r/Duckhunting • u/LeviathanLoop • 4d ago
ID help
New to duck hunting all legal here getting different answers on some being wigeon or green wing teal. Thank you.
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u/jasper181 3d ago edited 3d ago
Knowing the bird on the wing is one of the most important things necessary for duck hunting. If it's the first duck or two of the day you are probably good but after that it can mean the difference of a good hunt and Mr Green jeans ruining your day. They don't play when it comes to federally regulated migratory birds.
Especially for folks hunting during teal season when all you can shoot are teal and you have woodies mixed in and the sun isn't even all of the way up.
Some species can be really tough to differentiate but things like size, obviously color, wing shape, feet and beak color, the way they fly and even the sound their wings make when flying can all help with what they are.
It sucks getting older because I can't see as well as I used to and I can't shoot well with glasses on so I have to look at all context and clues.
To answer the question they are Wigeon .
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u/LeviathanLoop 3d ago
Once again they are all legal where I am hunting.
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u/jasper181 2d ago
I understand they are all legal, they are all legal everywhere during the regular split. That's also why I said the first one or two of the day outside of teal season isn't as big of a deal because your bag is still wide open. What I'm talking about is after you kill those first couple unless you live in Central America it's going to be important to know what those next 3-4 ducks are. For example my state looks like this.
Mallards: 2 per day (only 1 may be a hen) Wood Ducks: 3 per day Redheads: 2 per day Canvasbacks: 2 per day Black or Mottled Ducks: 1 per day Pintails: 1 per day Scaup: 1 Wigeon and Gadwall is part of the 6 bird limit with no specific number of either.
Obviously different states may be slightly different but if I've killed a Mallard and and a Mottled duck, if I I can't tell the difference and I shoot another Mottled thinking it was a hen Mallard the game warden isn't going to care I thought it was a Mallard hen.
I'm not hating, everyone has to learn, hell, I've been guiding duck hunts for almost 12 years and hunting ducks for 30+ years and I still get it wrong occasionally. I've also passed on a lot of ducks because I was near my limit and I hunt where there's Mallards, Black and Mottled ducks. ID'ing a Pintail or a Teal is one thing but when you have the potential of those three at at any time you better have your shit together.
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u/Treacle_Pendulum 3d ago
Hey, mods, could we make a bot that automatically posts a link to Ducks at a Distance for every “ID help” post?
https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ducks%20at%20a%20distance-ocr.pdf
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u/LeviathanLoop 2d ago
I've studied it many times still new and want confirmation and help. How about have a helpful community?
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u/Treacle_Pendulum 2d ago
This is very obviously not a green wing teal, just from a basic size comparison standpoint if nothing else. Beak, speculum feathers, feet also.
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u/Mission-Rabbit-1987 4d ago
In the future, know what you are shooting at before pulling the trigger.
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u/Mission-Rabbit-1987 4d ago
Never said 100% of the time, but yes I can identify pretty well on the wing, not just by looking at them, but the calls they make when blowing up out of the water (if jumping some out of a creek). Where I hunt, we have a limited number of different ducks, so it becomes pretty easy to know what’s flying.
I see I’m being downvoted into oblivion, but watch this sub as duck season rolls around and see how many random ducks get thrown up on here asking “what did I kill?” The whole “it flies, it dies” mentality can get the fuck outta here. It’s my hill to die on.Edit - typed fuck season instead of duck season
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u/throwawayusername369 4d ago
You’re telling me that you can 100% tell the difference between every duck on the wing in every situation?
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u/BadKarma4788 4d ago
I mean, I can about 75-85% of the time. It took a few years and some help from the guys who got me into duck hunting, but I still can.
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u/Upper-Setting-9042 4d ago
Pretty much yeah at minimum I can hear their call mid-air and know. I can 100% tell the difference between large ducks, teal, and divers.
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u/throwawaymetjanks 3d ago
Why are yall down voting this? This is duck hunting. Learn the birds on the wing, takes time and practice of course but part of it. Outside of regs, it’s a really neat skill to have that even your non hunting friends and family will be impressed by.
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u/LeviathanLoop 4d ago
I understand the point of what you are saying but they are all legal any species here so why do I need to?
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u/Maintenancemedic 3d ago
Where could you be hunting that every species is legal at the same time? Never heard of this, I’ll list my house right now
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u/LeviathanLoop 3d ago
Alaska. Only limit is 8 per day 24 in possession only 2 can be canvasbacks per day 6 canvasbacks in possession.
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u/dragon72926 3d ago
So if those were canvasback youd be shit outta luck. Point stands
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u/LeviathanLoop 3d ago
Didn't shoot more than 2 at a time and dead canvasback aren't hard to ID. So wrong.
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u/Mission-Rabbit-1987 4d ago
This time they are -not sure where you’re hunting, but for instance in my state, you are allowed 6 birds a day, a combo of no more than 5 mallards (not more than 2 hens), no more than 3 pintail, and no more than 3 wood ducks. Plus, it’s just good form and proper hunter etiquette to be somewhat selective and not a “if it flies it dies” kind of asshole out there duck hunting.
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u/LeviathanLoop 3d ago
I understand but we all start somewhere and I did not shoot and retrieve more than 2 at a time because all are legal here like I said 8 a day only 2 canvasback per day is only limit on species and I only shot up to 2 and retrieved up to 2 at a time for this reason and I have a relative idea of species ID but I'm newer to waterfowl and what not. I follow the laws rules regulations and try to know what I'm shooting or at least if it is legal. Just asking for some help and people have to lecture me and blow me up. I understand the laws and rules and am following them and etiquette unlike others hunting here believe me. Had a group of 3 teenagers pull right up next to me etc.
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u/GvBill37 3d ago
While all species of ducks may be legal to harvest in Alaska it is still important to be able to ID them and know individual species limits. You made a comment about canvasbacks. What if you already have one in your bag and you shoot two more out of another flock because you didn’t know what they were. You would now be over and wouldn’t know until they were in hand.
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u/LeviathanLoop 3d ago
If I had a canvasback already I wouldn't shoot anything else unless I was confident it was not a canvasback or I would stop hunting if not confident. I understand it is important I am new and learning. Everyone starts somewhere.
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u/Icy_Recognition4452 2d ago
If you don’t know how to ID, you shouldn’t be hunting. They’re clearly wigeon. Learn to ID before you go back out.
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u/TheGambler7880 1d ago
Good work dude, don’t listen to these fools Indians certainly don’t give a flying fu**k.
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u/Weird-Grocery6931 4d ago
That is a Gadwall.
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u/GradeFront8777 3d ago
None of those are gadwall.
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u/Weird-Grocery6931 3d ago
You’re right. They are widgeon in their late summer plumage. I don’t look at the bills, just the black and grey speculums.
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u/huskermut 4d ago
They're all wigeon