# Black Ducks



## cfuller6 (Dec 30, 2014)

Another thread got me thinking about this so I pulled some old photos of Black Ducks iv'e killed.  I finally mounted the 4th one I ever killed, after cleaning and eating the first 3! I did know that they were black ducks, but seeing as how I killed 3 my first 2 years duck hunting at age 15 and 16, I didn't realize the significance of killing one here in Middle GA. I'm now 26 and hunt hard every year, and haven't witnessed one killed since my last one back in 2010. All killed in small private beaver ponds(Wilkes, Lincoln, and Jenkins counties)Anyone else killed any Blacks without realizing it or knowing the rarity at the time?


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## waistdeep (Dec 30, 2014)

We kill a few from time to time,here in middle Ga.,like you said on ponds,swamps.


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## rnelson5 (Dec 30, 2014)

Thats awesome man. I hunt a lot of small ponds and swamps and have never seen one there. We killed one on Savannah river one time but three guys shot at it and tore it to pieces..... Congrats on having 4 opportunities here.


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## 27metalman (Dec 30, 2014)

Way back when (late 70's/early 80s's) I remember when we killed some it and took us a little bit to sort them out from some mallards we had also killed.  We first thought maybe a hybrid or something.  Did not have the internet... only books.  Should a heard the discussion when we killed some widgeons later on...  We called them bald pates.


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## Scrapy (Dec 30, 2014)

27metalman said:


> Way back when (late 70's/early 80s's) I remember when we killed some it and took us a little bit to sort them out from some mallards we had also killed.  We first thought maybe a hybrid or something.  Did not have the internet... only books.  Should a heard the discussion when we killed some widgeons later on...  We called them bald pates.



About then we had a good many in the salt marsh. They were more wary than regular mallards but we got quite a few. Then they took them off limits because they were introducing mottled ducks and fulvous tree ducks.  It was impossible to tell mallards from them at first shooting time till the sun got up good. When they came back in season there has never been as many around here as then.


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## Millcreekfarms (Dec 30, 2014)

My friends killed two black ducks drakes last week in a small swamp I've yet to see one


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## Scrapy (Dec 30, 2014)

I understand black ducks have a v shaped marking on certain breast feathers while mottled ducks have a -. Or vice versa. Never seen a tree duck to my knowledge. Seem to me that blue wing patch did not stand out as good as the ones in the pictures and Black Ducks had red legs.


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## emusmacker (Dec 30, 2014)

I love black ducks, I have only killed 2 so far and will mount everyone I kill.  They are that special.  I also shot a hybrid/mallard cross and it was very special too.  mounted him also.


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## WOODIE13 (Dec 31, 2014)

We hit them pretty hard on the Potomac in N. VA and here on rivers, lakes, streams and ponds.


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## nowigeon (Dec 31, 2014)

They're here , kill em every year


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## mguthrie (Jan 1, 2015)

I n know a guy that killed a BLACK duck. What do you think it could have been? It was same size and shape as a mallard. I was thinking melanistic mallard. Anybody ever seen something like that before.


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## HossBog (Jan 1, 2015)

Do they taste good?


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## mcarge (Jan 2, 2015)

HossBog said:


> Do they taste good?




Depends how many snails they ate while they where on the Jersey Shore!


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## emusmacker (Jan 6, 2015)

Or how much vegetation they ate while here.


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## The Horned Toad (Jan 7, 2015)

I grew up with my dad having a pair mounted on the wall so I always knew what they were but never been able to kill one.  If I do it will be mounted.


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