Hunting Pictures
[Dove]
[Waterfowl]
[Grouse]
[Woodcock]
[Other]
Other
Waterfowl
[Overview]
[Bufflehead]
[Gadwall]
[Teal]
[Ringneck]
[Merganser]
[Shoveler]
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Other Waterfowl Hunting Overview
While
the primary waterfowl species we see every year are Wood Ducks,
Mallards, and Canada Geese, West Virginia also attracts just about
every other Atlantic Flyway duck in some number. The most
abundant species beyond the big three are probably Teal - both
Green-Wings and Blue Wings. They come through WV in large
numbers in late summer/early fall and then taper off through the
winter. After Teal, Bufflehead are the only other species
that we have really seen in any great number during the hunting
season. However, as we duck hunt a lot and in a lot of
different areas, we have thrown steel at a lot of different
species, and in some cases, been able to knock a couple down.
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We have taken 1 Bufflehead and, after eating it, the number will
probably stay at 1. Bufflehead are little diving fish eaters.
They are easy to find in the winter in moderate sized flocks on
open water. Easy to spot, not necessarily flighty, they can
be hunted without too much difficulty. Their diet, however,
makes them poor tablefare and the K&R will usually let them
fly on by.
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11.22.00 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/roos_buf.jpg)
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The Rooster
with a picture of the hen bufflehead taken on the lake
pictured. Unless you like a fishy tasting fowl, let them
pass. |
11.22.00 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/kng_buf.jpg)
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The King
with a shot of the Buffle. The drakes are much easier to ID,
with large white stripe on the head and
white stripes on the back of the wings.
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Gadwalls are not rare in WV, but they are by no means
abundant. We usually see a couple a year but rarely get a
shot - as they are wary birds. We have only taken 1 through
the years, and we snuck up on it with in a canoe before it could
spot us. A plant and seed-eater, it made a good
meal.
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10.13.01 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/roos_gad.jpg)
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The Rooster
with the one and only Gadwall (hen) downed by the K&R.
The picture does not show the tell-tale sign of the Gadwall, white
speculum on the back of the wings.
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Dusk is only minutes away, and you can feel them
coming. Waiting . . .waiting . . .surging
anticipation! ZZZZip, I heard one, did you see it?
There! Senses overwhelmed, too many targets!
Fifty? Hundred? More? Pick one from the swarm,
quick - lead - fire! Way behind, double the lead -
fire! One on the ground! Damn, is there anything like
a hundred teal crashing down on top of you at dusk? We don't
think so. WV sees a lot of teal in a season - both
blue-wing and green-wing. Generally they move in quick, grab
a bite, and then are gone before dawn. While we have seen a
lot teal, we haven't taken very many. They are just too damn
hard to hit. Flying as fast as a dove and usually seen near
dusk, to get one means that you have to be able shoot into empty
space and hope the teal runs into steel. We have taken 4 teal, two green-wings and
two blue-wings.
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10.11.01 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/roos_teal.jpg)
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The
Rooster
with a green-wing taken on a hot afternoon hunt. This was a
solitary teal loafing with some wood ducks. Taken on the
flush, a teal is a lot easier to hit than on the fly. |
1.11.03 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/kng_teal.jpg)
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The King
with a great shot of a drake green-wing teal. This teal was
taken on top of a spread of mallard decoys.
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10.02.09 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/bwteal_pc09.jpg)
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Blue-wing
Hen taken from the swampt fall 2009.
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Ringnecks pass through WV in big numbers on the way north and
south. Reconning waterways in the spring, ringnecks can be
seen taking rest and grabbing a bite in large flocks.
However, where we hunt in the fall and winter (on smaller
waterways), we rarely see any ringnecks. Our 1 ringneck was
taken on the same evening that we got a mallard band.
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11.27.02 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/roos_ring.jpg)
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The Rooster
with the ringneck hen taken on a squally
November day.
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Mergansers - Common and Hooded - are common if not abundant in
WV. We see them from time-to-time but as they are
fish-eaters, we rarely throw any steel their way. However,
we have taken 2 Common Mergansers (2003-2004 and 2006-2007) in our hunting history.
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11.22.00 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/other/merganser06.jpg)
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Here is a
just-before-the cleaning shot of a common merganser shot
mistakenly on the flush. Back lit they are hard to ID.
Well, it may not be the best meat, but it will get cooked.
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Shovelers, like ringnecks, are seen on a frequent basis on bigger
water in the spring heading back north. In the fall and
winter, however, shovelers are scarce (they do not like cold
weather). We have seen only a
couple during the hunting season but have managed to knock 2 down
(2003-2004 and 2004-2005). We did not, however, get a picture of
the first one.
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1.22.05 |
![](../../pictures/hunt_pics/waterfowl/mallard/mall&shov_04-05.jpg)
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A shot of
a drake shoveler and mallard taken on a cold January day.
Shoveler's are fair table-fare, as they eat both seed and fish.
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