Who Here Shoots Pintails Often?

[strousek]

We duck hunt the Northern CO Front Range, which is not your best duck hunting in the nation to say the least. We shoot our fair share of mallards, wigeon and gadwall mixed with some diver species but usually nothing too special. Over the weekend however I was able to get a good drake pintail on a hunt with my son. Only the second drake that I have shot as we see very few pintail in this area. Problem is his sprigs are short. The rest of the duck looks great so I want to put him on the wall.

Anyone on here regularly shoot pintails that could mail me some sprig feathers to add to this duck? I am also thinking of mounting him in a pose that kind of hides the sprigs but cant make up my mind yet. Only positive is a good bird taxidermist in this area is 2 years out so I have plenty of time to decide or come up with a couple sprigs.

 

[voltage]

Congrats!

I shoot a lot of pintails every year, but they are usually gone by Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the sprigs aren’t long by then. I’ll keep you in mind if a big sprig ever makes it my way!

 

[Mr. October]

I grew up in big duck hunting country on the Atlantic Flyway. We had about 60 acres of woods and marsh behind our house. One of the greatest spectacles I can remember is the spring pintail migration. Our marsh would become filled with thousands and thousands of pintails. It was truly a sight to behold. Then in the late 80s or early 90s . . . they disappeared. Most springs now there might be a 1/2 dozen. It is truly one of the saddest tragedies I've seen in the natural world. It must be how people felt after the passenger pigeons were gone. Because of this, even though it is legal, I can't bring myself to shoot pintails.

 

[Shepherd]

They're beautiful birds

 

[Chris in TN]

I duck hunted for many years when I was a kid and young adult. Mallards, gadwalls, blue wings in early fall and green wings in late winter, and various divers (usually ringnecks and scaup) here and there, plus a few buffleheads. Wood ducks fairly regularly.

I never got a shot at a pintail or a wigeon. I saw a drake pintail once, but he was sitting on the water 70 yards away. So, congratulations. Short feathers or not, he's a beautiful bird and I'd be proud of him.