Andrew L.
Well-known member
The Puddler Mallard decoy made its way to me last week.
First stop was the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side of the channel. I had been looking forward to this hunt for a few weeks since my dad planned to join me for two days. Although we finally had some ideal conditions with sun and wind the birds were few and far between. I assume like most we have been fighting very mild weather and temps are still reaching the 60's.
Here is floating amongst is far uglier plastic cousins. It is a great looking decoy, kudos Mr. Finch.
Not much for a mornings take but pops got his first drake mallard so well worth it!
I then headed east to join Paul on Lake Michigan as we both signed up to help masters student Luke Fara with his Longtailed Duck research project. I had the pleasure of dipping my feet into waterfowl research on Longtails as an undergrad in Milwaukee and this experience took it to another level and I am thrilled that this research is happening.
Luke is capturing Longtails on Lake Michigan in order to provide more information on the diets, breeding grounds and many other aspects (there is very little research on this species).
Captured birds are banded (adult females only get fitted with GPS transmitters) and numerous samples are taken before the birds are released back. Up to 8 per night can be captured.
Birds are primarily captured at night via spotlights & a long musky net. This part is nearly impossible to get a picture of but here you can see Paul spotting a single bird.
We each were fitted with float coats and harnesses that kept us tied to the front cleat of the boat which allowed us the peace of mind to move freely around the front of the boat while attempting to net the birds on each side. Once birds are spotted one person keeps the light on the bird and the other has the acrobatic duty of netting a duck that could just as easily fly as dive. It took each of us a few tries before we caught our first bird, amazing how fast and agile they are under the water.
Here is Paul getting one out of the net after capture. You can see the black harness around his shoulders.
Last night we had good luck getting into the birds approximately 10 miles off shore and were able to capture 4 Longtails. Rewarding experience to be a part of something new and useful in the waterfowl world. I have always held the Longtail in highest of regards and my favorite species of waterfowl but there is added respect having a bird in hand that you are not hunting. I hope these birds are around for many more generations to enjoy.
First stop was the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side of the channel. I had been looking forward to this hunt for a few weeks since my dad planned to join me for two days. Although we finally had some ideal conditions with sun and wind the birds were few and far between. I assume like most we have been fighting very mild weather and temps are still reaching the 60's.
Here is floating amongst is far uglier plastic cousins. It is a great looking decoy, kudos Mr. Finch.
Not much for a mornings take but pops got his first drake mallard so well worth it!
I then headed east to join Paul on Lake Michigan as we both signed up to help masters student Luke Fara with his Longtailed Duck research project. I had the pleasure of dipping my feet into waterfowl research on Longtails as an undergrad in Milwaukee and this experience took it to another level and I am thrilled that this research is happening.
Luke is capturing Longtails on Lake Michigan in order to provide more information on the diets, breeding grounds and many other aspects (there is very little research on this species).
Captured birds are banded (adult females only get fitted with GPS transmitters) and numerous samples are taken before the birds are released back. Up to 8 per night can be captured.
Birds are primarily captured at night via spotlights & a long musky net. This part is nearly impossible to get a picture of but here you can see Paul spotting a single bird.
We each were fitted with float coats and harnesses that kept us tied to the front cleat of the boat which allowed us the peace of mind to move freely around the front of the boat while attempting to net the birds on each side. Once birds are spotted one person keeps the light on the bird and the other has the acrobatic duty of netting a duck that could just as easily fly as dive. It took each of us a few tries before we caught our first bird, amazing how fast and agile they are under the water.
Here is Paul getting one out of the net after capture. You can see the black harness around his shoulders.
Last night we had good luck getting into the birds approximately 10 miles off shore and were able to capture 4 Longtails. Rewarding experience to be a part of something new and useful in the waterfowl world. I have always held the Longtail in highest of regards and my favorite species of waterfowl but there is added respect having a bird in hand that you are not hunting. I hope these birds are around for many more generations to enjoy.
