Whats your favorite duck?

[Rick Hall]

Favorite to fool and, therefore, overall favorite: Local mottleds top my list by getting wise shortly after the shooting starts and compounding that frustration by piloting migrators to safe waters. It's almost a grudge match between us requiring skill and innovation to draw them to known spreads or to blend into spots they deem safe.

Favorite to shoot: I find the greenwings' aerobatics make them the most fun to shoot.

Favorite to eat: Neither blackbellied or fulvous whistling ducks fly as far or hard as other wild ducks, so neither shares their oxygenated blood demands, meaning they've lighter, milder, more domestic duck-like meat.

Favorite from a guiding standpoint: Has to be the mallard. No other bird is as responsive to decent calling and makes me look so much like I know what I'm doing. And few other ducks are as easy for young, old and the most casual of hunters to hit.

[ArtC]

Like them all, but a late season drake eider in crashing surf off the beach is hard to beat.....

[Scum Frog]

Woodies and Mallards

[Lpgar]

One thrown down a shore into a corner past a point with the wind blowing onto the point.....

But to shoot and eat...Make Mine a Can.

[Rick Hall]

What I find sort of strange is that when we are hunting them and watching them fly or puddle around we never say "look how beautiful" until after we kill it. Just a thought,,,an odd one at that.

Not me. I "waste" many an hour pretty much just admiring ducks and geese and miss the beauty they add to our wintering grounds' landscape horribly when most have headed back to their breeding grounds.

Know I'm not alone, because the old coonass who owns the lodge I work for called me out there a couple evenings ago just to watch the bluewings swarming sheet water right behind the camp and venturing into the yard outside the kitchen door for greens or invertebrates. Beautiful.

(Not that I don't also find them beautiful on the other side of that door.)

[gdgnyc]

What I find sort of strange is that when we are hunting them and watching them fly or puddle around we never say "look how beautiful" until after we kill it. Just a thought,,,an odd one at that. Even a spponie hen captures my attention and admiration ,, But I can honestly say I have never said that about a coot.
Pete

Pete, one of the reasons my shooting could be better is that I am mesmerized by decoying birds and I am so taken by them coming in that I frequently shoot late. I mentioned the big black ducks, those "northern red legs"---I love watching a pair come in, silver white underwings against the almost black body, wings cupped, reddish orange legs---I know that I did it right. I look at their beauty and then shoot late.

I guess I am different.

[jacduck]

I carve decoys semi-pro and people ask what is my fav. I answer I don't know but I sure do carve a lot of Ringnecks for fun. Outstanding when fully colored and the hens are so subtle. Great eating too, only issue is they are tough skinned so a little harder than most to skin out. Gotta love those dumb little hotrods though and they live in most waters that I love to be around. Numbers not as great as many other species so they are special when I find a conclave.

Now speak up and tell us what duck you don't like.....

[jb504079]

To shoot? Greenheads. To eat? Canvasbacks and teal.

[Tom Conner]

The cinnamon teal in full breeding plumage, a bird usually seen after my duck season ends and I move from the rice fields to the marsh and grass lands The Bull Sprig when out hunting. Fun to call with a whistle and very tasty. Love to watch them in their breeding / courting rituals near seasons end.

[Jeff Bartlett]

For me Chinese five spice with side of pork dumpings --
In the duck blind any duck that has jewelry :0