Got my first today!

[Phoneguy]

I think it is a teal. I think I was as suprised as it was when it fell from the sky! Boundary Bay at 72nd St.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Teal_resized.jpg

[Ian F.]

Well done James...

That is a Drake Northern Pintail. You should print out some ID basic's and take them with you as you are only allowed 4 pintails per day, the other limited quantities are Cans (4) Goldeneye's (2) and Harlies (2). Also keep in mind that Canada's are closed until Dec 20.

Very best,

Ian

[MichelD]

Good going James!

[PGK]

Nice pintail! AKA Sprig! 4 per day. This is the site I use to ID birds that might not be in full plumage. If you don't know what you have, don't shoot any more ducks! That's the rule I follow.

http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf419/wing_age_sex/duckplum/duckplum.htm

[Dirty]

How can you ethically go out and shoot birds if you don't know what they are? Do yourself and everybody else a favor and look at the regulations before you go out and shoot something that you can't identify. Pretty lame if you ask me, how can you pass the CORE without knowing identification. The ignorance of people these days makes me sick. Nice Pintail by the way.

[Phoneguy]

How can you ethically go out and shoot birds if you don't know what they are? Do yourself and everybody else a favor and look at the regulations before you go out and shoot something that you can't identify. Pretty lame if you ask me, how can you pass the CORE without knowing identification. The ignorance of people these days makes me sick. Nice Pintail by the way.

Well, I knew that Canada Geese were over for a while, snowgeese were good, and ducks. I figured if I got one (or even two) I would be doing good for me. I held my shot at the low flying Canada's, knew I was nowhere near the limit for anything so all is good. Got to start somewhere! Yes I need to work on my identification skills. This was my third time out fowling and I was happy to get something, only once have I had any kind of coaching, hoping for more.
The identification section of the core test is only a couple of questions. I got them right. Don't know how you guys manage to identify on the fly. Going to have to work on that (and hope for more coaching).

James

[PGK]

How can you ethically go out and shoot birds if you don't know what they are? Do yourself and everybody else a favor and look at the regulations before you go out and shoot something that you can't identify. Pretty lame if you ask me, how can you pass the CORE without knowing identification. The ignorance of people these days makes me sick. Nice Pintail by the way.

- When I did my CORE, ducks were optional. You must be a new hunter, to have had a mandatory duck ID on your course?
- There is an 8/day limit on DUCKS.
- There is no *requirement* to learn about identifying ducks other than those with special regulations.
- He has been advised on the subject already, gently, no need for you to start a bitchfest.
- Hypothetical: Could you tell a hen Pintail on the move at 40y in eclipse plumage from a hen Wigeon?
- Hypothetical: Could you tell a drake Goldeneye on the move at 40y in eclipse plumage from a drake Bufflehead in eclipse plumage ?

Personally I doubt it. There's a lot of grey area and learning to waterfowl hunting, so why not let a guy enjoy shooting his first duck? Mmmkay?

Everybody else: sorry for the rant

[tomahawk]

- When I did my CORE, ducks were optional. You must be a new hunter, to have had a mandatory duck ID on your course?



You must have taken your CORE many moons ago as the Migratory Birds section has been mandatory for at least 25 yrs or so!

[Marc]

I came to BC from another province and we didn't have anything to do with waterfowl on my hunter’s safety course back east. To someone who's just starting it can sometimes be hard to tell. The good thing is there isn't any one type of duck you're not allowed to shoot at least two of in BC (except loons, grebes and maybe the odd mistaken seagull duck) You need to know if it’s a duck or not a duck.

I can tell the difference between a hen pintail and widgeon 95% of the time but I’ve been hunting ducks for 30 years. Identification comes with time. The more time in the marsh over the year you’ll learn to tell from wing speed, color, sounds, and size what kind of ducks they are. The way they fly and the sound of their wings are all indications. I can't explain how much I enjoy being out in the marsh listening to all the different sounds in the marsh.

We shot a drake pintail a couple of weeks ago just at first light and we knew it was a sprig because of the thrill of his whistle as he was circling the spread. Widgeon also tend to be very vocal while flying or in the water but sound different.


Good going James!

[Ddog]

good for you phoneguy, yes identification will come with time, and you will find it is relatively easy once you know.
you know the limits so if you cant identify just make sure your not shooting a closed duck.
cheers,,,,,,,ddog

[Jimbo]

Good going on the first duck !! The more species of ducks you knock down, the more you will recognize in the future.:wink:

[Dirty]

- There is an 8/day limit on DUCKS.
- There is no *requirement* to learn about identifying ducks other than those with special regulations.


