# Wigeon in the field



## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

I have been doing some field hunting as of late and have been amazed how many wigeon I am seeing feeding with the mallards in corn fields. In fact I shot one the other day along with mallards. I thought wigeon were grazers and only ate pond weeds? I would be curious to know what all ducks will feed in corn fields. I know Mallards, Pintail, Blacks, and now Wigeon.....what other species has anyone ever shot in fields?


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## goose0613 (Oct 24, 2003)

Around our area, a ton of Wood Ducks feed in fields.

I've also seen teal, Gadwalls, and everything you've mentioned. Can't think of anything else.


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

goose0613 said:


> Around our area, a ton of Wood Ducks feed in fields.
> 
> I've also seen teal, Gadwalls, and everything you've mentioned. Can't think of anything else.


So Gadwall and teal will feed in a corn field? Are they really eating corn or just mixed with a passing flock? I thought gadwall were total grazers of pond weed as with teal. I have seen wood ducks buzz my snow goose spread in the spring. Not sure if they were hungry or just checking things out.


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## jkern (Aug 10, 2005)

Never shot Teal with corn in em before this year. Craws were full of it like a November Mallard.

Made for some damn good eatin Blue Wings. :wink:


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## Zekeland (Oct 6, 2005)

Woodies, gadwall...yes.

Believe me, they swung by for a bite.....


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## cedarsedge (Sep 21, 2006)

I also shot a nice drake wigeon in a wheat field around the Max area 2 years ago. We were just shooting Mallards that day when this guy came in just to nice a duck to let fly buy. Dan


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## Benellihunter (Jan 3, 2007)

About 4 years ago we shot a couple of woodducks in a field. When we cleaned them they had earth worms in their crops.


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## Jungda99 (Nov 17, 2006)

I read in a post a while back that a guy shot some blue bills in a field. I thought that was crazy


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I've shot bluebills in the field but they didn't decoy...just a pass shot I couldn't pass up.

A couple September's ago, 2 coots flew up out of a slough and landed in a stubble field. There were about 7 witnesses from this site who saw this as well so I'm not crazy.


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

Are coots, scaup, gadwall feeding in a field, or are they just looking for company? I've always been told that each of these ducks are strickly grazers in water or bottom feeders, so why be in a field?

Chris, did the coots land in your spread or with other ducks, or were they by themselves? Did you shoot one?


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Nope, didn't shoot one. Just landed by themselves.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

Behind mallards and pinnies, wigeon are 3rd for abundance when field hunting. Besides those I've shot gaddies, GWT, spoonbills, redheads and bluebills from a field. The divers were obviously just pass shot. We've actually had a couple days where we've stacked the greenwingers from corn fields.


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

So were the Gaddies and spoonbills actually going to feed in the fields? I don't see how a spoonbill could eat corn with the bill they have?


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

As far as spoonies go i would guess they arent doing much eating in the fields. Considering the way their bills work, that would defeat the purpose of having it the way it is.

We used to shoot lots of wood ducks in chopped corn fields in minnesota. My dad and i would go out expecting only to shoot woodies, because that's all that would be feeding in the field. We would easily shoot our 4 and head back to the house.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Oh, and on the coot issue, nothing suprises me when it comes to those buggers anymore. After years of watching them I'm convinced nothing they do is for a reason, and nothing is off limits. I'm amazed that they are even able to reproduce.


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## dakota31400 (Jun 10, 2006)

All I've ever seen work decoys in the field are Mallard, Widgeon, Pintail, GWT and geese. Widgeon and Pintail were always mixed in with Mallards.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

diver_sniper said:


> Oh, and on the coot issue, nothing suprises me when it comes to those buggers anymore. After years of watching them I'm convinced nothing they do is for a reason, and nothing is off limits. I'm amazed that they are even able to reproduce.


O funny stuff!!Years ago we were driving down a section line trail next to a wheat field and running right next to us was a coot :eyeroll:


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

USSapper said:


> diver_sniper said:
> 
> 
> > Oh, and on the coot issue, nothing suprises me when it comes to those buggers anymore. After years of watching them I'm convinced nothing they do is for a reason, and nothing is off limits. I'm amazed that they are even able to reproduce.
> ...


Coots can run?


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## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

sorta on subject, but heres a mess of woodducks feeding on the ground...(someones deer baitpile of corn) so i don't think it would be far off thinking you can shoot them in a dryfield hunt. I have taken a couple that way.










notice the amount of birds flushing and the 1 unlucky one.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Cool pic


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

Looks like a drake woodie is lunch for the Bobcat.


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