Waterfoul identification looks tough.
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Pastor, the best way is go with someone who duck hunts. It is amazing, but most duck hunters can tell different species of ducks from hundreds of yards away. Shape, flight pattern, wing beat, size, color...
If you can't do that, get out there anyway and learn on your own. Always have a good pair of binos - can be a big help as well.
If you can't do that, get out there anyway and learn on your own. Always have a good pair of binos - can be a big help as well.
Go to your local MDC office and get a copy of the booklet (Ducks at a Distance) showing how to identify different ducks. A lot of IDing ducks is experience. Get with a mentor and share a blind. A lot of the ID is understanding the habitat various ducks prefer and when they migrate. Although you might occasionally see some out of their preferred habitat it is unlikely. Get on ESPNs site and look at the pics by James Overstreet of different ducks.
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with time and seeing lots of birds its not really that tough, though every once in awhile i see a bird im not 100% sure what it is. ut if i can tell its a duck, i kill it and figure out what it is. when you see a special duck you will know it.
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:
[rquote=1502266&tid=104825&author=deep woods goat hunter]with time and seeing lots of birds its not really that tough, though every once in awhile i see a bird im not 100% sure what it is. ut if i can tell its a duck, i kill it and figure out what it is. when you see a special duck you will know it.
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:
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[rquote=1502273&tid=104825&author=DADAKOTA][rquote=1502266&tid=104825&author=deep woods goat hunter]with time and seeing lots of birds its not really that tough, though every once in awhile i see a bird im not 100% sure what it is. ut if i can tell its a duck, i kill it and figure out what it is. when you see a special duck you will know it.
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:[/rquote]
I have only seen 4 or 5 in my 15 years of duck hunting.....
shot one at grandpass ca in 2006 but lost it in the standing corn. i looked for it for 2 hours with no luck. Last year had the best hunt of my life in a cornfield late season, huged flocks of mallards and that guy was mixed in with them. The flock swung over about 40 yards and i saw a funny looking duck and instantly knew what it was. I cut him down and was rolling around on the ground screaming, almost crying. Two flocks later my buddy missed another black duck. We saw the 2 that day. It was epic. a day i will never forget. theres no words to describe it.
Hope ya get 1 some day Dakota:2thumbsup:
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:[/rquote]
I have only seen 4 or 5 in my 15 years of duck hunting.....
shot one at grandpass ca in 2006 but lost it in the standing corn. i looked for it for 2 hours with no luck. Last year had the best hunt of my life in a cornfield late season, huged flocks of mallards and that guy was mixed in with them. The flock swung over about 40 yards and i saw a funny looking duck and instantly knew what it was. I cut him down and was rolling around on the ground screaming, almost crying. Two flocks later my buddy missed another black duck. We saw the 2 that day. It was epic. a day i will never forget. theres no words to describe it.
Hope ya get 1 some day Dakota:2thumbsup:
Here is another link to James' photos
http://www.outdoorshooter.org/popular/6/337345304_cNmfd#337345304_cNmfd
http://www.outdoorshooter.org/popular/6/337345304_cNmfd#337345304_cNmfd
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[rquote=1502280&tid=104825&author=deep woods goat hunter][rquote=1502273&tid=104825&author=DADAKOTA][rquote=1502266&tid=104825&author=deep woods goat hunter]with time and seeing lots of birds its not really that tough, though every once in awhile i see a bird im not 100% sure what it is. ut if i can tell its a duck, i kill it and figure out what it is. when you see a special duck you will know it.
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:[/rquote]
I have only seen 4 or 5 in my 15 years of duck hunting.....
shot one at grandpass ca in 2006 but lost it in the standing corn. i looked for it for 2 hours with no luck. Last year had the best hunt of my life in a cornfield late season, huged flocks of mallards and that guy was mixed in with them. The flock swung over about 40 yards and i saw a funny looking duck and instantly knew what it was. I cut him down and was rolling around on the ground screaming, almost crying. Two flocks later my buddy missed another black duck. We saw the 2 that day. It was epic. a day i will never forget. theres no words to describe it.
