# What made these?



## onereddawg

tracks i found near a mud puddle. You can see the claw marks about 1/2 in front of the toes. 3 forward and one back, about 2" to 2 1/2 " long toes.


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## youngdon

A coot perhaps.


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## Mattuk

If it was over here thats what I'd say Don.


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## destructive_mechanic

Those are young turkey's tracks.


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## Mattuk

Flaps between the toe's!


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## bones44

Looks like turkey to me too. Who you callin a coot Don ? LOL


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## catcapper

Not a turkey---Don's on the right track. (pun intended)


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## Antlerz22

destructive_mechanic said:


> Those are young turkey's tracks.


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## destructive_mechanic

Hahaha... I dont know what a coot is, but we call those turkey tracks over here guys... unless those are coot beards hanging of my fireplace mantle...hahaha


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## On a call

I am surprised at you guys...that is an old indian sign showing which way to go.


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## youngdon

I bet you get lost a lot !


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## On a call

Nah....I know exactly where I am at any give time. Like now, I am here.


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## bones44

On a call said:


> Nah....I know exactly where I am at any give time. Like now, I am here.


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## youngdon

On a call said:


> Nah....I know exactly where I am at any give time. Like now, I am here.


Now see... that just goes to prove my point... You couldn't be more wrong, as I am here and you are there


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## On a call

Yes however if when I look at those photos they are pointing to you so I know how to get there







.

Besides if you are there and I am here that means " I " am here not there.

The problem I have is why it happens at the marsh soo much and never in the upland woods ??? BTW...you should see me walking around the marsh.


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## HowlinRed

Or maybe some type of Heron?


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## On a call

very possible, a green heron perhaps.


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## onereddawg

I don't think turkey b/c of the backwards toe is too big. Thanks for all the help, if even some of it wasn't help.


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## On a call

Hey no problem...just be sure to follow the arrow in reverse.


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## bones44

Hey, no problem being of no help whatsoever. The wife says the same thing. LOL


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## Mattuk

bones44 said:


> Hey, no problem being of no help whatsoever.


I think that a lot Tom!


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## On a call

bones44 said:


> Hey, no problem being of no help whatsoever. The wife says the same thing. LOL


but you offer all the time correct ?


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## bones44

Every chance I get. Like I always said, If there was a degree for being a smart *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]*, I would have my Master's !


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## youngdon

I'll send you a copy of my doctoral thesis entitled " how to be a smartass while not looking like a dumbass" . If only I could follow my own advice....


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## bones44

Dr. Don I presume ? LOL


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## ReidRH

Looks like Bittern Tracks to me a smaller than a heron but the track fits!


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## Antlerz22

Yea, I'm retracting turkey for at least some water bird--rear "toe" is rather fat. Maybe the coot as mentioned (mudhen).


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## On a call

Who you calling a coot ?


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## bones44

I think you Brian..... a crazy one at that ! That's what I gathered anyway. LOL


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## Mattuk

As crazy as a $hit house rat!


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## bones44

Glad I'm not the only one who uses that phrase.


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## destructive_mechanic

What in the world is a coot? I thought yall were saying that as a joke...


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## Mattuk

destructive_mechanic said:


> What in the world is a coot? I thought yall were saying that as a joke...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Coot


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## youngdon

coot 
1. A dark-gray water dwelling bird resembling a duck.
2. A foolish old man.
3. Brian Miller


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## On a call

Gee guys...and here I thought you thought I was nuts.

If you have the chance try eating the web less water fowl. Most say they are not good eating. They are good table fair and common also.


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## youngdon

Not on my plate. They are nasty dirty tasting from what I've always heard.


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## Mattuk

Yep I'm with Don. Brian your talking b******s there!


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## Antlerz22

youngdon said:


> Not on my plate. They are nasty dirty tasting from what I've always heard.


