Autumn Opportunities

Details: Category: Waterfowl; Published: Friday, 13 February 2026 19:16; Written by Greg

Autumn Opportunities

The change of seasons from summer to fall provides one of the best times to experience nature. The autumn season, when days become shorter and the temperatures cool, signals changes that are visibly obvious. Not only is the foliage transitioning into vibrant yellows, oranges and reds, but the waterfowl are molting into their colorful breeding plumage.

i went hunting yellow autumn leaves i went hunting orange autumn leaves

Leaves beginning to change Oranges starting to appear

The brilliant and colorful leaves of autumn are a tale-tale reminder to me of the remarkably vivid and sometimes iridescent feathers of the fall birds that we hunt later in the year. Unfortunately I didn’t think to focus my pictures on the amazing colors and patterns that adorn the fall birds, but nonetheless they are down right dazzling at close inspection.

i went hunting fall ducks i went hunting fall mallard ducks

Close inspection reveals amazing patterns Iridescent ducks

Our fall bounty consisted of ducks, sandhill cranes, swans, turkeys and geese; no pheasants this year. In fact, it wasn’t until several years back, when my boys introduced me to waterfowl hunting, that I experienced the up-close and surprisingly elaborate and beautiful feather design of the gadwall. I had always thought of the gadwall as a drab brown duck, but closer examination revealed intricate designs made by the varying distinct colored feathers that are in fact remarkable! And this is just one such example of uniqueness that exists among the varied species of birds.

i went hunting fall turkeys i went hunting fall ducks

Turkeys have lots of Iridescent colors Unfortunately no close-ups

Finally I’ll confess that waterfowl is not my favorite table fare, but thankfully my boys have recipes that they are willing to utilize when whipping up a family meal!