# My quest for a Cinnamon Teal...



## toasty (May 15, 2008)

On the first year of hunting ducks many years ago I came across a beautiful rusty red colored bird. At the time, I was still learning how to identify ducks and thought, that is a cool duck, but figuring I would be shooting many more, he was eaten shortly thereafter. During the following 5 or 6 years, I never happened upon another Cinnamon during my hunting and realized how rare and prized they were. About 6 years ago, I was jumping a small spring in January and peaked around the frag to see at least 6 nice cinny drakes feeding. I watched them for a couple minutes, prepared and made the jump and took down a nice drake. He fell on the first shot and I tried to double and triple up and missed. I spent over 4 hours looking for that first bird and was never able to recover him. It was heartbreaking. I have tried, but not found another Cinnamon to shoot since. I met up with a good buddy last weekend, who went out of his way to put me in a blind with a chance at a cinnamon. We hunted the whole day hoping for a shot, but I was not able to shoot at one that day, but fortune was on my buddy's side and he was able to be in range and drop this bird. It was wonderful to get one back in my hands as a gift. 








I want to put it on the wall, but my wife thinks it is stupid for me to mount a bird I didn't shoot and is convinced it will not mean as much to me as a bird that I had shot. I have shot two nice drakes over my career and dozens of eclipse drake Cinnamon teal, just never had the chance to put one on the wall.


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## sambo3006 (Feb 25, 2016)

I'd put it on the wall in a heartbeat. It represents the two others you have shot over the years. Cinnamon teal are even more rare in southern Missouri where I hunt. Most duck hunters including myself have never seen one.


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## richard rouleau (Apr 12, 2008)

Nice job cinnamon teal tosty


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks for sharing! The Cinnamon Teal is a duck that has captured my interest over the years as well. The very first duck I ever killed was a hen cinnamon teal on youth hunt day. I always enjoyed hunting them during the early season, but I just figured they were all gone by late October and I would never see a mature drake in Utah. That all changed one sunny, late-November day. I was walking back to the truck when a boat scared a whole bunch of ducks overhead. I took two shots at passing flocks (leaving me with one in the gun) when I noticed two cinnamon teal drakes coming my way. I carefully aimed with my last shot and missed. :x From that day on I made it my goal to successfully harvest a mature drake in Utah.

In December 2015, I encountered another flock of cinnamons as it sped by at 40 yards. They came and went so fast I couldn't get a shot off. From there, with some exploration and plenty of help from Fowlmouth, I slowly began to close in on the places Utah Cinnamons like to spend there time. I had one long shot at a flock in January 2016 and missed that as well (but it was more of a hailmary than anything).

Finally, on December 17, 2016, I was able to harvest one feet-down over the decoys. Then, 15 minutes later, I dropped my phone in the water and destroyed all of my pictures of him. O|* That gave me the extra fire I needed to put him in the freezer with plans to mount him (since I need some way to commemorate the day).

It sure was a fun quest. As much as I love a lot of kinds of ducks, I think Cinnamons are may favorite.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Cinnamons are cool little ducks, but not a duck I specifically target. I have never had a hard time finding them. Congrats on your trophy!

Shot these last week.


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## Raptor1 (Feb 1, 2015)

I have been thinking that 70 percent of the ducks are harvested by 30 percent of the hunters and Fowlmouth you definitely are in that 30 percent. I'm still learning and definitely in the 70 percent group getting about 30 percent of the ducks, might be lower for me this year, but I'm going to keep at it and will be out there tomorrow looking for those elusive cinnys. Nice group there. Haven't personally ever got a good drake, but if I had any of those you got it would go on the wall!


Fowlmouth said:


> Cinnamons are cool little ducks, but not a duck I specifically target. I have never had a hard time finding them. Congrats on your trophy!
> 
> Shot these last week.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I think it's OK to mount the bird your friend shot. After all, you were still part of the experience. However, I agree that it would mean even more to you if it was "your" bird. 

It's a nice specimen. I hope it turns out just like you imagined it in your den.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> Cinnamons are cool little ducks, but not a duck I specifically target. I have never had a hard time finding them. Congrats on your trophy!
> 
> Shot these last week.


have you been stealing my pictures again?


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## sketch21 (Jul 11, 2013)

toasty said:


> On the first year of hunting ducks many years ago I came across a beautiful rusty red colored bird. At the time, I was still learning how to identify ducks and thought, that is a cool duck, but figuring I would be shooting many more, he was eaten shortly thereafter. During the following 5 or 6 years, I never happened upon another Cinnamon during my hunting and realized how rare and prized they were. About 6 years ago, I was jumping a small spring in January and peaked around the frag to see at least 6 nice cinny drakes feeding. I watched them for a couple minutes, prepared and made the jump and took down a nice drake. He fell on the first shot and I tried to double and triple up and missed. I spent over 4 hours looking for that first bird and was never able to recover him. It was heartbreaking. I have tried, but not found another Cinnamon to shoot since. I met up with a good buddy last weekend, who went out of his way to put me in a blind with a chance at a cinnamon. We hunted the whole day hoping for a shot, but I was not able to shoot at one that day, but fortune was on my buddy's side and he was able to be in range and drop this bird. It was wonderful to get one back in my hands as a gift.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In the end the memories and experience will mean more, when you look up at that bird on the wall and remember the past hunts with old friends and special "Ducky" days that provide stories never to be forgotten. In this case I think it means far more than "I got it". And who knows, you might get a chance to put another one next to it that you shot.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

goosefreak said:


> have you been stealing my pictures again?


Funny how you guys get them regularly and others hardly ever encounter them. You guys know how to get it done for sure.

Thanks to everyone else for all of their responses, I appreciate the kind words and words of wisdom.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

I see what she is getting at, but I see it a little differently... A gift from a special friend that went out of his way to help you refresh a distant memory therein making the memory behind this particular bird that much richer. He could have kept it and im sure you would have been fine with that, but... One would do well to have more friends such as yours.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I vote for holdng out for a nice specimen you shoot yourself. But I'm not one for mounting a lot of birds. I'd rather take their pictues, since there is a mercury warning on them.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Great pic Jon


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Great pic Jon


Thanks, Jerry. Wait till I get my new lens. Maybe.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Well. Whats the info?


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR. It's out of stock at B&H now, but they should have more soon. Coupla weeks.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

paddler said:


> Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR.


Holy crap, you must really enjoy your hobby!!!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I only got one the other day. Goosefreak was mad at me. I screwed up the GWT pile...


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