Got Coots?

Carl

Well-known member
Staff member
Ever wonder what a limit of coots looks like?
How's this:
[inline PileOCoots2.jpg ]

Lots of yearling birds but also some big plump adults too with a few nice bull drakes in the bunch, was gonna mount this one but he had some broken feathers. : )
[inline BullDrakeCoot1.jpg ]

Hana thought they we pretty cool too:
[inline IMG_6593.jpg ]
Braved the heat, the fog and mosquitos to sit in the blind with the boy Saturday morning. Set up in a spot that consistenty producted limits of ducks in the past. Sat there and watched empty skys until about 7:15. Then for some reason coots started piling in around us. I said what the heck and started picking them out of the air. In the first barrage lasting about 3 minutes, I dropped 7. About 15 minutes later they started piling in again and I dropped the other 8 in about 2 minutes. Had Youri handing me shells as coots tumbled from the sky. He got a kick out of it. We cooked up a crock pot of coot stew last night for dinner, quite tasty, the whole family enjoyed it.
Later in the morning, the bluebills started flying and I got my 'bill limit pretty quick. Had a pile more buzz through as they headed for a huge raft of 'bills to the west. Its quite ironic that we now have more bluebills on Mobile Bay that we've had in the last 3 years combined. They must have heard the limit is one.

Coot Stew:
6 coots, skinned breast fillets and leg quarters.
1/2 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
bacon drippings
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup white wine
pepper and garlic powder

Soak coot breast & leg quarters overnight, drain & dry.
Season well with pepper and garlic powder.
Brown in bacon fat and place in slow cooker.
Brown onions & carrots in same pan and place in slow cooker.
Deglaze pan with wine & add to slow cooker.
Add beef stock.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8.

View attachment PileOCoots2.jpg
View attachment BullDrakeCoot1.jpg
View attachment IMG_6593.jpg
View attachment PileOCoots2.jpg
View attachment BullDrakeCoot1.jpg
View attachment IMG_6593.jpg
 
We can shoot 25 coots here per day, which is also the possession limit (25). Maybe next season I'll go for it. They are long gone now.
 
A few years ago I was in a spot where coots were trading back and forth so I decided to shoot a few and cook them. Of course, I was worried as hell that someone I knew would be at the ramp and I would never hear the end of it.
Anyway, I was surprised at how tasty they were. They are a rail of sorts, and I have eaten rails and snipe.
 
I've never cared for gizzards that much, so I havent tried them from ducks or coots.
How do you cook them?
 
Carl many years ago when I lived in Texas I met a cajun fella who would make gumbo with the coot gizzards, it was out of this world. But then again anything tastes good in a gumbo......John
 
I am not a gizzard cooker or eater, but I have cleaned plenty of gizzards for the guys who like to eat them. They always boiled them, then floured them and fried em up.
 
Good shoot Carl!
I have hunted a few mudhens, but not in open water. I hunted a few lost souls in some flooded standing corn fields. It was kind of like the arcade game, where you only have a shooting lane (between rows) and the coots kept switching directions when you get in their "aisle". Back and forth we went...they preferred to swim rather than fly (bad choice).

Dave
 
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