Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

lanyard wrote:More likely territorial competition/defense actions by coots. Likely happens to other ducks besides canvas backs, but no one cares enough to put a camera on a widgeon/ring neck/red head nest

And how big of a sorry sack is a canvas back getting it's ass kicked by a coot. It's a freaking coot!

Your naivety is showing, as you do not realize that Widgeon are upland nesters.
How about the coot destroying the nest? territorial or not, that is still predation in the broad perspective of a lost nest.
And the Coot was trying to kill the ducklings and the hen Can was indeed defending all her ducklings.... So was she being " a wimp" as you assert? I don't think so!


I think we should start a new organization - "Kill a Coot, Save the ducks!"
I nominate Bullet to the be the head scout and report to us where the biggest concentrations are to the members of this new org. And He gets to shoot 1st when they come in (hell he does that already anyhow...)

h2ofwlr wrote:

lanyard wrote:More likely territorial competition/defense actions by coots. Likely happens to other ducks besides canvas backs, but no one cares enough to put a camera on a widgeon/ring neck/red head nest

And how big of a sorry sack is a canvas back getting it's ass kicked by a coot. It's a freaking coot!

Your naivety is showing, as you do not realize that Widgeon are upland nesters.
How about the coot destroying the nest? territorial or not, that is still predation in the broad perspective of a lost nest.
And the Coot was trying to kill the ducklings and the hen Can was indeed defending all her ducklings.... So was she being " a wimp" as you assert? I don't think so!


I think we should start a new organization - "Kill a Coot, Save the ducks!"
I nominate Bullet to the be the head scout and report to us where the biggest concentrations are to the members of this new org. And He gets to shoot 1st when they come in (hell he does that already anyhow...)

Well, if the rest of us can accept 'predatation' as a word and the broader definition synonymous with plunder, I think you'd be able to accept 'widgeon' as another duck that might be plundered by a different species, similar perhaps to one cavity nester dumping her eggs in a different species cavity nest.

Given the weight difference between a coot (1.1-1.6 lbs) and a canvas back (hen 2.5 lbs).... the Can should be unleashing some whoop ass. More Canada Goose than spasmodic church lady. Just sayin'.

maplelakeduckslayer wrote:Coots are like northerns, take as many out as possible and leave on shore

A lot of people think they are helping a body of water by killing larger pike but that is actually counterproductive and will turn your lake in to a hammerhandle factory. Apex predators are good for all of the fish species in a body of water. The schools need to be thinned to provide good growth rates. Pike taste great especially out of cold water.

I've never tried coot. I'll have to give it a go come fall. Can't be any worse than scoter.

Nershi wrote:

maplelakeduckslayer wrote:Coots are like northerns, take as many out as possible and leave on shore

A lot of people think they are helping a body of water by killing larger pike but that is actually counterproductive and will turn your lake in to a hammerhandle factory. Apex predators are good for all of the fish species in a body of water. The schools need to be thinned to provide good growth rates. Pike taste great especially out of cold water.

I've never tried coot. I'll have to give it a go come fall. Can't be any worse than scoter.

I was talking about hammer handles I know I didn't specify. Our lake is over run with them

Coot eating secret: the legs are better than the breasts

^^^ true dat!

Quack wrote:Coot eating secret: the legs are better than the breasts

Coot eating secret number 2, they taste even better if you throw them in the cattails at the launch. Or at least that seems what most guys do with them.

I cannot recommend pan frying them. That was bad.

Let's do a jump on pelican this fall, there's giant rafts right off shore every year. Could damn near just do'em drive by style