Post Season

[aunt betty]

Green Giant Niblets is the best bait.



















For stocked trout.

[DComeaux]

Whoa,just took out teal hunting for the masses in the second crop. May just be a war. Too much money involved,the farmers will outrage. Take out money for teal leasing,on top of loosing money for regular blinds,then the massive crawfish market. Marsh blinds just went out the roof.

That's why nothing will change until there's nothing left to shoot at. The almighty dollar is in control. I'll just keep hunting until the scratch days overtake the 1 to 2 bird days, and then we can change this to a knitting forum.

[aunt betty]

I pledge allegiance to the dollar of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and to the debt it represents, one currency, under Dog, with slavery and malice for all.

[SpinnerMan]

Whoa,just took out teal hunting for the masses in the second crop. May just be a war. Too much money involved,the farmers will outrage. Take out money for teal leasing,on top of loosing money for regular blinds,then the massive crawfish market. Marsh blinds just went out the roof.

That's why nothing will change until there's nothing left to shoot at. The almighty dollar is in control. I'll just keep hunting until the scratch days overtake the 1 to 2 bird days, and then we can change this to a knitting forum.

I guess I need to stop because I have more scratch days than anything.

[Rick]

There was a crop failure resulting in a lot of mowed down crops that basically closed the season for him one year due to intense strict enforcement of baiting laws.

Same thing happened to a big chunk of Central Louisiana when crop insurers required that what remained from regional flooding had to be plowed under. Whole lot of folks lost half their season.

[Rick]

Whoa,just took out teal hunting for the masses in the second crop.

Not just "in" second crop but, technically, anywhere birds are trafficking to or from second crop rice. Was a time when clubs in California were somehow exempted. for practical if not technical purposes, as long as they hunted a certain distance from where they dumped the feed, on the grounds that it helped keep the clubs open and provide habitat where there might otherwise be almond trees or some-such. The ambiguous to-or-fro clause shuts down that sort of thing today but plainly opens another can of worms.

[aunt betty]

Have had many things affect my own personal experiences afield.
One factor that has not been pointed out is this one. (leases that are basically a refuge)

We had a prime lease and the guys pounded it hard the first and second split. By third split everything was flying around our lease when trading back n forth between Crane's ponds. About a mile further down the dead-end road was another lease that 4 dentists used. Rather they didn't use it. Everything birdwise was on their lease only no guns there. They only hunted like 4 days the entire season. It's their right to pay and not hunt if they choose and they had a sort of refuge thing going where they could show up and shoot limits real quick. Naturally I was envious.

Was tempted but knew that the old farmer was watching everything from his kitchen window. He drove a tiny little old car. Maybe it was a Yugo. Recall thinking that "this guy's other car is probably a duelly". I bet John knows the guy if he saw him. Priced us right out of there on that lease. He doubled it because Richie Rich showed up.
That little refuge did not help things for us. Competing with live decoys just down the road sucked.

[Rick]

all these services that I see that use teal season money to pay for their big leases would suffer----a lot of them do this---money from guiding teal to pay for the big season lease,then all profit off the main season

I can only speak to our camp with certainty, but that's hard for me to imagine. Few private leases seem to go unhunted for teal (already paid for, anyway), but teal are a hard commercial sell that is barely worth the trouble of opening the camp in lean teal years. No problem booking opening weekends, but subsequent business depends in very large part on whether those hunters go to work Monday bragging or complaining. When everybody's killing, everybody wants to teal hunt. When times are tough, folks find other things to do. And, correctly or not, I've always thought cut-rate teal season specials to drum up business the "industry norm".

For us, at least, teal season is more of dress rehearsal to work the bugs out before the big season than a means of underwriting it.

[Rick]

Have had many things affect my own personal experiences afield.
One factor that has not been pointed out is this one. (leases that are basically a refuge)

When it comes to holding birds, lowering the pressure on large holdings beats living crap out of just flooding corn on it.

[DComeaux]

Have had many things affect my own personal experiences afield.
One factor that has not been pointed out is this one. (leases that are basically a refuge)

When it comes to holding birds, lowering the pressure on large holdings beats living crap out of just flooding corn on it.

I agree with the pressure thing, not so much your corn comment, though. Those birds get shot at and keep returning, wave after wave.
I wish I had control over where we hunt. Too many blinds in too small an area IMO. The closet blind from us is still over a 1/4 mile away, and that's to our east, on same family land but different owner, and you never know where these young boys will pop up from one hunt to the next.
I dropped a lease many moons ago in Creole due to cowboys running the marsh on our section after our hunts, shooting birds from the boat. All blinds agreed to not run the marsh after a certain time in the morning for rest. I just happened to pull up to work on my go devil where we parked the boats and got to watch the show. Again, family member of another brothers mother, couldn't stop it.

There is always something with this duck hunting, always has been, and will always be this way.

