# Duck talk



## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

I'm hearing rumors and stuff.

Rumor #1: They may increase redhead limits to 3 a day
Rumor #2: They may increase Scaups (bluebills to 6 per day)

The increase in Pintails last year was a real boost to midcoast hunting. Move redhead to 3 aday will be very exciting. In fact, I don't even need a scaup nor a six bird limit. 

3 redheads & 2 Pintails is a good hunt in anybodies book........right ???


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Scaup is a done deal. The redhead deal is still in the works.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

My diver spread is getting repainted and rerigged this week.


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

chuck leaman said:


> My diver spread is getting repainted and rerigged this week.


I hear that. I "converted" about 4 dozen dekes into divers. Gonna pick up that task and add a few more. Also rigged more that 70 decoys to 4 oz weight for coastal use.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Most of my stuff is rigged 4 oz. But then again thats the size egg sinker mold I have. Ive got several malard dekes that are gonna get converted to something else. My diver dekes are Texas rigged with 6' - 400lb mono. We hunt some catfish ponds for divers that are pretty deep. I should have a diver spread of around 80 when Im done. I also have 7.5 dozen coot decoys. Got the usual other stuff (teal,widgeon,gadwall,pintail) and such. Around 325 duck decoys give or take. That and all the goose decoys too.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

I do not mind telling ya'll this, but it does not seem to make a hoot in a barn as to what dekes you use. We used plastic soda bottle, painted them black and white, killed lots of birds over them. You can spend time painting this or buying that, but we have found you can paint them all brown and set the spread. Now, set plenty of dekes!

Do what you like, but I know what works.


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Timemachine said:


> 3 redheads & 2 Pintails is a good hunt in anybodies book........right ???


Why limit yourself to just 3...


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## Brad Beaulieu (May 10, 2006)

That's kinda creepy!


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)

3 read head would be great and blue bills would be nice at 6 they are a blast to shoot.


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## marshhunter (Mar 20, 2008)

yes having the rockport limit go from 2 deadheads and 2 pins to 3 deadheads and 2 pins would be absolutly freaking awesome!


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## Duckman3000 (Apr 26, 2012)

I'll have to go out at least once and get a 6 scaup limit in the scull boat, at two you gotta be super careful.redheads the same thing with three being much more motivation to do the salt water thing. My son wil be hunting himself for the first time so really hopeful on those limit changes since the bay stuff is easiest to do when talking about time,distance,and extra gear.

Eric


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## water turkey2 (Nov 30, 2009)

I thought scaup numbers were down, long term?


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)

No blue bills are up but red heads are down. Blue bills are up 21% from 2011 and I can't remember what the LTA was.


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## Garwood57 (Jul 1, 2007)

Redheads to 3 would be great!


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)




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## txsmith1 (Feb 13, 2012)

I need to catch up on my reading. This is my first time hearing the possibility of increased limits.

Just curious, has anyone heard of a possible decrease in the pintail bag limit as a result of this years count?


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

are we gonna get six for blue-wing season?


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)

They have Allready posted the dates and bag limits for teal season sept15-30 and 4 bird limit.


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## Instigator (Jul 6, 2004)

I posted this anecdote in another thread but it bears mentioning here. I just drove to Houston from Denver via Salina, Ks and all that territory (until you get south of Dallas) looks like what we experienced last year, very crunchy. None of the farm ponds had water and the reservoirs were down. If this El Nino pattern holds then we should see more ducks (and sooner) than the last couple of years. The only bad thing for us in this is we may see plenty of illegal ducks mixed in with bluewings during teal season. Beware of bluewings with a big smile and orange feet!


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## Brad Beaulieu (May 10, 2006)

kweber said:


> are we gonna get six for blue-wing season?


They are looking at it for next year. Too late for this season.


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Garwood57 said:


> Redheads to 3 would be great!


To bad they taste like sheet.. I don't care what the limit is, I'm not gonna shoot what I'm not gonna eat and I ain't eatin no stinkin arse redhead... You can keep them scaups too...


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

It would be nice to get 6 bluewings for early teal. Best eating duck out there. Might make some of teal hunts last 15-20 minutes longer.


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## marshhunter (Mar 20, 2008)

Rack Ranch said:


> To bad they taste like sheet.. I don't care what the limit is, I'm not gonna shoot what I'm not gonna eat and I ain't eatin no stinkin arse redhead... You can keep them scaups too...


you mean you dont like chicken fried redhead? tell ya what you shoot any you don't want call me up... ill take em!

im a duck hunter with a bow hunting problem. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk2


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

I did when I was 21..LOL I'll bag'em up and give you a call when I get a mess...My friends won't take them anymore...



marshhunter said:


> you mean you dont like chicken fried redhead? tell ya what you shoot any you don't want call me up... ill take em!
> 
> im a duck hunter with a bow hunting problem. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk2


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Red heads and Scaup arent bad. Buffleheads are nasty. I dont let folks shoot em unless they are gonna mount em.


