# Goldeneyes?



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Duckman Racing said:


> Is that a band on that hen's leg?
> 
> I really enjoy late season goldeneye hunts, love hearing those whistling wings coming from a mile away. But I do have to say, as cool as the drakes are, the hen goldeneye has to be the ugliest duck out there. :lol:


Yep, banded. I've shot a gawd awful number of eyes hunting without a band and the only eye pic I've ever taken with the camera and it's banded. Just my luck.


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## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

TSS Caddis said:


> I agree with Timber. Anyone can kill a few here and there that barrel right in, but targeting them and putting a whooping on them is not an easy task unless you are on the X or have an A game.
> 
> When you do get flight eye's down in large flocks, there is nothing cooler than seeing tiny specs way up seemingly drop straight down to the spread.
> 
> If I could only hunt 1 species of ducks the rest of my life it would be golden eyes. Just a bad ass bird.


Looks like that hen is wearing some jewelry! Edit: And it looks like someone beat me to it! :lol:


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## mbatson (Oct 10, 2010)

Those are some of the coolest pics I've seen in a while. I would have those framed throughout my whole house 


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## lab1 (Aug 31, 2004)

G.E. will stay on the local river as long as there is open water. Seen them in feb many times.


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## Flints Finest (Jul 24, 2010)

Gene, that pic of the banded bird is just a little overexposed, I'm sure you know but thought I'd point it out.


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## 2shorthairs (Oct 24, 2011)

We killed a drake goldeneye this weekend along with a bluebill and some buffies.But we also shot greenwings and nice drake mallard and saw some woodies all on the same lake. Quite a mixed bag!


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Why would you shoot those goldeneyes when there's a perfectly swat-able merg behind them? Great pictures.


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## bayman160 (Oct 6, 2010)

Love hunting the eyes. Several years ago we hunted Thanksgiving weekend on Thomas point. We were on the x that weekend. Had a blast shooting them. A few years before then we even got into Borrowers Golden Eyes. Sweet looking birds.


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## mintgreenwalleyemachine (Jan 18, 2005)

Whistlers and darts are fun to shoot!!




"StinkFinger"


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

TSS Caddis said:


> More diver pics from last fall.


Where were these pictures taken at? The picture of the greaters on the water kicks ass 

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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

bayman160 said:


> Love hunting the eyes. Several years ago we hunted Thanksgiving weekend on Thomas point. We were on the x that weekend. Had a blast shooting them. A few years before then we even got into Borrowers Golden Eyes. Sweet looking birds.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Don't know if infamous spellchecker gotcha there, that would be Barrow's golden eye if I recall.

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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

Barrow's is typically a western Pacific flyway bird with some very limited population in the extreme ne shoreline from this map.


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## Gill'in time (Apr 20, 2012)

mintgreenwalleyemachine said:


> Whistlers and darts are fun to shoot!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not so sure I would have been proud to post that pic &#128541; hope your garden will benefit from it lmao


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Gill'in time said:


> Not so sure I would have been proud to post that pic &#128541; hope your garden will benefit from it lmao


What's wrong with a good merg/eye shoot?


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## Gill'in time (Apr 20, 2012)

Nothing wrong jus ruffling some feathers is all I know on a slow day I've thinned the heard ! How u like that layout? Much room in it ?


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

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## ShootSkybusters (Jan 7, 2005)

Did see a flock of 15 juvy g-eyes in the NELP this wknd. Thought it was touch early, but also noticed more dandy drake buffies up there too so it's an odd one so far. Have to agree with others here - numbers of buck whistlers decoying from above is about the pinnacle of waterfowling for me. Big, fast birds that are not as dumb as most think who pull in the straggling juvy into their puddler spread. Good trick is to pile up a slew of off species to get their attention up front and personal, then toss 4-8 easily recognizable mega drake dekes off to the side to pull their skittish eyes off you and on the target blocks when it counts. 3 more weeks, and we'll be whacking stacks of these, the smartest black-and-white-and-fast-all-overs going!


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## mintgreenwalleyemachine (Jan 18, 2005)

TSS Caddis said:


> What's wrong with a good merg/eye shoot?


Like!


"StinkFinger"


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## mwakely (Jan 7, 2004)

I target Goldeneyes because they taste so good!


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## WoW. (Aug 11, 2011)

TSS Caddis said:


> What's wrong with a good merg/eye shoot?


 

The meal


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## bigfishcatcher3 (Nov 26, 2010)

What kind of bird is this one? 

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## duckhtr213890 (Feb 9, 2008)

bigfishcatcher3 said:


> What kind of bird is this one?
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L900 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Drake common merganser


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## Duckman Racing (Oct 11, 2004)

bigfishcatcher3 said:


> What kind of bird is this one?
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L900 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


 That would be a drake common merganser, also known as a lawn dart, or a mergatroid.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Duckman Racing said:


> That would be a drake common merganser, also known as a lawn dart, or a mergatroid.


Or as Phil Robertson likes to call them a Meganeezer.


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## bigfishcatcher3 (Nov 26, 2010)

Different than the ones dead ones on the layout boat with the brown heads?

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## Duckman Racing (Oct 11, 2004)

bigfishcatcher3 said:


> Different than the ones dead ones on the layout boat with the brown heads?
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L900 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Same thing, except those are hens.


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## bigfishcatcher3 (Nov 26, 2010)

Gotcha. Thanks

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## Contender (May 18, 2004)

Timber said:


> ? Have u really ever targeted GE?. Because in my experience, its the exact opposite, with GE. I think your confused lol.
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


No - I don't target them, specifically. HATE cleaning them. Usually we let em pass, but some days,....don't hold back on a few.

I have not had issues with them decoying into the layout rig though. (BB, RH and Can decoys). We have shot plenty over the years, and will mount a nice drake one day.


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## dkirs (Aug 14, 2013)

Im heading down to st clair saturday and wouldnt mind getting into some ge. its a little early yet but were going to pickup a layout boat and figured we'd give er a try! bring on the divers


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

I'm an equal opportunity duck, dart or scoter killer. 21 of them despicable GE in this pile. Was one of the funniest hunts I've been on. Can't wait for their arrival.


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## weiss (Dec 1, 2008)

Nothing wrong with a good goldeneye shoot.

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## mintgreenwalleyemachine (Jan 18, 2005)

A few more! 


"StinkFinger"


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## Gill'in time (Apr 20, 2012)

mintgreenwalleyemachine said:


> A few more!
> 
> 
> "StinkFinger"


I just think u may put a Hurting on the lawn darts if u keep that up,btw have u got stock in shell company? &#128541;nice job !


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## GoneFishin (Jan 11, 2001)

Nuttin wrong with GE they all taste the same when made into sausage sticks, dunno about them lawn darts tho'.  

Divers, geese, and some puddlers make it to the sausage pile. Teal and woodies never make the pile they're usually in the stir fry pan shortly after they're shot.


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## duckhtr213890 (Feb 9, 2008)

They all taste good in the fajitas


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## Contender (May 18, 2004)

I do have to bump up the GE one spot "less dumb" on the list. 

Forgot about Scoters ...they share the bottom with Old Squaws.


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