Late season ducks in the desert

RapscallionVermilion · January 23rd, 2017, 10:54 am

My buddy and I took my lab out for some late season duck hunting on the Rio Grande. The skies were blue but there was a good breeze all day and the ducks were flying well. My lab had a blast. There is nothing she enjoys more than water retrieves.

I much prefer the late season for duck hunting here. The crowds have thinned out, especially the sky busters. You really never know what variety of ducks you will find on a given day. Yesterday the mallards were real thick, with a few pintails, gadwall, and spoonbills mixed in. No divers or teal at all, which was a surprise. I was holding out for a second pintail but it wasn't to be.

There's no question as to whose ducks they are.

soiltester · Post by **soiltester** » January 23rd, 2017, 11:28 am

I'd say by that last pic. ,, it appears your Lab had a better time than you

Any time huntin' with a good dog is and enjoyable time

Congrats on a great hunt

Grumpy · Post by **Grumpy** » January 23rd, 2017, 12:04 pm

That last picture looks like a calendar picture, very good.

Toddmann · Post by **Toddmann** » January 23rd, 2017, 12:12 pm

Great pics. I agree those late season hunts tend to be the best.

Waddle Whacker · Post by **Waddle Whacker** » January 23rd, 2017, 1:17 pm

Great pics RV! Hard for a LA boy to imagine duck hunting in that setting. Beautiful.

howl · Post by **howl** » January 23rd, 2017, 2:14 pm

Nice!

KPcalls · Post by **KPcalls** » January 23rd, 2017, 11:01 pm

Awesome pics Mike.... It's hard to imagine hunting them in the desert....

swampchicken · Post by **swampchicken** » January 23rd, 2017, 11:32 pm

Nice pictures I love late season ducks. The plumage is the best.

hookspur · Post by **hookspur** » January 24th, 2017, 7:31 am

Most excellent!!!

davisd9 · Post by **davisd9** » January 24th, 2017, 7:49 am

It would be pretty cool to kill ducks in the desert.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

soiltester · Post by **soiltester** » January 24th, 2017, 7:50 am

hookspur wrote:Most excellent!!!

Doc, ya' think he'd have got his last pintail if he was shootin' a Ruger Red Label O/U ??

WoodMoose · Post by **WoodMoose** » January 30th, 2017, 6:56 am

nicely done and I do like that dog,,,,guns nice as well,,,,,,

beautiful country to duck hunt,,,,,,,,

RapscallionVermilion · January 30th, 2017, 11:52 am

Thanks for the comments guys. Here she is in one of her "finer" moments.

Helped herself to an elk wallow.

Turkinator · Post by **Turkinator** » January 30th, 2017, 9:57 pm

Believe it or not my Brittany spaniel could find worse things to roll in!

Shooter · Post by **Shooter** » January 30th, 2017, 10:33 pm

Desert setting,... Pretty cool, no doubt!!!!

LeadSlinger · Post by **LeadSlinger** » March 5th, 2017, 8:45 pm

RapscallionVermilion wrote:Thanks for the comments guys. Here she is in one of her "finer" moments.

Helped herself to an elk wallow.

Now that's a happy dog, if I ever saw one.

Congrats on the ducks and a day well spent.

JTown21 · Post by **JTown21** » March 5th, 2017, 9:55 pm

Great pics, great country, great hunt. Congrats Mike. Nothin better than late season birds!

JTown21 · Post by **JTown21** » March 5th, 2017, 10:30 pm

Great pics, great country, great hunt. Congrats Mike. Nothin better than late season birds!

Spuriosity · Post by **Spuriosity** » March 6th, 2017, 8:39 am

Sweet. I know some women that pay good money for a mud bath like that at fancy spas.

decoykrvr · Post by **decoykrvr** » March 6th, 2017, 3:33 pm

I just got confirmation from a waterfowl biologist, an old acquaintance with the FWS, that next year the daily bag limit on pintails is going to be reduced to 1 in all four flyways due to the fact that pintail numbers are down based upon the 2016 waterfowl survey. The pintail population is almost 35% below the long-term average and down @15% from 2015.

GLS · Post by **GLS** » March 6th, 2017, 4:11 pm

Mighty fine eating. Thanks for sharing the photos. I wish you'd share the ducks.

Gil

bigdoc · Post by **bigdoc** » March 6th, 2017, 4:39 pm

Awesome, started duck hunting close to the end of season and got it bad,,,, hooked for sure.

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