[DComeaux]

Whoa,just took out teal hunting for the masses in the second crop. May just be a war. Too much money involved,the farmers will outrage. Take out money for teal leasing,on top of loosing money for regular blinds,then the massive crawfish market. Marsh blinds just went out the roof.

That's why nothing will change until there's nothing left to shoot at. The almighty dollar is in control. I'll just keep hunting until the scratch days overtake the 1 to 2 bird days, and then we can change this to a knitting forum.

I guess I need to stop because I have more scratch days than anything.

spinner, not being disrespectful, but some areas of this country just aren't where the birds want to be. With us, that has not been the case for centuries. Say we're spoiled?, I guess we are. What we have now is not near the norm, and we could be affected by what man is doing to our north. I'd probably feel the same as you inside, in your situation, but I doubt seriously I'd wear it on my sleeve

[aunt betty]

Spent a year lurking in a top secret group on Facebook with like-minded folks from Arkansas that sought to somehow legislate their good ole days back. The ideas they come up with. haha
The blame-game. OOOSERS! Its oosers fault.
Getting to see the inner workings of a group of ooser haters was priceless.
Finally I announced that I'm from Illinois and will be seeing y'all at the brake. Ha!
I already knew half the people in that group, what they drive, and what kind of boat and motor.
They took it well. We all had a good laugh at the launch on the opener last year.
Acorn was here. lol

[aunt betty]

Now to be serious a minute.
If you wanted to impact waterfowl in a positive way to where things sort of would return to the 1970's kind of hunting would require that no-till be BANNED.

The biggest factor imo that affects migrations is the availability of food. That's why they migrate in the first place. When they hit Illinois and there is grain laying everywhere in plain sight do you think they stop for a bite?

When I was a teenager everything got plowed under to kill insect larva. Corn root worms etc. The geese and ducks had to fly all the way to the Mississippi River to feed on the goodies on sand bars. Talking Cairo and further south. Then on further south. That's your good old days.

I am not your enemy and I am not killing your ducks it's the chemical companies and farmers that have made it so that I can. The good old days sucked big time up here. Ironically..some of you are farmers. I resent that we get blamed for what a nation of farmers are doing. As a hunter I have had to adapt and so have we all. Part of the game.

I don't own a cotton field and you ain't never picked cotton.

[DComeaux]

Now to be serious a minute.
If you wanted to impact waterfowl in a positive way to where things sort of would return to the 1970's kind of hunting would require that no-till be BANNED.

The biggest factor imo that affects migrations is the availability of food. That's why they migrate in the first place. When they hit Illinois and there is grain laying everywhere in plain sight do you think they stop for a bite?

When I was a teenager everything got plowed under to kill insect larva. Corn root worms etc. The geese and ducks had to fly all the way to the Mississippi River to feed on the goodies on sand bars. Talking Cairo and further south. Then on further south. That's your good old days.

I am not your enemy and I am not killing your ducks it's the chemical companies and farmers that have made it so that I can. The good old days sucked big time up here. Ironically..some of you are farmers. I resent that we get blamed for what a nation of farmers are doing. As a hunter I have had to adapt and so have we all. Part of the game.



I don't own a cotton field and you ain't never picked cotton.

I do not believe that no till farming has that big of an impact as everyone claims. I was in the fields back when weed prevention wasn't all that, and combines weren't near as efficient as they are today. We didn't seem to have an issue back then, and I'd guess that the same amount of acreage is still being planted today. During the growing season, and after harvest, the fields I see today are as clean as a whistle.

[Rick]

Now to be serious a minute.
If you wanted to impact waterfowl in a positive way to where things sort of would return to the 1970's kind of hunting...

Pretty sure the Mississippi Flyway saw a 2 mallard limit while I was playing soldier at the beginning of the '70s.

[aunt betty]

Now to be serious a minute.
If you wanted to impact waterfowl in a positive way to where things sort of would return to the 1970's kind of hunting...

Pretty sure the Mississippi Flyway saw a 2 mallard limit while I was playing soldier at the beginning of the '70s.

Points system. When GW's carried thermometers. They let you play at Bragg? Were you in the band?

[Rick]

I do not believe that no till farming has that big of an impact as everyone claims. I was in the fields back when weed prevention wasn't all that, and combines weren't near as efficient as they are today. We didn't seem to have an issue back then, and I'd guess that the same amount of acreage is still being planted today. During the growing season, and after harvest, the fields I see today are as clean as a whistle.

Well, we do know that the part about there being a whole lot less agricultural land forage to draw birds here is so.

[Rick]

Now to be serious a minute.
If you wanted to impact waterfowl in a positive way to where things sort of would return to the 1970's kind of hunting...

Pretty sure the Mississippi Flyway saw a 2 mallard limit while I was playing soldier at the beginning of the '70s.

Points system. When GW's carried thermometers. They let you play at Bragg? Were you in the band?

Might have been late '60s, as I was indisposed then, too. Bragg time was with the 82nd's 325th Infantry. Missed out on the band.

