# Waterfowl season 2013-14 almost over



## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Well crap, the seasons almost over:-(
It seems like its gone Super-duper fast. Oh well, guess its time to get back to my life. Oh wait, hunting IS my life:smile:


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Haha, crazy to think the quackers are done for next weekend. I can say its gonna be a mad dash to the finish line on the extended goose. Have several days off work the last two weeks to try n finish it out strong. There are rafts of geese in Idaho right now. Hope we get some honkers pushed down here or the city geese expand their horizons to bring the numbers up for a strong finish!!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I resorted to spoonies today.:shock:


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> I resorted to spoonies today.:shock:


Atta Boy!!! nothing wrong with that!! I almost didn't even see them until you pointed them out!


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## bug doc (Apr 19, 2008)

Fowlmouth said:


> I resorted to spoonies today.:shock:


I can relate. I've been desperate enough to shoot goldeneye. 










One more week and the depression starts.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I shot a few Goldeneyes the last couple of weeks too. When they are the only birds around you do what you got to do. I saw more ducks Saturday then I have seen in a month. I know of 4 banded ducks that were shot Saturday where I was. There was definitely more shooting going on then I have heard in over a month. The ducks finally decided to show back up, and I'm kind of excited again for this next week to start. 6 more days and I will park the boat, clean all the gear out of the garage, clean the guns and let my dog be lazy for a while.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

What do you do with goldeneyes?

I got a cookbook for Christmas called, _"Duck, Duck, Goose",_ by Hank Shaw. He seems very knowledgeable, and explains the table qualities of all the common species, and how their taste varies with diet, where they were taken, etc. He doesn't mention GE.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Breast them out, mix them with all the other duck breasts and make sausage sticks, jerkey and salami. I do a lot of fajitas using duck meat also. Sometimes I just dip the breasts in seasoned flour and drop them in a pan of oil on the stove. I have never had good luck roasting a whole duck, goose or swan. They always look great coming out of the oven, but they don't taste that way.


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## brettb (Aug 23, 2009)

Paddler, Goldeneyes are said to have high levels of Mercury. I wouldn't even think of eating one, same with spoonies. Just my thoughts

Brett


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## bug doc (Apr 19, 2008)

brettb said:


> Paddler, Goldeneyes are said to have high levels of Mercury. I wouldn't even think of eating one, same with spoonies. Just my thoughts
> 
> Brett


I believe that's limited to birds taken on the GSL. They're safe elsewhere in the state. If they sink after being shot, be concerned...


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

brettb said:


> Paddler, Goldeneyes are said to have high levels of Mercury. I wouldn't even think of eating one, same with spoonies. Just my thoughts
> 
> Brett


I was just curious, Brett. I don't shoot goldeneye or spoonies. Ever.

The book I mentioned above agrees closely with my own experience, in that Shaw speaks very highly of canvasback, pintails, specks, etc. He notes that gadwall are sometimes referred to as "gagwall", and I don't much care for them. He says that wigeon can be very good, but that the skinny ones taken in the coastal marshes eat crustaceans, etc, and are fishy.

Rob, I recently roasted a pintail. Medium rare, maybe a bit more rare than medium. Probably the best I've ever had. I think you'd like that book.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

For some reason, when I posted this thread I thought that the season ended this wednesday! I am super excited now that I realize that it isn't til saturday that the world ends


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

It's funny how in other parts of the country Goldeneyes are considered a trophy bird while we take them for granted. I almost never shoot them either but sometimes you have to get a few more retrieves in for your dog, and you never know when it might be a Barrow's. 8)

The goldeneyes I shoot get aged for about 9 days, then go into a brine for 3 more. Then into the crockpot with other assorted marginal eating ducks, they get cooked all day and then I add barbecue sauce and make BBQ duck sandwiches. They taste pretty good that way!


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