Protected? They only wish... Nope. They have a season on them just like any other duck. I 'hear' that one can eat them, but they are a fish-eating-duck, so I guess ya soak them for 2 weeks in cheap wine, throw the duck away and drink the wine. \:D Anyway, the score is Ducks m-10, BG zero dead today... Sure glad that it didn't turn out to be disease. The weird thing is, merganzers are river ducks. Can't figure out how they found me way out here in the country?