Earlier this summer, I wrote about a proposal in Minnesota to offer an alternative 3-duck — any species and sex —limit. The potential regulation change would follow in the wake of similar options in states like South Dakota and Nebraska, where game agencies are offering these kinds of limits in an effort to recruit novice hunters by removing the barrier of duck identification.
Many folks aren’t on board with these efforts, however, and one concern I’ve been seeing is that they could be “dumbing down” duck hunting. While I’m not concerned about whether hunting is smart or dumb, I do think that learning to ID different types of ducks and geese is a fun part of waterfowling, and reducing the need for it actually makes the pursuit less interesting. At the same time, I learned how to waterfowl hunt as an adult, and I can attest to the difficulty of identifying birds on the wing. But I also learned that it’s something that can be practiced.
And I’ll just preface this with a simple fact: the best way to improve at duck identification is simply to spend time in the field, which is why many Split Reed readers won’t find this article particularly useful. But if you’re new to waterfowl hunting, or mentoring someone who is, here are some tips I’ve found useful. And if you’re already experienced at waterfowl ID, feel free to drop some additional tips in the comments.
Duck vs. Geese vs. Other Waterfowl
One of my main duck hunting mentors was and is Holly Heyser, who is an industry pro. In a fantastic article for Audubon, she pointed out that the first thing duck and geese hunters need to do is figure out if birds are, well, ducks or geese instead of non-game fowl. A key way of doing so in the field is by paying attention to flight patterns: ducks flap constantly, except for when they cup up on the descent. Additionally, when they do descend, they only put down their feet when they are preparing to land, while other birds like coots may fly with their feet outstretched. As for geese, look for the distinct V-shaped flock, as well as a slower flapping rate with some gliding intermixed.
Cruise Parks and Closed Zones
Things start to get more challenging when it comes to differentiating between the various species of ducks and geese. This isn’t something you want to do only when you’re hunting; I highly recommend taking some time to practice, and one of the best ways of doing so is going to urban parks or closed zones at refuges. The good thing about these places is that waterfowl tend to congregate there with more density than in places where hunting is open. At these places, you can use binoculars to study the shapes and coloring of birds, and you’re also likely to be able to watch birds fly and land so you can practice IDing them on wing and then checking to see if you were right. One thing to be cognizant of when it comes to urban parks is that there can tend to be birds that have hybridized with farm species that you’ll never encounter in the wild. Scouting hunting areas can provide additional opportunities for observing birds.
Study Calls and Practice Calling
One of the best parts of waterfowl hunting is the sonic component. Every new waterfowl hunter needs to practice calling, and when doing so, you should also work on identifying duck and goose species based on their calls. One great resource for this is the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl ID webpage, which has clips of the vocalizations of basically every kind of huntable waterfowl. YouTube has other options, too. You can also use these resources to practice calls beyond the standard hen mallard quack, like with a whistle or a gadwall call, and it will pay off in the field both for IDing and calling in different species of ducks and honkers.
Utilize the LeMaster Method
Before the proliferation of digital resources, most waterfowlers owned a copy of the LeMaster Method by Richard LeMaster. The small booklet can fit easily in a blind bag and is still an invaluable resource for waterfowl identification in the field today. Beyond accurate descriptions of different species, the book has examples of different duck bills that you can use to compare with a bird you’ve killed, which can be particularly helpful in the early season before birds have colored up. Use this part of the book with caution, however; it does no good if you shoot a species that is closed or puts you over a species- or sex-specific limit, as well as a non-game bird.
Let Birds Fly
The last tip I have is to be patient. One of the most stressful moments I have experienced when mentoring a new hunter was when a mentee of mine saw a flock of birds with cupped wings zooming at us and fired before I had time to warn him that they were sandpipers. Thankfully, he whiffed the shot, but he almost committed a serious infraction, and it was one that could have been totally avoided if he had waited just a couple of seconds longer before pulling the trigger. Which brings me to my last point: regardless of these tactics, it’s your responsibility to be certain of what you’re shooting at, and it’s ok and to be expected that you will miss out on some shot opportunities when you’re learning how to do this.
