# Why Are Pintails So Great?



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Not only are they one of the best looking ducks, they are one of the best eating as well. More times than not there will be a Pintail or two in my photos. These magnificent birds love to decoy, making for some excellent shot opportunities. I almost feel bad when I shoot a drake Pintail before mid to late December, because they haven't plumed fully and their sprigs are short. There really isn't a prettier duck than a full plumed Pintail, in my opinion. They are certainly one of my favorites. 

Pretty random post I know, but enough of the Corona, politics and race riots. I'm ready to start reading hunt stories and seeing some photos again.


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

Agreed!!!


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Gorgeous birds!


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

Late season pintails are really pretty! Hopefully the USFWS will reconsider the limit on drakes! Thanks for sharing your pics!


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

I agree Rob! Just got mine back from Longun about a month ago. Only bird I insisted my wife will HAVE to look at in our living room 🤣 She had no choice in the matter... I had no choice but to put the snow I picked up at the same time in my work office.


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## johnrr65 (Nov 7, 2019)

Looks great


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

To me they are the most beautiful bird out there. They are so streamlined and aerobatic. When they commit they come in hot. I love just watching them. They usually start their courtship flights about the last week of the goose season. Simply spectacular. 

Even with the low limit we are just lucky to watch the show.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

It was about time somebody started a decent thread on this place!


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Rob your missing a few...

We definitely need to target them more!


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## Decoycarver24 (Aug 17, 2018)

Being from California, Sprig were king until the limits were lowered (long before my time). Mallards have taken the title, but sprig remain the best in the h arts if lots of folks.

I was and still am more partial to canvasbacks and bluebill myself.


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## Joh Fredersen (Sep 24, 2013)

In the late 70's, in California, the year I got my hunting license, if the wind was blowing on a Weds. morning in November, my dad would check me out of school at lunchtime and we'd drive the hour or so to Los Banos WMA.

It was open Weds., Sat., and Sunday. The CA refuge system -O,-. They had a lottery reservation system and a wait line.

Getting there at 1 PM, we'd wait for someone to come off parking area #2.
The wind would get the waves going at San Luis Reservoir, and the pintail would come off it and out to the WMA.

One perfect afternoon with me and my dad, his friend, Rob, and the dog, we sat in the tules while huge flocks of pintails wheeled and cupped into the decoys.
We would mouth whistle to them. We'd pick our shots, and the grownups were patient with me.

3 minutes to sundown, we were one short of our limit.
A single came in, totally committed. My dad said take it- I rose up with my break open, single shot 20 gauge, and drilled it.

3 limits! 20 drake pintails, and the hen I shot a minute before closing light.

I remember it like it was yesterday, and I will never see it again.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Great post


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Here's an oldie! And 6,000 posts.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Speaking of Pintail ducks...

