# What is your "Eleanor"?



## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

What is the bird that seems to haunt you, and you just can't get one, or the one you want?

I will start by sharing mine, a drake canvasback. For some reason, even though I have had the opportunities, I can't seem to harvest one. I have shot a hen canvasback before, and been around when others in my group have shot nice drakes, but can never connect myself. I have shot at them many times, even knocked down drakes out of my layout boat, or marsh spreads, and they have dove and gotten away. Yesterday for example, we were absolutely COVERED UP in canvasbacks, so much so that we had to be careful because there were not many other ducks to shoot. We had 6 guys in the blind, and everybody managed to get there's amongst plenty of opportunity. I had a crossing shot on the nicest drake of the day, after everybody else had theirs in the bag, and missed with both barrels. It is like I get buck fever on those birds! I take ethical shots, and try and shoot at them in the decoys, but I think I just get too excited and never shoot well when the opportunity presents itself.

I have been fortuante to have hunted a lot of places, states, and countries even, and cross a lot of species off of my list, but the "King" still eludes me.


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## Gaston (Dec 6, 2008)

I cant get that "mounter" pintail.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

i have 2. a drake cinny teal and a "trophy" spooner (if there really is such a thing) :lol:


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

Hey shaun, I'll take ya out to the place I got my drake cinny and see if we can get you a good one. and yes, I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a "trophy" spooner. lol.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

lookin for a storm widgeon


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Mature spec and a mature long tail are at the top of the list for me. Got a juvenile spec 20 years ago now I need papa. Seen a big old squaw about 15 years ago and just had no way to get a shot opportunity at him........one day though.


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

I have lots of birds still that are on my list to get, but I don't consider them a normal bird for our area. For example, I would still love to harvest a brant, or many of the different sea ducks, and a black duck. However, that is not realistic for around here, except for the very rare lost ones that you hear of every now and then. 

That is to me what makes it an "Eleanor" (reference the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds" if you don't know what that means). I have had chances at cans, and they are a reasonbly harvestable bird in our parts, but for me, I just can't make it happen.

I too would like to get a drake cinny, which I have never shot a nice mature one. The difference there for me between the drake cinny and the drake can, is that I have had lots of close encounters with the can that haunt me, where I haven't even had that with the cinny. It is all those close encounters, near misses, (like the first year they had a reduced season on them, and the pintail split also, and I landed a nice pair of cans in my decoys and thought they were closed, and found out after the fact I was mistaken)etc, that make the drake can my "Eleanor".


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Besides all the sea ducks, I would have to say a drake wood duck. I have been looking for one since I was 12. I would love a real nice wall hanger.


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## Josh Noble (Jul 29, 2008)

Mine...


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Last year I got my 5 off my list. Here's my top two for this year. I hope my trip to minnisota pays off. 
1- spec
2- gray eye brow


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## temproost (Sep 14, 2010)

Snow goose in cache valley, and a mature wood duck


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

Josh Noble said:


> Mine...


Josh,

Good luck shooting one of those around here! Where do you even hunt Barnacle geese??? (that is what those are, right?) I guess you never know, I have heard of mandarin ducks being shot, and my friend shot a paradise shell duck, that I assume were all escaped pets, so anything is possible.


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## SR-1 (Jan 9, 2011)

Mine are mallard pintail hybrid http://www.flywaytaxidermy.com/pages/Hybrids/#
and a ring neck wood duck hybrid.http://www.flywaytaxidermy.com/pages/Hybrids/#


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## Josh Noble (Jul 29, 2008)

gander311 said:


> Josh Noble said:
> 
> 
> > Mine...
> ...


Iceland my friend...


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Mine is a drake Wood Duck or Canvasback. I just can't manage to get either one. 

My dad's are the same. We jumped a drake wood duck off a creek many years ago (when I was too young to hunt) and he missed 3 times.  On another occasion we had one flock of Canvasbacks come by really fast. He aimed for the lead bird (a big, beautiful drake), pulled the trigger, and disappointingly watched as the fifth duck back (a hen), fell to the water.   

We've always had bad luck with those birds.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Drake Canvasback for sure! Can't beat the King.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Gee LeDouche said:


> Hey shaun, I'll take ya out to the place I got my drake cinny and see if we can get you a good one. and yes, I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a "trophy" spooner. lol.


i might take you up on that! ive killed all the other birds that frequent utah, i even got a drake woody and a drake can last year, but have never had an opportunity at a drake cinny... lots of hens tho :lol:

i think a "trophy spooner" would consist of it being banded... ive killed alot of spoonies and none have had bands, so im starting to think there isnt such a thing


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

shaun larsen said:


> i think a "trophy spooner" would consist of it being banded... ive killed alot of spoonies and none have had bands, so im starting to think there isnt such a thing


I know of a couple that friends have shot with bands, so I know they exist.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

ya well.... seeing how ole Mr. Emperor and i have met already... :mrgreen: 8) :O•-:


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Time for a bump. Were any of you able to get your Eleanor this last season? I am still chasing my wood duck.


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## Gunner73 (Dec 3, 2007)

I was able to harvest my first banded goose and my first wood duck..


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

Drake hooded merganser! I've had a dozen in front of the gun over the years and have either passed for one reason or another or missed.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Jeff Bringhurst said:


> Time for a bump. Were any of you able to get your Eleanor this last season? I am still chasing my wood duck.


No wood ducks. I did get a Canvasback a couple of years ago. Lately I've become obsessed with getting a fully plumed cinnamon teal. I went on a scouting trip during the first few days in January, which involved lots of driving and a total of about 9.5 miles walking, and finally happened upon a pocket of them. I wasn't able to get within shotgun range (and if I had I may have been too dumbfounded to shoot anyway). I got back out 3 days later and couldn't find a trace of them. I'm getting closer all the time, though, and that's what makes it so enjoyable.


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## Jrdnmoore3 (Sep 1, 2013)

Took me 12 years to get a pintail never hunted anywhere they came through until this last year and the first one happened to be wall worthy.
View attachment 52497

Next is the wood duck.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Gaston said:


> I cant get that "mounter" pintail.


I second this


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

SR-1 said:


> Mine are mallard pintail hybrid http://www.flywaytaxidermy.com/pages/Hybrids/#
> and a ring neck wood duck hybrid.http://www.flywaytaxidermy.com/pages/Hybrids/#


When I was about 16 I killed the most incredible mallard pintail hybrid and didn't get it mounted. Color me stupid. Had the pintail and mallard curley's and the head/neck was the pattern of a pintail but the head was green colored of a drake mallard. Dangdest looking duck I ever saw.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

nothing come off my list this season. Maybe next year.


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