Beautiful Blackies

[Carl]

My thinking was that if you know the bird in hand is a hybrid, you can still safely take the shot at the next "Black Duck" that comes in. Until you kill one that truly counts as a black duck of course.


Either way, those are some pretty drakes in the pics.

 

[Chris Finch]

I know the regulations, i guess its just a personal thing.

I think there is a blue law in place for ct for the swans. I would love to scull up to the couple hundred or so a few miles from my house and let them have it. Imagine rowing a float back to the launch loaded with swans, that would definetly fill the freezer and get some looks.

 

[tod osier]

Chris

The mute swan you saw kill a goose was a mute swan. They are NOT protected under Federal law. Talk to your CO friends or as Todd suggested talk to Min.

We have a state statute/regulation/law on the books that protects a bunch of species that includes swans generally and mute swans by extension (also cranes, doves, etc...). There isn't the political will within wildlife to deal with swans, given the anticipated public outrage.

T

 

[tod osier]

So what are the thoughts of removing the hybrids as a conservation tool? If we were able to count the hybrids as an "other" duck, and maybe shoot 2 or 3 during a hunt rather than just 1, would that be an advantage to the Black Duck? I would think it would... but am no biologist. I wish the Feds would be specific as CT is and then we would all have the same reference. I know I can tell an obvious hybrid, but as Chris does, don't shoot another "black" once I have one that is not obvious a mallard. I rarely shoot the hen mallards anyway, so for me it is greenheads and black ducks. But when I hunt Lake Champlain, the hunt can be over quick once a black is taken, and having the hybrid acknowleged would certainly give some options for more hunting.

From a biological perspective, I doubt that culling hybrids would do any good. As Carl points out another nice bird in the bag is a benefit. Just as you say, shoot a hybrid as a first bird, you have the potential to shoot another. I would never suggest shooting a bird IDed on the wing as a hybrid, but if you have a hybrid on the water/in the hand, why not shoot another black. It isn't like full puddle duck limits are something that is an every day thing in the states with a lot of hybrid blacks.

 

[Jeff Reardon]

So what are the thoughts of removing the hybrids as a conservation tool? If we were able to count the hybrids as an "other" duck, and maybe shoot 2 or 3 during a hunt rather than just 1, would that be an advantage to the Black Duck? I would think it would... but am no biologist. I wish the Feds would be specific as CT is and then we would all have the same reference. I know I can tell an obvious hybrid, but as Chris does, don't shoot another "black" once I have one that is not obvious a mallard. I rarely shoot the hen mallards anyway, so for me it is greenheads and black ducks. But when I hunt Lake Champlain, the hunt can be over quick once a black is taken, and having the hybrid acknowleged would certainly give some options for more hunting.

From a biological perspective, I doubt that culling hybrids would do any good. As Carl points out another nice bird in the bag is a benefit. Just as you say, shoot a hybrid as a first bird, you have the potential to shoot another. I would never suggest shooting a bird IDed on the wing as a hybrid, but if you have a hybrid on the water/in the hand, why not shoot another black. It isn't like full puddle duck limits are something that is an every day thing in the states with a lot of hybrid blacks.

I agree with Todd on the biological benefits. I'm just guessing, but I'd be willing to bet the primary cause of black/mallard hybridization is habitat related. Perhaps with all the changes on the landscape we modern humans have inflicted, we've provided suitable habitat for mallards in proximity to the primary breeding range of black ducks, making it a lot more likely for a randy drake mallard to find a willing black duck hen--or vice versa.

 

[Richard Powell]

When the point system was in force a black duck was 100 points. Shoot one and you are done for the day. On two different occasions I shot mallard/black crosses which were counted as other ducks with a value of 25 points which meant my hunting was not over for that day.