Tumbleweed Wall

All we saw was three or four ducks settling into a harvested corn field a couple hundred yards from where we parked. The pre-sunrise morning light barely enough to spot the cupped wings as the ducks dropped onto the mist covered field. Separating us and the field, the old barbed wire fence was completely covered with tumbleweeds and provide the perfect cover for the two young boys to make a sneak on the field that was hidden behind. 
It would be a little over fifty years ago this fall, maybe around 1959 or 1960, that a couple of young brothers arose early one November morning, loaded up there gear and headed out for a morning jump shoot of ducks. The two had never ventured out on their own before. Always in the past, dad would be there with his guiding hand. This was the first of a lifetime of hunts together, the first of a lifetime of memories, a beginning page in a book who's last page has yet to be penned. 
Shepard's Lane, today lined with homes, and intersections leading to vast sub-divisions of track homes, was once, not too long ago, very rural, and very much a place that ducks would come to feed in the grains fields after a short flight from the smashes of the Great Salt Lake. Flocks of Mallards and Pintails were not an uncommon sight, and presented too great a lure to just be ignored by these two boys. 
Jim, the older brother, would shoot his new Winchester model 12, 12 gauge shotgun and Newt, not yet the owner of a gun of his own, would shoot dad's Winchester model 42, .410, the gun that all us brothers used to learn to shoot. The morning was calm and crisp as we loaded the guns and prepared to make the short sneak across the near field that separated us from the field holding the birds. As we walked, we spaced ourselves a little to make room to move and we hoped we would arrive at the right place to jump the ducks that lay hidden behind the tumbleweed wall. It was our plan that Jim would shoot the birds, if any, that jumped on the right and I would shoot the birds, if any, that jumped on the left. And so we crouched and started our sneak. I still remember the wet grass squeaking on my boots and the silence of that dewy morning, hoping the birds would hold long enough for us to make our sneak. I remember hoping there would be more than one or two birds jump within range of me and the little .410 that I carried, and I hoping I could knock one down. I remember being a young boy, that beautiful fall morning. We crept across the field like little mice and reached the fence, that tumbleweed wall, without stirring a bird...and then we stood up...and as we stood, the field erupted into a frenzy of motion and noise as literally thousands of birds began to take flight. What we assumed was a small field with a handful of feeding ducks was instead a giant field of maybe 50 acres, covered with hundreds and hundreds of Pintail ducks. At first only the nearby birds began to rise, quacking that familiar startled quack, but when we both gathered in our wits and fired our guns, the enormity of the flock prevailed and the sky became black with birds. Jim's first bird dropped, as did mine, and then, my world stood still, the roar of beating wings and quacking ducks became mute...the little .410 had jammed in my trembling hands. I lowered the jammed gun and placed the butt on my leg and forcefully worked the action, ejecting the jammed round. But as I brought the pump forward, in the excitement of the event, I had kept my finger on the trigger and as the action slammed shut, off went the shotgun...and to my surprise, down came two more ducks. The field quickly emptied as did our guns and we stood by the side of that tumbleweed wall shaking, two happy brothers, two happy friends for life.

Copyright 2002, BPturkeys


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

BP excellent story!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Here's a courtship flight:


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

paddler said:


> Here's a courtship flight:
> 
> View attachment 142605


Paddler - that is an amazing photo!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

A few more:


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

Awesome pics paddler! Your definitely skilled behind the lens! I've always said when my shooting days are done I want to pick up a camera and continue the passion!


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

JerryH said:


> To me they are the most beautiful bird out there. They are so streamlined and aerobatic. When they commit they come in hot. I love just watching them. They usually start their courtship flights about the last week of the goose season. Simply spectacular.
> 
> Even with the low limit we are just lucky to watch the show.


That has to be the best looking Shnapps drake I've seen. Very rare at times in the marsh. They are flavorful, but, to much makes you sick.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

My favorite duck.
Excellent photos everybody!


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## prumpf (Apr 8, 2016)

Love it! Starting to itch to get out there!!



paddler said:


> A few more:
> 
> View attachment 142615
> 
> ...


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

A few more....


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Some of my favs


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

taxidermist said:


> That has to be the best looking Shnapps drake I've seen. Very rare at times in the marsh. They are flavorful, but, to much makes you sick.


That was a tribute to a late friend. One of his favorite lines besides (let's give it a go) was Toast Up To Freeze Up.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Paddler, looking at your photos of those pintails make me envious! As a former Taxidermist those are priceless reference photos. Every bird taxidermist should study those and burn them into memory.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I was very lucky to encounter this pintail on the last day of the 2014 - 2015 season. Banded at Clear Lake in 2010, hatched 2009 or earlier.

I joked with my dad that I had reached the pinnacle of my hunting career at that moment. Maybe so - I'm not sure I'll ever harvest a more memorable bird.


