ORIGINAL: skip0ls
im not a mississippi boy, im from new york. i've been shooting black ducks since i was a kid, these are different. they look identical but are about twice the size with bright orange legs.
Well, its later in the season, in fact, I thought I had heard that NY's season closed a couple of weeks ago. But I don't live there, just know a few folks that hunt up that way.
Later in the season means the birds are larger, larger things retain more heat. Ever notice that the geese stay north longer than the ducks? Smallerbirds come south sooner (hence, "early teal", then widgeon and wood ducks{aka Summer Ducks}). Moreover, the orange/red of the legs does not point to a different "subspecies". It merely means that the birds are becoming fully plummed in preparation for spring mating/courting.