[Pete-pec]

In addition to Sharpshooters post on "what have you shot" I posted what I have on the wall. The Taxidermy section on this forum is a bit slow, so what do you have mounted, and what are your dream ducks? It's nice to see that some people havn't shot a duck that may be common in your area. This may really open the doors to actually swap a hunt for real rather than just talking about it. I live less than two hours from pool 9 through 7 on the Mississippi River, (home of the Canvasback) and all the divers you can imagine. We have alot of Woodducks and Mallards here, and Giant Canadas. My dream ducks would be (fully plummed) BWT, Redheads, Barrows' Goldeneyes, and the Harlequin. I would love to hunt in Texas where Redheads and BWT are common, and Washington state or Alaska to get my Barrows' and Harlequin. I'm actually saving my coins right now expecting to go to Alaska in 2006, and I can't wait. I know I didn't make anyones' "Dream Team" for who they'd want to hunt with, but if anyone wants to make the trip out here, we can work on getting the ducks together.

 

[Quackcephus]

I don't have any ducks on the wall, but if I did:

A group of GREEN :mrgreen: 's like they was workin' (like when you 1st wall into Mack's Prarie Wngs)

A group of teal in flight, say 5 or 7 of 'em in differnt "flight" poses like they're buzzin' your spread.

A coupla woodrows on a log or a knot hole... a full plumaged drake or 2.

A few sprigs done up like 'em teal for the other wall.

A widgeon done up like 'em teal also, for another wall.

A few gadwall mounted like they's circlin' the spread.

 

[shrpshtr]

pete,

i am currently still waiting on a pair of mallards (hen and drake) from the taxidermist. those will be my first on the wall. hopefully one day i'll have a collection like yours... :thumbsup:

i have done a true swap hunt before with some guys that i affectionately refer to as friends now. i was a bit apprehensive at first going to hunt with perfect strangers 4 states away from my home. looking back, it was one of the best hunts i have ever been on. not because we slaughtered the ducks/geese, but because i met some real fine folks. just the kinda people i like to call my friends. we are planning on making it an annual thing too. it couldn't have possibly turned out any better. unfortunately, my area doesn't offer much in the way of what your looking for but if it did, you'd be welcome here anytime.

about the dream team, the truth is i would have you and most anyone else on this site sitting next to me in a blind anytime you wanted to. as it may sound like a "gratitude token" to some when i say that nothing could be closer to the real truth.

 

[frazier2209]

I'm having a woodie mounted as we speak. This will be my first duck for the wall :getdown: . I think some of the best looking birds are harlequins, silver teal, and woodies.
Does anyone have any "exotic" or odd ducks on the wall.
ex. silver teal, european widgeon. (i want a euro widgeon BAD!)

 

[Pete-pec]

Be careful Sharpshooter. you're on your way to a real sickness. I started out with a Hooded Merganser, just to see if I would enjoy taxidermy. Not only do I enjoy it, I have an infatuation about having every North American species of waterfowl mounted now, and have made some future plans of hunting in Africa and South America, not for big game, but for some other waterfowl not native to North America, I have made plans to receive a Baikal Teal, A Ringed Teal, and a Pink-eared Teal from a breeder, knowing fare-well that I'm probably not hunting in Asia or Australia. At least I say that now. Who knows what the future will bring in accordance with my addiction. If I could make one suggestion, Go out and find a professional taxidermist willing to train you or anyone else on the art of bird taxidermy, and you will pay for the cost of training in less than 10 birds. It also adds a new dimension to the hunt. I've basically quit killing for the meat, even though it doesn't go to waste, and I won't kill quite a few of the trash ducks, because I probably have one on the wall already. Like you said Sharpshooter. We don't shoot our limit every time, but we don't usually leave empty-handed either. We're about having fun and helping people out in the area of calling, decoying and dog handling. We promote people to get their calls out, and practice with people who can stop some over-zealous calling, and learn what a true duck cadence should sound like. I'm not the pro, but my number 1 partner is, and he like I wants people to learn something. After all pulling the trigger is only a small part of the hunt. The rest is what makes us truely come back for more.

 

[had]

pete, those canvasbacks sound great. we get them in az but not alot. i have never even seen one in my life in the wild hunting season or not. i didn't know that was the home to the canvasback, good to know :thumbsup:
btw i would hunt with you in a heartbeat, just too many names to list :thumbsup:

 

[Swamp Puppy]

i have a eurasion widgeon in the freezer that i need to get mounted.

maybe one day...when i'm not spending all my money on my new baby..new house..and keeping the wife happy.. lol.

