# This Mornings Hunt



## kill em (Feb 1, 2009)

Finally got into some northerners. We had thousands move in this weekend and shot these this mornin. Hopefully we can top off the day with a rooster!


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

Looks good guys! Nothing like some fat greenheads.


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## kill em (Feb 1, 2009)

And fat they were!!! Some Northerners finally moved in!!!


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Sure they weren't fat local ducks?


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

No such thing as northern ducks.They are all the same.

Nice hunt. :beer:


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## drakeprostaff (Dec 6, 2011)

KEN W said:


> No such thing as northern ducks.They are all the same.
> 
> Nice hunt. :beer:


There is definitly such thing as northern ducks. You can state northern ducks as the birds of the big migration from up north (canada). Most local ducks shot are young scruff balls up until end of october and early november. They move out when it gets cold and then you can base your migration on whether or not your shooting northern mallards yet or still young local birds migrating down. Northern mallards (older mallards staged in canada) are going to be full ploom migrating down from canada and good sized from age.


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## kill em (Feb 1, 2009)

> There is definitly such thing as northern ducks. You can state northern ducks as the birds of the big migration from up north (canada). Most local ducks shot are young scruff balls up until end of october and early november. They move out when it gets cold and then you can base your migration on whether or not your shooting northern mallards yet or still young local birds migrating down. Northern mallards (older mallards staged in canada) are going to be full ploom migrating down from canada and good sized from age.


That is exactly what I was trying to say. We call the migrating birds Northerners. We don't have very many locals in my are either.


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## Ref (Jul 21, 2003)

"Northern" is a relative term.

We hunt in Saskatchewan and they wait for the "northern" ducks & geese too.

I wonder what the eskimos wait for. :wink:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Think about it.....during the spring,drake mallards follow a hen to where she was born.Doesn't matter if she goes no further north than say Arkansas or all the way to the arctic.He goes along.At what point does he become a northern mallard?Also during drought years here on the prairie,ducks will keep going north until they run out of nesting places.At what point are they considered "northern mallards?"

I say again....there is no such thing as a "northern mallard?"They are all the same.....just fully feathered out by this time of the year.All mallards are biologially the same no matter where they are at the moment.


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

Nothing to get all heated about Ken. My father called late migrating mallards northerns and so do I. They come from the north and are big and fat so some call them Northerns.


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## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

Nick Roehl said:


> Nothing to get all heated about Ken. My father called late migrating mallards northerns and so do I. They come from the north and are big and fat so some call them Northerns.


X2


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Not being heated Nick....we always called them northern mallards also.Since biologists have said no difference.Might as well be right.


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

I don't think anyone here thought they were a different strain of mallard. Just fat migraters.


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## tilley (Jul 28, 2011)

Oh no , Northern mallards are a distinct sub specie. Big, Fat, deep green colored heads,red legs and weighing upwards of 5 pounds each. I suppose you don't think the "swamp buck" is different than your average buck either ,eh Ken. Big Black heavy antlered swamp bucks. Awesome beast. Best day you could have is to kill a limit of big "northern Mallards"in the morning and then get a big thick necked "swamp buck" in the afternoon. You may need to adjust your decoy spread as your normal mallard will look laughably small to the big boys from the north. I believe GHG will be coming out with the "Northeners" line very soon. Mix some in with your lessers and sex specific Zink brand and the big northern mallards will not have a chance. The only other thing you may need is a new call as I believe the Northerns have a slight northen accent on their quack.


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## drakeprostaff (Dec 6, 2011)

KEN W said:


> Not being heated Nick....we always called them northern mallards also.Since biologists have said no difference.Might as well be right.


Well thats why were hunters, not "biologists" ha. Just backing a fellow hunter up who made a good point.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Swamp bucks......do you find them is the vicinity of Yeti???I once saw a film about those mysterious things.I believe it's name was Harry!!! :rollin: :rollin:


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## wildrice (Sep 11, 2007)

You guys should see the 'northern' geese here now in Wisco!

WR


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I just find it funny that so many people always assume that full plumage ducks are northern ducks and that once the wind blows from the north or northwest there is a migration. Local ducks get full plumage and birds only leave when there food source is gone and they have no roost.


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## Bustem36 (Feb 5, 2008)

FYI also...many drakes will breed the hens and then continue there migration to other places...so really a local drake that you see at a park in the summer could fly "north" to molt then return late in the year. Same with many young geese up to two years old. Its called a molt migration.


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## Trapperjack (Feb 25, 2007)

I find it funny too. How come all the birds in Canada are big plumed out birds and not ugly "scruff balls" like the locals? There is no way of telling a local mallard from a migrant unless the bird was banded that year in the summer. No way! Besides, what do you think your local birds are called when they cross the state line to the south? :rollin:


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Trapperjack said:


> I find it funny too. How come all the birds in Canada are big plumed out birds and not ugly "scruff balls" like the locals? There is no way of telling a local mallard from a migrant unless the bird was banded that year in the summer. No way! Besides, what do you think your local birds are called when they cross the state line to the south? :rollin:


 :withstupid:


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