Rank your top 3 ducks to eat....

1. Teal
2. Mallard
3. Woodduck

1. Teal
2. Wood Duck
3. Pintail

“Age” them as I think Guy does, and cook them medium rare with salt and pepper. Can’t tell it’s duck

I’ll edit to add, ate a Canvasback a couple years ago that was fantastic, can’t tell it because it’s the only one I’ve had and don’t know if we got lucky or they Are that good. I’d put them at 2

Wood duck
Pintail
Teal

The title took me back to my Marine Corp boot camp days. One day our DI came and and exclaimed "We're eating duck today boys". Me being a Cajun got really excited. However that excitement was quickly diminish when we got in line and there was no duck. The DI was at the end of the line by the trash can telling everyone "Now duck your s**t and get out". He was pissed about something so we didn't eat and instead were subjected to a grueling bending in the sand. Talk about some bad chafing.

Teal ranks right over a boottlip. Both enjoy digging in the mud for... Mud


Wood duck
Mallard
Widgeon
Gadwall
Redhead
Teal
Boot


Won't shoot any others

You boys are missing out on the Canvasback

Haven't had wooduck

So

Can
Pintail
Teal

Problem with eating a can is cleaning the thing 1st.

1. Teal
2. Canvasback
3. Pintail

Skin on - pluck the feathers, cut out the breast. A lot easier than skinning them. It is a bigger pain but worth it IMO.

Little oil in a hot skillet, get that skin crispy first. Make ya wanna slap ya mamma. Number one on my list.

An every season discussion

Woodies canvasback and wigeon followed by teal

There's a reason the Canvasback was the highest fetching duck back in the market days. For me it's:

1. Canvasback
2. Woodies
3. Whistling Ducks
4. Teal
5. Mallards

1 teal
2 grey duck
3 wood duck

Bluewing/cinnamon teal are in the shovelor family I believe but the green wings aren't. Look at a bluewing/cinnamon teal's beak...

I'd say:
Green wing teal
Wood duck
Mallard
Wigeon/Gadwall
Divers

You guys don't kid yourself, mallard is the king duck. It is a real piece of meat, a real steak, cooked fresh and aged a week, it is better than prime rib...That layer of mallard fat bursts with flavor. Salt and pepper only, don't mess it up with marinade..








Last hunt of season 1/29/2020..

I’ve never cared for duck. I had a neighbor lady in her 80’s when I lived on Palestine that loved them and I’d give her all mine. I hunted three days a week at least back then. After she died I pretty much quit hunting them.

What kinda duck did you shoot? It makes a big difference. And also over cooking duck, any type, is not good, it will all taste like liver, which funny my wife likes.

I'd eat that! Looks like Sandhill Crane and I love Crane. Only duck hunting I ever did was jumping them on tank dams. Might have to try it again. Never tried grilling them like a steak.

Mostly wood ducks, teal, and mallards. I don’t overcook anything if I can help it.

Leave mine un plucked and un gutted for about 8 days in a walk in cooler hung by the neck.
Then only pluck breast and fillet out meat with skin on.
The first time I tried it I couldn’t believe the difference in taste between aging whole and cleaning fresh killed.
No bad smell and the meat didn’t have that liver taste.

Wood duck,
Mallard
Pintail
Canvasbacks- very easy to do this way.

When duck is cooked perfectly, it will have a unique flavor, unlike anything else. And some people will just not like it, even if cooked to perfection. But I think it's awesome.

this. I've aged ducks two months with the same outcome, I've been preaching it for years.

Lots of folks have stopped giving me their ducks after a hunt because of one bite of my aged breast pan seared rare. It makes a huge difference, like night and day.

Thats the way I was raised eating duck. Won't eat it any other way.

[quote=Guy]You guys don't kid yourself, mallard is the king duck. It is a real piece of meat, a real steak, cooked fresh and aged a week, it is better than prime rib...That layer of mallard fat bursts with flavor. Salt and pepper only, don't mess it up with marinade../quote]

I’ve killed more mallards than any other duck. They are fine eating but I put them firmly at #5. Those little green wing teal breasts are like little fillet mignon’s.

For me it would be:

Green wing teal
Mallard
Gadwall

For my six year old daughter it doesn't matter as long it is grilled!!

What temp or range of temp is best during the aging process?

I don't know about "best temp" but place freshly killed ducks inside a plastic Walmart bag then put them in a cold refrigerator.