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are mergansers good eating birds???

31K views 24 replies 22 participants last post by  vital_kill 
#1 ·
im new to the duck hunting world, and i have been seeing quite a few common mergansers around where i plan on hunting. just wondering on if i have a good eating bird or if it isnt worth shooting. thanks
 
#3 ·
I ask this same que. in the honey hole and got laughed at. I also posted it on a another site and was given a recipe that is said to be good. you first cut the breasts into strips about the size of your thumb than soak the in salt water over night. Than soak the strips in butter milk for a night or 2. Than coat them in your favorite coating and fry.

Just a hint "DON'T BAKE THEM"
 
#7 ·
KS_PuddleJumper said:
out of.. we'll call it morbid curiosity (never met someone who "likes how they taste") - how do you prepare them to make them... errr... (gulps) "tasty"?
:lol: :lol: :lol: I guess its just me :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't do anything special, I just soak them in water normally. Usually for at least 24 hours, then egg and bread them. Cook em slow. I didn't think it was too bad. to be honest, I never saw them much until the past two years, lately they've been all over. I shot a few two years ago, and I think two last year. I thought they were good. Better then goose.
 
#11 ·
NHDuckHunter said:
KS_PuddleJumper said:
out of.. we'll call it morbid curiosity (never met someone who "likes how they taste") - how do you prepare them to make them... errr... (gulps) "tasty"?
:lol: :lol: :lol: I guess its just me :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't do anything special, I just soak them in water normally. Usually for at least 24 hours, then egg and bread them. Cook em slow. I didn't think it was too bad. to be honest, I never saw them much until the past two years, lately they've been all over. I shot a few two years ago, and I think two last year. I thought they were good. Better then goose.
:eek: better than goose :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: you are joking right?
 
#12 ·
Here's your answer in story form.

I have just finished with my duty of cleaning the days bounty. A pheasant, a mallard, ringbill, and a hooded merganser where among the fallen. As nobody would eat the merganser, which nobody intended to shoot at all, I just dumped it whole, with the pheasant remains the the breasted ducks. I went out the next week to see what the coyotes had done. The pheasants wings were eaten off, feathers everywhere. Most ducks are gone including the bones. The merganser is 50 yards from where I left it, totally intact, every single feather exactly as I had left it. If coyotes wont eat them.....
 
#13 ·
Yeah I always figured if I wanted something fishy i would wat fish not duck..so they really aint my cup of tea...but I have heard of people eatin them but i have also heard of people eatin coot i guess some people just know how to cook them or about to die of starvation. :lol:
 
#15 ·
Yeah they are pretty gross, I only ate some on a dare and it was totally disgusting. The hooded ones are real pretty and make for good mounts, as long as you don't mount them flying, cause their wings are pretty small and it looks kinda funny. Long story short don't eat them they taste bad.
 
#23 ·
DuckMN said:
Here's your answer in story form.

I have just finished with my duty of cleaning the days bounty. A pheasant, a mallard, ringbill, and a hooded merganser where among the fallen. As nobody would eat the merganser, which nobody intended to shoot at all, I just dumped it whole, with the pheasant remains the the breasted ducks. I went out the next week to see what the coyotes had done. The pheasants wings were eaten off, feathers everywhere. Most ducks are gone including the bones. The merganser is 50 yards from where I left it, totally intact, every single feather exactly as I had left it. If coyotes wont eat them.....
I'm confused? How did nobody intend to shoot the merganser?
 
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