, no problem.

I've got pintails, grey ducks and mallards aplenty, each one has meaning for me, who I was with, where we were, what happened that day, etc.


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## Garwood57 (Jul 1, 2007)

I like shooting redheads on the coast. But too often, they are the only birds available and the hunt is over quick even after taking your time with more difficult shots. When the pintails, widgeon and teal are in, it's really fun. This year I went with a guide that claimed he had puddle ducks in his part of the saltwater marsh. I always thought the redheads were a "gimme" and puddle ducks were bonus. Wrong - we shot 1 teal each and there were no redheads, did not even see one, much less shoot at one. That's hunting!


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

There ain't nothing wrong with shooting red heads or divers for that matter. If that's all you have to shoot, let the steel fly! We don't get too many divers where I hunt, but we do kill the ol ring necked ducks (butter balls) when we hunt open water. I haven't eaten a bad one yet! If people are worried about the divers having an off taste, make wraps out of them or give them to the people that always ask for birds that don't know any better! I personally haven't killed many red heads or canvasbacks, but lord knows how many of the sought after puddle ducks I have killed in the last 24 years!

Good luck and kill what you can!


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Spooley said:


> Here is a great tip for the snow goose hunter that are also crabbers: Snow geese will out-crab any other bait that you use. Is it legal? Crabs don't care.


Yeah, _very_ illegal.


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## DUKFVR (Aug 19, 2004)

No problem here shooting any ducks. Glad to hav'em. I'll take redheads anyday!


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## Instigator (Jul 6, 2004)

The old aphorism, "Familiarity breeds contempt" applies here. We get bored with the commonplace quickly.

Most guys who don't like duck much to begin with don't like redheads as table birds. Others try to use the same methods for all ducks and that leads to disappointment and heartache.

I recently roasted whole redheadheads (plucked) for some folks who went on and on about how great they were. Their comment was that redhead was like pulled pork but better. You just have to work with what you have instead of trying to force them to be something that you want.


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## El Capitan de No Fish (Sep 20, 2007)

Man, that smell when you open up a salt marsh redhead....it's enough to make you pass on them. You know that smell when you step in some mud that hasn't been disturbed in about 1000 years? Yeah.

They are awesome to watch drop into the dekes though.


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

Yeah my dog starts trembling when we ve got limits of redheads in the blind and waves of them splash in. I love duck hunting!


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## surfnfish (Sep 17, 2013)

Be your own decider is all I can say. I used to take people's opinion on ducks to heart on table fair. I still won't shoot a spoonbill unless filling out a strap or hunting is really slow but earlier this year I was cleaning some redheads, teal, and spoonies, all shot over coastal marsh during second split. The redheads had no orange fat and I had wished I had plucked em just like the teal. Then I breasted out a spoonbill covered in orange fat, but the next one? Hardly any orange fat. 

So for me, its all about the orange.


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## Jpaulp (Nov 14, 2012)

AvianQuest said:


> Yeah, _very_ illegal.


Not doubting you at all but can you show me the law that says that it is illegal?


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## 3CK (Oct 5, 2010)

surfnfish said:


> Be your own decider is all I can say. I used to take people's opinion on ducks to heart on table fair. I still won't shoot a spoonbill unless filling out a strap or hunting is really slow but earlier this year I was cleaning some redheads, teal, and spoonies, all shot over coastal marsh during second split. The redheads had no orange fat and I had wished I had plucked em just like the teal. Then I breasted out a spoonbill covered in orange fat, but the next one? Hardly any orange fat.
> 
> So for me, its all about the orange.


This is what I have always believed.
White Pearl Fat = Birds need to be picked. (Regardless of species)
Orange Fat = Breast 'em out.

Spoonies taste just fine, and so do redheads.

Most people don't like divers because they are a PITA to clean.


