First time over decoys

[TheChad23]

Yesterday morning I got to go out with my brother and my younger cousin to go set up on some decoys and call some ducks in.  Got there half an hour before shooting hours.  Had to carry our canoe and all our decoys about a quater of a mile to the spot we wanted to set up at and when we got there we thought we could break the ice with the canoe but it was too thick.  So we ended up just rolling 6 mallard decoys out onto the ice and laying down in some grass.  We had the best luck early in the morning like instantly when shooting hours hit we had alot of ducks flying over us and seemed really easy to call them in since there wasn't alot of light.  My brother did most of the calling since he has alot of experience but he wasnt able to shoot since he doesn't have his license or a shotgun.  The first four groups of birds to come in I shot at but couldn't hit a thing and my cousin only shot once, he said I shot faster then him and took longer to shoot. Finally the 5th group that came in was a mallard drake and hen, put my bead on the drake and dropped him and he came flying straight at is and my brother went to catch it but decided not to and was happy he didn't because it made a huge thud when it landed.  We plan on going to the other side of the lake where it is melted and I think we'll have alot of shooting chances.

[TheChad23]

First pic was shot over decoys on 1/2.
Second pis was jump shot after coyote hunting today (1/3).

Anyone know what kind the second one is?
Had a golden eye and a white patch before its eye but no greenhead like a Common Goldeneye and looks like a hen to me but I don't think Goldeneye hens have a white patch on their head.

[SurfingScooter]

Maganzer?

[jennyfell55]

I would say it's an immature male goldeneye hitting it's first winter.

[Dhoey07]

With that tail, it looks like a hen ruddy

[270Shooter]

Its an immature drake goldeneye, yummmmm 

[jennyfell55]

With that tail, it looks like a hen ruddy

I thought so too, but the wing is all wrong. Ruddys don't have those white secondary feathers on the wing

[TheChad23]

I'll post a close up of it's face when I get my home computer. Didn't get the best look of the drake that was with it but it looked like a goldeneye drake out of the corner of my eye when aiming but this one was the last one of a group of four. Goldeneye, Mallards, and Bufflehead are the most common I've seen around here especially in the canals.

[vandeman17]

welcome to the addiction my friend. Once you can set up, hide and trick ducks or geese to come into your decoys, you will be hooked. 

[Fowlweather25]

Nice job definitely a juvie goldeneye!

[TheChad23]

Here are the pics. I'm thinking it's a juvenile goldeneye too.

[jennyfell55]

No doubt in my mind Hooray! What do I win? Hehehe