shot my first hooded merganser. how common?

[wrangler]

i shot a hooded merganser tonight, its my first one. iv dumped many commons in the basin but never seen anything like this little guy, its like a buffle head on steroids! im contemplating havin a mount done. how common are the nice drakes like this one on the west side? you cant see from the pic but he has GREAT coloring on his back, nice white stripes with lots of brown under the wings. super pretty!  btw, also got a mallard (came in as a single) and 2 widgeon. best afternooon yet!

edit: i uploaded it on photobucket instead of the verizon picture album thing... maybe this will work.

 

[7mmfan]

NO pics bud, couldn't see anything. If it is indeed a hooded merganser drake then they are WAY too common in most Puget Sound river systems. See more of them up river then you do in the estuaries.

[ducksdoom12]

they like to hang out in rivers and ditches. i have one now that is giving me a run for my money, got a shot at him about 3 weeks ago but flinched as i was pulling the trigger because i realized i still had my full choke in and i did not want to obliterate it, then the river came up so he left the area for a while, then yesterday he was back and when i went and got my gun and came back he was sitting in a spot where the window of opertunity to take a smaller then my shot pattern so i was forced to watch them (drake and hen) fly away i did not take a shot so hopefully they will be back soon and i made a path through the blackberry bushes so i can get a shot off if he sits it the same spot again
gotta love a good chalange every once in a while, it will make the mount that much better when i finally get him

[big J]

we shot a pair last year in the same morning different passes though got them in the freezer was thinking of getting them mounted

[adam.WI]

shot a few last year, they make for a great mount

[pjb3]

I mounted my last one I shot, makes a great mount.

[Shootmoore]

I grew up on a hatchery in eastern WA, before they quit letting them shoot.  enuf said.

Shootmoore

[BigGoonTuna]

NO pics bud, couldn't see anything. If it is indeed a hooded merganser drake then they are WAY too common in most Puget Sound river systems. See more of them up river then you do in the estuaries.

don't see many hooded mergansers, all kinds of commons around though.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 We shoot a ton of them on the west side, worst tasting duck I've ever had, but like was said also one of the coolest mounts you can do.

[jordano]

see quite a few of them on the columbia from spanish castle up to brewster. little buggers scare ya when you think they are actually a duck 

[wrangler]

shot a hen tonight... gonna get the pair mounted. was funny, i wasn't gonna mount the drake unless i had a nice hen to match, sure as hell... wrapped him up nice and tight and threw him in the freezer last night hopin i could get somethin out of him, since i didn't get the meat, merganser or not...  should make a great mantle peice! i'll be sure to post a pic what i get em back.

[hunterbuilder]

My very first duck was a hen hooded merganser! We weren't sure what kind it was after I shot it and had to look it up. This was in Skagit Co.

[pjb3]

Did you want to mount it yourself? I can teach you if you have the place to do it. I am wanting to do some but have no place at the present time as I live with a friend.

[pjb3]

Here is a mount I did of a hoody