# Should I mount this hen mallard?



## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

I was hoping to get some of your help in making this decision. Don't make fun of me for wanting to get a hen mounted up. I just couldn't help but adore this bird. Maybe it's because I've only been duck hunting for 4 years. I'll give a rant below, but the sum and substance is simply whether this hen is worthy to mount. I have been duck hunting for 4 years now and have taken plenty of mallards, but not as many as most of you, so I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say about this hen. 

This one struck me as absolutely massive, and her plumage looked to me to be excellent (in my limited experience looking at ducks). I could barely get my entire hand around her belly. I had her hanging up for a few days outside the cabin we were staying in, and couldn't help but keep thinking every time I looked at her "man she is just enormous," then yesterday I got to holding her and looking at her more closely to notice her feathers and tail looked magnificent. I spent so much time looking at her that my uncle asked me if I was going insane. 

As far as a mount collection goes, I currently have a woodie drake, buffie drake and hooder merg drake. My next priorities were a super stud mallard drake, pintail drake, and then basically the rest of the puddler drakes in no particular hierarchy. I did have some plans someday on getting drake/hen pairs mounted in the ducks that are regular in my area, which would mean someday I'd want a hen mallard and hen woodie to pair up with my drakes....I don't even have that super stud mallard drake yet, but man I thought this hen would go nicely with him if I end up getting it one day, so maybe I should get her mounted up and wait for that perfect drake? 

What are your thoughts? Is this hen more of a dime a dozen in the late season,or do you think she shines? I put her next to a beer can for size perspective. She is larger than most huge drakes I've seen. 

To boot, there is a bit of sentiment factor in this mount as well, as she was taken from private land that I will likely lose permission to hunt in the near future because it will likely be sold. I've been hunting it for about 10 years with my family, and have had tons of fond memories. I was with my brother and best friend when I took this hen, she came in with the wind directly into my spread and I downed her with a perfect shot, and my 1 year old lab made a perfect, beautiful retrieve. It was textbook, a fond memory indeed. But sentiment completely aside--because I know some of you will say mount if it means a lot to you--but I'd like to just get your input as to the quality of the bird first. 

Thanks!


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Do you know how many times we have said " man! I should have mounted that bird."


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Lamarsh said:


> I was hoping to get some of your help in making this decision. Don't make fun of me for wanting to get a hen mounted up. I just couldn't help but adore this bird. Maybe it's because I've only been duck hunting for 4 years. I'll give a rant below, but the sum and substance is simply whether this hen is worthy to mount. I have been duck hunting for 4 years now and have taken plenty of mallards, but not as many as most of you, so I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say about this hen.
> 
> This one struck me as absolutely massive, and her plumage looked to me to be excellent (in my limited experience looking at ducks). I could barely get my entire hand around her belly. I had her hanging up for a few days outside the cabin we were staying in, and couldn't help but keep thinking every time I looked at her "man she is just enormous," then yesterday I got to holding her and looking at her more closely to notice her feathers and tail looked magnificent. I spent so much time looking at her that my uncle asked me if I was going insane.
> 
> ...


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## Retiredducker (Oct 11, 2011)

Why ask others ? If you like it, have the jack... do it. I would never care what others thought


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

When in doubt whether to mount or not; always mount.

She's a beautiful bird with a great back story.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Retiredducker said:


> Why ask others ? If you like it, have the jack... do it. I would never care what others thought


I know this, I already have the confidence in the story and the sentiment, I just wanted to make sure she really was top notch. I think she is, but I'm not very experienced. I wanted to see what others thought of her. She seems totally massive for a hen. And that tail, man it just struck me as really nice, but maybe I haven't seen enough later season mallards? I'm just not sure.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

TNL said:


> When in doubt whether to mount or not; always mount.
> 
> She's a beautiful bird with a great back story.


Thanks! Do you think she is right up there with as good as hen mallards get as far as size and plumage go?


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Lamarsh said:


> Thanks! Do you think she is right up there with as good as hen mallards get as far as size and plumage go?


Yep!


