Help me id this duck
 

Our group shot these today. They said it was old squaw? But I can't find any info out on it. Thought it was some good looking birds. The guide said it was a hen and a drake.

Can someone give me the proper name?

RE: Help me id this duck
 

Oldsquaw is the proper name. Very nice birds,, that drake would make a beautiful mount! its got a real long tail on it.. What guided did you use,, Pitboss?

Here is a link for waterfowl identification.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm

RE: Help me id this duck
 

thanks, I kept this pair and have in the freezer.

YOu know I was invited on this thing last min. and not sure who the guides were. Thing about MD, is there are lots and lots of birds, but public hunting ground is hit and miss. Guides around get all the good stake blinds. So when you go with them, basically paying to use thier stake blind. We have lotterys every year on use of these locations on the bay, but only get good choices one out of 3 years.

RE: Help me id this duck
 

They're Oldsquaws. I would DEFINITELY get the drake mounted. It is not everyday you get one. I've been waterfowling 15 years in NC and never shot one. My buddy who guides sea ducks maybe gets 10 a year.

The reason you can't find current info is the American Birding Association petitioned successfully to get the name changed to "Long-tailed Duck" because of PC. It'll be an Oldsquaw with me until the day I go from the earth!!!!

RE: Help me id this duck
 

Thanks guys. I can't say I have seen one before. Still after than canvasbacks, and can't seem to drop em.

RE: Help me id this duck
 

Yes thats a squaw. Or nowadays if you want to be politically correct its called a "Long-Tailed Duck". Very pretty in their simplicity.

Big, if you can hit a squaw, then a can should be a piece of cake. Squaws, hands down, get my vote for fastest, most acrobatic duck.They fly likea cross between a falcon and a dove.

If you hunt divers a lot, then you probably know that when crippled on the water, they are fast enough to dive between the time the shot leaves the barrel and when it gets to them. You can burn up the better part of a box of shells trying to sleuce a bufflehead. I have had squaws out on the bay that I would just about swear can dodge the shot in the air...and it ain't just bad shooting. We had one lone drake buzz us three times straight...and all three of us in the boat emptied our guns at it...and never killed it. The thing moved like an F-16. But....not a heck of a lot of people sea duck hunt much anymore, so you don't get many educated ones. Most of them don't pay a lick of attention.

Congrats! Pretty birds!

RE: Help me id this duck
 

I am just never in the area for canvas backs. I usually teal hunt in early october, I have a place to kill an ocassional wood duck, and then thiers deer season. Hard for me to duck hunt when thiers deer. So Jan, I go back to diver hunting.

RE: Help me id this duck
 

Nice lookin OldSquaw. congrats. Wish we got a few of those around Michigan's west side

RE: Help me id this duck
 

Awesome old squaw... by far my favorite duck species... I need to get on the bay and kill some, ive gota pair of handmade old squaw and they look awesome, I hope to compliment them w/ a pair i killed..

RE: Help me id this duck
 

Well, I am going to get them mounted as a pair. Only ones I have killed. Thinking of going back out if this weather stays cold.

thanks guys for the comments.