I couldn't find this in the search but there is a research program going on at UTEP in which hunters take dna samples from harvested ducks and return them to the university to determine the amount of hybridization of different duck specie. You can go to duckdna com to sign up for next year. I've signed up but didn't get a kit this year as it was later in the season. Apparently, the eastern flyaway is suffering from domestic mallards mating with wild mallards, which are less likely to survive and may be one of the reasons for mallard decline on the Atlantic.

Anyway, thought it was a cool project hunters could be involved with.

Yep I signed up for it as well and didn't get picked either.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-meateater-podcast-1/ep-490-duck-dna-are-wild-ducks-really-wild The Meateater podast #490 from October is really interesting regarding this. The main reason we are not getting selected is they do not have the funding to do a large sampling yet.

Mallards are the horniest ducks ever, they will screw anything..

The serial rapists of the duck world.

They say over 95% Atlantic Flyway Mallards do not migrate / imprint like non hybrid ducks - we have a spot in Howe Tx that has been holding 25-35 mallards all year. Bet they are of the park variety- no one has large concentrations of mallards- outside of some refuge areas / wetlands in N Tx.

Those are my favorite, they are big, fat, and juicy!