Ruddy Duck
A few iconic features of the Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) are their stiff, upright, black tail while in the water, their bright blue bill (during breeding season), and a neck that is almost as wide as their head. The mid-section of the body is a ruddy brown during the breeding season. Their coverts are the same color as the body, the speculum is gray, and the primaries have brown on one side of the feather and gray on the other side. The drakes also display a black cap on top of the white plumage covering the rest of the bright white face. Females have the same general plumage on the head with dark gray crown. Remaining plumage is a lighter gray/brown. The characteristic bill on the hen ranges from a muted blue to a slate gray coloring. During The North American duck season, ruddy ducks are best described as drab brown stiff-tailed ducks.
Available Hunts
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Mexico Duck Hunting Mazatlan
Mexico duck hunting Mazatlan ("honeymoon duck hunt") is the South-of-the-border duck hunting experience that surpasses all others.
...read moreMexico Duck Hunting Mazatlan is the easiest duck hunt you’ll ever get your wife onboard with because she’ll have just as much fun. Win-win duck hunting vacation as ever existed.
- Honeymoon duck hunting, non-hunting spouses welcomed, their lodging included
- January through mid-March (Valentine’s Day always sells-out first!)
- Resort Hotel lodging, guaranteed ocean front balcony
- Over 15 trophy duck species including Cinnamon Teal
- Generous 20-duck daily bag limits
- Many fun non-hunting activities
Rate: $3,770 and up -
Mexico Duck Hunting Obregon
Inclusive Mexico duck hunting combo for real duck hunters includes everything except ammo, minimal optional extras. Come see why clients LOVE it!
...read moreMexico duck hunting combo in Obregon is an action-packed “real duck hunters duck hunt” for ducks, doves, options for trophy bass fishing and quail.
- Inclusive package, no hidden fees
- Trophy duck species for nearly all Central and Pacific flyway species to include cinnamon teal, Mexican mallard, more!
- Generous bag limits
- Elegant and Gambel’s quail, trophy largemouth bass fishing options
- Premium, 9-bedroom estancia and unequalled guest services
- Featured – Wildfowl, World of Beretta, MOJO TV, Outdoor Life, NRA Hunter, more
Rate: $4,380 -
Mexico Duck Hunting Sonora
Mexico Duck Hunt package INCLUDES EVERYTHING but ammo and getting there, and is intended for private groups of 4-7 hunters.
...read moreMexico Duck Hunting Sonora Combo was developed at the request of many repeat clients who wanted to enjoy morning Mexican duck hunting, afternoon dove hunts, with their own exclusive groups. There are no other Mexico duck hunts like this.
- All-inclusive package, no hidden fees
- 4-night, 3-day packages, January-February
- For private groups of 4-7 hunters
- Morning duck hunts, afternoon dove hunts
- Premium, 4-bedroom estancia, all bedrooms with ensuite facilities
- Includes everything but the ammo you shoot and getting there
- Generous limits, excellent waterfowl species selection
Rate: $3,580 -
New England Sea Duck Hunting
World renown for its eider hunting, New England waterfowling offers an incredible change of scenery and is an excellent place to check off lots of North America waterfowl species. RPM Outdoors specializes in making your hunt priorities a reality.
...read more- 17+ years experience for eiders, other sea ducks, divers, dabblers, mergansers, geese
- Best place in US to harvest prime American black ducks
- Customized hunt plans reflect hunter priorities, not a “one size fits all” type 1/2-day hunt
- Includes hotel accommodations, full-day hunting, continental breakfasts, made-to-order lunches
- Recognized as foremost among US waterfowl collectors and taxidermists
- Nearby non-hunting spouse activities abound
Rate: $1,950 for 3-day inclusive package
The ruddy duck has a unique breeding ecology, not achieving breeding plumage until spring and well beyond North American duck hunting seasons, which cease in late-January. During the breeding season, drake ruddy ducks color up brightly, becoming fiercely territorial. One male per small pond entertains female candidates with elaborate display rituals that include using water to create drumming sounds against their chest.
Ruddy Ducks are residents to the west coast of the United States and Mexico, and are one of the more aggressive duck species, especially during the breeding season; will fight off other waterfowl species, as well as other members of their own species. While being native to the Americas, the Ruddy Duck has a presence in Europe, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Spain due to the escape of captive ducks in the 1950s.
There are also migrating ruddy duck populations populations, too, with breeding grounds are central Canada, the western half of the United States, and most of Mexico. Ruddy Ducks are most commonly found in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and North and South Dakota. The preferred habitat during this time includes marshes and reservoirs. In relation to their small, compact size, this species lays the largest eggs, and clutches will often weigh the same as the hen that laid them. The wintering population extends through the southern half of the United States and Mexico, with the majority found in California, along both sides of the Mississippi River (in the south), Florida, and North Carolina.
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