We shoot black ducks from late October all the way through late January here in Southeast PA and quite frankly it never gets old. Whether it be an NJ or MD salt marsh or a smaller creek system in PA, it is forever satisfying to decoy them after 5-10 minutes of circling. As someone mentioned they are prone to rice breast but I've had good eating Black Ducks from just about everywhere up and down the coast. Last year we had a terrible duck season in our part of the Atlantic Flyway, if it wasn't for prolific black duck numbers and the increase to 2 per day we wouldn't have had much a season at all. Late season red legged drakes are beautiful, especially contrasted against a backdrop of snow or clear and cold blue skies. This drake came straight through the timber like a mallard during early season last year, banded in New Brunswick 5 years prior.
They do appear to be declining in my area as we used to see them often in TN, but over the years not so much. The last one I took was in the Boston area. He worked into a string of Scoter decoys.
When I moved to central Calif. and was hunting Kesterson refuge the big thing was the Red Head?? I had moved here from So. Cal and always hunted the opener at Baldwin lake {{ before it was treated as a refuge }} and the first two ducks of the opener were always Red Heads. There they were the norm, up here the rarity. As I recall the Blacks are a diver? It's been a while since I last read about them. Same thing with Cinnamon and Blue Wing Teal? Some seasons I had stringers full of them, other seasons none at all? Canvasbacks are rare here too.
We saw and shoot a lot in the 70s and 80s. Last one I got was about 1990. A friend who still duck hunts some says he has seen more lately.
BDM.. The are shy and reclusive ducks. Shot many in North Alabama swamps and backwaters in the 70's and 80'. See very few in Al and AR now. According to AL state biologist there is a area here that is a staging area for black duck breeding groups to stage / pair and migrate.
I love shooting Blacks the most out of any duck.I have been hunting Saginaw Bay for over 50+ years and all I use are Black Duck decoys since about 1969.
Funny reminds me of stories my dad told me about his dog training buddy back in the day. Guys dead now but back when md had a points system he’d shoot every black duck that came in. Was obsessed with em to the point he’d set a spread n go 80 yards down wind n sit just to shoot blacks. My dad always says it’s amazing he never got caught.
