Duck Hunting Guides and Outfitters – Trips and Guided Hunts

Baldpate Ducks or American Wigeon Duck: The baldpate duck, Mareca Americana, is a North American species that breeds from sub-arctic regions in western Canada south into the northwestern Canada south into the northwestern and north central United States. This waterfowl has been witness from Long Island south to the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. The species is vegetarian and is an excellent waterfowl game bird and offered by many hunting guides and outfitters in many areas like Missouri, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Arizona among others.

Black Ducks: The black duck, Anas rubripes, with its dark, sooty coloration and white wing linings, is unmistakable in flight. The sexes are similar in color and both have a dark plumage with a yellow-brown head and a metallic, violet wing patch. This species breeds in northern Canada and winters through the eastern and central United States, south to the Gulf of Mexico. Duck hunts are popular in Manitoba Canada, Maryland, South Carolina, Minnesota, Maine, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, and New Hampshire to name a few places that sportsmen plan trips to for this game bird.

Bufflehead Duck: The bufflehead, or butterball, Bucephala albeola, is one of the smallest ducks. It breeds in subarctic America and winters from the Great Lakes and southern Canada south of the gulf of Mexico and into Mexico. States like Texas, Minnesota, Arkansas, Maine, Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, and Washington are a few areas that duck hunts are popular in. British Columbia, Canada, is also a good place to plan out a duck hunting trip. Only the hunting guides and outfitters themselves can let you know if they offer this type of duck.

Canvasback Ducks: The canvasback duck, Aythya valisineria, breeds in northwestern America, where it nests among the reeds or grasses along water, and winters, throughout most of the United States and south into Mexico. A favored game bird for an outfitter or guide to offer their clients, the canvasback has been greatly reduced in number through hunting. States like Nebraska, California, Iowa, Arkansas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Tennessee, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York have specific hunting regulations that help this game birds numbers.

Eider Duck: There are four species of eider ducks and it is placed in the genera Sumateria, Polysticta {two species}, and Lampronetta. They are large ducks that occur along arctic and sub-arctic coasts and islands of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and are so hardy that they scarcely reach temperate waters, even in winter. Males have a beautiful, mainly white plumage set off by black or such colors as pink, sea green, or gray blue. Females are chiefly brown barred with black. The female common eider of the North Atlantic, S. mollissima, is the source of eider down which is used for filling pillows and quilts because of its lightness and elasticity. The female plucks the down from her breast to line the nest and it is collected from nests. A duck hunting outfitter or guide in areas like Maine, Alaska, Vermont, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire are more then willing to help sportsmen plan out guided trips for this game bird.

Gadwall Duck: The gadwall, Anas strepera, breeds in southwestern Canada and the northern United States and winters in the southern states and throughout most of Mexico where many outfitters whom offer duck hunts and trips can be found. The male is slender and mainly gray with a white belly, a black rump, and a white patch on the hind edge of the wing. The female is a mottled brown. It is a vegetarian species and is a popular game bird in Louisiana, Texas, South Dakota, Utah, Kansas, Hawaii, Ohio, and Minnesota along with many other states that allow duck hunting trips to their area.

Goldeneye Ducks: The two species of goldeneye ducks are placed in the genus Bucephala. The common goldeneye, B. clangula, breeds in northern regions of both the Old and New worlds and winters in temperate regions. The male is mostly white with a black back, white markings on the wings, and a puffy, green-glossed, black head with a large white spot between the eye and bill. The female is gray with a dark-brown head. Barrow’s goldeneye, B. islandica, breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and the mountains of northwestern America. Males are similar to the common goldeneye but the head is purple glossed, there is more white in the wings, and the face patch is crescent-shaped. These game birds can be found in areas like South Carolina, Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, and many others. A phone call to a duck hunting guide in these areas can help you decide which states is most likely going to fit your needs on your next duck hunting trip.

Mallard Duck: The mallard, Anas plathyrhynchos, breeds in subarctic and temperate regions of both the Old and New worlds, and winters as far south as northern Africa and India, southern China, Japan, southern Mexico, and Florida. This duck is the ancestor of most domestic ducks and is one of the best-known waterfowl game birds in the world. So it is not surprising to find this game bird in areas like Illinois, California, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, South Dakota, Utah, Georgia, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Connecticut, and Louisiana to name a few.

