# What ducks make the best table fare?



## JSBowman (Nov 17, 2013)

I know that I'll get some mixed opinions on this, but what ducks do you prefer to shoot for the table? I'm not very experienced as far as shooting ducks go, but I've been doing my homework to ID ducks before I pull the trigger. So what are your favorite, and least favorite ducks to eat? Why?


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## UplandnWaterfowl (Jan 3, 2010)

If you have heard the old saying "you are what your eat" then that will give you an idea on what the best tasting ducks are. Puddlers will taste better than Divers and Divers will taste better than Fish Ducks (i.e. Mergansers). I can tell the difference from a Mallard to a Bluebill; however, after then have been marinated and then seasoned, cooked, I can't tell the difference between a Mallard and a Black. I package up my ducks by Puddlers and Divers and that will then determine how they are prepared and cooked.


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## deadduck365 (Nov 5, 2010)

Canvasback redhead mallard are my top 3.


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## Sparky13 (Sep 22, 2013)

Cans, teal, wooducks, mallards, redheads

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk


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## Bertslash (Sep 3, 2011)

I love those little Teal wrapped in bacon!! 

But what isn't good wrapped in bacon! HAHA!


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## 357Maximum (Nov 1, 2015)

Best waterfowl I have ever personally eaten were Virginia Rail breasts wrapped in bacon over the grill. Tasted like woodcock or Dove to me and it was great. That being said back when I duck hunted they were all good if cooked properly. I was even served marinated and deep fried coot breasts one time. It was good too.


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## michiganoutdoorsman (Dec 29, 2010)

Bertslash said:


> I love those little Teal wrapped in bacon!!
> 
> But what isn't good wrapped in bacon! HAHA!


Mergansers?


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

How about the bad?
Grinners are notoriously bad. Goldie's taste like liver. Long tails? Ask TSS and TJ. Blue wings aren't great.
Just ate some hoodeds Tuesday. My dinner guests gagged. I would describe the flavor as having an "undertone"
But the worst ever was funnly enough a hen mallard I shot in the U.P jumping a river that had been eating salmon eggs for 2 months worth of King and Pink spawning. Gack
As far as Geese, Atlantic Brant that have been in the kelp.


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

Any fish eating duck sucks. Duck isn't the greatest IMO but it's edible. I like teals and woodies cause they are small and easy to wrap or whatever you need to do to make them not taste like duck. lol. It pays to be creative. But if it eats fish, don't even bother to shoot.


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## blklab (Jan 5, 2011)

Best is wood ducks, mallards, teal and cans. Ruddys by far are the worst ive tasted


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Mallards woodies and teal...I like mine marinated in teriyaki, stir fried and served with noodles.
Mergansers and shovellers tastes like crap.


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## JSBowman (Nov 17, 2013)

Been seeing a lot of Bufflehead lately, are they any good?


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## Outdoor Gal (Sep 9, 2008)

Teal ranks as #1, wood ducks #2, and then everything else. Although I will say I haven't been lucky enough to try a canvasback yet.


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## Canvsbk (Jan 13, 2013)

Canvasback no contest. I smoke all puddle ducks and geese - awesome stuff.


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## ART (Jul 7, 2004)

I'm only familiar with three kinds, mallards, woodies and bluebills. Mallard is the best, bluebills the worst, and woodies closer to the bluebills than mallards...


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## haverka7 (Dec 31, 2012)

Teal are by far my favorite.....melt a whole stick of butter on the stove and flash fry em...wood ducks are good also. Ate the brant we shot on cape cod last year and those were excellent as well.... everything else gets made into summer sausage


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## Outdoor Gal (Sep 9, 2008)

This. ^. 

No reason to drown teal in soy sauce, etc..


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## Bertslash (Sep 3, 2011)

michiganoutdoorsman said:


> Mergansers?



True that!! 
Years ago, when I shot and blew in half my first ever duck (a merg) my buddy told me the old "how to cook a merg" story!! 
I'll never forget it!


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## SL80 (Mar 5, 2012)

I made a batch of jerky this year out of 5 or 6 different species that i had in the freezer. There was one shoveller in the mix, and after the jerky was done you could pick out every piece of jerky that came from that bird. It was the most disgusting meat I have ever tried to eat.


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## deadduck365 (Nov 5, 2010)

Snow goose is pretty good also.


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## JSBowman (Nov 17, 2013)

deadduck365 said:


> Snow goose is pretty good also.


