Shot my first whistler today and have been hunting for several years. Is it just because I usually hunt salt marsh or something and hunted fresh water today?

idk last year we had a group that would come in very morning and we shot them all in about a 2 week time period

I see them during the summer around a golf course nearby, but have never seen one while hunting. The first one I kill will definitely be mounted.
I'm sure some people shoot them regularly, guess it just depends on your area.

Numbers are increasing throughout Texas although the further South you go, the more likely you are to run into them.

very common nowadays

Ihave never seen one ecept in a picture on here.

See them all the time but don't usually shoot tem
cause I never really thought them to be a good duck.

I have killed several. Always around stock tanks or such. They are not very smart but are sure good to eat and make a beautiful mount.

We had a group circle in last year, and we just looked at them like WTH is that. Didnt shoot, then realized what they were as they flew off. Pretty funny at the time, we looked at eachother like why didnt you shoot them.

They are widening their range. I saw a flock of high flyers today. This is the first time I have seen them where we were hunting at.

I've only seen Whistlers at one of 4 the places we hunt birds. They're there everyday though.

They come up here (netx) in the summer/early fall but are mostly gone by big duck season. Last time we (my son) killed some was youth season 7 or 8 yrs, ago.

Seems like they're kind of rare, but that's all we saw yesterday. They're a cool looking duck.

Yeah I used to see them alot about 20 min south of Houston on down to about 10 miles from the coast.

I hear they are aggressive to other birds. I will say everytime I shot them, they were the only birds I saw. They were thick at my aunts place down there the first few wks last season. Hunted before work one morning and shot 6 in about 5 min (they decoyed to their dead friends). Never saw them again that season out there, but the next day woodies, gads and teal were there.

I've never seen/shot one.

I only see them in the spring/summer here.

I've seen hundreds over the past several weeks at small fresh water shallow ponds near salt. (Not huntable) Seems they have been replaced with Spoonies lately though, as I have only seen a few groups of whistlers mixed in now.

And every time I have seen them, they are in groups alone. IE no other birds mixed into their group.

We have only shot two groups, that come to mind, in our actual hunting areas. They eat good!

They really do eat good. Prob one of the best.

Lots of them on the coast between fort bend, brazoria, and matagorda counties. They do taste delicious. I compare them to woodies