A Deep Dive into “Mergansers”

Waterfowl seasons are underway across the country, and thousands of hunters are taking their harvested birds home to clean and eat. Puddle ducks like mallards, teal and wood ducks can provide delicious meals if prepared properly. Most people consider diving ducks a bit less tasty, but still worth the time to prepare with a favorite recipe.

What I want to discuss is what to do about mergansers. A few years ago, there was a separate, very liberal limit on them, with the exception of the Hooded Merganser. Recently, these limits have been reduced and mergansers have been incorporated into the regular duck bag limits. Some hunters objected, but not many. Mergansers, like most fish-eating birds and mammals, are susceptible to something known as bio-magnification. This begins when environmental contaminants, such as pesticides, are taken up by plankton, aquatic insects and crustaceans. Small fish feed on these; larger fish feed on the small ones; the mergansers feed on the fish. As the contaminants move up the food chain, they build up or are ‘magnified’ at the upper levels.

Thus, officials have issued health advisories urging hunters to eat NO mergansers. So, unless you are a masochist, there is little reason to harvest them unless you want one to add to your mounted collection. Years ago, as a relatively new waterfowl hunter, I was hunting brant on the Great South Bay off Long Island. The brant weren’t flying that day, so I decided to shoot a couple Red-breasted Mergansers, which had been ‘taunting’ me all morning. When I returned home and began to clean them, I was immediately struck by the strong odor of rotten fish. Some more experienced hunters assured me that this was typical of the flesh of mergansers. Suffice it to say, I have not included them in my bag since that day!

So, being able to identify a waterfowl BEFORE you pull the trigger has health benefits, and prevents wasting game. Good hunting!

Thus, officials have issued health advisories urging hunters to eat NO mergansers. So, unless you are a masochist, there is little reason to harvest them unless you want one to add to your mounted collection. Years ago, as a relatively new waterfowl hunter, I was hunting brant on the Great South Bay off Long Island. The brant weren’t flying that day, so I decided to shoot a couple Red-breasted Mergansers, which had been ‘taunting’ me all morning. When I returned home and began to clean them, I was immediately struck by the strong odor of rotten fish. Some more experienced hunters assured me that this was typical of the flesh of mergansers. Suffice it to say, I have not included them in my bag since that day!

So, being able to identify a waterfowl BEFORE you pull the trigger has health benefits, and prevents wasting game. Good hunting!