[aunt betty]

? What is so hard to understand about there being grain that doesn't get plowed under.
The snow-line is where it's at now.

We're not going to fix it we have to adapt. I suggest buying a nice covered trailer, a gps app for the phone that basically calls the landowner of the land you're standing on, FBD's, a generator, a satellite dish, and the tv box so you can see the weather satellites and find the snow line. The guys up north that I know that do this tear em up. You gotta be clever and good looking with a nice set of teeth (and boobs) to get permission. Cash helps. A badge really helps. You would not believe how good it works. Someone's wife is a sheriff's deputy. She never gets turned down.

Mo money mo money.

[DComeaux]

I do not believe that no till farming has that big of an impact as everyone claims. I was in the fields back when weed prevention wasn't all that, and combines weren't near as efficient as they are today. We didn't seem to have an issue back then, and I'd guess that the same amount of acreage is still being planted today. During the growing season, and after harvest, the fields I see today are as clean as a whistle.

Well, we do know that the part about there being a whole lot less agricultural land forage to draw birds here is so.

I guess that's my point Rick, they will go, or return to the most abundant, readily available food source. Standing, flooded corn is really attractive, and not a normal agricultural process.

[DComeaux]

? What is so hard to understand about there being grain that doesn't get plowed under.
The snow-line is where it's at now.

We're not going to fix it we have to adapt. I suggest buying a nice covered trailer, a gps app for the phone that basically calls the landowner of the land you're standing on, FBD's, a generator, a satellite dish, and the tv box so you can see the weather satellites and find the snow line. The guys up north that I know that do this tear em up. You gotta be clever and good looking with a nice set of teeth (and boobs) to get permission. Cash helps. A badge really helps. You would not believe how good works. Someone's wife is a sheriff's deputy. She never gets turned down.

Mo money mo money.

I'd say, there was more grain on the ground back in the day then there is today. Unless the hopper is opened slightly on every other cut run.

[Rick]

Still wondering how you (much less federal bureaucrats) would solve your perceived problem without the collateral damage being much more significant than the gain.

[aunt betty]

The reason this has gotten so goofy is "politics". Politics = the art of getting someone else to pay for your ice cream.
It's probably my fault. I'm always inserting some sort of controversy. Sorry.

Can buy my own ice cream thanks. Hell I own a machine that makes it. Try it with some honey in there. OHYEAH!
I will gladly share my ice cream if we can end this flooded corn fiasco.

I grow sweet corn and no way am I feeding it to ducks. Not a chance.

[aunt betty]

Still wondering how you (much less federal bureaucrats) would solve your perceived problem without the collateral damage being much more significant than the gain.

The beekeepers have a saying. I think you just said it Rick.

"SOLUTIONS CREATE PROBLEMS".

[DComeaux]

Still wondering how you (much less federal bureaucrats) would solve your perceived problem without the collateral damage being much more significant than the gain.

That's what worries me. Most that deal with this at the upper level haven't a clue and need direction. It's who's giving the direction I'm concerned about. INFLUENCE

[SpinnerMan]

? What is so hard to understand about there being grain that doesn't get plowed under.
The snow-line is where it's at now.

We're not going to fix it we have to adapt. I suggest buying a nice covered trailer, a gps app for the phone that basically calls the landowner of the land you're standing on, FBD's, a generator, a satellite dish, and the tv box so you can see the weather satellites and find the snow line. The guys up north that I know that do this tear em up. You gotta be clever and good looking with a nice set of teeth (and boobs) to get permission. Cash helps. A badge really helps. You would not believe how good works. Someone's wife is a sheriff's deputy. She never gets turned down.

Mo money mo money.

I'd say, there was more grain on the ground back in the day then there is today. Unless the hopper is opened slightly on every other cut run.

There is plenty on the ground today. No idea what was in the past, but my understanding is they used to do a lot of fall plowing, turning it under, which they don't today. I spend every Saturday and Sunday I can when it is cold enough in December and January in cut corn. I assure you there is plenty. The birds are not starving that spend the winter up hear foraging in harvested fields.

[aunt betty]

There is absolutely no way that there was more grain on the ground prior to no-till.
I walk cornfields. Sure there was equal amounts of grain spilled however that grain was almost immediately plowed under.

The way it worked:
They'd leave it standing to dry until October or even November then harvest and plow. Wham bam then go to an Illini football game on Saturday. I always prayed hard that they'd harvest before the first Saturday in November which did not always happen.
Spinner tell them why I wanted the corn down by that day. Should be obvious.

Champaign County used to get tilled under in like a week or less. Bam. What grain? Pretty sure Vermillion, Ford, DeWitt, Piatt and every county around here got tilled that fast. The window was pretty small and it was unusual for a field to not get plowed.

These days nobody plows they use disks when planting and that's it. The grain sets out all winter if not eaten. AND IT IS NORMAL AGRICULTURAL PRACTICE. Baited schmaited.