Found the remains of a merganser on a walk this morning (fresh; wasn’t there last night)
While debating the ethics of harvesting the plunder out of season, I walked to the house to get a plastic bag just in case I was able to override my conscience, but when I got back to the scene of the crime, the corpse was gone; not even a chalk outline remained.
Managed to score a few breast feathers; maybe some Fanwing Coachmans?
Regards,
Scott
Scott,
A friend of mine in MI witnessed a fight between a Merganser and a Bald Eagle the other morning. You can guess who won. He had his water dog retrieve the loser and skinned it for me. I guess I better clarify that the Bald Eagle was the winner, but could not carry off his competitor. I’m looking forward to examining the feathers.
Wow, he lost his head. I used t carry plastic bags and gloves with me. I live in PA and a warden reminded me that was illegal to pick up dead animals in PA.
The mergansers are taking a beating this week; things are getting pretty medieval around here.
Regards,
Scott
“While debating the ethics of harvesting the plunder out of season”
There is a season on Mergansers?
When I was much younger, a buddy of mine shot one by mistake. Not wanting to waste wild game we split the chores, I plucked it and he cleaned it.
Put it in the oven and went to the village to get a few things and while there asked the local butcher the best way to cook it.
Well after describing the bird Roger suggested the cedar plank method.
Cook the duck, when done chuck the duck and eat the plank!! That’s a fish duck son.:(
.
It gets worse, when we got back to the cottage the place stunk beyond belief, it turns out he had never clean a bird before and had left the crop in it.
He rushed into the kitchen grabbed the roasting pan with an old oven mitt with holes in it burnt his hand and dropped the bird. The contents of the still present crop proceeded to ooze across the floor.
We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning and airing out the place.