Mandarin Duck: The mandarin, Aix galericulata, is found in temperate regions of eastern Asia. The mandarin is called a perching duck and it nests in trees.

Merganser Duck: The several species of merganser are placed in the genera Lophodytes and Mergus. They are fish-eating, sea ducks with narrow, toothed bills that drive and pursue fish under water. Most breed in temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and winter in southern regions throughout the world. Three species of this duck are found in the United States and are offered by some duck hunting guides and outfitters. The male common merganser, M. merganser, is mostly white, with a black back, a green-black head, and a delicate peach tinge on the breast. The female is gray with a crested, rufous-red head. The red-breasted merganser, M. serratorL. cucullatus, is black and white and has a large fan-shaped crest which it can spread at will. The female is ducky brown with a small, buffy crest. Duck hunting states like New Hampshire, California, Idaho, Alabama, Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia, and Nebraska can be great places to find a good duck guide or outfitter to help you plan a trip.

Muscovy Ducks: The bulky, black and white muscovy duck, Cairina moschata, is a native of the New World tropics, ranging from Mexico to Brazil. It differs from other ducks in several ways – it has a definitely greater wing development, more skeletal strength, a longer body and tail, and a red, comb-like growth not found in other ducks. The species has been successfully domesticated and produces a fine-grained quality of meat.

Oldsquaw ducks: The oldsquaw, Clangula hyemalis, is a long-tailed species found throughout the southern Northern Hemisphere. It breeds in the Arctic and winters along salt waters in the northern United States, occasionally as far south as California and Florida. Males are largely white with black wings and a broad, black band across the under-parts. Females are similar but darker and they have no band. They feed on shellfish and are not edible game birds. Kansas is among some of the states that you can find this waterfowl.

Pintail ducks: The pintail duck, Anas acuta, is easily recognized by its needle-pointed tail. It breeds in arctic and north temperate regions and winters south into the southern United States like the area of Texas, Virginia or even Illinois you can find duck hunting outfitters and guides along with other parts of the world like northern South America, and India. Other states that have Pintail duck hunting guides and outfitters are Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas,

Pochard duck: Pochard ducks are an Old World diving duck, and is related to the canvasback and redhead. The common pochard of Europe, Aythya ferina, is intermediate in appearance between the redhead and canvasback. It is found from the British Isles to central Siberia, and it winters in India and along the Nile River. The nest is built over water in a dense growth of reeds or other water vegetation.

Redhead ducks: The redhead duck, Aythya Americana, is a North American species that breeds in southwestern Canada and the western United States, and winters in the southern states and northern Mexico. It somewhat resembles the canvasback but has a shorter bill and a higher forehead. The male is gray with a red-brown head and neck and a black breast. The female is brownish. In the west it inhabits prairie sloughs and lakes, but in the east it also frequents salt water. Areas like; Utah, Nevada, Kentucky, California, South Dakota, North Dakota, New York, Wisconsin, and West Virginia are home to this waterfowl game bird. Finding a good duck hunting outfitter or guide in these areas is a must if you want your next trip to be one to remember.

Ruddy ducks: The ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis, is the only North American species that cannot walk on the land. The male is rusty red with white cheeks and a dark cap, and habitually cocks the large tail upright. The female is a brownish gray. It breeds in northwestern Canada and the far western United States including Arizona, and winters through the Pacific states and along the Atlantic coast.

Scaup duck: The two species of scaup ducks are placed in the genus Aythya. The greater scaup, A. marila, is whitish with a black rump, a black head glossed with green, and a broad, white strip on the hind edge of the wing. It breeds in arctic and temperate regions throughout the world. In the United States it is almost restricted to the West and Northwest. Some of these areas are; Utah, California, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan, and Arkansas. The lesser scaup, A. affinis, is of a similar coloration but it has the head glossed with dull purple. Its range is similar to that of the greater scaup. This game bird can be great fun on a duck hunt.