Never tried them, but I've heard the same as well as tried fish coming from the muddy waters up in the bay and even they tasted muddy. So I would assume if it walks through mud, eats in mud, is also known as a MUD HEN--then its safe to assume the taste IS MUD!--Just a thought!


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## On a call

I thought the same thing...and was guided to think that growing up. Then a friend shared some with me and they were quite good. They are not fishing eating birds but eat vegetation only.

Trust me on this one.

I am not yanking the rug on you this time. I forgot how he fixed them but they were good, as I remember they were done in a crook pot.


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## youngdon

That sounds like something from a prison cell.


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## On a call

Hey one bite and you might be shooting them all..

How about Cormorants ??


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## youngdon

Warning:
Cormorants impose a health hazard !!!
Do not eat Cormorants too often because of possible high PCB contamination !!!

Cormorant Breasts with Lentils
Ingredients (for 2-3 persons): Breasts of one Cormorant, 1 large carrot (cut into pieces), 1 piece of celeriac (from the roots, not the greens - cut into little pieces of 8 mm), 300 g lentils, 2 onions, 200 g smoked bacon, 6 table spoons of vinegar, 4 cups of chicken broth, 2 cups of the marinade, 3 â€" 4 little red chilies (or freshly grounded pepper), salt, Â½ bunch of fresh thyme, goose lard

Marinades (it looks as if you will need 2 marinades one to marinade the breasts and one for cooking the meal):
each Â½ liter of a dry white wine, 4 table spoons of olive oil, 1 onion, 1 carrot, Â½ bunch of lemon thyme, parsley, 1 by leaf red pepper.

Preparation method: Cut the breasts out of the bird, cut away all body fat. Marinade: Cut all vegetables for the marinade into pieces and boil it shortly with all other marinade ingredients. Let the marinade cool down, pour it over the Cormorant breasts and marinade the breasts for 48 hours. Then, dry the breasts, cut them into pieces, and brown them in a pan with some goose lard (fat). Add one cup of marinade and cook (stew) the breasts for 2 Â½ hours until the meat is almost tender. Add some of the chicken broth every once in a while. In the meantime cut the bacon into strips, cut the onions and brown both with some goose lard (fat) in a (roast) pot. Add the carrots, the celeriac, the chilies and the (washed) lentils. Heat it. Then add vinegar, the marinade and the chicken soup. Now salt the breasts and give them onto the bacon and the vegetables. Add the thyme and cook the meal to perfection. Serve salt potatoes with it. Serve Riesling wine with it.


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## bones44

You forgot to add 1 part and the most important... throw it out before someone eats it ! Nasty birds......LOL


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## Mattuk

Why would anyone even try it!


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## youngdon

I agree, there ain't no way...


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## On a call

Don...you have my mouth watery...mmmm..you are a great chef.

by the way...is there any breast meat on one ?


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## Mattuk

Can they fly Brian? Yes they are a bird!


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## youngdon

On a call said:


> Don...you have my mouth watery...mmmm..you are a great chef.
> 
> by the way...is there any breast meat on one ?


Did you even read the recipe ?.... You can have them all Brian.


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## Antlerz22

On a call said:


> Hey one bite and you might be shooting them all..
> 
> How about Cormorants ??


When I was about 9 or ten, I shot either a cormorant or a loon--I cant remember if it had the spots or not. Anyway I was unlearned and young enough to think that by the size-- that I had shot a turkey. I was also raised to eat what you shoot, with few exceptions--so I brought it home. Mom wasnt woods savvy or anything--so she didnt know exactly what I had. So I went ahead and cleaned it much the way I had applied to quail, dove, and woodcock. When done I told mom to cook it like a turkey! All this was done to impress my dad who taught me and took me hunting whenever he went, and he was at work at the time. So when he came home. he always came home to dinner freshly prepared and waiting for him to sit down and eat. He looks at the main dish and asks what it was, well I piped up and proudly announced I had shot a turkey! The look on his face when he took the first bite was priceless!!!! Well------so was everybody elses including mine!! This is the gospel, we had a dog named Husky--a hunting dog that was the best squirrel hunter if ever there was one. He even used to pull out the entrails as I cleaned the squirrels and ate them except certain parts like the stomach. Well he was also a house dog! and there he was next to me (I was his favorite) waiting for any morsels I could slip him. So I slipped him one from the "prize" bird. He dropped it sniffed it and actually turned his head and nose aside looking sideways at me as if saying--you have anything else? He wouldnt even eat it!!


