The mallard
The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the most common duck in Denmark. Its bionomial name refers to its broad beak, but we also know it as the wild duck. Where there’s water, there are mallards. Even the smallest patch of water attracts them. If there’s a flooded field, a lake in a park or a garden pond in a residential district, the mallard will find its way there.
Perfectly camouflaged
The drake is quite grey, although most people probably think of its glossy, metal green head, and overlook its grey wings and belly. The females are more subdued in colour, which ensures that they are well camouflaged when nesting. In fact, it is almost impossible to spot a female mallard duck which is sitting on its nest, as the brown-speckled plumage causes her to vanish into the surroundings. The mallard feeds primarily on aquatic plants and small insects, but it is not particularly fussy so it is also happy to eat cereals and bread, whether from a hunter’s feeding station or a child’s hand in the park. The mallard is widely distributed, and is found in almost all the temperate zones in the northern hemisphere, and it is also widespread in subtropical and arctic regions. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and Australia, where it is now regarded as an invasive species, as it is mating with other local duck species. In Denmark, wild hybrids have been recorded where the mallard has mated with the widgeon, pintail and the northern shoveler.
And it is worth noting that it will only be possible to shoot these released ducks if there is an ample supply of feed – if there is any shortage, the ducks will head towards open water as soon as they start to feel hungry. If you are very familiar with the area, and you know where the mallards fly to during the day, it is possible to work out when the evening flights will arrive. Small flocks of mallards can appear before sunset, but they move about in much larger numbers once dusk falls.
MORE TYPES OF DUCK
Like most other ducks, the mallard is quite resilient to shot, so you need to use large pellets, at least size three, and remember to only shoot when the mallards are relatively close. It is far better to use a fast cartridge with fewer pellets than, for example, a slow 36-gram cartridge. A rucksack chair is extremely useful when duck hunting. It is nice to have something to sit on while waiting for the ducks to arrive, and it also provides space for extra kit and, in particular, a torch, which is handy for finding your way home in the dark. And last but not least, it is also a bit easier to take your bag back home when it’s safe and secure in your rucksack.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HUNTING GAME
See all the posts from our Deerhunter blog.
- The Eurasian teal
- Roe deer
- The fox
- Greylag goose
- The common goldeneye
- Eider
- Wild boar
- Pheasant
- Fallow deer in Denmark
- The woodcock
- The wigeon