NC Duckin Report

[Captain Jay Kavanagh]

Taking a rest today after hunting pretty hard for the first three days of the season.

Opening day was less than spectacular, as Jeremy and I did not have the pleasure of taking off our safeties. Maybelle criticized non stop about the stellar spot we selected.

Monday as a little better, it was pretty foggy and we had some woodies suprise us, did not get a shot at them. A little later we had a group of blacks and mallards give us a pretty close pass, and I folded a greenhead.

A little later, Jeremy killed a nice drake gadwall that just had to join our party. We quit a little early, as I had some actuall work to do.

Yesterday, Big Dan joined us for a permit hunt we were luck enough to draw on one of the public impoundments.

It was a long hard walk and set up, but it was worth it. We all got our limit of woodies right off the bat, then watched about 50-75 try to join the duck party. Did not see anything else to us. Jeremy collected a coot for my duck cryogenic bumper collction.

some pics.....

[Glenn W]

So that's what they look like----- good shooting Jay.

[scattered_grass]

pretty dog, pretty ducks

[thoffman]

Good job on the wood ducks. I've has some outstanding hunts in Futch the last few years, usually the end of the second split and beginning of the third split. The weather up north around new england and the great lakes isn't helpin us out with new birds but hopefully the weather will turn in our favor.

[thoffman]

are you gonna throw that coot in the pot with the wood ducks?

[Captain Jay Kavanagh]

are you gonna throw that coot in the pot with the wood ducks?

He was added to the freezer collection of feathered dog training aids.

[thoffman]

Ship it to Buffington, Apparently they the cajuns think they are some of the best eating duck there is. I think they call them poul deaux, I hear they like to eat the gizzards. HMMM poul deaux gumbo, just sounds delicious.

[Bird Dog]

I've never actually had one, but I've heard more than few people say that coot is pretty good eating

[thoffman]

I've heard the same thing, but like you have never tried them. It makes sense they would eat good, there diet is all vegitation from what I've seen. Seems like they would taste the same as a widgeon, always seem to see some widgeon robbing the coots of their food. Also see quite a few gadwal in the mix of coots.

[Glenn W]

I ate more than a few in my college days in the '70's.
Oh, the great Mud Hen Round ups and massacres in the coves we had---- wasn't the most responsible thing to do, but on slow days (and most were) we were known to herd huge gangs of Coots into a cove and take bets on how many each could kill with one shot--- I think the record was about 27.
Anyway, they eat better than a clam fed Scaup just down from the Great Lakes that's for sure. I'd put them under a Ringneck but much better than a Snow goose.
We would stew them with onions and celery (when we could afford the celery) and serve with dumplings and hot sauce.