DuckSouth.com

I love to see pictures and read stories of kids hunting so I thought I would share one of my 7 year old from this morning. We live in GA but do a good bit of hunting in Mississippi and Arkansas. My son and I were blessed to have a friend let us hunt a field in Tallahatchie Co earlier this year which was my sons first duck hunt out of the state of GA. We had a great time and he killed his first 3 ducks, all hen shovelers. Actually, the only ducks we killed were shovelers, but it's a trip I will never forget. He wanted to mount one so bad but I told him we will put all the ducks he kills this year in the freezer and at the end of the season we will pick the one that is the best "trophy" and I will get it mounted for him (I am still getting his first duck mounted, he just doesn't know it). Since then, he has killed 2 more ducks before today, both hen woodies. Both times he would say to me "is it a mounter?" when the dog would bring it back. I would say, "another hen, but let's keep at it and you will get you a nice drake." He won't get to go back out west again this year so our only hope to get a duck to mount is in GA which is easier said than done. Duck hunting here is just not good for the most part but we do have some ducks around when the weather is cold up north so all hope was not lost. While out and about yesterday, we saw a couple of ducks on a lake we can hunt. I assumed they were hoodies because I have killed some there before. My son went nuts and some how talked me into setting up this morning on 10 ducks we saw on a 3 acre lake. Well, of course, an hour after daylight, no ducks. I told him it was time to go home to get ready for church and I could tell he was disappointed. All of a sudden, he grabbed his gun and said ducks! Before I could get my gun up he had shot twice and killed one duck dead and knocked another down. I was blown away. The one that was alive was only about 25 yards away so I told him to kill it, which he did. I sent the dog, wondering the entire time she was retrieving what the heck the duck was she was bringing back. I was amazed to see a beautiful hen redhead in my dogs mouth. So, I lined her up to the brush where the other duck fell praying it was the drake. It was, and he is just stunning. When my son got the duck in his hands, he looked at me and said "I think this is a mounter". I could hardly speak. So, he is now getting 3 ducks mounted, his first shoveler and both of these redheads.
I have hunted ducks for 30 years, from Canada to Mexico and a lot of places in between, and I can't think of a better year of hunting that I have had. I have not killed many ducks, but my son has killed 7 and has become one great little duck hunter.
Thanks for reading and take a kid hunting with you when you go. The reward of sharing something like this with a kid is something you will remember forever.

Can someone please tell me if it is normal for a hen redhead to have that much white on its head? I have never seen one colored like this.

That's awesome!!

Great story! Those redheads make really nice mounts. Congrats to the young man as well!!!!

That is a sho-nuff bull on the right!!! Beautiful!

Red heads do make great mounts I've got to of them hanging up in my house great story

Awesome. Can tell I'm getting older this year cause I've passed a many a shots trying to get em right and tight for my 11 yo daughter

Great Story!

That is very uncommon to have white on the head like that on hens, not sure I have seen it before. Likely an older hen.

Jeff wrote: Likely an older hen.

All diver hens seem to get white flecks in their heads as they get older. Seen it in the birds my dad and I have raised in our aviary. Redheads seem to do it the most. While a hen with that much white isn't something you'll see every day or even every season, it happens. They're no doubt mounters not only because they are gorgeous birds in great shape, it's a great way for you and your son to remember the hunt for years to come.

Great picture, great story, great new hunter, great old dog, GREAT DAD.
You should get this picture framed in some barn wood and hang it under the mounts.

Very cool! I can't wait until my boy is old enough to hunt!

Good on that young man! GREAT memories!

Thanks guys. I'm still smiling from ear to ear about this. My son told me this morning that all he needs now is to get a "big, fat mallard" to go with his redheads! I love the fact that he is all about duck hunting, actually, any hunting. I know we will be making memories for many years to come.

man that is a beautiful redhead!

Thats a awsome story man!!! I have never seen a red head hen have that much white on them!!! A little but never that much thats going to be one awsome mount for sure!!!!

Very cool story. Very nice birds too.

It is hard to tell from that pic, but I am pretty sure that is a partial leucistic hen. Look that up on Google and compare it to some of the pics. Should not be as much white as I think I am seeing, even in very old ducks. An occasional feather maybe, but that looks like a bunch of white. Hope it is leucistic, cause that makes it an even cooler mount. I love the idea of that pic under the mounts.