Finally got a decent Shoveler

03 February 2008, 20:56

After more than 20yrs of chasing ducks I finally managed to get a drake shoveler with "Hollywood" plumage. I've killed piles of shovelers over the years but they've always been too early in the season and not quite there. This changed a couple weeks ago on a trip to Arkansas.

I know they get better than this but this is the best one I've ever personally taken.

Better close up. Notice the two color dipped feather on the wing. I think it's pretty cool.

Of course I had a heartbreak on that trip as well. Three mature drake canvasbacks buzzed the decoys just out of range. I watched them sprint past like they ALWAYS do. The red wedge heads were unmistakable. Getting one of them, is still just a dream. The stupid grin this left on my face only faded a couple days ago.

03 February 2008, 21:06

Kamo Gari

Very nice! I think they're handsome as hell, and they're on the hit list, though I'm going to have to travel for one in all likelihood. Out of ~200 years of collective duck hunting in MA/NH from my buddies and I, there's been exactly one shot, and it was a hen in with a flock of mallards. I was aiming at the greenhead a foot ahead of her when I knocked her down, by the way.

______________________

Hunting: I'd kill to participate.

03 February 2008, 23:45

TheBigGuy

quote:
Originally posted by Kamo Gari:
Very nice! I think they're handsome as hell, and they're on the hit list, though I'm going to have to travel for one in all likelihood. Out of ~200 years of collective duck hunting in MA/NH from my buddies and I, there's been exactly one shot, and it was a hen in with a flock of mallards. I was aiming at the greenhead a foot ahead of her when I knocked her down, by the way.

KG

Stuttgart, DeWitt, and Weiner Arkansas get plenty of shovelers practically the entire season. Your best chance to get one in breeding plumage occurs the late part of the season (ie. Jan). IME, the early ones are ALL eclipse birds.

January isn't nearly as cold in Arkansas as it is in MA but shovelers are puddlers and if the flooded rice is frozen you can count on them being essentially gone.

Don't see many black ducks in Arkansas. If you get one it's usually a bonus bird mixed in with a flock of mallards. I don't recall ever seeing one in Alabama.

A flock of 30 blackducks like you were describing in another thread? I've never seen that. I read that and literally said, "WOW!". Seriously, that's awesome! I know the west duckhunters get pintails like that but I never even considered the northeast as a blackduck haven.

04 February 2008, 03:45

Kamo Gari

Actually, New England is the black ducks' primary home range. See

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Am..._Black_Duck_dtl.html

Thanks for the advice WRT shovelers. Some of my buddies go to AR and LA for late season hunts, and they see plenty of spoonbills, but most choose not to shoot them. As a sort of species collector, I'm stil in need of one. But then that's one of the things that's so great about hunting ducks and geese--my probably never being able to 'collect' the whole set, but trying!

Cheers,

KG

______________________

Hunting: I'd kill to participate.

04 February 2008, 11:03

L. David Keith

We get a few Shovelers from early Teal season (Sept) till the end of duck season, usually the last of Jan. AR has plenty but the best will come from Mexico in Feb/March. I've mounted a lot of them, along with GW, BW and Cinnamon Teal. I think Spoonie's good looking ducks. Weird bill, but still a nice mount. Congrats on getting a good one Big Guy!
David

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04 February 2008, 11:37

Kamo Gari

quote:
Originally posted by L. David Keith:
We get a few Shovelers from early Teal season (Sept) till the end of duck season, usually the last of Jan. AR has plenty but the best will come from Mexico in Feb/March. I've mounted a lot of them, along with GW, BW and Cinnamon Teal. I think Spoonie's good looking ducks. Weird bill, but still a nice mount. Congrats on getting a good one Big Guy!
David

Yep. A buddy of mine had a great trip down to Mexico for birds a couple years back, and shot what he assured me were prime drake SB, fulvous whistling, BWT, GWT, mottled, pintail and one or two I am forgetting, and was pumped about adding them to the collection. Our taxi guy (who only does birds) called him with some very bad news soon after. Not a single one of the birds he brought back made the cut (excuse the pun), as they must have thawed or something somewhere along the way, and were unusable. A damned shame, and a real heartbreaker...

Cheers, and here's hoping you shoot 'em up, David. Take pics, eh?

______________________

Hunting: I'd kill to participate.

05 February 2008, 05:22

TheBigGuy

quote:
Originally posted by thornell:
Nice one Big Guy! I have shot quite a few nice shouvelers and have been kicking myself for never keeping one to mount. Hopefully I'll get a good one next year.

Will you have this one mounted?

This one is going in my brother's office, along with a very nice drake Greenwing Teal taken by him the same day. They will be standing side by side for a desk mount.

05 February 2008, 16:16

bluefin

We've got plenty of them here in TX. I'm sort of embarrassed to admit this but we refer to them as 'step ducks'. The term came from the old point system days. They are pretty ducks. Just that you can't eat them (at least enjoyably). A duck guide told our group of someone coming from NJ who wanted a spoonbill and would pay a trophy fee if he got one. We were shocked. Of course he was telling us this as we're getting buzzed right and left by them. We were throwing rocks at them to get them out of our decoy spread.

Reminded me of my guide in AK. All he could talk about was wanting to come to TX and hog hunt.

We've got so many that they aren't really a trophy target. Almost a nuisance really.

If you're looking for some shovelers come on down to Central TX. We've got plenty of lakes/guides/and ducks.

05 February 2008, 20:08

TheBigGuy

The shovelers can actually be just fine to eat. But I'll admit sometimes they aren't so good.

They have a tendency to get "rice breast" which is a parasite infestation. When they have that, I don't eat them. You have to skin the breasts and cut them off the bone to inspect them. The infestation is pretty obvious and the term "rice breast" is very descriptive. The uninfected ones are almost as good as Teal.