# What kind of ducks are you seeing?



## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Been hunting Walsh, Ramsey and Nelson counties and have seen a couple things that suprise me this year. While I had seen a ton of spoonbills in that area the last several years I have only seen a handfull this year. The second thing is Pintails. I shot at what I was sure was young gadwalls only to discover after downing one that they were young pintails. Admittedly my fault as I was relying on the flash of brown in the wing and didn't notice the orange/yellow feet. After realizing that, I saw them all over the place. In years past I have rarely seen a pintail at least not local ones. Mallards were a bit harder to find where I have been and those found have little color.

It was nice to see the pintails and I hope they can get a bit of a foothold. Don't miss the spoons though.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

dakotashooter2 said:


> Been hunting Walsh, Ramsey and Nelson counties and have seen a couple things that suprise me this year. While I had seen a ton of spoonbills in that area the last several years I have only seen a handfull this year. The second thing is Pintails. I shot at what I was sure was young gadwalls only to discover after downing one that they were young pintails. Admittedly my fault as I was relying on the flash of brown in the wing and didn't notice the orange/yellow feet. After realizing that, I saw them all over the place. In years past I have rarely seen a pintail at least not local ones. Mallards were a bit harder to find where I have been and those found have little color.
> 
> It was nice to see the pintails and I hope they can get a bit of a foothold. Don't miss the spoons though.


Are you sure you are shooting Pintails? They do not have "Orange/Yellow feet" Not even young ones. They are drab gray. Orange/Yellow sounds like Gadwalls.

I've been hunting fields and disapointed that we haven't had a flock of Wood Ducks come in all year.


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

Shot alot of mallards so far, and a few widgeons, greys, and woodies. Had pintails drop in the spread but with the lack of color we let them go.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

At my parent's farm in MN there is a wood duck feed of about 200 birds every night in the bean field right behind the house. Last weekend I just watched em for about 20 minutes from the driveway. Let me tell ya, they are much less cautions than ND mallards.


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

Woodies for me always seem to come from nowhere, but with recklessness.


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

This is a Pintail, what you shot is some other shizz duck like Gadwalls or heaven forbid Mallard hens. It is a good idea to know what your pulling the trigger on before doing so.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

I have shot nothing but mallards and pintails in the field this year. Lots of "other" ducks around too.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

That sucker looks like a goose. I love that.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Yep that picture is definately a MATURE pintail drake. Do you know what an immature drake or hen looks like? Not like that! They look very remarkably similar to a gadwall the easiest distinction being the color of the feet. Somebody posted "what kind of duck is this" on this forum a couple days ago and everybody identified them as young pintails. I don't make it a habit to shoot at any bird that comes along without identifying it and even after 30+ years I miss a call on one once in a while. Many of the less popular (junk) ducks, especially early in the season, can look very similar. I take offense on the "junk duck" comment. one mans junk is anothers treasure. If EVERYBODY dialed in on only mallards there wouldn't be a whole lot of them around for you to shoot. Anybody can identify and shoot 5 mallard drakes on a hunt. Try purposely shooting 5 different types every time you go out.

Rick .. What I meant was I "should have" been looking for the orange/yellow feet typical of a gadwall. The one I shot was definately a young pintail (gray feet and barely a tinge of chestnut in the head).


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Hey, I'm with ya...I love the variety thing as well. That's why I've been kind of bored in the field this year. No Widgeon, Wood Ducks, only Mallards and some Pin's.


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## andyb (Oct 10, 2006)

I've shot a few mallards and a lot of woodies this year. And a few gadwall


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

Still haven't shot a wood duck in my life and i'm 33. always wrong place wrong time. One of these years, although i fear my chance this season may already be lost.

Shot 3 mallards this past weekend. saw mostly mallards and just a couple pinnie's and teal this past weekend.


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

Was out this weekend also, and shot widgeons, mallards, lots of teal, a redhead, couple pins, and some geese. Also tryed to hide 5 blinds in a feild with only the corn stalks left, but with lots of feed in it and that didn't work out too well, had pretty much all of our geese flare, it was a dumb mistake... :withstupid:


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

dakotashooter2 said:


> What I meant was I "should have" been looking for the orange/yellow feet typical of a gadwall. The one I shot was definately a young pintail (gray feet and barely a tinge of chestnut in the head).


OOooohhhhh, that is what you meant. Sorry for the little tear in the thin skin.


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