Anyone ever seen one?


I have not. From what I understand populations were robust in the early 1900’s then tanked to almost nothing by the 60’s

I've been to the refuge near Sealy a few times, actually proposed to my wife there but never saw one unless the stuffed ones in the museum count. I had a boss whose great grandfather grew up close by, the saying was he would go out hunting them with 3 shells and come back with 5.

IDK if they're a different subspecies or not but they have a huntable population in Colorado (and I think someone said Wyoming too).

I was on a waterfowl lease close to the Sealy refuge back in the early 2000's. One morning I thought to myself, "There is something behind me." I turned around and one was about 10 feet behind me looking at me. My only sighting in 4 years on the lease.

Saw quite a few at the A&M Experiment Station in Eagle Lake years ago. Exciting when they would flush unexpectedly.

There use to be some on HWY 146 north of Moses Lake, but that was 20 years ago.