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## TheOneLeggedDuck (Jul 22, 2014)

I prefer muscovy park ducks, bread fed their entire life and are plump, lol I like redheads, I think they're gorgeous, there are a lot of them though down here that's for sure, and me being a Yankee from Michigan I can attest to the fact that yes, we do love seeing and shooting redheads because we don't see any of those up north, but I'm a fat boy, I'll eat anything if it's in the right sauce, and 3ck, you still got that GTR? this is rooster btw, been a while lol

*Keep your booger hook off the bang switch!*


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

I made a pot of gumbo the other day with some redheads. There aint a thing wrong with them. That was to date the best pot of gumbo I have made so far.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

I have had gumbo with redheads before. Wasn't bad......


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## oOslikOo (Jul 13, 2010)

If you cant make em taste good, you cant cook or you aint hungry.


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## txpitdog (Jul 17, 2006)

Agreed. Same with snow geese. Sometimes when I tell other hunters I'll take the snow geese they don't want I get looked at like I'm eating roadkill. Guess they just don't know how to cook em. 


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## Dukman (Sep 21, 2007)

See these responses all the time.... "great tasting bird, use it in a gumbo". Hiding the taste of a bird in a gumbo, seasoning, or marinade is just that... hiding the taste. You can make most pieces of game meat that are less than desirable table fair edible by doctoring it..... doesn't change the fact that its a less than desirable meat in the first place.

Taste is subjective so while a majority of people believe Redheads (ducks) are nasty there's a minority that thinks they're fine. Even most of those concede to sticking it in a gumbo. 

Take note, Redheads is where it starts. Once you get hooked it leads to Mergansers.


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## WildThings (Jan 2, 2007)

Jpaulp said:


> Not doubting you at all but can you show me the law that says that it is illegal?


I will have to agree with you JPP. Once that bird has been processed and is my final destination (my freezer) I can prepare it any way I want including crab bait. It would be no different as if my freezer lost power and everything thawed out while I was away. It's all going in the trash or crab traps!


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

I disagree with the "Because it is in Gumbo the true taste was hidden. I boiled the redheads for a stock to be used in the gumbo. I set the ducks aside while the stock cooled. I stripped the meat from the redheads and started eating boiled redhead breast. It had a total of sea salt, black pepper, garlic and a little slap your mamma in the water when I boiled it. The meat was absolutely perfect. I could have ate the whole bird, boiled, right then and there.


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## Dukman (Sep 21, 2007)

wal1809 said:


> I disagree with the "Because it is in Gumbo the true taste was hidden. I boiled the redheads for a stock to be used in the gumbo. I set the ducks aside while the stock cooled. I stripped the meat from the redheads and started eating boiled redhead breast. It had a total of sea salt, black pepper, garlic and a little slap your mamma in the water when I boiled it. The meat was absolutely perfect. I could have ate the whole bird, boiled, right then and there.


 I hear you. That's why I said "taste is subjective.... a minority thinks they're fine". I encourage everyone to try it for themselves.

Vanilla ice cream is the better than chocolate.:rotfl:


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

I think that is the biggest issue is people don't try it for themselves and just repeat what they hear. We have a guy in the office who forever and is still crowing about how bad duck is and it tastes just like liver. Well one day we got him and had a bunch of dove on the pit with the ussual bacon jalapeno. Also on the pit was duck done the same way. He ranted, raved d went on and on about how good those doves were and how bad duck tasted. When told he was eating the duck he still refused to admit it and still won't give up his claims about duck. Now that is just freakin hard headed.


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## Jpaulp (Nov 14, 2012)

WildThings said:


> I will have to agree with you JPP. Once that bird has been processed and is my final destination (my freezer) I can prepare it any way I want including crab bait. It would be no different as if my freezer lost power and everything thawed out while I was away. It's all going in the trash or crab traps!


That is what I was thinking... I emailed TPWD to double check.


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN (Jun 25, 2004)

Some of my best memorys are of 100+ redheads dropping in on top of us.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

Preparation from cleaning the bird, to cooking the bird is important with almost any wild game. Knowing how to cook the birds means alot too. I have made a believer out of many people who swore all ducks and geese taste like liver!