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## jkeithLSON (May 15, 2012)

chuck leaman said:


> It would be nice to get 6 bluewings for early teal. Best eating duck out there. Might make some of teal hunts last 15-20 minutes longer.


I'm with you on this. They are the second most common duck, and the vast majority of hunters don't see a single one after the early season ends, unless they are on the coast. I guess their numbers will just keep climbing and climbing.


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## James Howell (May 21, 2004)

To hell with all that, I'm shooting full straps of spoonies all year!


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

LOL.. marshhunter will take them..



James Howell said:


> To hell with all that, I'm shooting full straps of spoonies all year!


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)

James Howell said:


> To hell with all that, I'm shooting full straps of spoonies all year!


That's what I'm talking about


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## calphil (Jan 17, 2011)

James Howell said:


> To hell with all that, I'm shooting full straps of spoonies all year!


lol... everyonce in a while i try to do the same

and redheads and scaup are nasty..i would almost rather eat a coot


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## Gethookedadventures (Jan 1, 2007)

James Howell said:


> To hell with all that, I'm shooting full straps of spoonies all year!


Here ya go!


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## shhhh...ducks (Feb 22, 2010)

Everone is talkin about reheads and bluebills being nasty.......someone even mentioned coot.....................


he77, they all are good if you REALLY know how to make gumbo. A good roux can make anything tasty.

I will kill whatever ducks decide to come into the spread.....and enjoy doin it


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)

Soak Them for a day then cook. Can't tell if it's a spoony or a mallard.


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## James Howell (May 21, 2004)

Woo-Hoo! The strap that dreams are made of! Looks like you robbed the silverware drawer!


Gethookedadventures said:


> Here ya go!
> View attachment 509873


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## Instigator (Jul 6, 2004)

That is a nice strap but it could be better. If all of them were greenheaded smiling mallards then the strap should get mounted!


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)




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## calphil (Jan 17, 2011)

Gethookedadventures said:


> Here ya go!
> View attachment 509873


If only the drakes had some color on them


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## Chuckwagon (Aug 30, 2006)

No go on the readhead increase


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## drathe3112 (May 30, 2008)

Slackers...


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## GooseCommanderozz (Feb 17, 2012)

I think a coot is better than blue bills or spoonies. Least they taste better and you don't have to soak them in milk for a week. That's all I shot at the end of last season was spoon bills. Not gonna waste shells that are $13 a box on them


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

lookit alla them soup-ladels in them pics 
jus' be needin' some rice, seasonins an' okry, a big warshpot, coupla cases, an "lez bon temps rouler"!
shovelhead gumbo... ahhyeee :rotfl:


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

Brad Beaulieu said:


> They are looking at it for next year. Too late for this season.


Feds are lacking... shoulda been six several yrs back.
I doubt many blue-wings are harvested north of the Gulf plains.


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## C-KRIGAR (Jul 16, 2011)

I know it's early but anyone started seeing teal yet? I'm hoping to be able to hunt this year I only got to go three times last year cause of work. We finally slowed down enough so I will have time to get ready this year.


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## duckman49 (Aug 21, 2010)

Seeing woodies and mottled ducks no teal yet


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

I agree Avianquest, Too many red heads...


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## GunDog (Jun 6, 2006)

Why is it that every one hates the spoonie? They have saved many a hunt, and if you can not eat one....you must be doing something wrong.


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

In 1840, John James Audubon, the famous bird painter, hunter and gourmet cook said..._

"No sportsman who is a judge will ever pass on a shoveler to shoot a canvasback."_


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## GooseCommanderozz (Feb 17, 2012)

I must not be a sportsman then. All I want to do is eat them. And if the bird I eat eats fish and mud then it doesn't need to be eaten by me.


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## panhandle_slim (Jun 1, 2012)

I'll shoot a limit of spoonies over a nice pintail or redhead every day of the year. My friends think I'm nuts but I love those **** birds


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## Brad Beaulieu (May 10, 2006)

They all eat the same stuff, get over it!


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## 3CK (Oct 5, 2010)

C-KRIGAR said:


> I know it's early but anyone started seeing teal yet? I'm hoping to be able to hunt this year I only got to go three times last year cause of work. We finally slowed down enough so I will have time to get ready this year.


Seen a couple of groups so far..


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

GooseCommanderozz said:


> I must not be a sportsman then. All I want to do is eat them. And if the bird I eat eats fish and mud then it doesn't need to be eaten by me.


