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2015 September Teal:

Blue-winged Teal - 255 (1 banded)

Green-winged Teal - 1

Total September Teal - 256

16 x 16 not a bad average at all

Considering what was going on around us, I'm not squawking too loud. But what's been happening or, more to the point, not happening on our ag lands is pretty depressing. Can't help but note how many bluewings are showing up in pics from the weekend's South Dakota opener and wonder if their migration pattern isn't changing, too.

2014-2015 First Split:

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - 1

Bluewing Teal - 67

Canvasback - 1

Gadwall - 49

Greenwing Teal - 136

Mallards - 36

Mottleds - 14

Pintails - 5

Redheads - 3

Ringnecks - 37

Shovellers - 36

Wigeon - 9

Wood Ducks - 1

Speckle-bellied geese - 3

First Split total - 395 ducks and 3 geese

The species distribution bespeaks a late migration, and while those duck numbers look strong in relation to the eight other first splits I've recorded at that blind, one should adjust for the birds shot during the extra week this year's framework change added to the split (and subtracted from the coming one). Adjusting for that from the back end lowers the duck total to 318 and fourth worst among the nine recorded years, which is still something to be grateful for given the number of flat "worst first split" reports heard in our general area.

Our specklebelly tally was the sorriest ever and reflects both low numbers of geese over the marsh and a lack of afternoon goose hunting opportunities. Blue and snow geese, which generally start showing in big numbers the first week of November finally did so during November's last week.

Yea, my first split totals were added up pretty quickly. Same number of hunts as last year and same amount of days in our first split.

We shot 30% of what we shot last year in first split.

Last year we had milo and this year we were in the "preferable" rice. Weather was the factor in my opinion. Drier and a lot colder November last year, compared to this years wet and warm one.

Hoping our season will just be a little more backloaded this year with the 2nd split running till Jan 31.

Ericdc wrote:Drier and a lot colder November last year, compared to this years wet and warm one.

Agreed; though I caution folks not to get too caught up in directly comparing results of this split to the same in 2014 when it was essentially a perfect October and early November with unusually numerous & strong cool fronts that pushed birds here early and often. Nonetheless, this has been a stinker when compared to even an average weather year and of course it WOULD play out like this on the year that the CZ dates are shifted a week earlier. Firing into a group of teal the other day to pick up 5 BW's among the 7 bodies was certainly telling for us, usually nothing but GWs in our marsh right now.

In east zone it's comparable because of same season structure. Weather being the telling variable.

That's a cool selection of birds.

I wish we had a split. Our season is over in 1 week. I get one more week in the next zone down. Our season starts too late (a lot of the wood ducks and other early movers are gone) and ends too early (our late mallards are just starting to show).

Though some here lobby for straight seasons during what think prime times or shorter splits, I'd not want to give up our 12 day split, in part because I believe it affords more opportunity to enjoy our diversity of photo-period and weather driven migrants. And because it's nice to have a significant mid season break to catch up on sleep and chores.

2015-2016 Second Split:

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - 5

Bluewing Teal - 25

Gadwall - 33

Greenwing Teal - 179

Mallards - 63

Pintails - 13

Redheads - 1

Ringnecks - 23

Shovellers - 35

Wigeon - 2

Wood Ducks - 2

Snow Geese - 1

Speckle-bellied geese - 16

First Split total - 381 ducks and 17 geese


May yet manage to find a few specks on what little ag land we have left, so I'll not tally the entire season until they close, too.

Correction: final line should read "second" split total... is a similar error or two in the first split format (both of which were copied and amended poorly).

Very impressive variety and numbers you pulled out of that marsh hole Rick

We've at least one and probably two better locations (including what I think our best) opening up next year in the more broken marsh the ducks favor to my east, which I'll admit has made me think of asserting my rank and making a move to easier digs, but the overall good of the camp dictates staying put - or moving a notch west to our least desirable location. Really ought to do the later, as only the most aggressive callers to hunt it have fared well there. (And no one who's shared a blind with me will tell you I'm afraid of a duck call.) But as was the case with the Mudhole, it needs a serious makeover to work as well as it can, and I just don't feel like taking that on again - or being that much farther off the little ducks' favored routes when big ducks aren't around, as is too often the case.

Already feel like a dick for not taking that back blind hickey and wouldn't be proud of taking an easier spot, so I expect I'll stay put and continue to look for ways to improve the Mudhole's luck.

Feel absolutely blessed to have it as is.

Doug is fortunate to have you in his guide head count, and I hope that he appreciates your efforts. Your unassuming attitude and willingness to do what it takes to make the customer's trip a positive experience, is a rare trait, and not easily found in the duck hunting world. Again, really appreciate you sharing your season and experiences with us!!!!!

Deltaman wrote:Doug is fortunate to have you in his guide head count, and I hope that he appreciates your efforts. Your unassuming attitude and willingness to do what it takes to make the customer's trip a positive experience, is a rare trait, and not easily found in the duck hunting world. Again, really appreciate you sharing your season and experiences with us!!!!!

