BIG DOG 0360
12-22-2007, 07:45 PM
I shot a hybrid mottled/mallard yesterday ( i say) FWC not so sure. the bird was very small for m/m, about the size of a mature drake wood. it had the orange/black bill of a mallard but all other characteristics of a mottled duck. i was in a very popular area and knew the MAN would show up sooner or later and he did about 10:30. Told him what I had and asked of he could break out his book. :book1: He was amazed how small the bird was and according to his book :book1: the bill was 100% hen mallard. So the bird was a hybrid right:confused::confused:. WRONG!! According to FWC the bird is whatever characteristics are most dominant. Which is usually the double white wing bars for a mallard. If i had shot a true mottled i would have been in trouble unless a biologist could prove otherwise. Both the officer and i aggreed it was a good thing the bird has been removed from the breeding population. The only explanation we could come up with was this bird was problably a young 3rd or 4th generation hybrid (1/4 mallard, 3/4 mottled). I guess this was a good excuse for downing a hen (sorry Delta).