# Anyone ever shoot a Black Duck on N.D. soil?



## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

I've got what appears to be a Mallard/Black cross and I shot a full blown Black Duck south of Michigan a few years back...Plus, I had a friend shoot one on Black Tiger back in the day...


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## bigblackfoot (Mar 12, 2003)

Yeah i got a full plummage drake 2 years ago just north of Michigan. I took it to Jim Benson(Sportsman's Taxidermy) and he said that he has had only had 3 in his shop in 25 years of business. I like it when people who dont hunt all that much look at the mount and say "how come you mounted a hen."


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

I shot a drake blackduck south of Lakota about six years ago. The guy said in all his years of doing mounts he had never done a drake blackduck. Pretty cool looking bird...


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## sandbar25 (Dec 28, 2004)

I shot one just north of lakota 2 yrs ago. It led down a group of about 25 mallards. It was a sunny day and it stood out like a sore thumb in the group. Was the first and only one I've shot. :beer:


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

Yep. Two years ago in McIntosh Co. I'm from Michigan, and we shoot quite a few back here each year. But I had no idea that they were rare out there, and we thought nothing of it two years ago.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

I got one about 15 years ago. Did not know what I had at first. Late season over diver decoys south central ND.


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## jhegg (May 29, 2004)

I shot an adult male about 25 years ago east of Valley City. I heard of one shot during the same time frame by Alice, ND.

I put it in my Dad's freezer so I could have it mounted later. He threw it away (along with an Old Squaw, a dark blue goose and several very nice looking mallards). He told me he thought my birds might "contaminate" his meat.

They are definately cool looking birds!


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## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

My father shot one 15 years ago, ( can't remember where), and I shot one last year around Gackle. Beautiful bird!

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Here is this years...kind of hard to see, but I am holding it on my knee.
This was the day after the duckfest.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Got one three years ago north and east of Nepolian--Neet looking bird


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## fishunt (Jan 24, 2004)

I have been shooting many time black duck in New York and I dont see in North Dakota only east adn west coasts


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

I shot one several years ago between Michigan and Whitman dam. I have seen several in the last couple years but haven't shot any of them, no opportunities.


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

I banded ducks at Agassiz NWR (A Little Northeast of Thief River Falls, MN) 3 years ago and there were actually several black ducks that were caught that morning. I've shot 2 mallards that were banded at Agassiz while hunting in ND, so I'm sure a fair amount of blacks would head over here too.


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## torf (Mar 11, 2002)

I wonder how many black ducks are actually seen and mistaken for hen mallards.

-jhegg, a little of topic but where did you shoot the oldsquaw?


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## Wood Duck (Mar 22, 2002)

My 2 sons each shot a black coming into the goose decoys on a barley field just accross the border in Manitoba. That was 10 years ago. They came in as a pair and I could tell they were blacks (we always pass on the hens) so I called the shot and they did a great job. The boys were 12 and 14 years old at the time.

Anyone else get any blacks while field hunting??


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

We always get a few in the goose blocks every year in the fields but we usually let them go now because we don't see the numbers of them we did 7 or 8 years ago.


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## jhegg (May 29, 2004)

torf,

I didn't shoot it - a friend of mine brought me one from Maine. I did actually see one on the north side of Tewakon NWR many years ago though.


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

I seen one, but never shot one.


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## torf (Mar 11, 2002)

> I didn't shoot it - a friend of mine brought me one from Maine.I did actually see one on the north side of Tewakon NWR many years ago though.


I was kinda hoping you did shoot it in ND, that would be pretty cool. I've never seen one but i have heard of one being seen on Devils Lake.


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

Wood Duck said:


> Anyone else get any blacks while field hunting??


Yep....in McIntosh Co.


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## Draker16 (Nov 23, 2004)

i shot one a couple years ago near lakota, I thought it was a hen mallard at first.


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## H2O_Tech (Jun 21, 2004)

Based on the hunter survey's (wings), a 5-year average (99-03) for black ducks in NoDak is 50 blacks/year. How relevant that is would be tough to call since only in 2002 was there a value reported (248 ducks). The entire Central Flyway has an estimated harvest of 144 blacks/year (same 5 yr period). A rare duck.

I banded a beautiful drake black near Big River, Sask in 1987. Only one we captured for 12,000 ducks trapped.


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## Scraper (Apr 1, 2002)

I shot one a few years ago by Rocklake. It came in with a big flock of mallards. I would have mounted it, but it was too early in the year and the plumage was a little rough yet.


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

H2O_Tech said:


> Based on the hunter survey's (wings), a 5-year average (99-03) for black ducks in NoDak is 50 blacks/year. How relevant that is would be tough to call since only in 2002 was there a value reported (248 ducks). The entire Central Flyway has an estimated harvest of 144 blacks/year (same 5 yr period). A rare duck.
> 
> I banded a beautiful drake black near Big River, Sask in 1987. Only one we captured for 12,000 ducks trapped.


Just goes to show how different the various flyways are. I'm in Michigan, and Blacks are quite common here. Not like you shoot them all of the time, but not uncommon at all to see a Black flying with mallards, or sometimes a flock of Blacks. We take quite a few each year here, and as I said, a couple in ND when we come out. I had no idea they were rare in the Central FW.


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## Nodak Duke (Oct 14, 2003)

One in 1998 on the opener... Since then I have not even seen one.


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

If i have ever shot one i'm sure i just assumed it was a hen mallard. Never knew they were so similar.  How can you guys pick them up in the air? What gives it away? They look so much like a hen mallard it's scary.


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

_


fishhook said:



How can you guys pick them up in the air? What gives it away?

Click to expand...

_Actually fishhook, it's not that hard at all. ....white or very light underwings, against an almost charcoal colored belly. If you saw one flying with a hen mallard, you'd pick right up on it. Hen mallards are much lighter color in the chest. Like I said, we get quite a few here, and since they're a "one and done bird" we really need to know them.


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## mallykiller (Mar 28, 2005)

I shot a black duck about 2 years ago 10 miles north of maddock.


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