Some people hate on snows/blues. I breast them out and grill them, pretty dang good too. Old spooners (when I have to shoot them) get cooked like the rest of the birds. Another bird that gets knocked is the black bellied tree ducks and fulverous tree ducks. I would shoot 6 of those everyday! I think they are as good as a wood duck.


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## Logan (Aug 7, 2009)

This thread has hardcore all over it haha!

Next time you kill a spoon just think about what that nasty thing is eating! Omg it's so bad...it's like so bad the pintails, widegon, mallards, teal, and all other puddlers eat the same things! GROSS! (Say it in a teenage girls voice and you'll get the point)

Don't mind red heads...especially late in the year when they look the best...just don't always expect lots of puddlers to be with them.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

If you are looking for a little variety, we make boudin out of a lot of our duck and geese.
Gonna make some tamales and try that in the next few weeks.

Now I'm waiting for someone to tell me how good Mergansers are........


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## TexasSlam18 (Aug 26, 2010)

Harder to pluck or breast out in my opinion. But I'm still goin to shoot them! I think most ducks wrapped in jalepeno, bacon, and cream Cheese are good.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

I think the process of soaking them in the brine solution really takes any wild taste out of the meat. I do this religiously.


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## TexasSlam18 (Aug 26, 2010)

daddyeaux said:


> I think the process of soaking them in the brine solution really takes any wild taste out of the meat. I do this religiously.


X2... I do it on all birds.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

True, works great for dove too.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

HydraSports said:


> To a large extent, that is what duck has become. A lot of effort for only a few birds. BUT, it is a worth doing and I wish I did more.


Trust me - I know ... I grew up in point duck day limits. But at some point it's time better spent. Scouting tells all!


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## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

TexasSlam18 said:


> Harder to pluck or breast out in my opinion. But I'm still goin to shoot them! I think most ducks wrapped in jalepeno, bacon, and cream Cheese are good.


Went duck hunting with my son(11) together for the first time. All we saw were redheads. Four of us got our 8 Redheads, with my son completing his limit literally at dusk as we hear the airboat approaching to pick us up. On the way home my son was on youtube learning how to clean the ducks. I thought it was pretty easy. Even harvested the legs and plan on doing a duck leg confit with them.

Will do the wrap thing like you suggest.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

> Now I'm waiting for someone to tell me how good Mergansers are........


You fillet them and fry them up! They taste like fish! Just kidding!

I don't shoot those things because I wouldn't eat them.


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## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

sounds like some of you girly men can't handle a little bit of wild game. Maybe yall should keep shopping at whole foods and let the butcher take care of wrapping up your steaks, real pretty so you don't get an upset tummy!

LOL


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## El Capitan de No Fish (Sep 20, 2007)

daddyeaux said:


> I think the process of soaking them in the brine solution really takes any wild taste out of the meat. I do this religiously.


What brine recipe do you use? I brined our thanksgiving turkey, and it was awesome, but it was a PIA to make. Wouldn't wanna mess with it every time I cook duck.

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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

I use a simple salt and water mixture. Start with a bowl of warm water to dissolve the salt. Add salt to the water and stir, use a raw egg in the shell to tell when you have enough salt. Place the egg in the water after you stir the salt in, when the egg floats you have the right amount of salt.
Then soak your meat as long as you like, I usually let it soak over night.
Pretty simple mixture. Once you do that then you can marinate in whatever recipe you have if you like.


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## captain sandbar (Dec 9, 2011)

Logan said:


> This thread has hardcore all over it haha!
> 
> Next time you kill a spoon just think about what that nasty thing is eating! Omg it's so bad...it's like so bad the pintails, widegon, mallards, teal, and all other puddlers eat the same things! GROSS! (Say it in a teenage girls voice and you'll get the point)
> 
> Don't mind red heads...especially late in the year when they look the best...just don't always expect lots of puddlers to be with them.


What something eats isn't the be-all end-all. Think about what crabs, lobsters and oysters eat!!!! It is all about how they process that food.


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