Duck ID

[Milkjug]

Got a question just to keep this forum active

I was paddling GISP yesterday and there were a bunch of ducks around. Normally wouldn't have cared but I look at all of them as potential food now

So what species were they?

They were smaller ducks, about teal sized. The drakes had black heads, and a large white spot on the top/back of the head. This was very noticible. There were a few groups of 4 and one group of 8 or so.

Also, are they shootable?

[majek_maniac]

Common Mergansers most likely, possible a Hooded Merganser. They are shootable but taste very very fishy, I never shoot them unless it is a very pretty, mature drake that i want to put on the wall.. They like to raft up out in the open water of the bays a lot. You can tell them by the white patches on their wings and the very rapid and short wingbeat. I have been seeing a ton of them out around deer islands. Wait til next season, I'll take you out and help you with some flying duck ID and basic tactics and techniques of waterfowling.

M.M.

[WestEndAngler]

I shot a bufflehead, my first duck ever... check those out if you haven't seen one... Beautiful!

[majek_maniac]

I forgot about buffys, it may have been a bufflhead, they are about the same size as a hooded merg. Commons are pretty good sized. Id say it was either a bufflehead or a merganser you saw, all of which are beautiful birds but taste very very fishy. We call them flying fish sticks.

[WestEndAngler]

Nothing like a bottom feeder

[Mike Gentry]

I attached 2 pictures. Either look familar? If not, then it was probably a common merganser.

[Milkjug]

Hey that first one looks alot like it. I don't remember seeing the brown on the drakes, but it could have been there.

Thanks for the ID help ya'll.

[Unclehandy]

I bet it is a common, we have shot many of those suckers out there. And fishy? you bet! But you know what they say.... "Smells like fish, tastes like chicken, hold your nose and keep on lickin'" Or maybe that was for another hobby of mine.

[Milkjug]

If it smells like fish, make it a dish...

[007]

Duck sausage anyone?

[GHSmacker]

Buffies

Awesome ducks...not the best to eat though. I've only killed one during my entire hunting career. We don't have very many up where i'm from. They are a great looking duck though, and will test your wing shooting.

[WestEndAngler]

A bufflehead was my first duck to shoot... Shot him when I was 11 or 12 with my Dad out in Altair, TX near Columbus my dad shot a wood duck and that's it first ducks hunting together.

[GHSmacker]

Cool

Only one i ever killed was right outside of my hometown of Bellville. We were hunting a hole that was about 5 acres or so. Sucker came screaming in all by himself and i put a stop to his migration.

Think of em like this when they're flying...greenwing teal on steroids.

[majek_maniac]

Ive shot too many

[fishingcowboy]

what about a drake ruddy duck