What Happened to this Mallard?

by
posted on December 15, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
dogs_ah2015_fs.jpg (41)

undefinedMy friends and I had a pretty good duck hunt last week, and all returned home with fat mallards to eat. However, as I was preparing to pluck one of the birds, I noticed something odd: Its left foot had a split running through a digit and extending partially into the webbing. At first I thought the injury had resulted from our shooting that morning, but closer examination revealed it to be an old, healed wound. Here's a photo:

So, question is, if one of my shotgun pellets didn't take a chunk out of the duck's foot, what did? Another hunter last season? A snapping turtle? I'd love to hear a few of your theories.

Latest

LEDE Ian Niemela
LEDE Ian Niemela

Member's Hunt: My First Yooper Buck

Read eight-year-old Ian Niemela's firsthand account of his very first deer hunt.

Mathews Introduces 2026 Hunting Bows and Accessories

Engineered for speed and refined for archers who demand more, the 2026 Matthews ARC combines enhanced stability, efficiency, and versatility in a lightweight, high-powered platform.

7 Sure-Fire Ways to Fail When Hunting

Looking to come home from the field empty-handed? Simply follow one or more of these avenues to failure.

First Look: Radians Outdoor's Heated Mossy Oak Bottomland Apparel

Radians Outdoors is cranking up the warmth this season with new heated gear in Mossy Oak Bottomland, the legendary camouflage pattern trusted by hunters for more than 35 years.

5 Black Friday Sales for Hunters

Looking for some hunter- and outdoorsman-focused sales as we swing into the holiday season? Look no further than the great sales and deals going on at the retailers below.

Hardware Review: Riton 5 Primal 3-18x50mm

Check out Frank Melloni's Hardware Review on the Riton 5 Primal 3-18x50mm.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.