2022-2023 Waterfowl Pics Thread

[Nick87]

Now I need to find a way to enjoy eating them,probably my least favorite game to eat

You got a pile of good eating there. How do you normally cook it?

 

[JShane]

First season really getting after ducks, lots of effort and lots of fun. Now I need to find a way to enjoy eating them,probably my least favorite game to eat.

See the Duck Prep thread in the recipe and wildgame section.

 

[SoCalhunt88]

You got a pile of good eating there. How do you normally cook it?

Tried pan fried, Peking, cubed in tacos, the best has been slow cooked and pulled. It’s the livery taste I’m not keen on, I’ll always eat them but they’re bottom of the list. Brining has helped

 

[Nick87]

Tried pan fried, Peking, cubed in tacos, the best has been slow cooked and pulled. It’s the livery taste I’m not keen on, I’ll always eat them but they’re bottom of the list. Brining has helped

Cube em 1" marinade in A1, worcestershire, brown sugar, garlic, and a little hot sauce. Put them on a skewer and grill or with veggies as kabobs.

 

[JShane]

Tried pan fried, Peking, cubed in tacos, the best has been slow cooked and pulled. It’s the livery taste I’m not keen on, I’ll always eat them but they’re bottom of the list. Brining has helped

Medium rare is the sweet spot. Under no circumstances go past medium. This is likely why you are getting the "liver" taste. If it's medium well or well done its gonna taste like liver.

It's due to the high capillary count in a ducks breast because of the work it does migrating.

 

[Keep on]

Cut in strips, brine and wrap in 1/2 slice of bacon. Cook medium low heat on the grill or 300 on the smoker.
Looking to cook the bacon but keep duck medium rare.
Or same as above but in jalapeño 1/2 with cream cheese and a sliver of pepper jack, wrapped in bacon.
If you don't like duck like that, there's no hope for you. Lol

 

[Scott85]

First season really getting after ducks, lots of effort and lots of fun. Now I need to find a way to enjoy eating them, probably my least favorite game to eat.

Are you over cooking them?

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Are you over cooking them?

Negative. Searing for the most part, and if you wrap them in bacon then it’s not only masking the taste which I’ll do….

 

[BUncommon]

I’ll start with last weekend. Snow and wind made for a decent water hunt.

Nice!

 

[jrabq]

Tried pan fried, Peking, cubed in tacos, the best has been slow cooked and pulled. It’s the livery taste I’m not keen on, I’ll always eat them but they’re bottom of the list. Brining has helped

Livery taste, I don't like liver either, and I like duck (with some exceptions). So many variables here, but it looks like your piles of birds should mostly be good eating. If your greenwing teal are still livery something is wrong, do you know what they're eating? As others have said I'd expect you're over cooking them, but even an overcooked greenwing teal shouldn't be livery. And I have several recipes with well done duck parts and it usually tastes just like any other red meat, but that's from good quality birds. Another possible source of the livery taste is if the bird is really bloodshot. Have you looked at Hank Shaws website and/or book?

 

[Nick87]

Livery taste, I don't like liver either, and I like duck (with some exceptions). So many variables here, but it looks like your piles of birds should mostly be good eating. If your greenwing teal are still livery something is wrong, do you know what they're eating? As others have said I'd expect you're over cooking them, but even an overcooked teal shouldn't be livery. And I have several recipes with well done duck parts and it usually tastes just like any other red meat. Another possible source of the livery taste is if the bird is really bloodshot.

I second this, teal pretty much taste identical to dove from my experience.

 

[jrabq]

I second this, teal pretty much taste identical to dove from my experience.

Someone will chime in saying doves taste livery.

(I actually like teal more than dove)

 

[Nick87]

Someone will chime in saying doves taste livery.

More for us.

 

[SO7mm]

We have a week left but yesterday was most likely my last hunt of the year. Banded mallard was born in 2020 or before in Summer Lake, Oregon. That's the second one I've gotten here in the Bay Area from Summer Lake.

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Livery taste, I don't like liver either, and I like duck (with some exceptions). So many variables here, but it looks like your piles of birds should mostly be good eating. If your greenwing teal are still livery something is wrong, do you know what they're eating? As others have said I'd expect you're over cooking them, but even an overcooked greenwing teal shouldn't be livery. And I have several recipes with well done duck parts and it usually tastes just like any other red meat, but that's from good quality birds. Another possible source of the livery taste is if the bird is really bloodshot. Have you looked at Hank Shaws website and/or book?

I haven’t yet, I’m not a cook myself. The mrs steps in for the most part, and you’re right there’s some that better than others but it’s typically a mixed bag of birds when we cook.

 

[BenP]

Only one today but it's my first widgeon so pretty happy with it.

 

[Keep on]

Only one today but it's my first widgeon so pretty happy with it.
View attachment 262216

I'd be ecstatic, a drake wigeon has proven to be my white whale. Had a group come in this year, lighting was such you couldn't really pick out the drakes. I doubled with my citori, there lay two hens.

 

[Nick87]

Only one today but it's my first widgeon so pretty happy with it.
View attachment 262216

Excellent, great pic.

 

[SO7mm]

I haven’t yet, I’m not a cook myself. The mrs steps in for the most part, and you’re right there’s some that better than others but it’s typically a mixed bag of birds when we cook.

The mixed bag cooking may be part of the problem. Teal take about half the time as a mallard or pintail to cook whole, wigeon are somewhere in between depending on there size. As jrabq said they are probably being overcooked. It's also good to pay attention to the different species and how to cook them.

From my experience in CA greenwings and pintail are consistently great cooked whole, mallards are great as well but you run into strong one every now and then. To me wigeon are much less predictable and I break them down rather than cooking them whole unless it's a down year and I need some whole birds. We get a few cinnamon teal every year and they are below wigeon in my opinion. Gadwall are about like wigeon and spoonies always get broken down.

 

[mplane72]