^^Well put, all true and I agree.

Appreciate the kind thoughts, but I'm not always the guide I ought to be.

The post-duck speck season yielded a grand total of five (count 'em: 5) specks. I opted not to guide pay parties and deferred our precious few productive spots to those who did and other play hunting guides and their friends. All five of my birds were taken in spots leased by others and graciously loaned.

2015-2016 Regular Season Totals:

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - 6

Bluewing Teal - 92

Canvasback -1

Gadwall - 82

Greenwing Teal - 315

Mallards - 99

Pintails - 18

Redheads - 4

Ringnecks - 60

Shovellers - 71

Wigeon - 11

Wood Ducks - 3

Snow Geese - 1

Speckle-bellied geese - 24

Regular Season Totals - 762 ducks and 25 geese

2015-2016 All Inclusive - 1,018 ducks (1 banded) and 25 geese


Numerically, 2015-2016 was the third slowest of the nine past seasons I've kept accurate records of for ducks and the very worst for geese. That we took very nearly as many bluewings during the regular season as mallards pretty well tells the duck story, except that we were blessed to have the lion's share of the area's duck gunning in the marsh and ag lands fared far worse. The sorry goose numbers were as much a reflection of how little ag land the camp kept for its own use and my reluctance to hunt them as what most found to be a generally poor year for them as well.

SpinnerMan wrote:That's a cool selection of birds.

I wish we had a split. Our season is over in 1 week. I get one more week in the next zone down. Our season starts too late (a lot of the wood ducks and other early movers are gone) and ends too early (our late mallards are just starting to show).

Careful what you ask for. I can see a year where the ducks are stacked in my county but the season is closed for the split...and they're gone when season re-opens. Have seen it happen on geese. Dang quota got reached and shazaaam...the county is STACKED with honkers.

Rick, always enjoy reading your posts, and luckily being able to shoot (at) some of the ducks in your species bag the last 7 years. Hope to make it 8 this upcoming season, and I would like to hunt with you no matter where your blind is at Doug's.

Bruce.

Trust you know you're more than welcome anytime, Bruce. Have been reading through the log this morning in preparation for putting together a summary of the regular season and reminding myself of how much of the enjoyment comes from old friendships. With the flip side, of course, being that the most misery comes from not always being able to show those old friends decent shooting...

johnc wrote:Rick,

Didn't you have a hen golden eye or was that from another blind?

Mexican mallard? maybe from another year

That one was shot at one of our rice blinds. Just struck me as odd enough to see what's generally the last of migrants on the same string with the first, a bluewing, much less a big water diver shot in the rice, that I snapped the photo. Never been one taken in my marsh pothole during my time there. Though last year's youth hunters shot the mudhole's first bufflehead, and we once had a stunning little drake old squaw swimming in the decoys and gave it a pass for being so damn neat.

As for the Mexican duck, this was it (shot in the first split and listed above as a mottled):




We've also shot one in each of the 2011 and 2012 seasons, which was when duckier minds than mine informed me of the species I was previously unaware of:


Not sure why I felt this year's might have been something different (or how I managed to leave mottleds out of the season tally here, altogether) other than its lighter overall appearance and less blue speculum. Both of which are subject to some change with the lighting, as can be seen in the two top photos of the same bird. Odd duck in any event.

Ducks are ducks to most of my guys. Once felt bad when my dog pulled half the tailfeathers catching a diving crip that was what I thought a super cool drake mallard/pintail cross, only to have the guys laugh it off because their only mounting plans included rice. Re: "sea" scoters, guys hunting a Thornwell blind stopped by my house with one we had to look up to be sure of a few years back.

Someone shot a surf scoter at SangChris lake in central Illinois once. If I had not had my book I think maybe the shooter was about to get in trouble because people kept saying "protected". There was a lot of commotion over that weird looking thing.

They're ugly.

Rick wrote:As for the Mexican duck, this was it (shot in the first split and listed above as a mottled):

That's really cool, but to be technically accurate they should be listed with the mallards and I'm sure count toward your mallard limit.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/id

Regional Differences
A subspecies of the Mallard called the “Mexican Duck,” Anas platyrhynchos diazi, occurs in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Both males and females closely resemble female Mallards, although the body color is somewhat darker than a typical female Mallard. Mexican Ducks were once thought to be a full species, but they hybridize extensively with typical Mallards in the northern parts of their range.

I'd imagine the same could likely be said of mottleds and black ducks. Matters not a lick to me, was just an odd duck.

Rick wrote:I'd imagine the same could likely be said of mottleds and black ducks. Matters not a lick to me, was just an odd duck.

Mottled and blacks are each separate species and not simply a regional variation in color of a mallard as the Mexican duck is.

That link I provided is pretty good place for these things. The first similar specie to Mallards listed is Black and the second is Mottled.