This is another ignorant comment. You need to identify your target before pulling the trigger, simple as that. How the hell are you going to know which ones you can and can't shoot if you can't identify any of them? How long does it take to sit down and familiarize yourself with the regulations and species of ducks, not long. This guy even admits to not being able to identify the ducks when they are flying by. Seriously, get your act together, I have no sympathy for people that remain ignorant because they are too lazy or too stupid to read the regulations before they go hunting. This is something that plagues fishing and hunting, and it needs to stop.

Would you guys be as tolerant if he posted a dead grizzly bear and said he shot his first cinnamon black bear? It is not f'in different.

Message and point --> Read the regulations before going hunting and learn to identify what you can and can't shoot.

[PGK]

You must have taken your CORE many moons ago as the Migratory Birds section has been mandatory for at least 25 yrs or so!

11yrs ago. Migratory was all supplemental.

[PGK]

This is another ignorant comment. You need to identify your target before pulling the trigger, simple as that. How the hell are you going to know which ones you can and can't shoot if you can't identify any of them? How long does it take to sit down and familiarize yourself with the regulations and species of ducks, not long. This guy even admits to not being able to identify the ducks when they are flying by. Seriously, get your act together, I have no sympathy for people that remain ignorant because they are too lazy or too stupid to read the regulations before they go hunting. This is something that plagues fishing and hunting, and it needs to stop.

Would you guys be as tolerant if he posted a dead grizzly bear and said he shot his first cinnamon black bear? It is not f'in different.

Message and point --> Read the regulations before going hunting and learn to identify what you can and can't shoot.

So if I took you duck hunting tomorrow, you would be able to tell the difference between a drake bufflehead in eclipse plumage and a drake goldeneye in the same at 40y? :razz:

Nobody is perfect. We have a limit of 8 ducks. If and when I shoot the limit for a restricted species, I'll likely stop hunting or shoot only at single birds I can distinguish perfectly, which is next to impossible on a fast flying duck in eclipse plumage at 40y. Get over yourself :razz:

[Dirty]

So if I took you duck hunting tomorrow, you would be able to tell the difference between a drake bufflehead in eclipse plumage and a drake goldeneye in the same at 40y? :razz:

Nobody is perfect. We have a limit of 8 ducks. If and when I shoot the limit for a restricted species, I'll likely stop hunting or shoot only at single birds I can distinguish perfectly, which is next to impossible on a fast flying duck in eclipse plumage at 40y. Get over yourself :razz:

Oh PGK, you should know that is impossible. However, can you tell the difference between a Mallard, Widgeon, Wood Duck, Gadwall, Pintail, Teal, and etc.? It is pretty darn easy. Get a set of dekes and call them in. If you can't tell the difference, you'd better call Bubbles and tell him to bring you a set of shades.

[PGK]

You do realize that for half the year all the species of duck you listed are pretty much brown and grey, right? They aren't all nice happy pictures of full plumage birds. Get over yourself man.

And if you figure it's impossible, you shouldn't ever hunt waterfowl

[bullmagnum]

WTF. Seriously, Dirty, Your argument just sucks. If this fella was posting a pic of his 3rd or 5th ducks of the day...then your comments would be justified. However, this was his first and only duck of the day (to our knowledge)...Therefore, as long as all ducks are open, then shooting at the first one you see is perfectly acceptable; is it not? I thought so. Chill out and let a guy enjoy his duck!

[Dano]

Firtst off, congratulations James. That's a nice pintail drake!

Secondly, if you guys want to talk about bird ID and how easy or difficult it is, that's fine. If you want to comment "I have no sympathy for people that remain ignorant because they are too lazy or too stupid to read the regulations before they go hunting", don't bother to post. You don't know what the circumstances were or when a guy ID's a duck. Like was mentioned, they are hard to ID as they are in various stages of plumage. Very few species are closed, but you need to know what is closed and what a grebe, loon, and other protected species are and where they are found.

A simple post like this would have got the point across without being condecending:
" Nice going James. It's a Pintail drake. You are allowed 4 pintail a day in B.C.. When in flight, they have a long slender neck compared to most ducks, easy to ID when you have seen a lot of birds.
You will have to brush up on your migratory bird ID if you want to stay out of trouble with limits and species not open to hunting. Get out to the refuge and parks in the off season and watch how species look when in flight and how they fly. Keep your shots to what you can positively ID as a legal species even if you can't tell if it's a widgeon, pintail, or mallard (they fly and look basically the same until you differentiate size, neck and color as they get close). Take the time to study the species and you will be fine."
Dan
P.S. I'll leave your previous posts up but I'll delete them all and any new ones of a negitive nature if more are posted. Use PM's to trade barbs with each other if you need to do so.

