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Message
re: Ringnecks and spoonies...
Posted on 11/18/25 at 1:04 pm to Spankum
Posted on 11/18/25 at 1:04 pm to Spankum
Last years spoons and blue wings were almost inedible. The year prior, fine.
They fly around. I don’t know what or where they were eating prior to shooting them, but last years bunch was funky.
Green wing, widgeon, wood duck, pintail, mallard, grays are my order of preference
They fly around. I don’t know what or where they were eating prior to shooting them, but last years bunch was funky.
Green wing, widgeon, wood duck, pintail, mallard, grays are my order of preference
1
Posted on 11/18/25 at 1:56 pm to tigerfoot
quote:At any given time, I could count 100 snails along the water's edge of our East pond. Pretty sure that's why they were there.
I don’t know what or where they were eating prior to shooting them, but last years bunch was funky.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 2:18 pm to SCwTiger
Never had a bad spoonie or ringneck. I have culled some bad rice-breasted spoons though.
I don't think anyone could tell the difference. At least they didn't say anything other than, this is the best duck stew we've ever had.
quote:We had a few kid-shot poule d'eau breast, gizzards, and legs in with all the ducks this weekend at the camp. I wasn't going to waste them.
I don't cull anything now except a coot.
I don't think anyone could tell the difference. At least they didn't say anything other than, this is the best duck stew we've ever had.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 2:18 pm to Nyala
Like many of the younger crowd, there’s not enough ducks to be picky so I’d shoot what came in.
I always heard from old timers that a spoonie killed in the rice fields was fine but not so in the marsh which never made much sense to me. I’ve killed spoonies in the marsh with their crawls full of rice and vegetation just like spoonies in the rice fields fulls of snails and crustaceans.
It just depends what they’re feeding on.
I always heard from old timers that a spoonie killed in the rice fields was fine but not so in the marsh which never made much sense to me. I’ve killed spoonies in the marsh with their crawls full of rice and vegetation just like spoonies in the rice fields fulls of snails and crustaceans.
It just depends what they’re feeding on.
Posted on 11/18/25 at 7:36 pm to LSUbub12
quote:me either. I’ve asked em many times if the ones they shoot can fly. And a bird full of rice today may have been a bird full of crap yesterday. I have no idea how long they gotta eat crap to taste bad, but they sure can.
always heard from old timers that a spoonie killed in the rice fields was fine but not so in the marsh which never made much sense to me.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 5:03 am to LSUbub12
A lot of folks don't realize those birds will fly 60-70 miles one way from where they are resting to feed. Turn around and fly back to their resting area. They will do that every day if it helps them avoid pressure.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 8:55 am to aTmTexas Dillo
I agree that Spoonies are fine table fare and very closely related to BWT. Hell, many times the breast meat is lighter than the BWT. I always take all the Spoonies when dividing up the strap if no one else wants them. I actually prefer them over Greys; but the meat yield is much lower.
As far as ringnecks go; I had to be educated before I realized that they are not the same as Dogris! We would rarely see RN's in Delacroix; but always had plenty Dogris. It wasn't till I hunted with some buddies back in HS at Salvador WMA where we killed several RN's. We would take the breast meat and make poppers in the over on broil (mid rare), and that is some fine eating Son!
I believe Widgeon to be the hardest duck to kill. They are on a different level when wounded compared to other ducks; tough sum bitches. While I love the way they make a strap look beautiful; I will give them away as their meat is so deep red and strong. Gimmie a Spoonie all day over widgen, greys or Mott's!
As far as ringnecks go; I had to be educated before I realized that they are not the same as Dogris! We would rarely see RN's in Delacroix; but always had plenty Dogris. It wasn't till I hunted with some buddies back in HS at Salvador WMA where we killed several RN's. We would take the breast meat and make poppers in the over on broil (mid rare), and that is some fine eating Son!
I believe Widgeon to be the hardest duck to kill. They are on a different level when wounded compared to other ducks; tough sum bitches. While I love the way they make a strap look beautiful; I will give them away as their meat is so deep red and strong. Gimmie a Spoonie all day over widgen, greys or Mott's!
Posted on 11/19/25 at 9:31 am to skullraker
There is nothing more disgusting than a grey duck that's been living in the marsh.
Ringnecks are always good.
I have never personally had a bad spoony.
Until the "duckmen" shite all over bluewings on TV, I had never heard of anyone not liking them.
I have fed pan seared merganser to people and they didn't know any better. Even though it tasted pretty good I couldn't get over what I was eating.
