Put this in the photography section as well, but thought some might enjoy this shot that Cookie caught last Sunday.


Serious mandibles there,

Beautiful!

Sweet!

The males is one of the prettiest ducks -- even if they do have a bit of a Jimmy Durante thing going on.

John

Love the spring colors on the smiley drakes.

Great picture!

JPB:

Jimmy Durante? Boy, you must be really old.

Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.

Later,

Very nice!

awesome picture!!! shot my first shovler last season

Wow, very nice. We actually caught a few Shovelers in the Arkansas timber last year.

Very nice!

Terrific photo. That would make a great model for a duck stamp painting.

Has anyone here actually eaten a shoveler? I have heard they dont taste too well due to their diet, so have never eaten one.

I've eaten tons of them. I get a lot of crap from my buddies as the guy who shoots spoonies. I don't care, it's a duck and I'm duck hunting so I'll shoot them. They're a little more gamey than other ducks, and by no means a wood duck or mallard. But I don't eat them by themselves, I just mix them with other ducks and can never tell which one is the spoonie and which isn't.

On the other hand, I've eaten mallards and pintails that eat salmon roe all fall, and honestly, those birds are on the same level as mergansers! Quite possibly the worst tasting duck on the planet!

The best tasting waterfowl in my opinion is the sandhill crane though. The ribeye of the sky nickname is definitely a fitting one.

Sandhills are good eating. There are a bunch of them that winter here in AZ, I am going to knock a couple of them off next year.

Wonderful picture 1minute!

Very nice pic! While I have seen them often at distance, I've shot very, very few; this is the first time I've noticed the eyes. Why the radical difference in the sexes?

Hmmm. Even a difference in the forehead slope to the "maxilla."

The ones I have eaten tasted fishy to me. Nothing like a grain fed mallard.

I think the drakes are a very pretty bird.
This one is in the freezer, awaiting his turn, for a trip to the taxidermist.

Why would you even consider mounting a dirty, pin-feather covered, not even close to being in full plumage bird? Just curious.

Cuz its the only one I've shot.
Was hoping to get another,but hasnt happened yet, nor the trip to the dermist.
Trap did a great job retrieving him in the fast current, so it has a good memory.

Beautiful Italian Mallard!

cool birds for sure, just carved my first drake one this past winter.