Pintail Identification?

Okotokian · #1 09-29-2009, 09:02 AM

Regs set daily duck limit at 8 with no more than 4 being pintails. I'm a little concerned about being able to identify female pintails from all the other basically brown female ducks. Males seem easier, though I've seen pics of males that don't have as distict white markings on their necks, etc. Didn't matter before as I was so pathetic in bagging ducks, but I seem to be a lot better this year. A limit seems achievable!

Got any good tips or resources so I never have to hear a F&W officer say "You've got 5 pintails here fella".

whitetail Junkie · #2 09-29-2009, 09:57 AM

First off the pintals got distinct two blue stripes on there bills,one on each side,second look at the wings.male & female pintails have almost the exact same wings as mallards except where mallards have that turquise blue on there wings,pintails have a purple color.No other ducks have these purple wings so you cant go wrong.Good luck!

goldscud · #3 09-29-2009, 10:24 AM

The color on the wing (speculum) in mallards is blue/purple, but in pintails it is more of bronze/green. Grey/blue on the bills, grey feet.

Have a look here:
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...px&usg=__RdROP

whitetail Junkie · #4 09-29-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldscud

The color on the wing (speculum) in mallards is blue/purple, but in pintails it is more of bronze/green. Grey/blue on the bills, grey feet.

Have a look here:
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...px&usg=__RdROP

yaa that sounds more right!!! Also grey feet,forgot about that!

Okotokian · #5 09-29-2009, 12:52 PM

Could one of the differences also be that they have more long and pointy tails than other ducks, hence the name?

goldscud · #6 09-29-2009, 01:08 PM

Tails are somewhat more pointed. The long "Pin" tail feather on the drakes is usually only present for the spring/summer breeding period. It usually moults out during summer.

Look at the wings here
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/5366595-lg.jpg

Plumage during the fall is not so dramatic on the drakes. The hen doesn't have much of a pointed tail

whitetail Junkie · #7 09-29-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Could one of the differences also be that they have more long and pointy tails than other ducks, hence the name?

They do have longer bodies than other ducks.they aint as big as mallards,but there bodies are long and skinnyer,you'll know when you have one!

OutwardBound · #8 09-29-2009, 08:02 PM

Oko,

When they decoy in their necks are so long and elegant that you know what they are. We always identify what ducks are in the pile and have stopped hunting when close to that pintail limit so that we don't have 'that' talk with F&W. If you look at our '09 hunting log the pics with the duck lying across our guns is a pintail hen. I knocked her down at about 8yrds and knew it was a pintail as soon as she committed into the dekes by that long neck.

Danni

ABDUKNUT · #9 09-29-2009, 09:11 PM

Pintails are just long, skinny garbage ducks... Not even worth shooting.

Listen for their calls- the males constantly make sort of a low whistle like they have a mouth full of spit and the hens make a low 'kuk' sound.

Once in hand, their blue/grey feet and bluish bill are unmistakable among puddle ducks.

whitetail Junkie · #10 09-29-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABDUKNUT

Pintails are just long, skinny garbage ducks... Not even worth shooting.

Listen for their calls- the males constantly make sort of a low whistle like they have a mouth full of spit and the hens make a low 'kuk' sound.

Once in hand, their blue/grey feet and bluish bill are unmistakable among puddle ducks.

Your crazy man,pintails are a smart duck,they always are flying high,cautious,good eating and very beutiful bird.Not a garbage duck.In my opinion shovelers are garbage ducks,yet in quebec they love them for some reason??? great picture bye the way!!!

ABDUKNUT · #11 09-29-2009, 10:16 PM

EWWWW Frenchies eat spoonies?

goldscud · #12 09-30-2009, 07:55 AM

Great shots Abduknut. I haven't hunted ducks for ages, but we rarely shot drakes that still had their long pins present. Looks like it is common for you. Thanks for sharing the pics.

ABDUKNUT · #13 09-30-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldscud

Tails are somewhat more pointed. The long "Pin" tail feather on the drakes is usually only present for the spring/summer breeding period. It usually moults out during summer.

You can find a drake with a 3 to 4" pintail in mid October. I've shot them with 8.5" tails from late November to late December, and as long as 10.5" in late January.

goldscud · #14 09-30-2009, 12:51 PM

I was at some salt water marshes in Baja Mexico some years ago at Christmas time. The marshes would explode with thousands of pintail drakes in full breeding plumage. What an awesome sight. It makes sense that the "pins" would be growing over summer and fall to reach full length by winter.

rustynailz · #15 09-30-2009, 01:00 PM

Awesome pics...Pintails are easily the nicest looking out of all the ducks as far as I'm concerned (not knocking a bit fat orange footed greenhead by any stretch though).

OutwardBound · #16 09-30-2009, 05:56 PM

Those drake pintails pics are amazing! Thx for sharing those.

Danni

ABDUKNUT · #17 10-03-2009, 08:16 PM

Pintail Identification

These ducks use all four flyways, but are most plentiful in the west. They are extremely graceful and fast fliers, fond of zig-zagging from great heights before leveling off to land.

The long neck and tail make them appear longer than mallards, but in body size and weight they are smaller. They are agile on land and often feed in grain fields. The drakes whistle; the hens have a coarse quack.