Ducks

One of the most common mistakes amateur dog trainers make is wanting to communicate with their dogs like they communicate with people—by talking. Verbal commands are a must with dogs, but just because your pup learns to plant its butt on the ground when you say “sit” doesn’t mean that approach will...

The hunting dog world is full of stereotypes and generalizations—none more entrenched in the bird hunters’ zeitgeist than the perceived differences between British and American Labrador retrievers. It’s commonly believed that British (or English) Labs are smaller, stockier, quieter, more easily...

Introducing Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, Adam wants to know if I save waterfowl legs and what I do with them. Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.

Does hunting mortality have significant long-term influence on waterfowl populations? This debate continues within both the hunting and biological research communities, but the answer isn’t as simple as some hunters might like. Some biologists believe hunting to be additive. That is, birds killed by...

Diver ducks, also known as diving ducks, are capable of diving beneath the water’s surface in order to feed. They are generally associated with larger and deeper waterways than puddle ducks. Due to the fact that they have proportionately smaller wings than puddle ducks, they are incapable of lifting...

Camouflage clothing is essential for waterfowl hunting unless you’ve got a good blind that keeps you entirely hidden. Wear clothes and waders that match the vegetation or ground cover where you hunt. But camouflage can’t work miracles, you also need to use employ some tactics of stealth when trying...

Unlike most game animals, which are managed on the state level, waterfowl is managed both on the state and federal levels. As a waterfowl hunter, it is your responsibility to know and follow all the laws that pertain to the activity. These rules change every year, so check them thoroughly each...

Words by Sam Terrell The first difficult word I ever learned was gregarious. It’s an adjective with two definitions. The first is in reference to people being fond of company, and the second is in relation to animals living in flocks or loosely organized communities. As a duck hunter coming from a...

Regarded by most hunters as the most beautiful species of North American waterfowl, wood duck males, or drakes, are colorful enough to be mistaken for some exotic jungle species. The places that wood ducks call home are equally pretty. They prefer small, heavily wooded bodies of water such as beaver...

Duck hunting in North America usually means that mallards are the target species.  A big flock of greenheads flying into a decoy spread instills excitement into the hearts of even the most seasoned duck hunters. Mallards are the most common North American duck species, and the most commonly hunted...

Puddle ducks, also known as dabbler ducks, are ducks that feed primarily in shallow water and that do not dive beneath the water’s surface. Mallards, teal, wood ducks, widgeons, gadwalls, pintails, and shovelers are all puddle ducks. They have large wings relative to their body size, which enables...