Scoter duck: The scoters are large sea ducks. There are four species placed in the genera Melanitta and Oidemia. They breed in sub arctic and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and winter offshore in China, Japan, California, the Carolinas, and the Mediterranean. Three species are found in the United States; the velvet scoter, M. fusca, is European. The males of the American species are heavy and blackish in color. The white-winged scoter, M. deglandi, is black, marked with white below the eye and a square, white patch on the hind edge of the wing. The surf scoter, M. perspicillata, is black marked with white patches on the head and neck. The common scoter, O. nigra, is the only entirely black North American duck. All have bright-colored, knobbed bills, and feed mainly on sea mollusks. Washington, Delaware, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are a few areas in the USA that are home to the Scoter duck. It is a good game bird for a trip or guided hunt.

Shelduck ducks: The numerous species of shelduck are widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World. It is a large surface-feeding duck, sometimes known as a Sheldrake.

Shoveler ducks: All shovelers have a large, shove-like bill. Of the four species, only one, Spatula clypeata, is found in America; the others are found in Australia, New Zealand, South America, or Africa. The American shoveler breeds in temperate and subarctic regions of both the Old and New worlds and winters in northern Africa, India, China, Japan, the southeastern United Sates, and northern South America. The male is largely black and white with the belly and sides reddish, the breast white, a black,, green-glossed head, and a pale blue patch on the fore wing. The female is mottled brown with a blue wing patch. Northern Shoveler ducks can be found in areas like Kansas and California.

Steamer ducks: The four species of this large diving duck of southern South America are classified in the genus Tachyeres. Three species are flightless and one of these, T. leucocephalus, was not discovered until 1981. Steamers are named for their habit of running on the water surface with wings thrashing like the paddle wheels of a steamer. Utah has a few areas that are home to this waterfowl.

Teal ducks: There are about 15 species of teal duck that are distributed throughout the world. The best known is the green-winged teal, Anas carolinensis, which breeds in temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere and winters almost throughout the United States, which include Montana, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and into Mexico. The male is a beautiful, small, gray bird with a green patch on the chestnut-colored head, and a conspicuous, metallic-green patch on the wing. The female is brown-speckled with a green wing patch. The cinnamon teal, A. cyanoptera, is chestnut colored with a bluish wing patch. This game bird is offered by many duck hunting guides and outfitters.

Tree ducks: There are eight speices of the tree duck, and this group is apparently most closely related to the geese. Tree ducks, or whistlers, are found in tropical regions throughout the world and in some parts of the temperate zones. They have long necks, long legs, and feet that enable them to perch in trees, but few ever do. The plumage color consists of combinations of browns, gray, chestnut, black, and white. In the United States the black-bellied tree duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis, is found in southern Texas. The fulvous tree duck, D. bicolor, is found from central California to southwestern Louisiana, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Wigeon ducks: The three species of wigeon are placed in the genus Mareca. The American wigeon, commonly known as baldpate, is discussed above. The European wigeon, Mareaca Penelope, breeds in northern Eurasia and winters as far south as northern Africa and India. It may wander to the United States in areas like Hawaii. The male is gray and resembles the American wigeon, but has a buffy crown and reddish-brown head. The third species, M. sibilatrix, is found in southern South America.

Wood ducks: The wood duck, aix sponsa, also known as summer duck, bridal duck, and wood widgeon, is one of the most beautiful North American game birds. The plumage of the male is a highly iridescent combination of green, purple, black, white, and bronze-blue. The female is similar but duller and has a white eye ring. Both sexes have a well-developed crest. The wood duck prefers woodland ponds and forest-bordered streams where it nests in a hole in a tree or stump, from which the young drop directly into the water or onto the ground. It feeds mainly on nuts. The wood duck breeds from southern Canada throughout the United States, except in the western prairies and plains, and winters in the Deep South. This species was much reduced in number and in 1918 it was placed under government protection. It has become numerous once again. A good duck hunting guide or outfitter is a must on a trip, and many can be found in the following areas: New Mexico, South Dakota, South Carolina, North Dakota, Kansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Wisconsin are some of the states that you can plan out a duck hunting trip to.

Wild Duck