Diversify your gamebag with the following tips for scouting, searching, and consuming a well-known little waterbird, the American coot.
I heard the jokes about water swatting American coots lengthy earlier than I turned a licensed hunter. However once I lastly took up waterfowl searching, I found that the humor surrounding coots was really a well-placed sentry guarding a well-kept secret: American coot is scrumptious.
Broadly unfold throughout the overwhelming majority of North America, American coots are one species that flies below the radar. Coots are a meaty little hen which might be a pile of enjoyable to hunt, particularly if bounce taking pictures geese is your factor. Coots maintain tight to aquatic cowl earlier than shortly flushing throughout the waters’ floor.
The place I hunt, coots are pretty plentiful from October via the primary week of December. They supply searching alternatives when the wind refuses so as to add movement to my duck decoy spreads.
Should you’re in search of one other species to chase when the duck searching is gradual, listed here are a number of suggestions for concentrating on American coot.
Finding Coot Searching Spots
Coots, like most different animals, don’t need to work for his or her meals any tougher than they should. Utilizing this data to your benefit will be so simple as discovering cattails, pencil reeds, or arrowheads close to aquatic vegetation.
Locations the place protruding aquatic crops and enormous stands of cattails coincide are greatest for coot searching. Scout these areas from 100 yards away. Should you see a small black hen with a downward-facing invoice feeding close to the floating mats of vegetation, you’ve discovered coot habitat.
Because the season progresses from mid-autumn into the late season, coots will proceed to make use of the identical feeding grounds (on condition that meals nonetheless stays). Nevertheless, extra birds will flock up in these locations. Rafts of coots numbering within the thirties or forties aren’t unusual to see because the season leans in direction of winter.
Searching American Coots Over Decoys
Coots, for higher or for worse, are likely to benefit from the firm of each other fairly than every other species of waterfowl. This tendency makes them significantly prone to some coot decoys. (Sure, coot decoys are actual).
Personally, I’ve by no means used greater than six decoys without delay, largely as a result of that’s the most I’m prepared to put money into. Nevertheless, I can say with confidence {that a} minimalistic, six-decoy setup is a practical unfold. I’ve scouted coot spots, gone out within the morning with my meager unfold, and had much more coots present up than I ever anticipated.
Decoying American coots is, to place it frankly, not troublesome. I’ve by no means discovered that having my little unfold in anybody sample proved extra productive for coots than one other. What has made a distinction, nevertheless, is the place I put them. Observe coots in nature and mimic their pure placements when setting your decoys.
Bounce Taking pictures American Coots
Bounce taking pictures coots is a really distinctive methodology of searching. It can take a look at your talents as a hunter and wing shooter. Earlier than you go about it, although, perceive that coots typically run throughout the water once they break from cowl. They’ll scramble in direction of a distant cover with out ever really taking off—that’s proper, you’ll probably be water swatting birds. Due to this habits, you could be 100% sure of shot course earlier than pulling the set off on a flushing coot.
Bounce Taking pictures From A Canoe
Bounce taking pictures in a canoe will be significantly efficient. In a canoe, you’ll be able to maneuver into prime searching areas whereas concurrently positioning the hunter seated on the bow into prime taking pictures angles. Moreover, when in comparison with wading, canoes offer you higher entry to coot habitat. Many coot loafing and feeding grounds are in water over six toes deep.
In relation to bounce taking pictures coots from a canoe, having a bucket, anchor, and cooler readily available will assist your efforts. Towing a bucket on a size of rope behind your canoe will gradual your drift, permitting for higher taking pictures. Anchors mean you can cease at a set place, which is extraordinarily helpful for glassing. Anchors are additionally nice should you determine to ditch the canoe and bounce shoot on foot. Lastly, coots are largely black. This implies they take in warmth shortly, even in cool temperatures. Having a chilly cooler will hold hard-earned birds from spoiling within the afternoon solar.
Bounce Taking pictures On Foot
In my expertise, bounce taking pictures coot on foot is a circumstantial prevalence. To leap shoot in waders, your coot spot should enable for quiet, cautious wading via mucky, weedy terrain. The place you hunt coots is likely to be utterly totally different than the place I do, however for essentially the most half, my coot searching is completed from the confines of a canoe for that cause.
Be Conscious Of Coot Limits
When taking pictures coot, apply management. This can assist forestall taking pictures greater than your restrict. Coots are likely to scatter in tight teams when flushing, making it straightforward to unintentionally kill greater than you meant. Decide and select when and when to not shoot.
Cooking And Consuming Coot
Make no mistake, coots are each bit well worth the time it takes to place a number of on the desk. When you’ve acquired American coots, get pleasure from them in one of the best ways potential.
Coot meat is a darkish, wealthy purple colour that jogs my memory of wagyu beef. I have a tendency to save lots of my coot meat till I’ve sufficient to make a hearty gumbo, my private favourite approach to eat coot. That stated, I additionally eat coot for breakfast.
Soak the coot breasts in a purple wine, pat them dry, and frivolously coat them with salt and pepper. Then, go away the breasts within the fridge in a single day. The next morning, sear them for 30 seconds in butter or duck fats in a forged iron skillet. Lastly, thinly slice the breasts and serve them with chutney. You’ll discover this breakfast to be delightfully flavorful.
If nothing else, the American coot gives an exquisite alternative for brand new hunters to realize waterfowling expertise. Coot searching can be an opportunity to find a vastly underutilized wetland hen that has lots extra to supply than backhanded jokes within the duck blind. Don’t go on placing coots within the freezer; belief me, you’re lacking out on some enjoyable taking pictures and scrumptious desk fare.
