Bucket list birds

[Firebird]

Check out “ultimate waterFowler’s challenge” it will provide you a rewarding challenge-

 

[gizmo]

For me, it's not so much about the "what", but the "how"..........I don't mind hunting familiar species over and over......I just like doing it with good friends or in a different manner. For example, this year I am hunting over some new hand made teal decoys (didn't quite get them completed before early teal season rolled around) and I plan on using my muzzleloading shotgun this year. I managed to get out with it once last fall, but the birds didn't cooperate. I also enjoy taking birds with my own handloads. I have a wood duck mount; it's special for a few reasons: 1.) it was my first hunting dogs first retrieve (trained him myself) and the bird was missing all of one foot and about 2/3rds of the other (I'm thinking a snapping turtle when it was a duckling). I had my last labradors first retrieve mounted.....it's just a drake mallard, but when I look at it, it brings back a lot of good memories.
Having said that, here are some birds I would like to take (and how I would like to take them, in some cases)
1.) wild turkey (muzzleloading shotgun, trade musket, and 16 gauge handload)
2.) Sharptail grouse (our season here in MI was closed for quite a while, and just recently reopened a couple of years back)
3.) Dove......never had the opportunity, and our state has no season. Tried to find an outfitter in a nearby state without any success.
4.) Occasionally, we get a European widgeon taken on the local waterfowl production area............the next one that is taken I hope gets taken by me.
5.) common goldeneye. They are fairly plentiful in my neck of the woods, esp. during the later part of the season.......I've taken just about every other species that is common to our area, except this one.
6.) Gambels or California quail.....just think that they are neat looking little birds.

Very cool, I think it’s wonderful that you have your dogs first retrieve mounted. That’s a special moment.
On the turkey, when you get ready give me a shout. I’ve got just about the best turkey hunting anywhere around and you get two toms. When you hunt with me. Also I run dove hunts throughout the season and I can definitely get you on birds. It would be cool to take dove with a black powder gun also.

 

[gizmo]

...and lives in a very dry environment. But oddly enough your place is in the middle of a major flyway. Based on the talent level of your children you don't need to worry about leaving them an inheritance. They are going to do a lot better than you. Go chase down those birds.

Thank you and I appreciate the complement. I just pray my children stay the course and live up to their potential. I’ve tried to pound that into their heads from a young age. I also hope that they have learned through my and their mothers struggles.

 

[gizmo]

Ruffed grouse
Wild Turkey (maybe all sub-species, but I will start with one)
More ruffed grouse

If you want to start your turkey endeavors off with a Rio shout at me.

 

[FLhunter7]

Luckily i'm in Florida so I already have some the hardest ones under my belt; fulvous whistling ducks, black bellied whistling duck, and mottled duck. Alaska definitely has the hardest ones to get to and actually kill. Can't wait to go there for moose and waterfowl some day.

 

[JPbowhunter]

I would add if any of you guys are down my way in Aus during duck season I'd more more than happy to tee up a hunt.

On a swamp your guaranteed to get a lot of grey teal and black duck, jumping dams lots of wood ducks. Everything else is there mixed in, just don't shoot freckled ducks!

 

[AustinL]

I have never been a huge waterfowl guy so my list definitely contains more upland species than waterfowl

1) bobwhite quail
2) blue quail
3) Gambels quail
4) Pheasant
5) Rio grand turkey
6) sandhill crane
7) Morning and whitewing dove
8)Chukkar
9) Wood Duck
10) full plume mallard

1-8 I have hunted successfully and will do so at any given opportunity. Though I still need a nice male/female pair on both bobwhite and blue quail to go with my gambels

9-10 still elude me but mostly because it just has not been a priority

 

[kevin masters]

Hunt Turkey

• kevin masters
• Jun 26, 2018
• 1

Ruffed grouse
Wild Turkey (maybe all sub-species, but I will start with one)
More ruffed grouse

I have taken all sub-species in the states and mexico! Grand slam and Royal slam.
no world slam yet, not positive the ocellated is a turkey? lmao, maybe one day!
Turkey hunting is a blast for so many reasons! But most of all because I have shared
all my slams with my brother and shared many a morning in a blind with both my
children!

