The Rev. Paul Larson, an ardent duck hunter from Deer River, remembers the good old days of bluebill hunting. "It's nothing like it used to be," Larson said this past week with Minnesota's duck season ...

Here they come, making another swing over your decoys. Smaller ducks. Fast wing-beats. Divers, for sure, flying in a tight knot. If you hunt northern Minnesota, you know what they're likely to be.

Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) are named for a chestnut ring encircling the necks of the drakes, but it is faint and can only be seen at close range or with a bird in hand. Their first home, the ...