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How rare is a Bufflehead? #5425975 11/17/14 03:41 PM
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cdoz35 Offline OP
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Went hunting Sunday AM with bradybuck and some others and we shot a beautiful bufflehead drake. How rare are these in Texas? We have seen a few in the past, but never got one. I am considering getting it mounted. I read somewhere that Texas only holds about 4300 of these in the winter, if that is true then I would think they are pretty rare.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5425980 11/17/14 03:42 PM
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depends on the area... pretty common to shoot them on Big Tx lakes. But not that common. Iv only shot one.. he tasted good

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5425992 11/17/14 03:45 PM
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Last year I got one off one of our private tanks near Austin.. only one I saw up here but there's usually a bunch down at the coast later in the season. Pretty good eating and they look great on the wall!

Last edited by DuckCoach1985; 11/17/14 03:45 PM.
Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: DuckCoach1985] #5425994 11/17/14 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: DuckCoach1985
there's a bunch down at the coast


Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426121 11/17/14 04:24 PM
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jdk1985 Offline
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Never seen one myself


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Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: jdk1985] #5426213 11/17/14 04:50 PM
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Beaver can probably tell you the exact amount.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426224 11/17/14 04:56 PM
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Only shot one, myself. Have seen some on one particular North Texas tank but no other place. I mounted mine.


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Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426227 11/17/14 04:57 PM
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Current birdcount of buffelhead in North Texas is 658.
So yes, pretty rare. Havent had time to count them down the coast.


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Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426233 11/17/14 04:59 PM
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Featherduster Offline
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Just depends on where you hunt. I wouldn't call it a rare bird, but I wouldn't call it a common one either.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426237 11/17/14 04:59 PM
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We have a tank in West Texas that has them every year. It is a large government tank that was supposed to hold about 15-20 acres of water when full but it never held. It is about 4 acres most the year and about 4-6' deep at the deepest points. For some reason, they love it...as does every other duck in the area.


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Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426270 11/17/14 05:11 PM
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I got one place we shoot them almost every time we hunt it. Cool little bird. If I ever kill one without clients im going to mount one.


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Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426291 11/17/14 05:17 PM
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We had 3 drakes in our decoys Saturday morning. We usually kill 10-15 a year.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426342 11/17/14 05:42 PM
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Shot 1 around Coleman last year, wish I had gotten it mounted!!


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Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426346 11/17/14 05:44 PM
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We shoot at least a couple a week here around Brownwood

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: Falconclaw08] #5426368 11/17/14 05:52 PM
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Have consistently seen tons of them west texas, and some seasons in NE texas. I shot a few over the years, but generally pass on them. I recall eating one that was surprisingly good, and tried to cook another one leaving the skin/fat on it, and it was dreadful.

A hen/drake pair mount would be cool. up

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: Guy] #5426379 11/17/14 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: Guy
Have consistently seen tons of them west texas, and some seasons in NE texas. I shot a few over the years, but generally pass on them. I recall eating one that was surprisingly good, and tried to cook another one leaving the skin/fat on it, and it was dreadful.

A hen/drake pair mount would be cool. up




Reminds me of steak gristle... I always cut that off too

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426530 11/17/14 08:12 PM
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A buddy of mine shot a drake this past SAT. First time ever me seeing one and only his second duck he ever shot. I'm trying to get him to mount it casue it was a beautiful bird.............

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426654 11/17/14 09:02 PM
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Saw 5 of them rocketing across Conroe last year. Only time I've ever seen any, although apparently we get a few out here in west texas.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: DuckCoach1985] #5426674 11/17/14 09:09 PM
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We had about 25 total come in to our spread this weekend and my buddy had several come into theirs as well but out of all of those we only had 2 drakes. Didn't see hardly any last year but between me and 3 buddies we have already shot 6 and that was all last weekend.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5426686 11/17/14 09:13 PM
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From ducks.org

In 1992, the continent-wide breeding population was estimated at 1,390,000 birds. That may be more than redheads, but buffleheads are sea ducks and that is a continent wide population estimate, not a Texas wintering population estimate. Some barren looking big water areas I hunt in the north western Texas and Western Oklahoma, I often encounter buffleheads.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5427025 11/17/14 10:54 PM
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Lots of them on bays around Corpus.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5427069 11/17/14 11:13 PM
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A fat drake is my only goal this season! Came real close last season but didn't seal the deal. They are around, they just fly really fast about a foot off the water where I hunt. I want a fat little butterball drake laying on the shelf of my dead mount!

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5427097 11/17/14 11:22 PM
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They are pretty rare....according to statistics out of 980,000 ducks killed in the 2010 season, 3700 were Buffleheads. So about .37 %

Some pretty cool stats here:

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/NewRep...g%20seasons.pdf

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: DocHorton] #5427142 11/17/14 11:38 PM
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Originally Posted By: DocHorton
They are pretty rare....according to statistics out of 980,000 ducks killed in the 2010 season, 3700 were Buffleheads. So about .37 %

Some pretty cool stats here:

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/NewRep...g%20seasons.pdf


You must be looking at Texas totals. Some of those other states are much higher. The United states total I see is 199,487 about 31,000 down from 2009.
2009+2010 harvest totals
Redhead 169,814 244,072
Canvasback 70,392 145,686
Lesser Scaup 222,066 287,907
Goldeneyes 88,644 80,859
Bufflehead 231,902 199,487

I think it all depends on where and how you hunt. In Michigan they killed over 30,000 Buffleheads in 2009 to our Texas total of 3737. In Texas we killed 207,963 Gadwall to Michigan's 4733.

Re: How rare is a Bufflehead? [Re: cdoz35] #5427176 11/17/14 11:49 PM
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Shot 2 Bufflehead and one Goldeneye Sat. There were about 50 Bufflehead on the lake but didn't see many Goldeneyes. I'm in Michigan in the snow belt and not that many ducks have come through yet.

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