Are mallards edible?

[ManchesterBen]

Does anyone know if mallards are edible?
Are they protected? (is it illegal to kill and eat one?)
Do they taste like the duck you get from your local chinese?

Thanks in advance!

Ben

 

[ged]

Does anyone know if mallards are edible?
Are they protected? (is it illegal to kill and eat one?)
Do they taste like the duck you get from your local chinese?

Yes.
All British birds are protected. (You can take some, including duck, under certain circumstances.)
It depends on the sauce.

 

[ManchesterBen]

Thanks, could you expand on which circumstances if possible?

Cheers

 

[nigelp]

Thanks, could you expand on which circumstances if possible?

Cheers

Chinese new year and other festivals

 

[Labrador]

Oh Yes, very tasty!
Check out www.basc.org.uk & google wildfowling for more information.

 

[JonathanD]

Thanks, could you expand on which circumstances if possible?

Cheers

For waterfowl hunting, a license is needed to legally hunt. There are also limits to how many birds you can shoot per day (known as bag limits) and how many birds you can possess in total (known as possession limits). This is to protect the numbers of birds, and often varies according to the bird in question. Duck hunting is also seasonal and is Sept 1 - Jan 31 and you cannot take birds outside of these dates

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) regulates waterfowl hunting. They oversee hunting at local levels, as well as national and European levels.

 

[Shewie]

My brother used to have three ducks, Sweet, Sour and Crispy. A fox took them all in a single night when they were away for the weekend.

Not very useful I know but thought I'd share it

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I believe most things are edible with enough tomato or Tabasco sauce - As for legality?

 

[ged]

For waterfowl hunting, a license is needed to legally hunt. There are also limits to how many birds you can shoot per day (known as bag limits) and how many birds you can possess in total (known as possession limits). This is to protect the numbers of birds, and often varies according to the bird in question. Duck hunting is also seasonal and is Sept 1 - Jan 31 and you cannot take birds outside of these dates

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) regulates waterfowl hunting. They oversee hunting at local levels, as well as national and European levels.

Thanks Jonathan, excellent synopsis. I'd just add that there's also the issue of property and permission.

 

[ged]

I believe most things are edible with enough tomato or Tabasco sauce

Habanero for me.

 

[ged]

My brother used to have three ducks, Sweet, Sour and Crispy.

And we're supposed to believe that?

A fox took them all in a single night when they were away for the weekend.

Well I believe that. It never ceases to amaze me that people are surprised and annoyed, when they put a load of fox food all in one place, that foxes come to get it.

 

[Shewie]

And we're supposed to believe that?

I think the kids named them that, saying that though I wouldn't put it past our lad.

Well I believe that. It never ceases to amaze me that people are surprised and annoyed, when they put a load of fox food all in one place, that foxes come to get it.

I think they'd had them for nearly a year before they went missing. Cunning those foxes though, must have been casing their house and waited until they went away for a few days.

 

[Cledan99]

Mallard are not only edible but sublimly tasty...
And if you've only eaten farmed duck your in for a pleasant surprise, allow 1 per person, as theres not much on them, but in the autumn (when they can be shot) the blackberries are about...and along with a little port....

Just don't grab em from the park lake when the kids are feeding them.

 

[ManchesterBen]

Awesome guys - thanks for the response!
If they're that tasty, I'm surprised I haven't seen mallard on a menu yet... That said, I'm sure there are plenty of places you can get it.
Cheers again,

Ben

 

[JonathanD]

Awesome guys - thanks for the response!
If they're that tasty, I'm surprised I haven't seen mallard on a menu yet... That said, I'm sure there are plenty of places you can get it.
Cheers again,

Ben

That's what you usually get when it says duck on a menu.

 

[Matt.S]

Do you shoot, ManchesterBen? If not, feel free to PM me and I'll happily send you some info on how to get started.

 

[pinerevolver]

Simple Answer - Aye.

 

[pteron]

I think you'll find that all birds are edible.

 

[gregorach]

I think you'll find that all birds are edible.

Well, yeah, but there's edible and then there's tasty... You know the old Australian joke about how to cook a galah? You put it in your billy with a decent-sized rock, and keep it on a good boil until the rock goes soft. Then you throw the galah away and eat the rock.If you're lucky, it won't taste of galah.

 

[treelore]

yes they are very edible..no licence is needed to hunt duck (which are on the game list)...teal,mallard,wigeon etc) but there is a season in which you can take then. look on the www.basc.co.uk web site for all info.

how are you intending to hunt them ?