Bucket list bird

[RUGER]

Probably 10 years before I ever went duck hunting I saw one of these mounted in a store somewhere and I said I want one of those!
Made it happen today.

 

[cbhunter]

Congrats!

 

[mike243]

Well congrats, I see a head with a beak and a body, you gonna have to help me out it's a ( --- ) duck

 

[yellalinehunter]

Hooded merganser

 

[mike243]

Thanks for telling me, dang have to carry a big book hunting to see if I have shot something I can eat or have to use a shovel lol, good luck out there this morning,

 

[Displaced_Vol]

Definitely a cool looking bird. Better to look at than eat

 

[Biggun4214]

Tastes like bad sushi

 

[Iglow]

That was our mainstay at Priest in the early 80's!!!

 

[woodyard]

I think I saw 20 something of them out Garrett Thursday while chasing crappie.I was wondering what they were. You could see the white underside and black upper, not a real big bird.
Congrats on connecting.

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

Merganser goulash for supper?

 

[Biggun4214]

In the late 70's early 80's with the point system, I was told that high point birds were highly desirable and good to eat.
I WAS LIED TO!!!!!!

Mergansers were either 70 or 90 points.

 

[Dean Parisian]

Looks like a young bird. Congratulations on getting a nice one! I have had this guy do some bird work for me. The only thing I know for sure is that his work is absolutely beautiful. I look at my pintail, blue goose and bufflehead every single day.

https://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/threads/sportmaster-taxidermy-by-greg-gallman.4293/

 

[MS_Strut]

Looks like a young bird.

How can you tell if that's a young bird?

 

[Mud Creek]

I killed one a couple years ago and thought it looked good(for a ganzy!)and would put it on the wall. After 2 days in the freezer I thought "why in the heck am I mounting a dang merganser?" I dropped it off to a guy for his pup to mess with within a couple hours. Ever since I got home that day I've regretted not mounting it lol. They're ugly and cool looking at the same time.

 

[GUNNERX2]

I had one mounted in a standing position that is one of my better looking mounts....punk rock duck.
I gave one to my granddaughter for a college biology project. She skinned it and stuck the carcass in a tub of flesh eating beetles. Afterward, she disassembled the skeleton and then reassembled it. She gave me skeleton when she got her grade. Pretty cool looking but very fragile.

 

[bigquacks]

We call them lawn darts.

 

[Dodge Man]

They can look pretty cool mouted.

 

[Pilchard]

I see these at my deer lease quite often. Beautiful birds for sure!

 

[Dodge Man]

Or not

 

[tellico4x4]

Killed one when I was 16, only duck I ever had mounted. The taxidermist put black eyes in it though . Hanging in my man cave 53 years later!

 

[TheLBLman]

The 2nd duck I ever killed was a hooded merganser. Would have mounted it, but was already mounting 1st duck, a male woody. Killed them on Reelfoot as child.

 

[OldGoat68]

Congrats on the merganzer. They can make a really good looking mount.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

had one Woodie drake mounted. squirrels found and de-feathered it. had a surf scoter, a drake Canvasback, and a green-winged Teal drake froze to have mounted, along with a 6 lb 12 oz brown i caught. freezer quit on me and lost them all...

 

[Antler Daddy]

thats a purty bird....I would have had to pass and stick with a mallard.

 

[tickweed]

Lol. Up north, considered a trophy. Way above mallards. Here, not so. Nailheads. Not taking away from Ruger at all. Very beautiful bird. Feed mainly on small fish.

 

[Spurhunter]

Hooded merganser messenger. That's our slang name for them anyway.

 

[Gravey]

Pretty bird. Congrats!!!