I live on a lake in Tennessee and I'm constantly looking for ducks because I like them. Don't normally see much variety here on Lake Chickamauga, at least not where I am. This year has been different I assume it's because of the wintry blast that we had. Last week I noticed a number of ducks at I have not seen previously. I saw three pair of shovelers. The Drake's are absolutely beautiful. Also I saw some ducks that I believe to be gadwalls. Big gray puddlers maybe bigger than a mallard even. I normally see a few canvasbacks but the past few years not many. This year I realized some ducks I thought were canvasbacks are not, they are something different. Good size black and white divers that I think are blue bill or ringnecked ducks. And it seemed to be there were more buffleheads than normally seen even though there are usually a few around.
Different Ducks this year
- Thread starter rifle02
- Start date
I hunt Chickamauga every year and I feel you are right. We had a group of about 15 or so Northernmost Shovelers land into our decoys two weeks ago. I shot one drake out of the group, my two buddies were gunlesss and we didn't get any others. Unfortunately the drake I shot was young so his head was barley green.
But that's the first I've seen these in Rhea Co area. My bro in law who grew up around Chick. and has hunted longer than me has seen them before there.
I've shot them before in West Tn, but not East Tn. I'm not sure how common they are this way.
But that's the first I've seen these in Rhea Co area. My bro in law who grew up around Chick. and has hunted longer than me has seen them before there.
I've shot them before in West Tn, but not East Tn. I'm not sure how common they are this way.
This is my 9th winter living on the water and this is the first time I had seen them. First time I've seen gadwalls as well. Had to look them up in a bird book.
I'd expect the ducks that show up on the lake itself are often different than the ones who appear farther up the creeks.