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## MallardFlew (Feb 22, 2012)

Clarq said:


> I was very lucky to encounter this pintail on the last day of the 2014 - 2015 season. Banded at Clear Lake in 2010, hatched 2009 or earlier.
> 
> I joked with my dad that I had reached the pinnacle of my hunting career at that moment. Maybe so - I'm not sure I'll ever harvest a more memorable bird.


I can't top that day! Thats amazing!

My best day hunting pinnys was in November of 2019. We had them decoying all day. Snow squals and wind. The pinnys would hover over the spinner because the wind was so strong and we could pick the sprigs we wanted to shoot. The dog was on point with her retrieves that day too!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Here's a memorable to me mixed bag from 2011. It was a pintail show that day. We were licking our chops watching them come in wave after wave. They were hitting the flats on a afternoon thaw. 

I bought that coffee mug at Cabelas in Sidney in 1995. A dear old friend that's been everywhere lol.


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

JerryH said:


> Here's a memorable to me mixed bag from 2011. It was a pintail show that day. We were licking our chops watching them come in wave after wave. They were hitting the flats on a afternoon thaw.
> 
> I bought that coffee mug at Cabelas in Sidney in 1995. A dear old friend that's been everywhere lol.


If that's a Ross on the left that is the winner in that pic. Very cool!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Summits it is a Ross. Funny thing is we thought we were going to shoot 6 pintails and lay there all day. It ended up being a great day.


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

JerryH said:


> Summits it is a Ross. Funny thing is we thought we were going to shoot 6 pintails and lay there all day. It ended up being a great day.


Very cool! Rare occurrence in Utah.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Pretty cool Jerry! 
In 30 years of hunting FB, these are the only snows I have shot there. And of course there's a Pintail in there too.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Friends and myself have been lucky to get into snows at FB 3 other times over the years. One morning JP and I shot 4. At first we thought man these seagulls are acting weird lol. Then it dawned on us what they were and we let them have it. One time out in front of the Island we had a flock come in. I shot a snow and a buddy from work shot beautiful eagle head blue. He'd never seen one before & I told him it was a wall hanger. He ate it Another time a pair came over and the three of us give em a hail mary and scratched down a ross. 

After certain storms & different times of the season you just don't know what the wind will blow in?


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Let me get back on track.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Sprigs!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Not even a good pintail thread can resurrect this forum?


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## LukeS (May 27, 2017)

I will add a few to the thread. Pretty nice bird from the last day of the 2018-2019 season. Myself on two buddy’s shot 5 drakes that day. Nice way to end out the season.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

_____


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Here's a couple more.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

That banded mallard looks like a Layton-Kaysville local....Huh?:smile::smile:


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Fowlmouth said:


> That banded mallard looks like a Layton-Kaysville local....Huh?:smile::smile:


Yep a Kays Creek special!

I had forgotten all about that saucy afternoon until I dug deeper into my pics. I snuck out for an afternoon from work. South wind was blowing and they were hitting the bulrush coming in on the deck. Progressive lenses in a layout isn't the best combo. But what the he!! Work with what ya got lol.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have a couple of those local mallard bands. Kaysville and Bennion (South Jordan Canal Rd) I know goosefreak has some Layton-Kaysville bands, and our other buddy too. That's fine, I'll take 'em.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

I have one of the Bennion South Jordan Canal bands also.
I believe the Redwood Memorial Cemetery is the actual capture site.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

shaner said:


> I have one of the Bennion South Jordan Canal bands also.
> I believe the Redwood Memorial Cemetery is the actual capture site.


Shane
I know a guy that knows a guy if you want to find out;-)
A Cemetery bird is a odd one for sure? I thought the one I shot that was banded at the Freeport center was weird.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

shaner said:


> I have one of the Bennion South Jordan Canal bands also.
> I believe the Redwood Memorial Cemetery is the actual capture site.


Interesting, I thought maybe it was a guy (Marty P) who lived on the S. Jordan Canal Rd. He was big in a local DU chapter several years ago, and maybe he was helping capture them.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Fowlmouth said:


> Interesting, I thought maybe it was a guy (Marty P) who lived on the S. Jordan Canal Rd. He was big in a local DU chapter several years ago, and maybe he was helping capture them.