 

[gizmo]

Hunt Turkey

• kevin masters
• Jun 26, 2018
• 1

Hunt Turkey

• kevin masters
• Jun 26, 2018
• 1

Hunt Turkey

• kevin masters
• Jun 26, 2018
• 1

I have taken all sub-species in the states and mexico! Grand slam and Royal slam.
no world slam yet, not positive the ocellated is a turkey? lmao, maybe one day!
Turkey hunting is a blast for so many reasons! But most of all because I have shared
all my slams with my brother and shared many a morning in a blind with both my
children!

Wow, congratulations that’s quite the accomplishment

 

[kevin masters]

Thank you Erik, I hope I did not come off as bragging. I just love turkey hunting and the time in the field it has allowed me
to share with my family! and sorry for the triplicate pictures, I am technology stupid,lol!

 

[gizmo]

Thank you Erik, I hope I did not come off as bragging. I just love turkey hunting and the time in the field it has allowed me
to share with my family! and sorry for the triplicate pictures, I am technology stupid,lol!

I certainly didn't take it as bragging. That is an impressive accomplishment! I also enjoy turkey hunting and some of my best memories hunting with my son are from turkey hunts. I hope we get to share the turkey woods together one day. I bet I could learn a thing or two from you.

 

[kevin masters]

I certainly didn't take it as bragging. That is an impressive accomplishment! I also enjoy turkey hunting and some of my best memories hunting with my son are from turkey hunts. I hope we get to share the turkey woods together one day. I bet I could learn a thing or two from you.

I don't know about you learning, but I certainly hope to hunt the Rockin G!!!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I would add to any of the lists a ptarmigan in between its winter white and summer brown feathers.

 

[BWH]

I’d add from a Taxidermie standpoint

Cinnamon Teal
Bluewing Teal
Speckle belly

I’ve shot them all in my younger, dumber & much poorer years.... nothing to show for it.

 

[BWH]

I have never been a huge waterfowl guy so my list definitely contains more upland species than waterfowl

1) bobwhite quail
2) blue quail
3) Gambels quail
4) Pheasant
5) Rio grand turkey
6) sandhill crane
7) Morning and whitewing dove
8)Chukkar
9) Wood Duck
10) full plume mallard

1-8 I have hunted successfully and will do so at any given opportunity. Though I still need a nice male/female pair on both bobwhite and blue quail to go with my gambels

9-10 still elude me but mostly because it just has not been a priority

Get to Texas!!! We got plenty!

 

[AustinL]

Brad,

I am already here...

 

[BWH]

Then you should get out with us more.... given the desire.

Shoot a bunch of greenheads!!!!

 

[MAdcox]

It’s funny, I don’t know why but I’d rather hunt waterfowl than just about anything else in North America. I guess I’m just a duck head.

I guess I'm the same way. Grew up hunting deer and calling coyotes, and still enjoy that. My dad and granddad were quail hunting nuts with great dogs, but by the time I could carry a shotgun our quail were done- never have really recovered.
I was 20 years old before I ever went duck hunting. I moved to the area I'm in now and my first Sunday morning in a my new church I guy asked if I liked to hunt. I said I love to, and he said lets go tomorrow morning. I assumed he meant deer. Turns out he grew in east Tennessee and was a waterfowl guide. Started hunting with him 4 or 5 mornings a week every week of season. Still try to. I love the comradery of a duck blind.
I love the lists going up. There are birds I've never heard of.
But no one has mentioned my best trophy bird.
My buddy called it a Mule duck- it's a hybrid mallard/pintail cross. Game warden said he sees one taken in our area every 3 or 4 years.

 

[gizmo]

That is way cool!!!!

 

[Royal27]

After enjoying much conversation in the Cinnamon Teal thread I though I would post this question.
What is your Top 5 or 10 bucket list waterfowl or birds in general? Mine are as follows:
1) Woodduck. They are to me what blue duiker are to @Royal27
2) Swan
3) Cinnamon Teal
4) Eygption Goose
5) King Eder
6) Harlequin Duck
7) Surf Scoter
8) Ruddy Duck
9) Hooded Merganser
10) Red Breasted Goose

First duck I every killed was a wood duck. Killed a ton of them as a kid.