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Duck hierarchy? #5538407 01/12/15 11:47 PM
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BradyBuck Online Content OP
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I get that ringers are at the bottom because they are hard to clean and not as good to eat.

I don't however get why spoonies are looked down upon and why some other ducks are seen as better than others.

I love to hunt gadwall and wigeon but we shoot a lot of them. My favorite to hunt and in general is the pintail.

Most of them I see as being just puddlers and divers.

If I had to make a list though it would go as follows:

Pintail
Cinnamon teal
Mallard
Can
Bufflehead
Wooduck
Gadwall
Wigeon
GWT
Redhead
BWT
Spoonie
Ringer

I know there are more ducks than what's on my list but I don't know much about them I guess to form an opinion.

What's your favorite duck to hunt or in general?


HRCH Washita's Kimber Locked N Loaded
GRHRCH Firefly's Rally The Troops MH
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5538478 01/13/15 12:15 AM
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beaversnipe Offline
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Wigeon
Pinnies
Mallard


www.TexasPondPoppers.com
Originally Posted by bill oxner
Loved my 4 inches. Well needed.

Originally Posted by bill oxner
Hate Russians. Love happy endings. I saw snot fly. cheers


Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5538502 01/13/15 12:22 AM
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REQ Offline
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A lot of the old school guys will argue that green is all they want to shoot. I'm with you though, love to watch a big sprig circle. Cinnamon teal and pintails are my 2 fav Texas species (along w harlequins for non Texas).


Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5538580 01/13/15 12:51 AM
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BradyBuck Online Content OP
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That's one heck of sprig!


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Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5538884 01/13/15 02:37 AM
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Erichugh22 Offline
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Hunting the coast only for a couple years, pintails moved down on my list. I still get more excited when a greenhead is circling than anything else. Mine would be in order

1. Mallards, because I still haven't shot a lot of them

2.wigeon

3.pintail

4.woodies

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5538928 01/13/15 02:53 AM
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Cody Malone Offline
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Mallard
Pintail
Widgeon
Woodduck
Canvasback
Teal
Gadwall


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Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5538931 01/13/15 02:53 AM
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Shinski Offline
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Pintail
Can
Widgeon
Mallard
Gadwall
Redhead


My Bullet!
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539015 01/13/15 03:20 AM
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I like shootin ducks. Doesn't matter what they are. A lot of it is local, too. In places they celebrate when they get a good looking ringneck, here they are looked down upon. Up north near the border they never see a good plumed gadwall.

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539053 01/13/15 03:30 AM
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hierarchy? okay...

Mallard
Wigeon
Pintail
Green Wing/Blue Wing Teal
Bufflehead
Gadwall
Wood duck (haven't gotten one yet)
Cinnamon Teal (never saw one in TX)













Then somewhere way down here,
Redheads and Canvasbacks
Scaup
Spoonies














And then way down here in a tie for the lowest priority would be:
ringers, Mergansers, and coots.


Wasn't born in Texas, but I got there as fast as I could.
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539149 01/13/15 03:53 AM
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droebuck Offline
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Pintail
Gadwall
Green Wing Teal (because they are a challenge to hit)
Blue Wing Teal
Widgeon
Spoonie


Even a broke clock is right twice a day.
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539295 01/13/15 04:43 AM
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TOMCAT21 Offline
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Mallard
Pintail
Canvasback

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539300 01/13/15 04:45 AM
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Pintail (never shot a drake)
Wood duck (never shot one)
Mallard
Wigeon
Cinnamon
Can
Redhead
Gadwall
GWT
BWT
Spoonie


Say When.....
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539376 01/13/15 05:24 AM
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Ridn9high Online Happy
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Greenheads
Sprig
Woodies
Widgeon
Cans
RedHeads
Gaddies
Teal
Goldeneyes
Scaup

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539540 01/13/15 01:07 PM
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Greenhead.
OTM's

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539542 01/13/15 01:08 PM
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NTX Waterfowl Offline
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I love them all, each has a cool quality about them that makes them unique. Sure, I would love to have pintails, widgeon, and Canvasbacks buzzing the spread more often or have a strap full of green with a kicker but how many hunts have been saved by that good tasting, almost-mallard-sized, and subtlety beautiful Gadwall. I'd like variety but I'll take a strap of Grey any day of the week.

I usually pass Ringnecks like a lot of guys but who can deny how cool it is when the little jets buzz your spread 10 ft off the water doing 50mph. Sometimes they sucker me into the shot just for the challenge of it (aged the go in sausage fine).

I guess that doesn't really answer the question but to me I just can't really put them in order, they pretty much all tie.

Last edited by NTX Waterfowl; 01/13/15 01:09 PM.
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539749 01/13/15 02:53 PM
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Please clarify All ducks or only ducks in north texas. Some people say goldeneyes and scaup but leave out sea ducks which to me rank the highest. I would put old squaw and harli at the top.

Are we ranking on taste, mount desire or looks.

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539764 01/13/15 02:59 PM
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On an ideal North Texas Day here's what I get most excited about:

Pintail
Mallard
Canvasback
Wood duck
Gadwall
Widgeon
Teal
Spoonie
Ringneck

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539790 01/13/15 03:10 PM
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My huntin buddy would have to agree about the spoonie. His ultimate bird is a fully plumed spoonie to put on the wall. He's obsessed. He got one this year that's just short of full plume and he was devistated! I told him he could come to the big water treatment sh!t tank next to my softball fields and shoot as many as he wanted!

Where we hunt gadwalls are a dime a dozen. They are still one of my favorites to hunt because you can shoot 6, they circle like crazy, and they're big and pretty tasty as far as ducks go!

Mine is:

Pintail (eluded me)
Woodie (also eluded me)
Mallard (going to pick up my mount this week)
Gadwall
Redhead
Canvasback
Wigeon
GWT
Bufflehead

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539795 01/13/15 03:12 PM
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garrett Online Content
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pintail and canvasback, the rest are all about the same


Attention rickym, this is not a troll post, just a good hearted fun type of post
Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539819 01/13/15 03:24 PM
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First off, I will say that the Sandhill Crane is the king of all migratory birds. Ducks go as follows:

Mallard
Wigeon
Pintail
Gadwall
Redhead
Teal
Bufflehead
Woody
Canvasback
Coot
Ringer
Shovler

I make a concerted effort to not kill any shovlers.


Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539850 01/13/15 03:38 PM
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jseago Offline
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Green Heads
Sprig


Woodies, teal, Wigeon
Gadwall, Redheads, cans, spoonies





blue bills, mergansers, ringnecks


that order and spacing...

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539859 01/13/15 03:42 PM
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Which ever lands in the decoys first

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: BradyBuck] #5539878 01/13/15 03:49 PM
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I think it comes down to wanting more what you don't have. The more you are able to consistently bag a certain species, the less appealing they become. Not that they fall way down on the list, but you are numbed to them. Here's my list:

Pintail
Mallard
Gadwall/Widgeon
Teal
Cans/Reds
Spoonies








Tank terds

Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: mohunter] #5539912 01/13/15 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted By: mohunter
Greenhead.
OTM's


clap


Re: Duck hierarchy? [Re: LarryCopper] #5540041 01/13/15 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: LarryCopper
Originally Posted By: mohunter
Greenhead.
OTM's


clap


I'm assuming OTM stands for Other Than Mallards?


Say When.....
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