Winner winner chicken dinner!

#1537 hen mallard??


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

#1597 hen mallard (mine)


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Hen killer :smile:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

#1597 was the Layton-Kaysville band.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Shane must be out fishing?


Back to pinnies. I just heard Canada is moving the limit to 8 a day!! The down fall is they don't have much color even into the third week of October. Oh and the border closure this year.


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## sketch21 (Jul 11, 2013)

Love this thread and sprigs, so I thought I'd chime in with some pinnie pics of my own from over the years. All from FB. 

The banded hen was killed on opening day by an old friend. He gave me first shot and I wiffed and then he smoked her. We ended up limiting out that warm afternoon and never saw another group where we were at. 

Pinnies on the hard deck are about my all time favorite though.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Great pics


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Awesome sketch!

It's going to be another tough year only being allowed to shoot 1 pintail a day. 

Jerry, what's this 8 Pintail limit a day in Canada?


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Sketches bloody pic rivals Paddlers bloody pintail pic. Ironic to see such a beautiful bird in a gore pic lol. I really like the landing on ice pic. What a great shot!

Fowl its crazy countries on both sides of us have such liberal daily bag limits on pintail. Our Biologists here in the USA that regulate the bag limits need to grow a pair. Raise the limit to say maybe 4 a day for two years and see what happens with the population? It would be interesting to see what happens?


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## sketch21 (Jul 11, 2013)

JerryH said:


> Sketches bloody pic rivals Paddlers bloody pintail pic. Ironic to see such a beautiful bird in a gore pic lol. I really like the landing on ice pic. What a great shot!
> 
> Fowl its crazy countries on both sides of us have such liberal daily bag limits on pintail. Our Biologists here in the USA that regulate the bag limits need to grow a pair. Raise the limit to say maybe 4 a day for two years and see what happens with the population? It would be interesting to see what happens?


Thanks Jerry!

The landing/take off shot was taken right at first light when I busted hundreds of pinnies off an open pocket. They left all those little pintail snow angels on the ice until the sun came up and melted it.

I'd even be okay with a drake only bag if it means a higher daily bag limit.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

JerryH said:


> Fowl its crazy countries on both sides of us have such liberal daily bag limits on pintail. Our Biologists here in the USA that regulate the bag limits need to grow a pair. Raise the limit to say maybe 4 a day for two years and see what happens with the population? It would be interesting to see what happens?


I have never understood this. We are regulated to the nuts, yet our North and South of the border friends basically get a freeforall. I have never heard any of the big conservation organizations make a stink about it either. Maybe they do, but I don't recall reading anything about it.


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

FM,
I seem to recall reading in a Delta or DU magazine years ago that the total harvest north and south of the US is tiny compared to what we shoot in the states. That’s why they are able to get away with such liberal limits. I could be wrong, but that’s what my memory banks are coming up with!

It would be sweet to pile up 8 drakes. Or even better, how about 20 full plumage drakes in Mexico on a crisp February morning, and then back to a lodge for dinner and relaxing with the wife. Now that’d be a waterfowling trip to remember and that I could probably get her to come along.

And that “snow angel” mark left by the pintail is one of the cooler pics I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

*Landing*

I took these many years ago:


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Hey Jerry,
You called that one, just got back from the Gorge.
Retired life is good, I highly recommend it!
I will have to go through some certificates to find the correct band number, shouldn’t be too hard...I’ve only shot five banded ducks.
The Pintail is my all time favorite duck but sadly never shot a banded pinner.
My other Holy Grail is a banded GW.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

That third pic of Jon’s has me feeling kinda funny down there.....