Hope ya get 1 some day Dakota:2thumbsup:
[/rquote]
I killed one about 5 years ago in northern IL. There was a field with about 5000 mallards in it on the last day of duck season. We wanted to set up but were afraid they would pick a different field the next day. We snuck them and I picked out a black and rolled him my 3rd shot. There was probably about 5% blacks mixed in. Had him all ready to mount but he got left out of the freezer one day when I was looking for something in the bottomm of it. 3 days later, I wondered what that smell was.:stickfight:
On a positive note, I did get my first mature sprig last year. He's at the taxi now.:banana-man-yeah:
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:[/rquote]
I have only seen 4 or 5 in my 15 years of duck hunting.....
shot one at grandpass ca in 2006 but lost it in the standing corn. i looked for it for 2 hours with no luck. Last year had the best hunt of my life in a cornfield late season, huged flocks of mallards and that guy was mixed in with them. The flock swung over about 40 yards and i saw a funny looking duck and instantly knew what it was. I cut him down and was rolling around on the ground screaming, almost crying. Two flocks later my buddy missed another black duck. We saw the 2 that day. It was epic. a day i will never forget. theres no words to describe it.
Hope ya get 1 some day Dakota:2thumbsup:
[/rquote]
I killed one about 5 years ago in northern IL. There was a field with about 5000 mallards in it on the last day of duck season. We wanted to set up but were afraid they would pick a different field the next day. We snuck them and I picked out a black and rolled him my 3rd shot. There was probably about 5% blacks mixed in. Had him all ready to mount but he got left out of the freezer one day when I was looking for something in the bottomm of it. 3 days later, I wondered what that smell was.:stickfight:
On a positive note, I did get my first mature sprig last year. He's at the taxi now.:banana-man-yeah:
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Pastor,
Like Gamegetter said, a lot of it is hunting with experienced people. I always ask them for help, such as when the season on Canvasbacks is closed I ask the guys I'm with to tell me as soon as they see one. The first day I asked that (at Eagle Bluffs), a while later a flock of ducks was just entering the pool we were hunting and one of the guys said "Canvasback", and then rather than shoot anything he took the time to point out that single duck within a flock of Mallards so that I could learn.
I have the Ducks at a Distance booklet Dada mentioned, but nothing beats being out there and learning from guys who know. :2thumbsup:
Like Gamegetter said, a lot of it is hunting with experienced people. I always ask them for help, such as when the season on Canvasbacks is closed I ask the guys I'm with to tell me as soon as they see one. The first day I asked that (at Eagle Bluffs), a while later a flock of ducks was just entering the pool we were hunting and one of the guys said "Canvasback", and then rather than shoot anything he took the time to point out that single duck within a flock of Mallards so that I could learn.
I have the Ducks at a Distance booklet Dada mentioned, but nothing beats being out there and learning from guys who know. :2thumbsup:
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[rquote=1502399&tid=104825&author=starbux][rquote=1502280&tid=104825&author=deep woods goat hunter][rquote=1502273&tid=104825&author=DADAKOTA][rquote=1502266&tid=104825&author=deep woods goat hunter]with time and seeing lots of birds its not really that tough, though every once in awhile i see a bird im not 100% sure what it is. ut if i can tell its a duck, i kill it and figure out what it is. when you see a special duck you will know it.
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:[/rquote]
I have only seen 4 or 5 in my 15 years of duck hunting.....
shot one at grandpass ca in 2006 but lost it in the standing corn. i looked for it for 2 hours with no luck. Last year had the best hunt of my life in a cornfield late season, huged flocks of mallards and that guy was mixed in with them. The flock swung over about 40 yards and i saw a funny looking duck and instantly knew what it was. I cut him down and was rolling around on the ground screaming, almost crying. Two flocks later my buddy missed another black duck. We saw the 2 that day. It was epic. a day i will never forget. theres no words to describe it.
Hope ya get 1 some day Dakota:2thumbsup:
[/rquote]
I killed one about 5 years ago in northern IL. There was a field with about 5000 mallards in it on the last day of duck season. We wanted to set up but were afraid they would pick a different field the next day. We snuck them and I picked out a black and rolled him my 3rd shot. There was probably about 5% blacks mixed in. Had him all ready to mount but he got left out of the freezer one day when I was looking for something in the bottomm of it. 3 days later, I wondered what that smell was.:stickfight:
On a positive note, I did get my first mature sprig last year. He's at the taxi now.:banana-man-yeah:[/rquote]
I have found that more often than not those birds will be in that same field the next day.:cheers:
to me decoying birds is alot more fun than puttin the sneak on them and i always worry about killing over my limit when Sneaking ducks. I did it once and killed 3 with my first two shots and havent tried it since
The duck I have mounted in my avatar i picked out of a flock of 200 birds or so. I knew it was a black duck and cut him down. For a duck hunter in missouri where they are rare i feel there is no better trophy:cheers:[/rquote]
I'd sure love to shoot one.:cheers:[/rquote]
I have only seen 4 or 5 in my 15 years of duck hunting.....
shot one at grandpass ca in 2006 but lost it in the standing corn. i looked for it for 2 hours with no luck. Last year had the best hunt of my life in a cornfield late season, huged flocks of mallards and that guy was mixed in with them. The flock swung over about 40 yards and i saw a funny looking duck and instantly knew what it was. I cut him down and was rolling around on the ground screaming, almost crying. Two flocks later my buddy missed another black duck. We saw the 2 that day. It was epic. a day i will never forget. theres no words to describe it.
Hope ya get 1 some day Dakota:2thumbsup:
[/rquote]
I killed one about 5 years ago in northern IL. There was a field with about 5000 mallards in it on the last day of duck season. We wanted to set up but were afraid they would pick a different field the next day. We snuck them and I picked out a black and rolled him my 3rd shot. There was probably about 5% blacks mixed in. Had him all ready to mount but he got left out of the freezer one day when I was looking for something in the bottomm of it. 3 days later, I wondered what that smell was.:stickfight:
On a positive note, I did get my first mature sprig last year. He's at the taxi now.:banana-man-yeah:[/rquote]
I have found that more often than not those birds will be in that same field the next day.:cheers:
to me decoying birds is alot more fun than puttin the sneak on them and i always worry about killing over my limit when Sneaking ducks. I did it once and killed 3 with my first two shots and havent tried it since
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[rquote=1502833&tid=104825&author=archer66]At least you didn't do what my buddy did....snuck a flock of snow geese in Pool 4 at GP, they jumped up and 3 shots yielded 39 dead and dying snow geese. He said they just kept dropping and dropping...[/rquote]
Just him? or another hunter with him? during conservation order or regular season?
Basically, did it cost him?
Just him? or another hunter with him? during conservation order or regular season?
Basically, did it cost him?
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8,319 Posts
Like other people have said... go with someone who has been doing it for a little while.
Wing beats, body shapes, etc make it kinda easy to tell what ducks you're seeing.
And for you black duck fans, I shot one earlier in the season! One out of a pair. And was the only duck I shot that day!!
:woot::cheers:
Wing beats, body shapes, etc make it kinda easy to tell what ducks you're seeing.
And for you black duck fans, I shot one earlier in the season! One out of a pair. And was the only duck I shot that day!!
:woot::cheers:
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336 Posts
pastor,
if i was you i would go to your local conservation area or if you call them they would probaly mail you a ducks at a distance book really good book to learn from and untill you can identify the ducks good unless you can go with someone i wouldnt go out by your self :cheers:
if i was you i would go to your local conservation area or if you call them they would probaly mail you a ducks at a distance book really good book to learn from and untill you can identify the ducks good unless you can go with someone i wouldnt go out by your self :cheers:
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[rquote=1502251&tid=104825&author=Longbow26] If in doupt dont shot. I only shot at green heaads since it is still the only duck I cna identify. [/rquote]
try to when you cant make out if theyre suzies or drakes on a miserable, cloudy day such as today.....prolly wont shoot too much if thats all you can identify.
try to when you cant make out if theyre suzies or drakes on a miserable, cloudy day such as today.....prolly wont shoot too much if thats all you can identify.
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