LETTERS to the Editor Mottled Duck I READ THE “DON’T SHOOT THE Mottled Duck” article at fishgame.com and appreciate someone getting the word out on a sort of at-risk species. Thanks.
catch your radio program Fridays from 6-7 on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI. Love the show. I caught part of a monologue where you were talking about the real reason you have stayed with Texas Fish & Game for so long. I sure would have loved to have heard all of it.
Taylor Benchley
MALLARD OR MOTTLED?
Making Sure You Don’t Pull the Trigger on the Wrong ‘Mallard’
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’VE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT spot in my heart for the mottled duck. But before I ever heard the name “mottled duck,” hunters talked about “black mallards.” The mottled duck is a native of the Gulf Coast, and it has always symbolized the brackish-intermediate wetland I love so much. As I grew up in Southeast Texas, they were a common sight. Then sometime in my twenties they started to dwindle. Mottled ducks can be difficult to
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distinguish from hen mallards and other species, so there are special harvest rules for these ducks and their hybrids. The state and federal officials call them “dusky ducks” because of their similar appearance but most of these provisions are to protect the mottled duck. According to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials, “Duck hunters in Texas will have to keep an eye peeled for dusky ducks and fingers off the trigger during the first
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HIGH PLAINS MALLARD MANAGEMENT AREA DUSKY DUCK: Nov. 5, 2018 - Jan. 27, 2019
five days of the season again this year, as concern about the mottled duck populations have forced a delay in the harvest. A dusky duck is defined as a mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids.”
The waterfowl conservation community has spent much time studying mottled ducks over the last 10 to 15 years. While I looked over various studies, one particular tidbit caught my attention. The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge began outfitting mottled ducks with transmitters to track their move-
NORTH ZONE DUSKY DUCK: Nov. 15 - 25, 2018 & Dec. 1, 2018 - Jan. 27, 2019 SOUTH ZONE DUSKY DUCK: Nov. 8 - 25, 2018 & Dec. 8, 2018 - Jan. 27, 2019
PHOTOS: CANSTOCK
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ments in the mid 2000s. According to refuge officials, there have been some surprising results. “The results indicate that mottled ducks, which normally avoid open water, have begun spending extended time offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists suspect habitat loss and saltwater intrusion, both a result of coastal development, may be forcing the ducks out of their wetland habitats. Coastal research in other regions shows similar trends, indicating the problem may be more than just local.”
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Marullo Fan
The idea of a puddle duck such as the mottled duck in the open waters of the Gulf seems strange indeed. However, there is still much to learn about this species. This study goes to show why it is important to learn about wildlife habitat and movements.
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“Mallard Matters” Feature from the October Issue.
I JUST READ THE ARTICLE ON MOTtled ducks in Texas and was wondering if you ever hear of anyone shooting a legitimate black duck in Texas.
Is there any way you can give me the long and short of it?
Ross Snyder
Andy Jay
Editor: When I get on a rant on the radio anything can happen so it’s hard to duplicate in print, but here we go. I am a wildlife journalist and have been doing this since I was 19. At this point that is 26 years. I have written for hundreds of publications and did work in newspaper, magazine, on the web, television, radio and on the stage. Besides being the means by which I provide for my family, Texas Fish & Game represents the heart and soul of the great outdoors in Texas. It is modern in thinking, but has the old school true love of the resource that is embedded deep within me. Just the fact they give so many copies of the
Editor: I have not heard of that before but there could have been some killed, and they got lumped in with mottled ducks or Mexican mallards. That is why we have the “dusky duck” category mentioned in the article. I do however know there have been Pacific brants killed near Winnie, TX. I saw the mounts of the birds and interviewed the taxidermist who did the work myself.
Deep Question DEAR CHESTER, I ALWAYS TRY TO 4
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magazine to high school wildlife classes and have been doing it for 25 years is enough to show the owners care, but there is much more. Other than conservation-specific publications, at least since I have been involved, there is no other publication that has printed more in-depth, investigation and pro-conservation pieces than this one. Everyone from the owners to the editor care about all outdoor lovers, not just rich guys who can gallivant around the world. We love them too, but we show just as much love to the little old lady sitting on a white bucket on the side of the road catching catfish. It is about a true celebration of the great outdoors, and that to me is a beautiful thing. Make no mistake, we are in the outdoor business, and this has a lot to do with making a living, but in this industry, I don’t think there is any other place I would be as happy, for the reasons listed above.
JUST WANTED TO SAY I AM A BIG fan of Lou Marullo’s fun-loving and informative writing style. He’s a fun read every month and I have learned a lot about deer behavior by reading his column.
Holly Jenkins Editor: We love Lou too and he is as good a guy as he is a writer. Be on the lookout for lots from Marullo this year.
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