What bird would you have to get mounted? My top three would be a speckle belly, cinnamon teal, and whistler. My top five might include a hoodie. I just killed a perfect hoodie and it is my first drake. I'm probably going to get him done. Would you?
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#655223111/21/1602:37 AM
All of them. But 1 or 2 a year so the tax bill stays with inflation. I want all drake puddlers and a hand full of divers on the wall. It just takes time to get a mature, undamaged bird to fill it out.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#655233611/21/1603:51 AM
Might be a dumb question but is a black mallard the same as a "black duck". I'm new to TX and have done most of my duck hunting in the mid-west. There we killed black ducks, which are similar to mallards. Sometimes people would confuse the, with hem mallards but they are much darker. They are a beautiful duck to mount.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: MikeOH]
#655235011/21/1604:07 AM
Might be a dumb question but is a black mallard the same as a "black duck". I'm new to TX and have done most of my duck hunting in the mid-west. There we killed black ducks, which are similar to mallards. Sometimes people would confuse the, with hem mallards but they are much darker. They are a beautiful duck to mount.
I shot 2 cinnamon teal opening day of early teal 2 yrs ago. Couldn't figure out what they were, so I ate em....smh. I got pictures of em. Won't make that mistake again
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#655247311/21/1612:22 PM
For me, the importance of the ducks you mount is the story behind each one, but if I had to choose 3 I would put it like this. 1- Pintail Drake / Hen pair 2- Canvasback Drake / Hen pair 3- Cinnamon Teal Drake / Hen pair
ps- I really like the idea of a drake/hen mount rather than a single bird mount.
1) Mature Snow Goose - got it, Dang hard to get because you have 10,000 eyes looking you over 2) Fully Barred up Speck - got it 3) Black Duck - got it (not the Mexican Duck, no offense meant!)- got it 4) Bufflehead and Goldeneye drake - don't got it! 5) I think a mature Gadwall drake with that faint purple cast to their heads, is a beautiful but understated bird.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#734291911/09/1802:16 AM
Pat did these for me, shot all three on the same morning in January at a very popular public spot close to DFW..... I know everyone likes a cinnamon because of how rare they are for us but a plumed out BWT is my favorite.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#734307411/09/1804:53 AM
as for number one trophy 'bird' it would be an all white pigeon, wanted it since i was 12. got him two years ago and he is mounted up. for waterfowl it would be 1. storm widgeon 2. full plumage drake northern shovelor 3. great looking snow goose as i have never shot a snow goose. i would like a teal trio like the awesome mount above.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#734332911/09/1802:49 PM
Have killed everything in our flyway, including a few cins. Not big on mounting birds but you can bet your last dollar that Blue Phase Ross is going on the wall when he pops up. Anything with a radio tracker will get the nod also.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#734339411/09/1803:38 PM
I’m not big on putting birds on the wall, only have one. But, if I ever get the chance, I’d take a harlequin, king eider, cinnamon/silver teal and a mandarin straight to the taxi.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: TrackQuack]
#734347111/09/1804:28 PM
Pat did these for me, shot all three on the same morning in January at a very popular public spot close to DFW..... I know everyone likes a cinnamon because of how rare they are for us but a plumed out BWT is my favorite.
Pretty much exactly what I'd do. Except I'd swap the cinny and GWT. Cinnies are leaders, GWT are followers.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: 68A]
#734415511/10/1810:16 AM
A field biologist/bird watcher/professional photographer changed my perspective after my wife and I were invited over for dinner. I was much more impressed with his waterfowl photographs than Iwould be with a stuffed dead bird I killed on a hunt.
Most impressive mounts I've ever seen was a collection of South American Arachnids pinned on velvet in flat display cases. The Giant Bird Eating Spider was the piece de resistance.
Spiders don't typically bother me or my wife, In the summer, we see tarantulas walking around most days and scoot them off the road and fish them out of the pool several times a week. We find them in the garages and house once or twice during the summer and they get scooped up and put outside. If the same situations occurred with Giant Bird Eaters, I'd move. If a cat was analogous to a tarantula, a Giant Bird Eater would be a tiger. Their size, the speed of the live specimen he kept chasing and killing an adult rat, was impressive. to put it mildly.
A mounted specimen would get a heck of a lot of attention for sure
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: aerangis]
#734432911/10/1804:04 PM
I lived in the Amazon for a time. Never saw a giant bird eater but i saw enough 5" scorpions and bushmasters for a lifetime. Saw a jaguar too. Most things would prefer to kill you down there.
No matter how high a duck flies a hammer still breaks a window.
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#734604011/12/1806:41 PM
For me, the importance of the ducks you mount is the story behind each one, but if I had to choose 3 I would put it like this. 1- Pintail Drake / Hen pair 2- Canvasback Drake / Hen pair 3- Cinnamon Teal Drake / Hen pair
ps- I really like the idea of a drake/hen mount rather than a single bird mount.
I've got 1 and 3 and 2 is tops on the wish list
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: BradyBuck]
#734679911/13/1809:23 AM
I was stationed in VA for many years in the USN and I always tried for the permits for these in both VA and NC. Got my share of permits and took a few. Tundra Swan. This one is a juvenile I shot for the pot. Something about a flock of birds all weighing over 20 lbs coming into the dekes was special.
Never mounted one, but to me they would be the top bird. I do have a Goldeneye drake and Woodie drake mounted though.
Retired Navy Chief NJROTC Instructor for Tascosa High School
Re: What bird do you consider a "trophy"? Top 3?
[Re: gitthanet]
#738533312/23/1808:59 PM