2023-2024 Pintail Season

[David Gough]

The pintail season was nearly closed for the upcoming waterfowl season across the US. 30,000 birds made the difference:

DU Special Report: Pintails on the Brink | Ducks Unlimited

With a record-low breeding population surveyed last spring, pintails just missed the threshold that would have required a closed season. Following is an update on the status of these highly admired birds

ducks.org

 

[Goodfish]

The pintail season was nearly closed for the upcoming waterfowl season across the US. 30,000 birds made the difference:

DU Special Report: Pintails on the Brink | Ducks Unlimited

With a record-low breeding population surveyed last spring, pintails just missed the threshold that would have required a closed season. Following is an update on the status of these highly admired birds

ducks.org

Dang! They are my absolute favorite duck!

 

[thomas89]

Dang! They are my absolute favorite duck!

Gorgeous and great eating birds!

The pintail season was nearly closed for the upcoming waterfowl season across the US. 30,000 birds made the difference:

DU Special Report: Pintails on the Brink | Ducks Unlimited

With a record-low breeding population surveyed last spring, pintails just missed the threshold that would have required a closed season. Following is an update on the status of these highly admired birds

ducks.org

When I lived in Washington most of the time we were able to pick out nice drakes and passed on dozens every trip out.

I never understood why the limit was 1 nationwide when the pacific flyway was doing incredible for pintail numbers. They limit the mallard take on the Atlantic flyway to two daily, but there in Washington in the Pacific flyway we were allowed a 7 mallard limit.

Oh well, just so long as bird flu outbreaks are lower this next season I’ll be happy (as will the dog).

 

[jeff_gibbons]

My favorite duck. There is no better fowl imo. I’ll happily watch them fly and not shoot if it helps the population as would rather toss my duck guns into the breach than watch them disappear.

 

[Bryerific]

Thanks for sharing that article, I knew they were doing poorly but I didn’t realize how close they were to that threshold. I’ll gladly pass the pintail I see this fall, but that article paints a pretty gloomy picture of the future for pintail…

 

[Bc1992]

I could count on 1 hand how many pintails I’ve seen in Alabama up until about 5 years ago. I see more and more every year. My group was lucky enough to harvest 5 last year which was amazing seeing how we had never killed one prior to that.

 

[David Gough]

Gorgeous and great eating birds!




When I lived in Washington most of the time we were able to pick out nice drakes and passed on dozens every trip out.

I never understood why the limit was 1 nationwide when the pacific flyway was doing incredible for pintail numbers. They limit the mallard take on the Atlantic flyway to two daily, but there in Washington in the Pacific flyway we were allowed a 7 mallard limit.

Oh well, just so long as bird flu outbreaks are lower this next season I’ll be happy (as will the dog).

From mid-November to end of December I can typically shoot my drake every time out. If more hunters didn't shoot hens that may help, but I'm not sure if passing on the species all together would do any good for the population. It's about the hens and their productivity. One of my favorite ducks and the prettiest bird in the marsh to me.