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## ohhiitznik (Jul 15, 2010)

I'd mount that mammoth mallard


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## duckaddict (Sep 23, 2014)

Absolutely mount it! My
goal is to get a hen (like that) and mount it above my drake I got mounted this year. So when you get your stud drake, mount them together! Just an idea.


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## woody95 (Jan 4, 2008)

Mount it with intension to pair it with drake. I like that curved flying mount with the two.


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## countryboy17 (Nov 25, 2010)

Do you have a picture of the wing extended? Almost looks like a black duck to me


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## Lurker (Jan 25, 2009)

rather see it in a pan then on the wall.
and that in no way is a criticism of anyone else's choice on mounting a bird.
I just like to eat.


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## Lurker (Jan 25, 2009)

countryboy17 said:


> Do you have a picture of the wing extended? Almost looks like a black duck to me


wrong color bill for a black


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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

countryboy17 said:


> Do you have a picture of the wing extended? Almost looks like a black duck to me


Seriously???


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## countryboy17 (Nov 25, 2010)

waterfowlhunter83 said:


> Seriously???


I may be wrong but most hen mallards ive shot have a more orange bill and the blacks have a more olive green bill. Theres two blacks we got in this picture and two hen mallards and i think that duck resembles the blacks more. Its still a nice bird either way congrats!


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## Cobb1973 (Oct 21, 2011)

Look at her eyes does she have distinct black lines through them .can't tell from pics .but looks like a top notch hen to me!


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

It could be a coot, and if it brings back the memory of a golden hunt each time you look at her through the years she is special ; get the dang thing mounted!

(I'm no authority but she looks real nice to me.)


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## flighthunter (Nov 21, 2005)

Just my opinion....I've mounted a few ducks, for the money I've found a few pictures serve the same purpose. I.e. you next to dog w duck in mouth. It sounds like you are set on a mount and have a nice collection going so far. But for me as time has passed, the mounted birds lose meaning and have ended up in the basement collecting dust. I think it's more of the duck hunter life cycle view point as far as where I'm coming from. 

It's a nice bird no doubt.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

duckaddict said:


> Absolutely mount it! My
> goal is to get a hen (like that) and mount it above my drake I got mounted this year. So when you get your stud drake, mount them together! Just an idea.


That's the plan brother!


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

just ducky said:


> I respectfully disagree. The Canvasback that I previously mentioned, which was not a primo drake...I knew that...was scoffed at by the taxi I took him to (who by the way is a well-respected, award-winning taxi). He said something like "it's not a very good bird to mount", to which I said "it is to me". Yeah, taxi's know their critters. But mounting this particular bird, albeit not prime, was purely about the hunt, and it's on my wall and reminds me every day of that hunt.
> 
> This is it...I still love it!


Now who was it up there that was saying you should think twice about decorating your house with dead stuff!?! I love the way mounts look when properly placed on a wall, especially with certain colors and such. This is a great can. I'd be hard pressed to avoid mounting my first can, which I have yet to get.


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## jwinks (Mar 20, 2014)

I shot a can on my third day duck hunting in a marsh in central michigan, all I had shot before that was wood ducks. Unfortunately its face was pretty much blown off, although it saved me 300 dollars.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Lamarsh said:


> Now who was it up there that was saying you should think twice about decorating your house with dead stuff!?! I love the way mounts look when properly placed on a wall, especially with certain colors and such. This is a great can. I'd be hard pressed to avoid mounting my first can, which I have yet to get.


Thanks for the compliment on the colors, etc. I actually built that room in my basement...my man cave, and I kind of dreamed the entire color scheme up one day while out in the marsh. It really sets off mounts, art work, etc.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

just ducky said:


> Thanks for the compliment on the colors, etc. I actually built that room in my basement...my man cave, and I kind of dreamed the entire color scheme up one day while out in the marsh. It really sets off mounts, art work, etc.


