Chasing the North American 41 waterfowl species...

[Green Chile]

Any big waterfowl hunters out there? I grew up hunting upland birds but not much waterfowl. Some years ago, I started traveling on weekends to hunt the 41 species. I took a break a few years ago but want to pick it up again. I'm 10 species short of the 41 right now. I'm missing mottled duck, black bellied whistling duck, fulvous whistling duck, common scoter, white winged scoter, Barrow’s goldeneye, red breasted merganser, greater scaup, harlequin and king eider. That's about 3 good hunts to finish them up. The first 3 are in Florida Everglades...the last 2 are St Paul Island, Alaska...and the middle section can all be taken in coastal Washington state. The other species have taken me all across the country.

I'm looking at dates for Florida and might finish this out in the next 2 seasons. Who else is chasing waterfowl species?

 

[3chunter]

I chase ducks but I have many more to go. My list that I have killed is not very long but I have to travel to kill my ducks. Ducks I have killed. Wood duck, mallard, green wing teal, blue wing teal, black scoter, bufflehead, can, wigeon, pintail, black duck, hooded merg, common merg, ring neck, spoonie, black head, lesser scaup, lesser Canadian, Canadian goose, snow goose, tar belly.
I have part of a diver dead mount being done at taxidermist. Finishing up my puddle duck dead mount also.

 

[Green Chile]

I've had to travel to kill any waterfowl not local to north TX. It's been a fun journey that I want to complete. If anyone needs the Florida ducks (mottled, fulvous, whistling), let me know and perhaps we could do that hunt together.

 

[Moe324]

I am trying to get them all mounted. Including hens when they look different. I only need a few. Do you know who you are hunting St Paul island with. You could also do Greenland. I did St Paul. Do you have a guide lined up for Florida. Those fulvous can be tough. I just finished Florida last year. I still need a ross, blue phase snow, and barrows to finish my kill list. Need several others for the taxidermy list.

 

[Green Chile]

I'm talking to UWC to complete the list. If I don't have connections personally to an area, I usually find something through Ramsey Russell or UWC.

I'm not lined up on Florida yet but close to making that decision.

On Greenland vs St Paul, I've talked to some who said Greenland was very different than expected...no decoys...driving the boat straight into the floating rafts of ducks and shooting...several instances of hearing that. It's about the same cost either way before counting travel costs. Also, there are no harlequin in Greenland and I can get both in St Paul.

 

[DLSJR]

Green Chile, you’re doing pretty good on number of species, a lot more than I’ve taken. Or will take.

I’ve been hunting waterfowl steadily for 57 seasons, most years hunting 20-30 days a season, though the last 4-5 years have been less. I’ve shot thousands of ducks and geese but only 28 species from that chart.

Until a good friend of mine started telling me about his chase for 41 (he has at least 1 of each species mounted) I never gave much thought to shooting all the species of North American waterfowl. My friend just returned from Greenland this spring where he shot about a dozen drake King Eiders. If you’re interested in discussing his King Eider hunt I’ll be happy to put you in touch with him. I think he has 1 or 2 species left to finish all 41.

I’ll never get there on all 41, but I do enjoy seeing new waterfowl states and areas. For the first 50 years I’ve been a duck hunter, 99% of all my duck & goose hunting was in California and 99% of that in the Sacramento Valley. Nowadays I try to hunt at least one new area a season where I haven’t hunted before. I do enjoy being a ‘tourist’ Duck hunter these days. I’ll probably only hunt waterfowl 15-20 days this season, after only spending 12 days in blinds last season. Last year was my fewest days ever. Most was 84 days one season, but I was a lot younger back then.

 

[Russ16]

I love duck hunting. I’m not a collector I’ve never chased lists. I’d have to sit down and count it up but last time I did I was above 30 species. Last time was when my last dog passed away and I went through my journals to remember his hunts. Waterfowl and upland he retrieved 55 species of birds in 17 states.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’m short the fulvous whistling duck, Barrow’s goldeneye and king eider.
I have blackbellied nesting in the backyard I saw 3 broods today. They are becoming more common than wood ducks around here. Been happening since I saw the first pair around 2015.
There’s an outside chance I could run into a fulvous locally ( they are reported a couple of times a year by the bird geeks) but have done a little research on south Florida for one but that can run into the same cost as a plainsgame hunt in South Africa.
Definitely going to have to travel to PNW and St. Paul for above average chance at the king and Barrows.

 

[Wyfox]

I'm missing the Tree ducks, Mottled, Cinnamon Teal, Common and King Eider, and Brants. Never had it as a goal, just have been fortunate to hunt alot of waterfowl in some prime places.

 

[Green Chile]

I've got a recommendation on good cinnamon hunts in the US...see my hunt report on it. Common eiders and sea ducks are a real fun hunt. Brants are awesome...one of my favorites.

 

[Wyfox]

We have Cinnamon's in Wyoming, its just getting one before they move south, very small window. I hunted sea ducks on Kodiak, but no Eiders. Id like to hunt with Jeff Coats one of these days.

 

[Green Chile]

There are cinnamons around but you have to go south to get the real good plumage of them. That's why we will never have awesome ruddy ducks in the US. I still want one in full colors and the blue bill somewhere.

 

[Doug3006]

Me and my buddies have been hunting ducks for over 30 years. None of us are collectors really. We just love hunting ducks and geese. Southern Texas all along the Gulf of America is a great spot for collecting. Redheads, Pintails, Mottled Ducks, Bufflehead, Black Bellied Tree Duck, and Teal (Cinnamon, Green Wing and Blue Wing). We’ve shot all of these on each of our trips. Plus the myriad of shore birds to look at is amazing.

 

[Hunt anything]

If anyone is going to be chasing brant, if they want an Atlantic brant you may be out of luck. I have a good friend in the USFWS and he told me earlier in the summer that the Atlantic brant season is on the verge of closure due to population decline.

@Green Chile , I’m with you on the ruddy, I’ve seen them in March and they are stunning but with their late blooming plumage about all we can hope for is a solid white cheek and an off blue bill. Shot a few of them on catfish ponds in Mississippi and in our coastal bays.

 

[thriller]

Any big waterfowl hunters out there? I grew up hunting upland birds but not much waterfowl. Some years ago, I started traveling on weekends to hunt the 41 species. I took a break a few years ago but want to pick it up again. I'm 10 species short of the 41 right now. I'm missing mottled duck, black bellied whistling duck, fulvous whistling duck, common scoter, white winged scoter, Barrow’s goldeneye, red breasted merganser, greater scaup, harlequin and king eider. That's about 3 good hunts to finish them up. The first 3 are in Florida Everglades...the last 2 are St Paul Island, Alaska...and the middle section can all be taken in coastal Washington state. The other species have taken me all across the country.

I'm looking at dates for Florida and might finish this out in the next 2 seasons. Who else is chasing waterfowl species?

View attachment 700650

Wish I was better at hunting them but greater scaup are in my neck of the woods

 

[Green Chile]

For those who don't know the ruddy duck...here he is in full plumage. Watch a video of them sometime in their mating rituals...awesome. Also, the only duck I know that has a vertical tail...is there another species with that?

 

[Hunt anything]

The family of stuff tailed ducks, consisting of 8 species.
Ruddy
Argentina ruddy
Australia blue billed duck
maccoa duck
White headed duck
Masked duck
Musk duck black headed duck
The masked duck have been seen in eastern Mexico and extreme south Florida.

 

[Hunt anything]

This book has more information than just about anyone needs to know about waterfowl!