Harvesting Waterfoul Question

[prasky]

Good Morning All,

I am new to the waterfoul sport and have a question about after the shot. What is the standard procedure after the shot in terms of cooling the meat and/or how long can you wait before you start cleaning? Thank you in advance!!

[Pudelpointer]

As with all game, the sooner you can cool it, the better.

Depending on the day, and how fast/slow the shooting is, I will sometimes start plucking in the field. On a day like today where the temps are very warm, I wouldn't be leaving them too long.

The feathers on ducks retain heat very, very well. I like to pluck and gut within a couple hours and then soak in ice cold salted water for a couple hours.

If your meat has a liver-like texture, you are not cooking them fast enough.

Remember that you need to leave a fully feathered wing on each bird no matter how much you do in the field.

[sjemac]

With a quick morning hunt in the early season, I will often just put them in the fridge for the day or overnight and clean them the next day. Late season when it is cooler all day I will often hang and age them for several days before cleaning.

[Redfrog]

Heat is bad for birds or meat in general. With ducks we have the additional issue of marinating in it's own intestinal juices. Because it is killed with shot, the guts are punctured, they leak and thus the meat is marinated in the contents.
Pluck or peel the breast, gut the bird and stuff the cavity with paper towel and put in a cooler when you get to the truck, if it's going to be a few hours before you get to them.

Even simply gutting and plugging with a paper towel helps.

As was mentioned one fully feathered wing must be attached for transport.

[prasky]

All great info!! Thank you very much!!

[drake]

you will have some foul fowl if you dont dress them within a couple of hours of harvest (in warm weather).

[Steadyhigh]

Originally Posted by drake

you will have some foul fowl if you dont dress them within a couple of hours of harvest (in warm weather).

That smell is GREAT

[prasky]

Noted!

[prasky]

Can you all help me confirm if this is a cinnamon teal? Sorry it's the only pic I have. Was taken from the pond I intend to hunt.

[wildside2014]

Shoveler

[Saltmania]

Originally Posted by prasky

Can you all help me confirm if this is a cinnamon teal? Sorry it's the only pic I have. Was taken from the pond I intend to hunt.

That's a northern shoveler. Note the very large bill.

[drake]

A smiling mallard

[prasky]

Thank you! I never realized how many species of duck there was until I started getting into it.

[threeforthree]

Please,, learn what your shooting. it will save u some cash and embarrassment later on.

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id

[Bowie]

That's a great resource.

[Jimboy]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

Heat is bad for birds or meat in general. With ducks we have the additional issue of marinating in it's own intestinal juices. Because it is killed with shot, the guts are punctured, they leak and thus the meat is marinated in the contents.
Pluck or peel the breast, gut the bird and stuff the cavity with paper towel and put in a cooler when you get to the truck, if it's going to be a few hours before you get to them.

Even simply gutting and plugging with a paper towel helps.

As was mentioned one fully feathered wing must be attached for transport.

Hanging them in a cool place for a few days with guts in, lets all gut juice drain to the bottom of the body cavitiy ,then meat will not marinate and will tender up too.
When cleaned right away , the meat dont drain the same , much better , and also the way of the old veteran pioneer duck hunters.

[Jimboy]

We called them spoonbills in my day , and we never shot them , more of a mud duck than a grain fed , not great eatin.

[Ithaca Dog]

Originally Posted by prasky

Can you all help me confirm if this is a cinnamon teal? Sorry it's the only pic I have. Was taken from the pond I intend to hunt.

Spoonbill. Skin. Debone. Soak in salt water. Marinate in something great. BBQ. Try to eat it. Try to feed to the dog.

Throw out in morning and buy a waterfowl ID book and study.

Ducks taste close to their diet and spoonies eat critters from the swamp mud. They are smaller with a slower wing beat. Big bill. Pass on them

[anthony5]

Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but these are great tasting birds although a little smaller than some, they are as good tasting as any around these parts anyway, can't say what they are like in other areas. Have sampled many over the years and are awesome

[Redfrog]

Originally Posted by Jimboy

Hanging them in a cool place for a few days with guts in, lets all gut juice drain to the bottom of the body cavitiy ,then meat will not marinate and will tender up too.
When cleaned right away , the meat dont drain the same , much better , and also the way of the old veteran pioneer duck hunters.

I've hunted with old timers and newbies. I've heard about hanging ducks by the neck till the body fell off. I've heard about hanging them for days to ripen. I've killed ducks all across Canada and can honestly say I never met a person who does this, or who has ever eaten a rotting duck.

I'm not saying it's not true, only that I haven't seen it.

If there is anyone on this board who has actually hung ducks to ripen for days and then eaten them , please show pics, or it didn't happen.

"Rotting Ducks" sounds like a good name for a band. OMG!!! Would that make it a duck band.

[Pudelpointer]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

I've hunted with old timers and newbies. I've heard about hanging ducks by the neck till the body fell off. I've heard about hanging them for days to ripen. I've killed ducks all across Canada and can honestly say I never met a person who does this, or who has ever eaten a rotting duck.

I'm not saying it's not true, only that I haven't seen it.

If there is anyone on this board who has actually hung ducks to ripen for days and then eaten them , please show pics, or it didn't happen.

"Rotting Ducks" sounds like a good name for a band. OMG!!! Would that make it a duck band.

I have not hung them until their heads fell off, but I have hung them in cold weather for up to four days. Results were unfavorable.

The longest I will leave any bird now is overnight if the birds were taken on an evening hunt. I prefer to pluck, gut and soak in salted ice water ASAP. The texture of the meat is much improved if cleaned and cooled promptly; not just waterfowl, but all birds.

[gnugen]

On the feather side of this thread, if anyone in the Edmonton area discards feathers I'd gladly take and sanitize them for personal fly tying not for resale.