Just returned from a bird hunting trip for a couple of weeks in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. Had a great trip. Used the RBL some of the trip. May be the first birds taken in the Aleutians with an RBL, not sure, but had a great time with it.
Aleutian Teal
Rock Ptarmigan
This image is with Pacific Eider we took. The Pacific Eider is likely the least taken which is legal to hunt North American waterfowl because of their remoteness and limited range in North American territory.
Great photos, coryreb. Thanks for posting them. That Aleutian Teal is one handsome fellow. What were the temps there? I would have thought it would be bitter this time of year, but are the cold temps abated near the ocean?
All my best, Stan
Enjoyed the pics. The Harlequin is on my bucket list. Was your trip to Alaska for waterfowl only?
Yep, the trip to Alaska was for waterfowl and upland birds only. Temps were mild compared to the deep freeze the mid west has been in the past couple of weeks. I believe the ocean currents keep some of the areas warmer.
The temps were 20 to 40 most days. Weather changes every few minutes there. Snow like hell one minute and sunny the next. Would change a bunch of times each day.
The teal is a beauty! A fun hunt for you, I'm sure.
Never hunted the Aleutians, but hunted Cold Bay and Izembek lagoon, when I lived in AK. The weather never gets extremely cold in the Western Peninsula and Aleutian area, but it does change minute to minute.
Stark beauty and awesome country!
Is the Aleutian Teal the same bird also called the Baikal Teal?...Geo
Geo, its common teal.
Why Baikal?
Common Teal is most wide spread duck here.
They're a more recently cataloged subspecies, very similar to the Eurasian Teal but they overwinter in the Islands and don't migrate. There's more to it than that but that's all I remember from my reading.
Great pics by the way, the Aleutian Teal is on my list of North American birds that I've never shot and I doubt I ever do.
I've heard there's talk of taking the Emperor Geese off the protected list. Anybody heard anything about that?
Destry
As I understand Aleutian Teal very much alike Common Teal, but green area on head without white mount line. Sometimes this duck flyes to Chukchi Peninsula and we call it Green Wing Teal.
I was living in Western Ak in the heart of the Y-K Delta when both the Emperor and the Cackling goose were placed on the protected list. Numerous meetings were held with the Eskimo population in the area to discuss and pursuade the elders that protection was necessary, and for the Elders to impress upon their people to curtail their spring subsistence hunting and egg gathering.
At the time (mid-80's), the Emperor had fallen to around 42,000 birds in number from close to 140,000 in the 60's. The target number for the Emperor was 80,000 birds, to re-open hunting. A quick google search indicates the surveyed numbers have risen to 84,000, so maybe they are contemplating a re-opening of the Emperor hunting.
I was hunting in SoCal on Saturday, ran across a guy on Navy leave, lives in IL, and he wanted a drake cinnamon teal in the worst way. Couldn't find teal to save his life. Ran into him again on Sunday, he was despondent that he would have to pack up and head back to base without his teal. I headed off to my blind for a little afternoon shoot in the rain. About five minutes later I had a drake cinnamon in the bag. Tracked him down and gave it to him. I'd rather be lucky than good.
I've seen the Aleutian Teal in the bird I.D. books, but their pics don't do that bird justice. Very nice bird and great pic.
Geo, its common teal.Why Baikal?
Common Teal is most wide spread duck here.
Geno, you were right,I checked my bird book; the Baikal Teal (Anas Formosa)is different. The North American variety of Greenwing Teal (Anas Crecca) has a white bar or crescent in front of the wing. The Eurasian variety does not have this stripe, but it (your common teal) looks to me just like the Aleutian Teal pictured above...Geo
There is talk of subsistance hunting being reinstated for the emperor geese for next season since the numbers have rebounded. We are probably a few years off from hunting them as part of a sportsman's legal bag from the sound of it.
I hope it is reinstated. I would love to hunt the emperors and shoot just one. A really beautiful bird.
Described as recently as 1948, Aleutian Green-winged Teal (A. c. nimia) are identical to the Old World race, except for a slightly superior size. However, atypical of far-northern dabblers, they are year-round Alaskan residents, where the teal are possibly the most numerous puddle-duck of the Aleutian Islands. Frequenting ponds and lakes in summer, the Aleutian teal shift to marine beaches in winter, and commonly forage at low tide in tide pools and shallow-water reefs. Females of the three races are virtually indistinguishable.
If they ever bring the Emperors back onto the list I'll be making a trip up there for certain. But then again, I said that about the Aletian Canada Geese and I've still never done that hunt either. They've been back on the list for three or four years now. So many birds so little time.....
Destry
Beautiful pics. Hope you had a great time. I am booked for a hunt on Kodiak this Nov and plan to do some ducks too. I hope I get a chance at some of those eiders or teal. How long is it til Nov again??
Is that a 12 ga RBL? Nice story. Thanks
It is an RBL 12 ga.
I don't think you will see teal or eiders in Kodiak. There are harli's and other sea ducks however. Good luck on your trip.
