Got Ducks?

What are you guys seeing?

Been awfully slow up here. Seems like ducks are trickling through but not sticking around long or concentrating at all. Reports from out west suggest it's an "off" year with both the weather and migration. A recent report from Northern Manitoba on another board said there were no ducks.

I spent 5 days at the camp when we would normally be covered up in ringbills and woodies. 2 guns, 7 hunts. We got 5 birds!
We missed out on a decent evening hunt and shot bad the one morning we had birds come in, but still! Hardly any shooting heard. The last 2 nights we were there we had clear nights and wind out of the NW. Ducks moved out, nothing moved in... I skipped this weekend but my dad has been there since we left and is reporting more of the same. But he did see a flock of 'bills and a flock of whistlers. What's going on?

i went out saturday morning and got bored so i started paddling around in the canoe. i spooked a group of about 8 and had a super nice shot lined up, went to pull the trigger on my shotgun and.....forgot i had the bloody safety on. otherwise there was a whole buttload about a quarter mile away from where i had my blind set up but they weren't breaking cover for a handful of decoys and my overtures of companionship.

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Originally Posted by ben1983

i went out saturday morning and got bored so i started paddling around in the canoe. i spooked a group of about 8 and had a super nice shot lined up, went to pull the trigger on my shotgun and.....forgot i had the bloody safety on. otherwise there was a whole buttload about a quarter mile away from where i had my blind set up but they weren't breaking cover for a handful of decoys and my overtures of companionship.

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hehe. never gets old. happens to me often...

Almost 100 views and no replies? Edit; so I reply and then the new posts show up...

Took the dog for a good long walk tonight. Passed 2-3 real ducky lookin' beaver ponds. Put up 2 drake mallards and a lone drake woody (about the biggest I've ever seen). That was it. No geese.

Had him out Sat. and saw 3-4 mallards in a different pond and what looked like a group of 5 pintail fly over. Stayed out 'til dark.. nothing in the sky @ witching hour.

Got out for my first hunt in about 10 years. I had my chances and took a mallard hen. Lots of low geese over the house and I heard some guys in the fields firing away. I avoided the weekend hunt as I expect to hear a lot of shots but it was pretty quiet here west of Ottawa.
Attachment 39028

lol, legal light came around and there was enough noise to make an AA battery blush

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Originally Posted by Cameracutter

I had my chances and took a mallard hen.Attachment 39028

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I'm not entirely sure due to lighting, but it would seem your photo depicts an immature drake Mallard.

Plenty of birds around for those who are willing to put a little time behind the wheel!

Been doing well.

-Nick

Really? I can’t see his dick in that photo. Kidding! The photo doesn’t show her bill which was a dirty orange. I’m always looking to learn something, that’s why I joined this forum so educate me on why I miss identified it?

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Originally Posted by Cameracutter

Really? I can’t see his dick in that photo. Kidding! The photo doesn’t show her bill which was a dirty orange. I’m always looking to learn something, that’s why I joined this forum so educate me on why I miss identified it?

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Could be the lighting, but there appears to be drake side feathers near the foot in your photo, and the dark (almost black) feathers on the back near the tail are generally characteristic of drakes.

Maybe Gadwall can chime in and put it to rest! Always love a good bird ID puzzle.

-Nick

I would also say it is a young drake, the silver feathers near the leg sure do say that, but also see some white feathers showing in the scapular feathers, and the shape of the tertial suggests drake ... it looks like a late hatch duck in either case, really young