Coot hunting in nm

Jdd2035

Active Member
Sep 12, 2016
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So like javilina, carp, and black bear I have heard mixed reviews on coot. Some say it's great, the others say its horrible. I'm hoping to find out for my self. I live in the farmington area of new mexico, and would like to hunt some coot, I just don't know where I can. Any advice please?
 

Colorado Cowboy

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Jun 8, 2011
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My Dad owned a duck hunting club in Imperial Valley in so California and we shot a few coots...(we called them mud hens). Depending on what they are eating, they can be good to awful. The ones we ate that were good were feeding on wheat and had lots of fat on them. Cooked them like ducks. Same regs apply to them as regular waterfowl, check state regs.
 

Bonecollector

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Mar 9, 2014
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I totally thought this thread was going to be locked, but then found out you're serious and talking about something completely different.
Ok- I gotta get back to work.... carry on with your coot discussion.
 

JimP

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Mar 28, 2016
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I have a wild game cookbook that has a number of recipes for coots/mudhens.

As to where to find them, as was mentioned if there are other ducks there will be coots. Even if there are not other ducks there should be coots around a pond that holds ducks sometimes during the year.
 
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Bonecollector

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Honestly never heard of it. I don't even know if we have them in the east.
Lot of duck/geese hunting along the great lakes, but never heard of this.
 

Prerylyon

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Apr 25, 2016
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'BC,

Yes, you (we) have/had them in PA, OH, WV. They can salvage a slow day in the marsh as they seem to always be willing to decoy without hesitation and are always around when those greenheads seem to be MIA. There is an issue in preparing them for the table, as has been noted. I shot one at a prairie pothole out here some years back after nothing came in and the stupid thing kept coming into my decoys. I field dressed it, and that one smelled so bad, I just had to leave it. That spot is well populated by coyotes, and during hunting season, they eat well on the deer, pheasant, and duck gut piles. I came back a few days later to hunt pheasants, and my coot was still there-not even the coyotes would eat it. 😲

I've had luck in the past soaking the meat in butter milk overnight. I learned this from several old time watermen on Maryland's eastern shore way back in my more formative years. This can work for most skanky ducks (bluebills, for example, if they haven't been eating their veggies)
 
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Jdd2035

Active Member
Sep 12, 2016
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Thanks to every one who posted, and their advice. I'll let y'all know if I do any good.
 

Fink

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Apr 7, 2011
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West Side, MoMo
They literally jump into my boat, when I'm running the really thick stuff, in the dark.. Maybe I could just mail you some. Some of the Cajuns I know eat them, but those dudes don't count, they eat some weird stuff.
 
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eastmont

Member
Feb 28, 2014
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I shoot probabaly 20-30 a year. I actually use them for dog training treats, and I eat a couple each year to. Usually make them as tacos and I haven't noticed any terrible taste.

There is a suprisingly liittle amount of meat on them. Their rib cage is actually pretty huge and the breasts are much smaller than someone would guess. Somewhere between a teal and widgeon.
 
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dirtclod Az.

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Jan 26, 2018
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Arizona
Your Coots must be eatin' good,cause the Coots in
Az. are nasty.My brother shot one with his pistol during
a company Bass tournament.We split it open and It smelled
like dog shite.Tryed to catch some Crawdads with it for dinner
and when we pu it in the water he Crawdads scattered
never to be seen again!Ha!,Ha! :cool:
 
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Rich M

Very Active Member
Oct 16, 2012
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566
The coots down here eat good - smelly little birds but the meat is comparable to teal.