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Got to see a new breed of duck today thanks to another thread. Do you have any bucket list foreign or exotic waterfowl? I don't know if WFF is international yet but I follow some Australian dudes on FB and they have some awesome looking ducks down there. Here is one of my favorites a Bahamas pintail or white cheek pintail:

That's pretty cool. Every year for our traveling decoys we pick exotic species.

I'd probably miss that sonofabitch, too.

Although I've never seen one, the closed season in mandarin ducks irritates me, because if I ever see one, I'd like to at least take a shot at it. Don't get why a non-native species is closed.

Nice! I have seen a few of these whistling ducks while hunting down here but have never even gotten them to look my direction. They seem to do their own thing but they are an attainable exotic for me hunting in AZ.

These.

Nice call on the mandarin. What's the bird on the right?

Baikal Teal

assateague wrote:I'd probably miss that sonofabitch, too.

Ha! Just saw this. I was gonna put a pintail in and say I know this is an exotic for AT:lol:

I know a few guys who took Eurasian widgeon this year. Anyone else seeing those in your area?

While very rare we'll get oldsquaw and harli's migrate down to our bay on occasion. I was fortunate to scull on two oldsquaw this past season. Though both were immature birds

gila-river wrote:Nice! I have seen a few of these whistling ducks while hunting down here but have never even gotten them to look my direction. They seem to do their own thing but they are an attainable exotic for me hunting in AZ.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396642517.201314.jpg

That's the fulvous version of whistling duck folks here call "Mexican squealers," because while they nest here in Summer, most have gone south with the bluewings by our regular season's November opening. We still shoot a few most years, but their blackbellied cousins handle colder weather better and are much more common in the bag. Both are great eating ducks, though as you've noted, apt to "do their own thing". Perhaps because the blackbellies have white wing patches, they can be drawn to spinners the fulvous mostly ignore. But while neither give much of a hoot for traditional duck whistles and either swing by a spread or don't with or without it, they'll both toll well to something that matches their own sharp pitch.

The good news is that I know that because a fellow was good enough to turn me on to a whistle they like. The bad news is that I promised not to reveal it. That, and the dang thing won't get nearly loud enough to suit me. But I've recently heard a herding dog whistle that seems to have great promise both for accuracy and volume and have ordered one to try to master. We'll see...

Rick wrote:

gila-river wrote:Nice! I have seen a few of these whistling ducks while hunting down here but have never even gotten them to look my direction. They seem to do their own thing but they are an attainable exotic for me hunting in AZ.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396642517.201314.jpg

That's the fulvous version of whistling duck folks here call "Mexican squealers," because while they nest here in Summer, most have gone south with the bluewings by our regular season's November opening. We still shoot a few most years, but their blackbellied cousins handle colder weather better and are much more common in the bag. Both are great eating ducks, though as you've noted, apt to "do their own thing". Perhaps because the blackbellies have white wing patches, they can be drawn to spinners the fulvous mostly ignore. But while neither give much of a hoot for traditional duck whistles and either swing by a spread or don't with or without it, they'll both toll well to something that matches their own sharp pitch.

The good news is that I know that because a fellow was good enough to turn me on to a whistle they like. The bad news is that I promised not to reveal it. That, and the dang thing won't get nearly loud enough to suit me. But I've recently heard a herding dog whistle that seems to have great promise both for accuracy and volume and have ordered one to try to master. We'll see...

Good stuff Rick. Let me know how it works out for you.

assateague wrote:Although I've never seen one, the closed season in mandarin ducks irritates me, because if I ever see one, I'd like to at least take a shot at it. Don't get why a non-native species is closed.

The liberals think they're pretty.

assateague wrote:Although I've never seen one, the closed season in mandarin ducks irritates me, because if I ever see one, I'd like to at least take a shot at it. Don't get why a non-native species is closed.

Would it stop you from shooting?

The Duck Hammer wrote:Baikal Teal

Gorgeous bird.

Eric Haynes wrote:

assateague wrote:Although I've never seen one, the closed season in mandarin ducks irritates me, because if I ever see one, I'd like to at least take a shot at it. Don't get why a non-native species is closed.

Would it stop you from shooting?

Probably not, but might stop him from bragging

Olly wrote:That's pretty cool. Every year for our traveling decoys we pick exotic species.

Seagulls are extremely exotic!

Feelin' Fowl wrote:

Olly wrote:That's pretty cool. Every year for our traveling decoys we pick exotic species.

Seagulls are extremely exotic!

uploadfromtaptalk1396672586339.jpg

The West side's was....

Feelin' Fowl wrote:

Olly wrote:That's pretty cool. Every year for our traveling decoys we pick exotic species.

Seagulls are extremely exotic!

uploadfromtaptalk1396672586339.jpg

That's because they're the souls of sailors

Ron, what is that?

gila-river wrote:Nice! I have seen a few of these whistling ducks while hunting down here but have never even gotten them to look my direction. They seem to do their own thing but they are an attainable exotic for me hunting in AZ.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1396642517.201314.jpg

We shoot some of those here and they get much more in Louisiana.

I'd like to hunt torrents[attachment=-1]uploadfromtaptalk1396700418500.jpg[/attachment]

assateague wrote:Ron, what is that?

That's a girl.

With one of these:

hudson wrote:I'd like to hunt torrents[attachment=-1]uploadfromtaptalk1396700418500.jpg[/attachment]

From what I've heard it's not much of a hunt. Just walk up on them and hose them down.

bill herian wrote:

hudson wrote:I'd like to hunt torrents[attachment=-1]uploadfromtaptalk1396700418500.jpg[/attachment]

From what I've heard it's not much of a hunt. Just walk up on them and hose them down.

i read that about them.i wonder why they don't flush.

assateague wrote:Ron, what is that?

black bellied whistling duck.tree nester and damn good eating.have to skin em cuz it's almost impossible to pluck.

assateague wrote:Ron, what is that?

Black bellied Whistling Duck, quite common around here but seldom shot because it learns pretty fast where to stay away from and where to eat. People around here that live near a water source can put out corn in their yard or driveway and be covered up in them in no time at all. One family down the street from me puts out corn every afternoon and the tree ducks wait for feeding time in trees and on the power lines in front of his house.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-bell ... tling_Duck