What is it ???

[Chuckster]

On Friday afternoon I shot a duck that nobody can identify. It has the head of something that is compared to a drake wood duck but with different color patterns with long wavy and spiky feathers. Its a very colorful head with just a white belly and dark backside. I did some searching on the internet and I came across something called a Mandarin duck which they said resideds in eastern asia. The picture matches this thing to the T!!! Is it possible that this is what it is? If not what the heck is it? I am a very avid duck hunter and can usually identify ducks with little problems but this one has me stumped. I saved it with intentions of a possible mount. Has anyone else seen anything like this? Will be posting pictures soon.

[Mark Christianson]

Definitely need pics.

[Tom Wilson]

Chuckster,

You very well shot a Mandarin Duck. They are raised by lots of people and are easily available to be raised as pets or by collectors. Gauranteed--that duck started its life in captivity before it succumbed to your shot. Even though there are ducks that occasionally come from elsewhere such as the occasional Eurasion Wigeon--A mandarin would be a million to one odds at the least. There is a lake close to me where a family raises exotic ducks (including Mandarins) and he has signs around his property on the lake to please not shoot his exotics. Mounting it would be up to you. I know if one of this guy's Baikal Teal ever makes it to my spread--it will go on the wall.

Tom W

[FOOT]

Tom Wilson is correct. Probably not a "wild" duck. More likely a pen raised that has escaped.

Hunting the backwaters of the Mississippi by Wabasha a few years ago a guy shot the "biggest Mallard he'd ever seen, must be a record". The CO, that was checking everyones bag as we came in, agreed it probably was a record and he mentioned to the guy that he had 2 nice "ivory billed canvasbacks" as well. The guy went away with a puffed up chest and proud as h--- that he was the best hunter in the swamp that day.

I often wondered if he ever found out he had shot a Moscovey and 2 coot!?

I have to admit that Muscovey was huge but I'm sure he had to have swatted it as I don't think it cold have flown as big as it was.

[Stenzel]

It's probaly a Madrine. Want some? My dad has about 10 of them he is going to butcher this fall. We've raised them for years. They are about like raising woodducks and they taste exactly the same. They are a pretty duck, we have one mounted as well.

[honker23]

Four years ago, i had and extremely dark duck fly past the decoys, and then it let out a few quacks, so i shot it. It was a black east indies, domestic duck that escaped. I checked around the slough and noone to my knowledge had any, pretty unique. If you google "black east indies" click on the first enrty, looked just like it.