When one is enough....

MLBob Furia

MLBob Furia

Well-known member
[size 4]Been getting out regularly with the Scooter and thankful for every day on the water.

This week, two quick morning hunts saw us visited by a group of sprig that, for whatever reason, are frequenting a slough I hunt . Although we do see them from time to time, the pintail is not a puddler that usually shows up in any numbers.
On Wednesday morning a flock of nine - all drakes - buzzed us cautiously for 7 or 8 passes before finally locking up and coming in. Took a beautifully plumaged bird that morning, and the picture of Scooter bringing it back through the decoys was worth the trip.

Two days later, when we were set up in a different part of the slough, the pintails were back. Group of six came to us this time - all drakes again ( remnants of the same group as earlier in the week?). Took another single bird from this group that had heavy "rust staining" on its breast & belly.
I'd never seen that before - but, as I said, not a species we see a lot of here in SW Ohio.

As a result, I did some looking on the internet when I got home to 'edumacate' myself about what might cause this (... I thought it might be some sort of juvenile plumage thing); it turns out that it's caused by iron content in water they have been in, being absorbed into feather tips. There's even a name for it - 'ferruginous staining.'
I even came across an illustration by Maynard Reese depicting a "rust stained pintail drake." Also saw a lot of advice posted on taxidermy sites about how to 'bleach' it out. Don't think I'd want to do that if I were having a pintail showing that coloration mounted. Posted about this on my Facebook site and a lot of folks from Louisiana responded by saying it's a pretty common thing where they hunt. Goes to show: you learn something new every day.


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Day two, 'rust stained' pintail:
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That is a very nice looking pintail, Bob. Maybe the water depth in your hunting area is just right for the pintails. Sounds like they found something there that they like. Now what I want to know is this. If you create a drake pintail are you going to give it some rust staining?

Glad you are doing well. I have been out 5 times and have seen a total of 3 ducks.
Allan
 
Bob,
Congrats on a unique bird. I did see one on Facebook, don't recall if the posting was yours or someone else. We get a fair number of Pintails, seems to vary year by year. I have never witnessed a bird having it, so yes, I think you need to add an example of one to your hunting rig. If anyone asks about the coloring, you can tell them that particular decoy is related to the rusty Tin Man, of Wizard of Oz fame.
 
Beautiful bird, and thanks for the info about the rust staining. We get very few here, but the last couple I shot several years back had that same stain. I remember distinctly wondering what it was, but never followed up.
 
Some beautiful drakes for sure!

I've only had a flock of pintails over the decoys twice in 20+ years. most of the time we only saw singles or pairs.
The first time, we had already taken nice two nice single drakes (limit was 1 then) and watched as a flock of around 10 made circles around the grass flat we were on. No others hunters within a mile of of, so they went on their way unscathed. What a sight.
Second time I had a flock of 5-6 come in unexpected, setting down on the out edge of the decoys.
The limit was 2 but I only had time to scratch out a drake before they back peddled & caught the wind, speeding off.
 

Bob,

That's a fine Sprig.

If yer fooling em more than once, yer doin' something right. Must be they like the grub, and your set up. Especially yer set up. [smile]

Not only do they look good, but they taste good also. Good fly tying feathers for some folks.


Best regards
Vince
 
Our Pintails at the end of the Mississippi river are rust stained from rooting in the mud for duck potato. Taxidermists use rust stain remover to whiten it back up but many folks elect to leave it as a trait given the location of harvest.

Congrats on harvesting some beautiful bulls!
 
Simply stunning bird and photography. Next time you paint a pintail decoy be sure to use Rustoleum. That will prevent the rust staining :)

Eric
 
Bucket list bird for me. I know the pintails are around but not where I've been hunting. Shot a couple hen pintails but never a drake. Someday..... Beautiful birds and nice pics.

Mark
 
Beauty birds, nice pics too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw a group of 4 yesterday and smiled thinking of your thread, but also felt bad I hadn't responded :(.
 
BTW, I've taken bluebills, gadwalls, spoonies and cans that had the same staining on their feathers. Pretty cool looking.
 
Nice bird Bob and great going bagging two. As Vince said you are doing something right. Pintails are usually pretty flighty and don?t decoy easily if they?ve been shot at previously.

As for the rust staining, it?s quite common in some species and locations but most noticeable on birds that are white or have white feathers. Marsh feeding snow geese in parts of the Pacific Flyway like the Skagit Delta have rust staining on their heads. I?ve seen it in tundra swans in Maryland and North Carolina. But I?ve also seen feathers on other birds that appear to have a wash of rust even mallard breast feathers.
 

As I have stated prior.

In a good wind, Pintails are the only duck that can, and do fly backwards pronto out of gun range. They do it very gracefully, and it will make yer jaw drop when you witness it. They were created to DO things other ducks cannot, and not just to look so darn good. They be Dandies.
 
Awful purty bird there Bob! A bucket list duck for me. I've never shot a Pintail.
 
Bob, groundwater in many parts of the US and north America often contains leage concentrations of ferric-oxide in solution due to redox conditions elevating its solubility, largely due to low oxygen in solution. When these waters bubble to the surface in headwater streams, the precipitate forms as the water becomes reoxygenated. A bacterium colonizes these areas specifically to form a gooey orange-red mass covering large sections of the bottom.

Sandhill cranes display this commonly, both in adulst and juveniles. Carry-lite attempts to tint their juvenile crane decoys to depict this effect.
 
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