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## youngdon

Too bad Brian wasn't there.


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## On a call

22...I had to stop reading 3 times because I was laughing so hard...brought tears to my eyes !! That was toooo funny. I am guessing that turned out to be pizza night ? That or you endurred it whew...I am still laughing. Poor ol Husky ha ha....nope I am not eatting this. Did you pa get a bite down ?

Heck no I never ate a cormarant ! Snake birds gotta taste like fish eating foul they are.

Don I read your recipe in fact it sounds interesting...but 2 days in marinade will tame just about anything. I think you need to send this one on over to AW. I can collect some birds and send them.

I am still laughing here 22


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## destructive_mechanic

Hahahaha... A22 I shot an egret when i was little that i was made to eat... it wasnt much better....


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## ReidRH

LOL Don you know how he is he prolly meant Crock Pot!!


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## Antlerz22

OAC I cant remember what the substitute meat was, but just about anything including hotdogs would have been like a porterhouse compared. I do remember however the real dark color of the meat while cleaning it. I wont eat dark fleshed birds again. DM I have shot numerous egrets back in the 60's with my dads .22, but never ate them. Believe it or not the reason I even shot them was the name "African Egret" I likened it to an invasive species back then even though I wasnt sure what that even meant other than thats how I felt with a name like that. Had it been called an American Egret, I probably would have let em walk. Like I said earlier, we were taught to eat what you shoot--outside of predators and the like of course!


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## youngdon

ReidRH said:


> LOL Don you know how he is he prolly meant Crock Pot!!


I'm sure he did....


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## JTKillough

It's a bird! No fur! I gotta have fur!


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## catcapper

JTKillough said:


> It's a bird! No fur! I gotta have fur!










Gotta have fur.


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## youngdon

I agree with you two. The weather is finally cooling off a bit. Do you have the plow on yet cat.


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## destructive_mechanic

Antlerz22 said:


> OAC I cant remember what the substitute meat was, but just about anything including hotdogs would have been like a porterhouse compared. I do remember however the real dark color of the meat while cleaning it. I wont eat dark fleshed birds again. DM I have shot numerous egrets back in the 60's with my dads .22, but never ate them. Believe it or not the reason I even shot them was the name "African Egret" I likened it to an invasive species back then even though I wasnt sure what that even meant other than thats how I felt with a name like that. Had it been called an American Egret, I probably would have let em walk. Like I said earlier, we were taught to eat what you shoot--outside of predators and the like of course!










Hahahahaha... I hear you! I am not a fan of invasives either.


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## On a call

3 ( 3.26 x 8 ) and a few more.


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## youngdon

Is this the size of your plows ?


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## bones44

Dang it Brian. You been into Mama's hard cider again ?


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## On a call

Nope just got home from a 12 hour trip picking up another Land Rover in Kentucy and then working a 10 hour day.

Sure are alot of deer down that way. I saw more there than any where.

As for my post...It was to show full agreement.


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## catcapper

youngdon said:


> I agree with you two. The weather is finally cooling off a bit. Do you have the plow on yet cat.


I've been screw'in around this year since the weather has been so nice---its still down in Canon City. Looks like I better get it up here today---last night we got a foot or so of snow and the temp is 2* right now. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!


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## On a call

Cat yesterday I was driving home and heard about your weather...brrr is right. I bet that wood burner is toasting you up right about now. Go grab another cord. I hope no deer hunter get caught with thier pants down up in the mountains. !!

Be carefull out and up there you are on our minds.


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