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Sketches bloody pic rivals Paddlers bloody pintail pic. Ironic to see such a beautiful bird in a gore pic lol. I really like the landing on ice pic. What a great shot!
> 
> Fowl its crazy countries on both sides of us have such liberal daily bag limits on pintail. Our Biologists here in the USA that regulate the bag limits need to grow a pair. Raise the limit to say maybe 4 a day for two years and see what happens with the population? It would be interesting to see what happens?


Maybe. I think we should put it to a vote:


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

I don't think you will win an award from PETA lol


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I love ice up. This one tied my previous best.


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

Fowlmouth said:


> I love ice up


Same here! This is definitely the best part of the season!

That's a stud! Are you putting him on the wall? You should!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Shadow Man said:


> Same here! This is definitely the best part of the season!
> 
> That's a stud! Are you putting him on the wall? You should!


I ate him. I am hopeful I can get a better one this season. They are in thick right now, and there's still 5 weeks left to hunt, which gives them some more time to grow those sprigs.


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

Fowlmouth said:


> I am hopeful I can get a better one this season.


Famous last words! I swear I say this every season! Good luck, I hope you get your wall hanger!


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm loving this thread you guys! Pintails have always been one of my favorite ducks, we're lucky to have so many of them in Utah. It's funny how localized they are though, I'm from Cache Valley and although we get a ton of them nesting here in the spring I can count on one hand the number that I've shot in the valley in 15 seasons, with only 2 or 3 of them being really nice drakes. However just a quick trip over the hill can get you into pintail heaven. Here's the best one I've seen personally, shot by my father in law-









And here's my dog Cedar with a nice drake last week-her tail tells you all you need to know!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

These were from November 10th and 12th.....The sprigs are so much longer a month later.

All 3 of the pintails from Mondays hunt on the boat were toads. Wish I would have done them justice with a better photo of just them.


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

I shot this guy this past week at OB and when I got back to the blind I noticed he didnt have a sprig, I got poking around at his tail and found his sprig, it was only about a inch long! Juvy? Bad Gene's? Who knows? He ate good!


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## prumpf (Apr 8, 2016)

Love the look, and especially the taste! 

It’s nice to have a large bird like a pintail for dinner. Some nice pics guys


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

I’ll add to the fun. These two were from a couple weeks ago on one of those days where the pins kept coming and we just had to sit and watch after shooting our drakes.


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## SMuschamp (Nov 16, 2020)

This past sunday I got my first pintail and mallard.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Greed got the best of me. Had several bulls walking through the decoys today. I was tail hunting & ended up coming home empty handed on my Pintail tonight. 

My favorite duck to watch coming in!


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Greed usually works against me too. Yesterday was slow in my spot (although it seemed to be going well in yours!), and I shot the first bull that came over. Never fails that at some point later, a nice bull with a great sprig will decoy. That happened 10 minutes before legal shooting light ended. He dropped out of the sky like a rock, flared at 25 yards, and gave me the finger as he flew off. Man, it was fun to watch!


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

I had to get in on the pintail fun. I went out yesterday afternoon to scout, and found 50+ trickling in to a spot. So I headed back today with a few decoys and my trusty 20 gauge.

Took about a half hour for a nice drake to come in. Dumped him, cleaned up, and headed back to the truck. This was my first time hunting the four pintail decoys I made over the summer, so this was a great way to break them in.


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## Pipeliner (Dec 2, 2018)

Fowlmouth said:


> Not only are they one of the best looking ducks, they are one of the best eating as well. More times than not there will be a Pintail or two in my photos. These magnificent birds love to decoy, making for some excellent shot opportunities. I almost feel bad when I shoot a drake Pintail before mid to late December, because they haven't plumed fully and their sprigs are short. There really isn't a prettier duck than a full plumed Pintail, in my opinion. They are certainly one of my favorites.
> Pretty random post I know, but enough of the Corona, politics and race riots. I'm ready to start reading hunt stories and seeing some photos again.


Wish I knew how to post on this website!


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