Mallards grub in the mud and will readily take a minnow in the process.

Northern Shovelers are surface feeders and feed mostly on invertebrates, which are surface dwelling aquatic insects. But when feeding in flooded rice fields they take in a lot of rice as well. Shovelers are the least equipped duck to try to grab fish.

In the U.S., the nearest relatives of the Northern Shoveler are the blue-winged and cinnamon teal, both of which share the same wing colors and surface feeding habits which accounts for the wider bill of those two teal teal species as compared to other North American duck species.


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Related Article...*

Understanding Waterfowl: The Blue-Winged Ducks*
_Northern shovelers and blue-winged and cinnamon teal are among the most closely related of North America's ducks_

-By Mike Brasher, Ph.D.

The roughly 150 species of ducks, geese and swans that occur around the world display an amazing variety of physical features and behaviors. Across this array of waterfowl, some species are more closely related than others. Scientists use behavior, anatomy and sophisticated genetic analyses to classify related birds into groups that reflect these relationships. For example, essentially all dabbling ducks belong to the genus Anas, while diving ducks belong to the genus Aythya.

But even within the same genus, scientists can identify subgroups that possess greater degrees of ancestral relatedness. The "blue-winged ducks" are a prime example. This group includes three North American species-northern shovelers, blue-winged teal and cinnamon teal-as well as four species found in other parts of the world.

Waterfowlers and other bird enthusiasts have likely noticed the similar, striking blue wing patches on northern shovelers and blue-winged teal. Their close relative, the cinnamon teal, also has similar wing markings, but is less widely known because of its small population size and limited range, which is largely confined to the Pacific Flyway. Closer inspection of the life histories of these species reveals amazing similarities beyond physical appearance.

Blue-Winged Ducks of the World Seven "blue-winged ducks" occur worldwide, with at least one on every continent except Antarctica. This group includes three small-bodied teal (blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal and garganey) and four shovelers (northern shoveler, cape shoveler, red shoveler and Australasian shoveler).

The northern shoveler is the most widely distributed of these ducks, occurring throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Its southern relative, the cape shoveler, is the most restricted, occurring only in South Africa. The Australasian shoveler, as you can probably guess, is found in Australia and New Zealand. And if you are ever lucky enough to see a male Australasian shoveler in breeding plumage, with its spoon-shaped bill, iridescent green and slate blue head, rusty flanks and white facial crescent, there will be no denying its relationship to our blue-winged teal and northern shoveler. The red shoveler is a fairly common duck in South America, where it joins the cinnamon teal as the only two blue-winged ducks found on that continent.

Interestingly, despite its small population size and restricted range in North America, the cinnamon teal is the only native dabbling duck that breeds in temperate regions of both the northern and southern hemispheres. Blue-winged teal are largely restricted to North America, although individuals regularly venture into South America. Its Old World counterpart, the garganey, breeds in northern Europe and Asia and makes epic long-distance migrations to its wintering grounds in tropical Africa and Asia.

The blue-winged ducks share several interesting behaviors related to migration, foraging, breeding and courtship that set them apart from other ducks. For example, social foraging, which is rare among other waterfowl, is common among these species. Northern shovelers, whose diet largely consists of tiny aquatic invertebrates, often feed by huddling with their heads down and swimming in a tight circle as they churn the water with their feet. This form of social foraging, known as "whirling," concentrates aquatic insects and plankton on which the birds feed.

More...

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/w...tanding-waterfowl-the-blue-winged-ducks/page2


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

By the way, if you have never seen an Australasian shoveler, it's the most coveted trophy duck in New Zealand where mallard limits usually run 30 ducks a day...


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Beautiful bird..


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

Redheads, scaup, ringnecks, snow geese, shovelers, and a few others catch a bad name for table fare and I cannot I disagree totally. However - sticking to the old rule of eating what you shoot - save the breast meat in the freezer until season is over and make a big batch of sausage. Try grinding 60% waterfowl with 20% fatty pork and 20% bacon ends and pieces. The mix is actually quite edible when blended with breakfast sausage seasoning or something similar.


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## Beretta (Jul 27, 2012)

I like it!


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## Mojo281 (Sep 7, 2006)

*Spoooooooooonies!!*

Don't forget the ole Argentina Shovler!!


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## Bull Minnow (May 28, 2004)

panhandle_slim said:


> I'll shoot a limit of spoonies over a nice pintail or redhead every day of the year. My friends think I'm nuts but I love those **** birds


 Those spoonies sure do save a hunt when all is slow! I wish I could should Mallards all day but that just isn't the case.


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## Gethookedadventures (Jan 1, 2007)

Bring on the coots and spoonies I am ready!


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