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Mallard question????

2K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  WhiteRiverguy 
#1 ·
Me and my dad have been trying just to shoot green head mallards and normally we end up with a hen mallard... and my question is do the green heads always fly higher then the hen...

thanks kyle
 
#2 ·
I can't say the drakes fly higher than the hen, but as often as not the drakes will fly BEHIND the hen. In a flock of ducks the old lady of the crowd is the boss, a hen will lead the migration, etc ... For ducks, it is a woman's world. I suspect you are shooting the lead bird more often than not, I have done the same myself.
 
#5 ·
NESoDak said:
I can't say the drakes fly higher than the hen, but as often as not the drakes will fly BEHIND the hen. In a flock of ducks the old lady of the crowd is the boss, a hen will lead the migration, etc ... For ducks, it is a woman's world. I suspect you are shooting the lead bird more often than not, I have done the same myself.
I am going with NESoDak, Drakes do land first sometimes, but about 75% of time, I would say the lead birds I have shoot or seen have been hens.
 
#7 ·
Normally hens do lead the flock, but I have noticed they tend to be more skeptical of a decoys spread than the drakes.

If you aren't sure which duck is a hen and which is a drake try to get them to land. Once you've picked out the drakes stand up and flush them. That works really well when it is early and there isn't much light.

yeller
 
#8 ·
I agree with Yeller.... A lot of the time the hens lead the group. 9 times out of 10 if I can convince the hen to light... then the rest of them will light as well. This can also go in reverse order... I hate it when a hen flares!!! If she has other ducks with her they almost always follow her out of the hole. :hammering:
 
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