I like that teal/turquoise. Definitely looks good with mounts. I think my old lady wanted to paint our bedroom that color and I said no haha. My mounts are also in my basement, which I'd say is my man cave, but really most of my house is my man cave. I'm lucky, my girlfriend likes living in man caves. The walls in my basement are dark grey, but I'm thinking of repainting it a hunter green, although I want to paint it SPARTAN GREEN, but I might just settle on a hunter green, which is sort of a shade of SPARTAN GREEN. I think that should compliment the mounts as well.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

You guys are lucky. I had to build an entire building for all my crap. Wall color is a pretty minor struggle.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Lamarsh said:


> I like that teal/turquoise. Definitely looks good with mounts. I think my old lady wanted to paint our bedroom that color and I said no haha. My mounts are also in my basement, which I'd say is my man cave, but really most of my house is my man cave. I'm lucky, my girlfriend likes living in man caves. The walls in my basement are dark grey, but I'm thinking of repainting it a hunter green, although I want to paint it SPARTAN GREEN, but I might just settle on a hunter green, which is sort of a shade of SPARTAN GREEN. I think that should compliment the mounts as well.


funny about the Spartan green thing...right after I finished the room (which also has my football watching tv, etc) I had a friend over to watch a game, who is a huge Sparty, and his first words were "you got the wrong shade of green"  I just think that teal color is really sharp with woodwork, mounts, art, etc.


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## mikecatt13 (Dec 16, 2014)

Do it, I am partial because my taxidermy addiction could be worse than my decoy addiction lol but you can never go back in time should you kick yourself in the ass for not mounting it. The way I look at it is throw down the $100 deposit, save a fee bucks here and there for when your pick it up in 6 months and enjoy the animal and memories for a lifetime


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## gotmygreens (Dec 17, 2008)

countryboy17 said:


> Do you have a picture of the wing extended? Almost looks like a black duck to me


That's no black duck


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

gotmygreens said:


> That's no black duck


when i first seen the pic my first thoughts were black also...so hes not all that crazy for thinking that. I think its a bad pic thats throwing it off. the bill is not orange (probably due to days old) and the body is dark...the bird is super large. So saying its 100% hen just because feathers/wing bars don't match up isn't always true...its just how you make the final call.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> when i first seen the pic my first thoughts were black also...so hes not all that crazy for thinking that. I think its a bad pic thats throwing it off. the bill is not orange (probably due to days old) and the body is dark...the bird is super large. So saying its 100% hen just because feathers/wing bars don't match up isn't always true...its just how you make the final call.


The speculum would have given it away, but I didn't include that in any of the pics, but I did include a pic of the belly, which was very light. Aren't black ducks bellies really dark? Or am I off on this one? I thought the big distinction between hen mallard and black duck was speculum (no large white bars on top and below blue on speculum on black duck), and belly (dark belly on black, light on mallard hen). I thought the beak thing was sort of harder to distinguish than using the speculum and belly.....


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

everything in your post is true...just initially when i looked at pic it didn't strike me as pure hen mallard. as i said the bird might be old (from hanging before cleaning) and lost bill pigment/foot pigment, picture not in good light etc...yes blacks have darker body...some darker than others...same with hens, different variances of course. Just saying i can see someone taking that picture and jumping to conclusing without really looking at the details.

btw, back on topic, i wouldn't mount it. I don't think its a good specimen. but that's for my own selfish reasons...i like my birds to be perfect before i mount for aesthetic reasons....i have to look at it on the wall every day of my life.


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## jwinks (Mar 20, 2014)

After all this, are you gonna mount it? We all have a lot invested in your duck now. Lol.


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## dpmcgarr (Oct 27, 2013)

This story came to mind when I was in the marsh yesterday. It was just my 1yo black lab Piper and myself. This is our first dog and I've been training her myself. She will retrieve all day, but would be picky about grabbing a duck. 

Back to the hunt, I had two birds coming right into the decoys and I pull up, shoot and miss my first shot, shoot again and both fold up dead!!! I've never killed two with one shot.

So I send Piper out and I walk out with her. She swam to the first bird and nudged it then went to the second and picks it up for her first retrieve!!!

They were two hen mallards, nothing special about how they looked, but the story was special to me. If the budget wasn't tight I would get a dead mount done.


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