Hunting in SE Michigan, I've not seen any of those yet.


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

I must be the odd man out. I think cans,scaup, reds are just as good and even better than mallards and wood ducks. A woody eats acorns and worms like a woodcock. Ill take my divers eating rice and celery anyday.
Greenwings are one of my favorites. I even have a liking for bufflehead kabobs wrapped in bacon.


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## jathward (Jul 31, 2011)

They all taste good this way..


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## duckhtr213890 (Feb 9, 2008)

Mallards and teal are hard to beat. Those go on the grill with bacon. The rest gets cut up for fajitas. Soak in teriyaki for a day, then follow the recipe on a fajita packet


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

OK....I'm getting hungry.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Cans by far. I take the rest to the sausage place during deer season, they mix the ducks with deer and most likely I'm getting deer sausage back. Win for me, poor deer hunters.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

I like to eat Canvasbacks fresh from the lake best.
I shot some in Minnesota that had only ever eaten wild rice and celery. The flesh was very pale, and sweet. Fat enough to roast. 
But they are rare. You have a hard time getting enough fresh to serve a group of guests.
So, second to that is a corn fed Mallard filet. The one's that look like you broke a pinata when they hit the ground. Pan sear the breast filet, rest, slice on bias, serve with a piquant sauce.

Woodducks while grouse hunting, I filet (if away from my plucker) and grill, seasoned with steak seasoning, and make sandwiches with Italian bread from Napolitano's bakery.

And first, yet lastly, I like grilled plucked teal in September. A month before I can eat any of the others. So, they have an advantage over the others.

I never really cared for Scaup, because they too commonly have a feint fishy taste to me. I do like the way their breasts wrap all the way around the back though. So I eat them when I shoot them.


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## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

Blue wing Teal fajitas, cilantro, lime, avocado and homemade salsa


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## Lurker (Jan 25, 2009)

any grain fed puddle duck.
whole breast, de-boned skin on.
no need for bacon.
duck fat is better than pork fat.
DO NOT cook past medium rare.


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

The first time I hunted Saginaw Bay, opening day many many years ago, we limited out on teal in about 30 minutes. We were home before everyone else was out of bed. My buddy quickly cooked them up as I was putting things away. Not sure how he seasoned them but OMG they were good.


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

jathward said:


> They all taste good this way..


Where is the jealous button? Nice setup


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## js20bore (May 9, 2014)

It's hard to beat puddlers flash fried in butter or quick grilled on high. No need for soy sauce or marinades, save those for geese and swamp bucks.


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## NbyNW (Jun 30, 2012)

Guess I am lucky with my fiancé. She can cook the hell out of duck, the best this year was duck pot pie, she does something with wine and butter to pan fry them, and of course wrapped in bacon is always a go to.

Haven't figured out the Merg's except for to the dog.


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## js20bore (May 9, 2014)

NbyNW said:


> Guess I am lucky with my fiancé. She can cook the hell out of duck, the best this year was duck pot pie, she does something with wine and butter to pan fry them, and of course wrapped in bacon is always a go to.
> 
> Haven't figured out the Merg's except for to the dog.


Wine and butter!!! Now I'm hungry.


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

TSS Caddis said:


> Cans by far. I take the rest to the sausage place during deer season, they mix the ducks with deer and most likely I'm getting deer sausage back. Win for me, poor deer hunters.


You dont take your deer to a place where your guaranteed your deer?
I do. Its called my dad


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## pikenetter (Mar 28, 2009)

a lot has to do with preperation and your taste buds. the divers have a gamier tastte than the puddlers for sure. i happen to enjoy the gamie flavor. hell i shoot coots and mergs and cook them right along with my mallards. i know this will make some purist cringe but like i say its all in the prep work and recipes. now my wife will not touch my old squaws, so she makes jerky out of them.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

sswhitelightning said:


> You dont take your deer to a place where your guaranteed your deer?
> I do. Its called my dad


I probably didn't articulate it well. I take in old squaw and get back deer. I fail to see how that can be a bad thing.


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## jwinks (Mar 20, 2014)

TSS Caddis said:


> I probably didn't articulate it well. I take in old squaw and get back deer. I fail to see how that can be a bad thing.


How do you know you aren't getting someone else's old squaw? Or raccoon for that matter?


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

you mix anything with enough sausage spices and its edible


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

jwinks said:


> How do you know you aren't getting someone else's old squaw? Or raccoon for that matter?


Could, you never know. Of course when you drop off meat during the height of deer season...


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