Always heard, but never tested, that squirrels eating cypress balls taste of turpentine. Heard the same of wood ducks but have trouble imagining them choking one down.
Never experienced any turpentine tasting squirrels and I’ve consumed a many killed in cypress swamps. Their chins are stained from the oil and the water in the swamp has oil sheens from all the cuttings falling from the trees in October. Never witnessed wood ducks eating cypress balls but see them every fall eating floating Tupelo gum fruits in the same cypress swamp. Good times.
It really is. If you want to waste shells shooting at lawn darts in flooded timber...THAT I CAN DO. Around Thanksgiving the woods are full.of wood ducks.