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I can't remember if I posted this a few weeks ago when it happened, but I'm bored so here goes:

Mallards have been flying with gadwalls mixed in all season. 4 ducks start circling the blind and sift in through the tupelo gums.
We shoot a pair of greenheads and the 2 (gadwalls) get out unscathed. I release the dog and I'm about to receive one of the greenheads when my partner says "here they come back!". The Gads circled and came into the dekes a second time after being shot at. He fires and drops one. Dog heads back for another duck, and lo and behold, that last gadwall makes a big circle and comes into the dekes a third time, allowing us to clean up the 4.

Gotta love ducks that let you shoot 'til you win!

Ordinarily I can't stand gadwalls mixed with mallards, because they usually screw things up and pull out taking the mallards with them at the last minute. Gadwalls are also famous for circling until the cows come home. When the cows don't show up they leave.

Anybody else noticed how crazy gadwalls can be?

What I noticed last year was when the mallards would go find gadwalls to fly with them. For about three days I would have groups of mallards to come over and circle. The first ten or so would come in and after shooting, only gadwalls seen on the water. What the mallards will do, especially towards the end of the season, is use the gadwalls as their little bitch, as a buck will do a doe, let them go in first to make sure everything is ok. Greenwing Teal are the world's worst about coming back into the dekes after being shot at, looking for their buddies that didn't make it the first go around.

H2O Dog - Are you using a robo duck? It seems to me that Gadwalls cannot help themselves and will come into a robo duck time after time. They may not be the smartest duck, but you gotta love any duck that gives you a second chance. I know I need all the help I can get. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Last weekend we had a group of 4 gads fly right into the deeks with out making the first pass acted like damn wood ducks.

But for every silver lining there is a cloud...

A lone mallard drake made 1 pass and left...wasn't even interested. P***y must be plentiful, cause those loners usually come on in.

ccd

Yea I've shot greys and had "excapees" return to be killed or atleast shot at. The only bird that is dumber on a more consistent basis in a spooner. For me gads usually circle and circle and circle but I eventually get a shot off. If you want pure-D misery throw in a sprig with your group of ducks. Those pintail turds give you two good looks at most; and those are from no less than 100 feet in the air. They will pull any birds that are flying with them off when they move on. It's quite painful to watch sprigs pull off other ducks.

For the record: I hunt robo-free.

These gads apparently been to a Taliban training camp.

Just my opinion, but you got to call those gads to the water. blowing softly in their face. If you call them like yoiu do greenheads, they will not commit. But don't let up on them, and you can bounce them off the water a couple of times and still get them in. Try it next time you have a group that won't commit. The problem arises when mallards are mixed in. Who do you call? aggresive for the greys, or easier for the mallards. Makes for a fun decision.