Getting desperate here... looking for a helping hand.

[mungojeerie]

Hello everyone.

I've been waterfowling for about 4 or 5 years now. I get my fair share of canada's, mallards and wigeon each year, that seems to be 90% of what I see where I hunt.

A couple years ago I harvested a banded drake Mallard, I have a nice display made up in a shadow box containing a photo of the bird, the certificate and the band however I really wish I had the bird mounted.

I have been really interested having a few birds mounted and have decided this is the year to get on it! There are 5 Birds I would like to mount, the first two a nice Canada goose and a nice drake Mallard should be easy to find suitable birds for myself this year, the next 3 are not so easy and I would love it if anyone would be willing to let me tag along with you some day if you think you can get me into any of these birds.

My number 1 desire is for a nice drake pintail. I have been after this bird for years... I have taken hen's but never a drake, I see them very rarely and usually it's after ducks have closed. This is a bird I desire very much.

second is (please dont laugh) a snow goose, for some reason I have always wanted to get into some of these birds and would love to have one mounted. Pass shooting/sky blasting is not for me, I have no boat nor do I have permission on any fields that snow geese frequent.

third is a drake wood duck, I would love to have one of these beautiful birds on my mantle, I know some of you see them frequently but I have only seen them a few times and never while hunting.

I really appreciate any consideration. I live in Maple Ridge, I have weekends off however for the right reasons I can usually take a week day off without too much trouble. Im happy to travel to delta or out into the valley.... Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[fowl language]

too bad you did not have a boat I could help you out with all 3. snow geese are getting really hard to get because of all the pressure. wood ducks are on the water ,the same for the pintail....dale

[Sako 75]

The area where I shoot there are fair amount of Pintails. Gave me PM.

[bandit]

Don't mount the first pintail you shoot! If you can hold out for a mature one it will look waaaay better than a juvie. Last two seasons I would say only 2 out of 13 or 14 drake pins have looked as good as the interweb says they should!

[mungojeerie]

Thank you for the advice bandit, strangely enough after over 3 years of hoping for a drake pintail; just the very next day after posting this thread I did harvest one. I was beside myself with excitement and enthused beyond belief that it was in immaculate then my heart sank as I realized it had no "pin tail" Im assuming it was a young bird, it's colors were very nice and quite well defined but it did lack that characteristic, so I squirreled away some nicely barred feathers for fly tying and the bird went towards table fare, leaving me in the same spot as I was previously.

fowl language, the best I have available to me for a boat really is a sit on top kayak, which is actually not that bad. I have considered putting outriggers on it and mudding/brushing it out then launching at Brunswick point and paddling wayyyyyy out into the snow goose abyss.

[Sako 75]

A mature Drake Widgeon with nice white crown colour head is pretty duck and same with some diving drake ducks I see in open waters too.

[badgreenbird]

As you likely know, ducks moult in the summer and then again in the fall/winter. During the summer and early fall, the drakes are brown and drab; looking quite similar to hens. Wood ducks seem to be the earliest to regain the brilliant mating plumage; mallards are not far behind, along with wigeons. Teal and pintail seem to be quite late. The later into the year you can wait, the more likely your drake pintail will be fully developed. Not sure how long the season lasts down there - we get mostly brown ducks up here in the north. :icon_frow

[J-Man]

This drake was from Sunday, so would before full plumage? Or a juvenile?
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5613/15800074046_01c2837313_z.jpg

[Sako 75]

If this pintail drake made through late December or January the tail feather would be lot longer. The head would be darker brown. I shot a lot pintails in my life time. Years ago, we were allow to shoot 8 pintails per (duck) limit.

[bogman]

Thank you for the advice bandit, strangely enough after over 3 years of hoping for a drake pintail; just the very next day after posting this thread I did harvest one. I was beside myself with excitement and enthused beyond belief that it was in immaculate then my heart sank as I realized it had no "pin tail" Im assuming it was a young bird, it's colors were very nice and quite well defined but it did lack that characteristic, so I squirreled away some nicely barred feathers for fly tying and the bird went towards table fare, leaving me in the same spot as I was previously.

fowl language, the best I have available to me for a boat really is a sit on top kayak, which is actually not that bad. I have considered putting outriggers on it and mudding/brushing it out then launching at Brunswick point and paddling wayyyyyy out into the snow goose abyss.


If you get Fowl in a sit on top kayak ,for christ sakes take pictures , they'll be worth a fortune

[northernsculler]

If you get Fowl in a sit on top kayak ,for christ sakes take pictures , they'll be worth a fortune

If your paying that or know where to get it, lend me a kayak and I'll shoot you a limit of drakes between 10 am and noon any day of the season. You can film from a far if that helps. No kayak? bring a standup paddle board or a couple sheets of 2x8 blue foam. Geese no but mallards,widgeon, teal not a problem to still hunt em to devastating effect.