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Drake
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Posts: 1338
Location: Arkansas
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 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:08 am Post subject: Ducks? |
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| Is anyone seeing any numbers. I spent some time yesterday on the water and didnt see any signficant numbers. |
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robul
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 2677
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| I saw a pretty large flock of red heads probably 80-90 count flying a nice V over the backyard around 2ish. They where out of range. |
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Jason Slocum
Flour Bluffian in training
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 328
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:29 am Post subject: Widgeon |
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| I saw some pretty nice wigeon drakes off of Ennis on the Pharaoh golf club on my way to lunch. Hopefully this front will push some more ducks down... Jason Slocum |
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o_brother
Member White Shrimper Boot Club
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 830
Location: Alice, Texas
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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I usually hunt doves but this year I had 0 doves around my house. I have never hunted ducks or geese and don't know a thing about them.. How many different ducks can you hunt in South Texas and how do tell them all apart? I'm thinking about giving it a go this year. Of course I would go with a guide or at least with someone that knows what to shoot...
Mike
_________________
Come out of the grass with your fins up....... |
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Blast-n-Cast
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 03 Dec 2007
Posts: 1142
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| o_brother wrote: | I usually hunt doves but this year I had 0 doves around my house. I have never hunted ducks or geese and don't know a thing about them.. How many different ducks can you hunt in South Texas and how do tell them all apart? I'm thinking about giving it a go this year. Of course I would go with a guide or at least with someone that knows what to shoot...
Mike |
Depending on where you go around here you can see Redheads, Pin Tails, Wigeon, Scaup, Merganzers, Whistlers, Buffleheads, Teal and a few others but it has been my experience that the most common of the above in our area are the Redheads of which you can only take two per day  to make up your mixed bag totaling 5 birds. As far as identifying them it just takes practice. You def want to go with someone the first few times until you get more comfortable and are able to identify them in flight. A guide is probably a lot cheaper than a citation.  |
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ArtificialB8
Flour Bluffian in training
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 470
Location: Spring Branch, TX
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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Was at our waterfowl lease last week setting blinds. Was covered up in clouds of bluewings. Only spotted a few big ducks (gadwalls and shovelors mostly). The cold weather up north should push a good slug of ducks south for the opener this Saturday....CAN'T WAIT!
| o_brother wrote: | | How many different ducks can you hunt in South Texas and how do tell them all apart? I'm thinking about giving it a go this year. Of course I would go with a guide or at least with someone that knows what to shoot... |
Only by spending significant hours in a blind can you acquire the visual ID skills....good idea to go with someone with at least a little experience. Each species have their own unique characteristics that enable you to ID them in flight.
| Blast-n-Cast wrote: | | ....make up your mixed bag totaling 5 birds. |
Limit was actually bumped back up to six bird limits this year....although we're still limited to the obligatory two redheads and bluebills, and single pintail and canvasback. Note that mottled ducks are off-limits the first 5-days of the season too. |
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lars
Horse Mullet
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Corpus Christi
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| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:49 am Post subject: |
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I didn't really understand the rules, can you get a pintail and canvasback on the same day or is it either/or????
Also, as for IDing ducks, there is a video out called "Duck Identification", its informative. My husband rented that for me before we were married and I had the flu. I just wanted to watch NO THOUGHT movies. I could have spit nails at him but it did help.
On IDing them, here are some things that help me.
Red Heads- well, they have red heads!
Pintails- looks like a duck with a tuxedo and a long neck!
Widgeon- when they come in, they look like they have headlights (white on head and white patches on wings)
Teal- they fly like F-14 fighter jets (fast but delicious!)
Also, the brighter ducks are drakes, try and shoot drake only, leave the hens alone to lay eggs!
I can't wait for duck season! |
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ArtificialB8
Flour Bluffian in training
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 470
Location: Spring Branch, TX
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| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| lars wrote: | | I didn't really understand the rules, can you get a pintail and canvasback on the same day or is it either/or???? |
From the TPWD website....I believe it is OK to have a pintail and canvasback in your daily limit....what a problem that would be 
Bag and Possession Limits for Ducks
DUCK DAILY BAG LIMIT:
The daily bag limit for ducks is 6 and can include no more than 5 mallards, only 2 of which may be hens; 3 wood ducks; 2 scaup (lesser scaup and greater scaup in the aggregate); 2 redheads; 1 pintail; 1 canvasback and 1 dusky duck (mottled duck, Mexican like duck, black duck and their hybrids) after the first 5 days.
Youth Gun Season
Dusky Ducks and geese may be taken during the youth gun hunts for ducks.
MERGANSER DAILY BAG LIMIT:
Five in the aggregate, to include no more than two hooded mergansers.
COOT DAILY BAG LIMIT:
15
POSSESSION LIMIT:
The possession limit for ducks, coots and mergansers is twice the daily bag limit. |
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Drake
Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Posts: 1338
Location: Arkansas
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| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:50 am Post subject: Ducks |
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| lars - DU has a great field guide to ID'ing ducks. I strongly suggest you at a minimum get that if you cant find someone to take you guys and show you. The wrong duck can get real expensive. |
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cbroutfitters
Flour Bluffian in training
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Corpus Christi
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| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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There here just scattered now, look for bird numbers to rise in the next week.
Just a note, Bag limits have CHANGED!
AS PER TPWD WEBSITE:
The daily bag limit for ducks is 6 and can include no more than 5 mallards, only 2 of which may be hens; 3 wood ducks; 2 scaup (lesser scaup and greater scaup in the aggregate); 2 redheads; 1 pintail; 1 canvasback and 1 dusky duck (mottled duck, Mexican like duck, black duck and their hybrids) after the first 5 days.
So this means 6 birds and no more hunters choice......you can get a pintail and a Canvas Back and a Dusky (Mottled,Dlack or Mex) Duck. Also cant shoot Mottled Ducks till the 5th so let em be this weekend!
_________________
V/R,
Capt. Cody
The Producers Guide Services
www.theproducerstexas.com |
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lars
Horse Mullet
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Corpus Christi
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| Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: Re: Ducks |
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| Drake wrote: | | lars - DU has a great field guide to ID'ing ducks. I strongly suggest you at a minimum get that if you cant find someone to take you guys and show you. The wrong duck can get real expensive. |
I'm okay with duck IDing, I was just giving some info to o_brother. My husband is a very experienced duck hunter and can tell what a duck is by the wing beat. He's been my hunting partner and teacher for 18 yrs. I remember one time we got stopped by federal and state game wardens and Paul had to explain which duck was which. The federal game wardens could sure use the DU field guide!!! |
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