Ringnecks are always good.
I have never personally had a bad spoony.
Until the "duckmen" shite all over bluewings on TV, I had never heard of anyone not liking them.
I have fed pan seared merganser to people and they didn't know any better. Even though it tasted pretty good I couldn't get over what I was eating.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 9:48 am to mrcoon
I don’t have anything against Ringers or what most of us in NE LA call them Blackjacks. They are just hard to clean. Can’t really breast them like a normal duck which automatically kicks them down a notch but when times are tough, the gloves are coming off on Ringers. Same with Hollywoods. They are like mopeds. Fun to ride (shoot) but don’t really want to be caught on one (or on ur strap). Otherwise you aren’t really telling a difference on the grill with a Hollywood with one exception and this is mostly for late season birds down here in SE Texas and not really for birds that don’t go to the marsh. Our late season birds start tasting awful. Most of them are in the rice until late December and January when they switch to eating something in the marsh. They become disgusting to eat. We actually have cleaned their gizzards and they are all filled with this mud and makes them black as tar. Doesn’t matter the species either. Must be something in that mud they switch too for the return migration or lack of rice by then. Either way you have to double up on the bacon and cheese to even make them edible.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 9:50 am to MWP
You pluck ducks. Breasting is plain sinful and lazy.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 10:19 am to skullraker
quote:that’s the excuse we use too
I believe Widgeon to be the hardest duck to kill. They are on a different level when wounded compared to other ducks; tough sum bitches.
“That fricker musta been armor plated!”
Posted on 11/19/25 at 11:37 am to mrcoon
quote:
You pluck ducks. Breasting is plain sinful and lazy
You trolling?
If you pluck every duck you kill, you’re either a liar, don’t kill many ducks, or you have no taste buds.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 12:44 pm to The Torch
you have no idea how good coots can be because you don't know how to properly cook them.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 12:56 pm to Theduckhunter
Buddy that hunted with us was absolutely against leaving his ducks at the picker in forked island. He would bring them to work and leave in fridge to pick when he got home. We were killing limits of big ducks daily and hunting 6-7 days a week. After a week of cleaning ducks he decided that spending $3/duck wasn’t a bad idea.
Me I breasted almost errythang to grill.
Me I breasted almost errythang to grill.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 1:05 pm to KemoSabe65
I pluck most duck that we kill. We do shoot 85% ringnecks. If you want just the breast meat, filet it off the skin like a fish. It’s not hard.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 1:39 pm to MobileJosh
quote:
Ah yes, New Mexico. Where spoonbills are better table fare than pintail and widgeon. That's really hilarious
A widgeon shot anywhere in the vicinity of the Rio Grande or Pecos is about as inedible as waterfowl get. There is NO grain or aquatic grass to speak of in New Mexico...some alfalfa that can make them somewhat better eating but if they spend their days and nights filter feeding on the brackish Rio Grande or Pecos they are just nasty. Pintails are only slightly better. The only reason spoonies are better is because they are not any worse filter feeding in the Rio or Pecos than they are anywhere because spoonies filter feed a good bit of the time no matter where they are.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 1:39 pm to KemoSabe65
If we were cleaning our own birds, we’d pluck a few but would breast the majority. It just takes a long time to breast them and if you’re hunting multiple days a week with success, it adds up.
In high school I went hunting with a buddy and his dad. The blind had a 5 man limit of green heads/ greys. His dad made me my buddy and his little brother pluck every single bird.
It took hours!
In high school I went hunting with a buddy and his dad. The blind had a 5 man limit of green heads/ greys. His dad made me my buddy and his little brother pluck every single bird.
It took hours!
Posted on 11/19/25 at 3:01 pm to Nyala
Spoonies eat the same stuff as other puddle ducks
Posted on 11/19/25 at 3:22 pm to KemoSabe65
quote:
Me I breasted almost errythang to grill.
Pretty much the only way I eat duck unless I get a request for plucked birds from my mom or dad which means it is gumbo or special recipe time and honestly the only birds that I whole pluck are Wood Ducks and GW Teal. And of course Specks. I think those taste the best other than those Whistlers. I whole pluck them just for those big arse legs they have. Those birds are hands down the best eating duck.
Posted on 11/19/25 at 8:24 pm to Theduckhunter
quote:anyone who breasted ducks at our place was never invited back. That is wanton waste of a precious resource and disrespectful of the animal. Duck leg gumbo is some of the best eating you will ever do
If you pluck every duck you kill, you’re either a liar, don’t kill many ducks, or you have no taste buds.
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