# Mallard/black duck cross



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Been seeing a fair amount of em this yr for whatever reason . We've killed 6 "black" ducks the last 4 hunts and 3 of them have shown signs of mallards somewhere in the family tree .


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

White edge on the speculum . It's easily overlooked but shows that somewhere down the line it happened


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

A little more obvious where they look like this .


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

It's has become more common and is a threat to the species. There has been some research done on it recently.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Yeah . They seem to be getting more common . I've seen those studies also . Tough finding pure black duck genes now .


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

any more we kill more black mallard hybrids than pure bred blacks. my buddy just shot a hybrid 3 days ago banded in Mercer county pa in 2014. scary to see just how few pure bred blacks there is. only bright side is you can consider your hybrid as a mallard and keep goin for a pure bred black. just be sure its a drake if you already have a hen mallard.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Yeah , pure blacks are getting more rare . What was your buddies bird ID'd as on the banding report? I only ask cause I shot a very obvious hybrid over 10 yrs ago and it was banded . Band certificate came back as mallard. It has been banded as a juvie tho . It was probably the nicest one I ve shot to date . Had a very nice greentop . And some the rest of it had mallard colors , just way darker .


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

it stated hybrid mallard, black on paper.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I'd say it would have to be an obvious hybrid to convince the warden not to count it towards your black limit. Even then, I would think it would go towards your "duck" limit and not your Mallard limit. Kind of like a farm bird. I wouldn't chance the ones that just have a white edge.


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## BibbsTaxidermy (Aug 31, 2009)

Have also been seeing some myself, shot a banded one also from Thunder Bay. I'm curious how it would impact your limit.


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