[shotgunjohn]

Nice bird. It took me about ten years to get my first pintail in full colors. As for birds on the wing yes I think I can pretty much tell what they are at 40 yards but I've had 35 years of experience duck hunting. I think the important thing is that you care enough to find out what each bird is and actually try to learn there characteristics in flight. I had a new hunter out a few weeks ago and she shot a wood duck hen. She felt bad when I told her what it was and then wanted to now how I knew before the dog retreived the bird. I explained to her, first of all, no shame for shooting what was a legal bird, and secondly how I knew what it was. Fact is she made a heck of a shot and learned a lot about duck I.D. all at the same time.

[Dirty]

Okay enough banter going on here. I am going to do something productive. Here is something that all duck hunters could use to brush up on identification skills. My case and point is that we as hunters have a responsibility to know the regulations and know how to distinguish the species that are involved with these regulations. It is part of being a responsible hunter. Ignorance is not an excuse and is not acceptable.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm#contents

[sawmill]

Great for you,!!! I hunted ducks and canadas when I used to live in Beaverlodge Alta .Never shot a pintail though,mallards and geese mostly.I sure miss hunting waterfowl.
From your post I was expecting a photo of you losing your cherry:-o
Oh well.ducks are cool too.:biggrin:

[Phoneguy]

Okay enough banter going on here. I am going to do something productive.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm#contents


Thanks for the useful link

[Freshtracks]

Okay enough banter going on here. I am going to do something productive. Here is something that all duck hunters could use to brush up on identification skills. My case and point is that we as hunters have a responsibility to know the regulations and know how to distinguish the species that are involved with these regulations. It is part of being a responsible hunter. Ignorance is not an excuse and is not acceptable.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm#contents

For a hunter who's harvested waterfowl(s) and requires a confirmation, that link will do the trick. For wing shooting in the field, I concur a beginner is at a big disadvantage.

Best advise given, was to head to Riefel's on Westham Is. and spend a day with bino's and teach oneself. Unless you're afield with someone who has the knowledge to make the calls.

It's all about learning.

[rishu_pepper]

Nice pintail James, and good to see my (old) gun is seeing some use :D

In no time you'll be a seasoned waterfowler! :cool:

Did you eat it?

[gary mok]

Good going on the first duck !! The more species of ducks you knock down, the more you will recognize in the future.:wink:
I absolutely agree with what you say, keep going and don't worry man !!!

[Phoneguy]

Nice pintail James, and good to see my (old) gun is seeing some use :D

In no time you'll be a seasoned waterfowler! :cool:

Did you eat it?

Thanks Brian. It hasn't been eaten yet. I breasted it out and the meat is sitting in salty water to see if I can get the odor out. If it tastes like it smells it is going to need a whole heck of a lot of seasoning. I may keep it until I have enough for a family feed.

James

[rishu_pepper]

Thanks Brian. It hasn't been eaten yet. I breasted it out and the meat is sitting in salty water to see if I can get the odor out. If it tastes like it smells it is going to need a whole heck of a lot of seasoning. I may keep it until I have enough for a family feed.

James

Hope the duck isn't fishy... eew! :lol:

ID-ing birds will come, I've been out about a dozen times and have gone to Pitt Marsh/Stave River/etc. (without gun) and I'm gradually beginning to pick up on ID skills. Things like wing beats and duck sounds are things you just can't learn by looking at a book. I've been very lucky to have an extremely experienced waterfowler to show me the ropes. :D

[Kody94]

Would you guys be as tolerant if he posted a dead grizzly bear and said he shot his first cinnamon black bear? It is not f'in different.


I get your point, but your example is a little over the top. :D Sheesh. Apples and oranges. There isn't an 8 bear limit with a maximum of 4 G-bears...if there was, your analogy would be a lot more relevant. Ducks are lumped together, bears are not....huge difference.



Phoneguy: Congrats on your first duck. IMHO you started with a bang! The drake pintail is one of my all time faves. Gorgeous bird. We don't get too many around here, so it took me years to get my first one.

Cheers
4Ster

[Marc]

Phoneguy: Congrats on your first duck. IMHO you started with a bang! The drake pintail is one of my all time faves. Gorgeous bird. We don't get too many around here, so it took me years to get my first one.

