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I'm a little ashamed to admit that I actually ate some coot. Some coots were repeatedly offered to me by the guy I hunt with. He had guided some out of towners the evening before and they'd killed 50 or so. I don't know about other parts of the country, but around here coots are in the thousands and considered trash. Not wanting to be rude, I took twenty or so home and cleaned them. I also had the 3 pintail, gadwall, mallard, and ten teal so I decided to do a taste test. I wanted the full flavor of the bird, so I simply cut the breasts (teal vs. coot) into strips, pan fried them in butter and seasoning, and made a simple sandwich. I'll be damned if the coot wasn't very good. It was actually less gamy than the teal. Just goes to show you that the stuff you've heard since you were a kid may not be right at all. Plus the damned coots have a gizzard as big as a goose, and I likes me some gizzards. | ||
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I think that's no secret really. I've long heard here in the Mid-South Miss. Flyway that they're OK. I wouldn't hesitate to eat one, except it wouldn't be particularly sporty shooting. I also wouldn't want to catch a lot of grief from other hunters if I scared off a bunch of mallards that were working while I swatted a mud hen. I don't know, but how edible might have something to do with what they've been eating. Maybe that's why the reputation. You know, many feel the same about spoonies. Some refuse to even try them although I know for a fact they are just fine if on a rice or other crop diet. The coot's real problem is probably just the name and the whole idea. How were the gizzards? | |||
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I sorted all the hearts and gizzards into a separate bag and will cook them before too long. I can't imagine that the gizzards aren't going to be good as well. I have actually heard of people killing coots just for the gizzard. After seeing how big they are, I understand. Next up is a coot gumbo. We'll see how that goes. If it is good, there will be no excuse for a lack of meat after a bad hunt. You can just about kill coots with a paddle.lol | |||
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Daniel, thanks for putting that to rest. I've been told all kinds of crap forever about Coots and I knew damn well they are vegetarians primarily. A Mallard will eat ANYTHING, especially if he's hungry. I have shot two that had Leopard frogs in their craw; others with cockelburrs, Shad minnows, crap I couldn't ID, stick-tites etc. We have lots of them here in TN and having mounted several during my years as a Taxidermist, I can attest they have a plump breast. Good hunting, David Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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I save the hearts, livers, and gizzards on all the birds I shoot, ducks, dove, quail, grouse, and turkey... That is the best part. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Coot gizzard salad is delicious..... Have had it many times, and have killed a pile of coots just for the gizzards and given the rest to the bird boys...... | |||
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There must be some difference in flavor for coots. Let me preface by saying that I am not a picky eater. My only rule about food is that it can't be moving fast when I eat it. Maybe I'm a mallard, I like frogs, crawfish, and shad I enjoy eating woodcock and enjoy diving ducks. Some folks can't find an appreciation for either of them. I've shot a few coots over the years on the Susquehanna. I just can't shoot anymore. Really did not like them, at all. I have friends that love them. Go figure. Glad you like 'em. Just gotta try new things, Who would think that something that eats the stuff that oysters eat would taste that good. Bfly Work hard and be nice, you never have enough time or friends. | |||
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At my hunting camp, we always made something called "coot stew" Depending on the duck hunting, my grandfather and some of his cohorts would swat a few (dozens at times) coot and make up a stew. It really depended on what they were eating. The ones eating water celery or wild rice were excellent. The ones following the diver rafts were awful, and even the dogs were not enthusiastic on the meat. Its been a good many years since we made the stew- grandpa gave up duck camp when his emphysema got bad, and he's been dead for 20 years now. Maybe I should try it again. I probably was the only one who knew what they were eating as I always cut the gizzards in half when I cleaned them (the only job a pre teen was allowed in duck camp on opening weekend) so it became pretty easy for me to know if I wanted any stew. I would ask you guys how you know what they are eating before you shoot them though... I never was willing to get the chit for going out and shooting the things. Is it a matter of where they are or what? | |||
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Only someone who's eaten them could answer that, and I haven't. But the places I see them are mostly in flooded reservoirs and swamps and woods. They could eat anything in those places. But I don't see them in flooded fields where they could have rice, beans or corn. So I'm afraid it's a question with many possible answers. You'd just have to try it and see. Now, one possible analogy. We all think teal are wonderful eating. But, in the early hot weather Sept season I have shot blue wings that were terrible tasting. Like fish that'd seen better days. It was in a rice water reservoir, which at that time of year was real low and hadn't yet been pumped. That water was not only low but stagnant. And the teal were, I hate to say, full of lice. They fell off in bunches. Obviously the teal had been eating whatever available to survive, just like the spoonies that accompanied them. Later in Winter out of there, they were fine. So it's not just "where" but also "when". | |||
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Coots are a strict vegetarian. That is why they are decent to eat. I had an uncle that insisted I shoot him a limit whenever I had the chance. Jeff | |||
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Shouldn't have been too hard if they were about. The first time I slapped the trigger on one in a flock FIVE of them dropped.   Limit is very high for them here; 15 per day I want to say. Anyway, I had the nicest one mounted. Unfortunately, I believed what I'd read about them being horrible to eat and gave them away without trying them for myself. Shame on me, apparently!______________________ Hunting: I'd kill to participate. | |||
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