Birders- For what I understand, it is completely legal to hunt Harlequin Ducks in Ohio and the hunter didn’t break any laws. I do agree on the other hand that this guy is probably keeping an eye on this listserv and isn’t using very good hunting ethics. I’m not against hunting at all but disagree with shooting ducks not in flight as well as at close range. Where’s the challenge anyways? The eastern breeding population of Harlequin Ducks only consists of a few thousand individuals. The Atlantic Flyway states as well as eastern Canada don’t allow the hunting of ‘eastern’ Harlequin Ducks as I read it. I think the Mississippi Flyway should follow that regulation… Ethan Kistler Newton Falls, Ohio --- On Sat, 11/29/08, jen brumfield <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: jen brumfield <[log in to unmask]> Subject: [Ohio-birds] Like Ducks in and through a barrel To: [log in to unmask] Date: Saturday, November 29, 2008, 6:07 PM Ohio birders - On the immature male Harlequin Duck that was apparently taken, point-blank, by a hunter at East 72nd street today.... To me, I find it fantastically, amazingly coincidental, and almost too ironic that the sportsman showed up in the EXACT small waterway on Day 2 of the Harlequin Duck presence. This this hunter REALLY had to know EXACTLY where this single Harlequin Duck was hanging out. Although these vast stretches of breakwall/inlets are hunted regularly by dozens of sportsmen, this "guy" set up VERY CLOSE to shore in a TINY little inlet of water where there have routinely been VERY few ducks. Mallards and maybe a Bufflehead or two at best. Drumroll. This guy either read the report on the Ohiobirds listserve, or in passing was told about the duck by a birder in the vacinity, or by sheer luck actually IDed this bird himself, came back, and blasted it away. I can't imagine shooting a duck at such close range would actually allow for the specimen to keep in any decent way, shape or form. Meaning, would it not be nearly obliterated by such force? Anyway, I vote for a) or b). This guy knew RIGHT where to go. That's just great. If a King Eider (or better) shows up, folks might have to make secret codewords for locations, directions... best of birding - Jen _________________________________________________________________ Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_safety_112008 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]