Cheers
4Ster

I hear you there, I've been hunting duck for over 30 years and yet to shoot a pintail drake in full plumage. I had a few chances this fall so far but made the mistake of letting them make another pass hoping they'll get closer. I see some pintail decoys making it's way into my decoy bag in the near future.

Don't get put off from the smell or raw duck. It should be fine, if your concerned about it make sure there is no fat left on the meat as that is where 95% of the strong flavor comes from.

Marc.

[Wildfoot]

go to your nearest ducks unlimited office and pick up one of their nice duck posters. has all the ducks of N. america on it shows males and females and their names. the poster is nice because the ducks are small and from a distance it can help you identify based on silhouette.

I find raw duck always smells worse than cooked duck. Duck is by-far my favorite bird meat. Cooked up a nice mallard drake the other night!

[Marc]

I find raw duck always smells worse than cooked duck. Duck is by-far my favorite bird meat. Cooked up a nice mallard drake the other night!

Yup I just pulled out a widgeon and two teal from the freezer to roast for supper.

[shotgunjohn]

Pintails can have a strong odor but to my knowledge they pretty much never get into the fish. I've always found them good eating.

[Wildfoot]

Pintails can have a strong odor but to my knowledge they pretty much never get into the fish. I've always found them good eating.

Haha I have been warned to never ever, ever try and cook/eat a merganser.

[blindman]

Congratulations on your first duck! I was told to try soaking my duck breasts in Coke or Pepsi to draw the blood out and it seems to really work. I also find that if you cook the duck breast too long, like well done, it tends to taste stronger. Mine are medium rare at the most if I have my way.

[dutchie]

All I can say is congrats on a VERY nice first bird.

My first bird was a Northern Mallard hen, and when i shout it i had no clue of what it was, but the guy i was hunting with was very quickly able to id it for me.

shooting in boundary bay, or ladner marsh, pitt marsh ect... know what the cormorant looks like. It is a large black bird with a longer tail and long neck with a faster wing beat. It is very easy to pick these birds out but it is illegal to shoot them.

dutchie

[porcupine]

Congratulations on your first duck, may it not be your last. Pintails are often considered the wariest of the ducks and not as easily decoyed. They also taste pretty good.

One of the best ways to learn to identify ducks is to go in the winter to one of the city park ponds or lakes. There are usually several species waiting for handouts, and you can see them up close. Here in Victoria, Beacon Hill Park is a great place to see ducks. This past week I have seen mallards, both species of widgeon, Hooded Mergansers and the White Cheeked Pintail, and I wasn't even walking around all the little ponds or looking hard.
________
vaporite solo (http://www.vaporshop.com/solo-vaporizer.html)

[Sunny]

you guys must have good eye to see what kind of duck 30-40yd away I can't tell until I hunt them down

[shotgunjohn]

It's not really about seeing the markings on the bird or what colour it is. Every duck species has a different profile in flight. They also all fly a little differently. Its more about how fast they beat their wings, how they approach a decoy spread and how long their wings and neck are in proportion to their body. They also all make different calls.
What it really comes down to is do you care enough to study each bird and learn its characteristics. Oh and those gadwalls still fool me but then we don't see very many of them.

[slyfox]

Nice pintail Phoneguy congrats! I have been hunting ducks for a long time too, and can tell most of the time what kind of duck it is. If I can't tell what is flying I won't shoot it. You should know what your gun is pointing at before you pull the trigger on any game animal, or bird. Guys, I think thats what DIRTY is talking about. Read the regs and know the animals and birds your after before your in the field. If this was a person that went hunting mule deer and posted a picture of a whitetail, we would be having a different conversation. Does not a Chucker and a Grouse resemble themselves? ...try to explain to a Wardon that you thought the Chucker was a Grouse and it's your first time hunting!! See if he'll give you a ticket or not.

[Thor Rider 88]

**** you got your first bird and you should be stolked its awesome to get your first of any animal... congrats man, ****

[branthunter]

"Don't get put off from the smell or raw duck. It should be fine, if your concerned about it make sure there is no fat left on the meat as that is where 95% of the strong flavor comes from."


I think this is probably your problem. Pins are vegetarians, eating plant matter and sometimes small invertebrates. Unlike mallards, they don't eat rotten fish or roe.. In 40 yrs. I've never ever had a fishy pintail or widgeon (who eats the same diet)., and in fact they are my favourite duck for flavour. Well done on getting a bull sprig for your 1st bird-----he's a trophy to be savoured.