Identify the ducks

[Paul Greathouse]

How about some southern country boy trivia. You guys are always playing identify the wood, lets try something different. Identify the ducks.
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Here's my two sons cleaning the ducks.
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Here's one of my favorite places in the world, besides my shop. These are some shots of us picking up decoys after the first split of duck season was over. Gotta love girls that don't mind getting in the mud. Thats my oldest son and his girlfriend in the picture and my wifes on the other 4 wheeler taking the pictures. Thats me in the green sweatshirt.
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[Paul Greathouse]

I found 1 more picture. This is 3 baby alligators we saw in the canal on the way back to the duck blind.
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[Bob Nieman]

How 'bout this:

The 3 on the left are northern shovelers. The next two are a mystery only because this isn't a flattering view. Two pintails and then the rest are teal, presumably blue-winged. Easier to for me to ID when they are swimming or flying by

[Rob Bourgeois]

Looks like a good gumbo to me.

[Paul Greathouse]

Well Bob you did about as good as the picture would allow. Only we have another name for the Shovelers and no, its not spoonbills. My son's and I like to call them Justins, not referring to anyone here on the creek but rather my wife's nefew.

You know how the saying goes, "every family has one", well in our family Justin's it. He's the kind of obnoxious guy that shows up when you would rather that he didn't, kind of like a shoveler. As a duck hunter I would rather see just about any other duck besides a shoveler. The only good thing about shovelers and Justin is they both easy to out-smart.

Getting back to the identifying, Ducks 4 & 5 are a Widgeon Hen and a Gadwall.

Come on, there's got to be more duck hunter/woodworkers out there. Has anybody else had any successful hunts? The ducks sure have been mighty scarse this season, wish some of you northern guys would chase some more down to us.

Rob, your right too, Gumbo's mostly what we do with them. My wife cooks a good one.

[Rob Bourgeois]

Paul I see you are in Lake Charles so it woudl be a bit of a ride for you. BUT we have been seeing lots of ducks in our daily Atchafalaya Basin water quality trips. Mostly mallards and a lot of teal. Down the east side guide levee south of Ramah, one of my co-workers saw some Fulvous Whistling Duck which none of us have seen till this year.

[Curt Fuller]

Now all you need is a couple pieces of tubafour and you'll be set.

[Paul Greathouse]

Rob

Its sad but I have witnessed the slow decline of duck numbers in southwest La. for the last several years now. When I was a kid our area was as good or better than anywhere else in the country.

I believe it has to do with the drastic decline of rice farming in our area. We live about 5 miles south of Lake Charles and I used to be able to kill ducks right behind my house when I was a kid, now I hunt southeast of Lake Charles on land that my inlaws own. It is still farmed in rice but is on the extreme western fringe of rice country in our area. The better blinds another 20-30 miles to the east go for around $3000 - $5000 per year. I've hunted for free for the past 25 years on my inlaws property so I guess I shouldn't complain its just sad to see it going down hill so fast.

Every year we get these promising reports from the federal Wildlife that theres going to be more ducks but I guess they are side-slipping east towards the Achafalya Basin where there's more food.

What type of work do you do in that area? I noticed you mentioned the water quality trips.

[Bart Leetch]

Sheesh thats easy there all dead ducks.

[Robert Mickley]

Sheesh thats easy there all dead ducks.

Darn!! beat to the punchline again!!

[Dick Rowe]

Paul,

You call the Spoonys 'Justins' ... I call them 'neighbor' ducks 'cause after I clean them I will offer them to my neighbors.

[Lee Schierer]

M R Ducks, MR dead Ducks.