Opening Morning Regions 1 & 2

[Foxton Gundogs]

Don't worry about it Dakota, I can promise not a person here could 100% tell the difference between a similar sized mallard and pintail at either the first or last 5 minutes of shooting light. As long as you can ID as a duck you are fine, BUT you must be able to ID after it is on the ground so you can keep track of your species bag limits.

Careful because those early season pintails can be EASY to mistake as a wigeon if someone just looks at a little blue on the bill, common mistake with newer waterfowlers.

Excuse me???

[Foxton Gundogs]

Looks like a pintail, could be a young drake but more than likely a hen.

Early season unfledged drake

[lorneparker1]

Excuse me???

lol roger that

[Lozzie]

Could have easily shot a limit yesterday but I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. When I finally had it figured out I managed to knock down the lead Canada in a flock of 20 by then the ducks stopped flying. Let my hunting partner know how much action I had and he was reeling on the fact that he jammed out on me to move his mother in laws furniture. Schmuck!

[Batou]

22 geese down yesterday! I'll post a photo later if I have an hour or two to pull my hair out.

KM

[Andrewh]

Excuse me???

So I guess you have better eyes than me,

15-20 feet off the ground coming straight at you (not landing) in low light you can tell the difference?

[wingmaster]

So I guess you have better eyes than me,

15-20 feet off the ground coming straight at you (not landing) in low light you can tell the difference?

There are lots of hints too look for, tempo of wing beat, neck length, underwing colour, wings pointed or not, sometimes even speed can be a good indicator. Takes time in the field to get good at but it's doable

[Crazy_Farmers Dad]

if you already have 4 pintails in the bag and shooting to fill your limit at last light. You damn sure better bet you can ID species before shooting. IDing in hand is NOT a proper method in that instance

I agree just starting out its okay to not know 100% aslong as you know its a duck and you aren't close to bag limits or species limits. Hopefully you can tell between ducks geese, and seagulls, cormorants and grebes.

It does take time but after enough hunting and watching birds in flight you can pretty closely ID them based on everything stated, size, wing beat, Pintails always appear longer and skinnier.

Hunt enough and in low light you can tell between gadwalls, pintails, mallards, teal, wigeon and wood ducks no problem.

[SPEYMAN]

If you don't know what it is, don't shoot. Basic rule of hunting.

[LupieHunter]

If you don't know what it is, don't shoot. Basic rule of hunting.

^ THIS! If you can't ID it before you shoot it, its time to read and go over the animal/bird identification part of the CORE manual again.