 

[Pete-pec]

Swamp puppy,
Don't wait too long. If you have or have access to a vacuum wrapper (Food Saver) wrap that duck with that. It helps prevent freezer burn if you can keep the air away from the duck. Your taxidermist will appreciate it immensely. I would love to have a Eurasian. Did you actually harvest this in Oregon? I've heard of people getting them in California. That makes sense seeing how your both in the Pacific flyway. I have a breeder in Minnesota who sells them for 40 Dollars, and I'll probably end up buying one eventually. Congratulations! Not too many people can say they've taken one of those beauties. :thumbsup:
Had,
I can't say that it is known nationwide as the Canvasback capitol, but it does have a reputation. Some of the Minnesota boys would be able to relate to that as well. During the migration, it's not hard to see rafts of a thousand Cans, along with every other duck imaginable. I don't feel bad that I didn't make anyone's list, so don't sweat the small stuff. There's usually no problem trying to find someone to hunt with. The hard part is trying to fit everyone in. I felt a bit too unfriendly actually making a list, but like I said before, there are people on here who see things the same as I, and I think we all know who we are. I would always hunt with someone once, but can't guaratee that we'd go twice. :toofunny:

 

[frazier2209]

Pete, if I have already forze a duck in a sandwich bag then a freezerbag, would it still be a good idea to take it out and use the new foodsaver our "family" got for mothers day already?

 

[Swamp Puppy]

Pete - yeah, i shot that baby here on a public WMA not too far from my home. they harvest a few every year, but it is rare enough to be an automatic wall hanger. such a beautiful bird...the sad part is that i doubt i'll actually get it done. too many other "priorities" standing in the way. issed:

the really fun part was checking out at the station that day. at least i got to share my prize with some of my peers before it was freezer bound.

 

[had]

a guy from yuma az got a double on eurasion widgeon, a drake and a hen. he has a web site with pics of them. he sells lanyards so i don't want to post the site. his name is widgeonwacker. i noticed there is a guy with that name on here but i don't think its the same guy. he has em mounted and on his coffee table.

 

[worknem]

I stick with getting only the strange ones done or I'd go broke getting every one that I thought might look good put up.
My strangest to date, Hermaphrodite Hen Mallard, biologist confirmed. It had bling, banded as a hen too young to fly, 5 years previous.
The main one on my hit list has eluded me for a long time. A Brewers (Drake Mallard / Drake Pin cross) Duck. They aren't that uncommon in the state, most taxidermists here prolly have one in the freezer waiting to be done right now.
One other I'd like to get and have done would be a Tule Goose with collar and radio transmitter.
One of these days...

Rel Atwood

 

[Swamp Puppy]

Had - yeah, i should have had a double on that Eurasion i got. he came in with a hen, but i didn't realize what he was until we fetched him up. i figured he was just your normal american widgeon and we had been smacking some big beautiful drakes that day..so all hens got a free pass.

also, good lanyards...got a couple myself. gotta support the guys from my home town. :thumbsup:

 

[Robberwood]

My buddy and i got a blonde mallard this year and he is havin it done up right now.... pretty sweet looking duck IMO. Very rare and cool.

 

[shocktroop]

Well, I'm in the same boat as you guys wanting one of every species mounted. I just got my birds back last week from this season, wich brings it to a Pintail, Mallard, Redhead, Ringneck, Wigeon, and Canvasback, all beautiful drakes in full plummage shot late in the season. I hunt the last few weeks of season each year for a mount. Sometimes I won't shoot at all, sometimes 2-3 trips out, until I see what I think is that perfect bird. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, but most of the time the work pays off and I get a good, big, full bird for the taxidermist. As for my dream duck mount....hmmmmmm anyone ever see a Mandarin? I believe it's kin to the Woodduck, pretty crazy looking bird, found in Asia, mostly Thailand I believe.

 

[frazier2209]

i was wondering if the mandarin was even a game duck or if it was only a bird than is raised from an egg. ( you know what I mean, can you hunt them?)
I got the impression that it was tame. :thumbsdown:

 

[frazier2209]

I have since found out otherwise and they are huntable. Here is a pic:
[siteimg]482[/siteimg]

 

[gahunter]

At my parents house I had a pair-o-woodies in flight and a GWT standing on a piece of drift wood. I had the same taxi. do both of them and they look great. I now have to get some for my house. I would love to have as many as possible. I do have a nice 9ptr on the way and a 8lb bass on the wall here, though. :salude:

 

[shrpshtr]

can't argue with either of those ga!

 

[2 labs]

I have a mallard, black duck, ross goose, snow goose and cackler goose. :thumbsup: