Duck Stuff

[Darren]

12/17

10 mallards

[DComeaux]

12/17

10 mallards

My curiosity is up and I will pull that computer to see the remainder of that seasons hunts.

[Duck Engr]

I remember 2011-2012 fondly. Didn’t keep a log back then unfortunately. I remember hunting in 6” of snow in mid December though.

[DComeaux]

[Rick]

I remember 2011-2012 fondly. Didn’t keep a log back then unfortunately. I remember hunting in 6” of snow in mid December though.

2011-2012 and the one before it were banner mallard seasons here, when they topped my parties' species list. But the driver I recall was widespread drought, as never in my time there has the mudhole been so much just that:

2011-2012hunting009-2a.jpg

2011-2012hunting007-5a.jpg

Found this from Darren and his FIL, Mike's hunt that year:

2011-2012hunting009-7a.jpg

[Duck Engr]

The poor coyote

[jarbo03]

Was quite the drought in 2011, lasted here til 2014. Was Taz first season, looking back i miss those days. Low water made the river very shallow, and mud flats on cattle ponds made for good decoy spreads. May have dealt with ice only once, loved the mild weather.

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[Darren]

Interestingly, Rick, by the time my hunt was made (Jan 12, 2012) your marsh was water-water-everywhere, as I recall it. See pic below.

DSC07320.JPG

Details of that hunt's take:
8 mallards, 4 grays, 2 GW teal, 1 BW teal, 1 pintail, 2 mottleds ........perty strong

[Rick]

Sure enough, here's one after season's end clean-up:

2011-2012hunting044.jpg

[Darren]

One would think it a diver haven with so much water, but obviously the puddlers enjoyed it as well

[Rick]

Got to wondering how much of that was elevated water level vs dying vegetation and sinking flotant/floating turf once water temps made the bacteria dormant and found this preseason shot of the blind:

2011-2012hunting040a.jpg

Normally the case that our teal chances increase as the season progresses and cooler weather "brings" the type of water they prefer to fly closer to the pothole.

[DComeaux]

https://www.outdoorlife.com/eulogy-for-duck-dynasty/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3WWwHTyWX6rFxoS4ymGCymONYbnK0zKwwHLKRLnSnwdZ-5-S-cS7g8hEM

[DComeaux]

#13

[DComeaux]

Tracking.jpg

TR.jpg

[DComeaux]

Roseau quarantine

https://www.katc.com/news/covering-louisiana/strain-cautions-duck-hunters-that-roseau-cane-scale-quarantine-still-in-effect

[Darren]

Good thing you've no need for that anymore now that you abandoned the hotel blind.

We dont cut much ourselves any more on our end, just too tall, and sure enough a few stalks took root at my south blind this offseason.

[DComeaux]

Good thing you've no need for that anymore now that you abandoned the hotel blind.

We dont cut much ourselves any more on our end, just too tall, and sure enough a few stalks took root at my south blind this offseason.

If it is same as last year, they gave a 1/4 mile radius of the blind for movement.

[Duck Engr]

Tracking.jpg

TR.jpg

That is super cool! His research is opening new doors for understanding these critters that we chase.

[DComeaux]

Tracking.jpg

TR.jpg

That is super cool! His research is opening new doors for understanding these critters that we chase.

It is, and I'm happy to see it. I hope they get funding to cover thousands of fowl.

[Darren]

Dave, from the Season Dates/Bag Limits video #2

Paul Link: "Its such a monster, this thing we've created"

Indeed!

[Duck Engr]

Dave, from the Season Dates/Bag Limits video #2

Paul Link: "Its such a monster, this thing we've created"

Indeed!

I noticed that too. He’s absolutely right!

[DComeaux]

Dave, from the Season Dates/Bag Limits video #2

Paul Link: "Its such a monster, this thing we've created"

Indeed!

I noticed that too. He’s absolutely right!

The correct word is "some" have created. I just don't remember it being such a cluster 20 or 30 years ago. I've just been sitting here minding my own damn business and then things go south. Well, or don't go south. I blame the Robertson's.

[SpinnerMan]

Dave, from the Season Dates/Bag Limits video #2

Paul Link: "Its such a monster, this thing we've created"

Indeed!

I noticed that too. He’s absolutely right!

I think the other thing important is about the satisfaction. I think it was Paul Link that said "Duck hunters they're a miserable" bunch just before he said it's such a monster we've created.

It ties in to satisfaction being so tied to expectations which was discussed earlier. Someone said he knows guys that wouldn't get out of bed for 50 birds in a 60/6 season. My absolutely best season ever I got 38 ducks&geese over 21 days. I typically average about 1 bird/day. 5 years ago I started going on a fall trip where over 3 days I probably average 12 ducks and see a lot more ducks in a day. I've also started doing more hunting by the cooling lake where I often see huge numbers of mallards and usually a day or two of duck hunting with large numbers of birds around before the season closes. My satisfaction with a 1 bird/day average has dropped quite a bit because I know there is better. This has caused my early season duck hunting to decline and my deer hunting to increase. I've only duck hunted 3 days so far this season. In the past, I'd have probably hunted 10 days already.

There is a ton of psychology in all of this, but I do think there is definitely truth that the number of miserable duck hunters is higher than other groups of hunters.

There are definitely a whole lot of people that would be very happy with a 2 duck average with a 3 duck limit and miserable with a 2.5 duck average and a 10 duck limit.

[DComeaux]

#14

I never did care much for late seasons. I always felt we were putting way too much pressure on these birds.

[Rick]

The correct word is "some" have created. I just don't remember it being such a cluster 20 or 30 years ago. I've just been sitting here minding my own damn business and then things go south. Well, or don't go south. I blame the Robertson's.

Everyone wants to be the last one to build a cabin in the woods and, next thing you know, what was woods is now all cabins...

When I moved here in '83, one of the first things that struck me was how many people led their lives and even ran their businesses around duck hunting, so it's not just the Robertsons showing the way for those to come.

[Rick]

There are definitely a whole lot of people that would be very happy with a 2 duck average with a 3 duck limit and miserable with a 2.5 duck average and a 10 duck limit.

If what was seen as the point system tapered down into the 3 and 30 years is any indication, 4 might be the magic limit number. Many, including our then head state waterfowl man, Larry Soileau, and DU lobbied against reducing the point allotments by half on the grounds that hunter satisfaction - and duck related revenues - would drop. (I was still writing then and interviewed both.) Yet, a subsequent hunter satisfaction study demonstrated quite the opposite happened when it became easier to attain the almighty limit.

Then came the 3 bird limit, and a whole lot of folks did, in fact, quit or switch to geese. Though a lot of that can surely be attributed to the fact that most private land hunters were then averaging well below 2 birds a hunt and below 1 on some WMAs.

[Darren]

it became easier to attain the almighty limit.

Know you're as attuned to this as anyone given the variety of parties that come through the door each morning. Some glad to shoot anything at all, some want limits of mallards or bust.

Would agree that 4 could be sustainable and still attractive to hunters, though surely there's a contingent that would say it's not worth it and thus the engine would lose their dollars.

[jarbo03]

I would be OK with a 4 bird duck limit, would like to see our dark goose limit down to 4 also.

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[MARSH BEAR]

We do a lot of work in our marsh during the off season - and to only have a 30 day or even a 40 day season may not make all that work worth the effort. You can cut the limit to 3, 4 or 5, but let us have the 60 day season.

[SpinnerMan]

There are definitely a whole lot of people that would be very happy with a 2 duck average with a 3 duck limit and miserable with a 2.5 duck average and a 10 duck limit.

If what was seen as the point system tapered down into the 3 and 30 years is any indication, 4 might be the magic limit number. Many, including our then head state waterfowl man, Larry Soileau, and DU lobbied against reducing the point allotments by half on the grounds that hunter satisfaction - and duck related revenues - would drop. (I was still writing then and interviewed both.) Yet, a subsequent hunter satisfaction study demonstrated quite the opposite happened when it became easier to attain the almighty limit.

Then came the 3 bird limit, and a whole lot of folks did, in fact, quit or switch to geese. Though a lot of that can surely be attributed to the fact that most private land hunters were then averaging well below 2 birds a hunt and below 1 on some WMAs.

As stated in the one video, 4 seems like the magic number as you mention. I wasn't proposing change to 3, but just that the psychology of getting 67% of the limit is better than 25% of the limit even if at 25% of the limit you get 25% more ducks.

The other psychology effect was that it was dropping to a 3 duck limit. I think if I remember right under the points you could get up to 10 ducks. So it's a big psychological cut even if your actual harvest of ducks only falls a little. That was another quote about the happy upland hunters who've had a 3 bird limit forever.

You can cut the limit to 3, 4 or 5, but let us have the 60 day season.

I'd be happy if they cut the limit to 2 and extended the season to 90 days. Since I've never got a 6 duck limit in a DIY hunt, even species limits are not even a limit most years. I get a limit of mallards or wood ducks every once in a while. Even got a few black duck limits, but that was when they were 1, but never saw a second one the same day, so it wasn't an issue. Now that they've raised the limit to 2, I'll probably never get another black duck limit

However, at the end of the month a few of us are traveling to NY to hunt Lake Ontario. My one buddy wants to hunt all 5 Great Lakes and Ontario will be his 5th. My 4th, I couldn't make the Superior trip. Would I pay what I'm paying and drive that far for 3 ducks max? I really don't think so. I really enjoy these trips, but like you said, there is still a limit where it is not worth the cost/effort.

My local duck hunting isn't a lot of work and its convenient so even shooting very few ducks makes it worthwhile for those few days of the year that things come together. Although come together for me is very different than you all. Biggest group total was 9 ducks for 3 of us. Should have been 13, but we punched a whole lot of holes in the sky. I've only gone over 3 ducks on a few DIY hunts and 3 in a day is usually the biggest duck hunt of the year.

Goose hunting is where things can be really good for me. I'm glad they bumped that limit for Canadas from 2 to 3. That's a big step up. I've got lots of limits of geese. It's a lot of work, especially when I go by myself for 2 birds. I actually stopped shooting 2 from a single flock unless the end of the day and rarely shoot anything but feet down just because I didn't want to be done so quick. Years ago, I hauled in and set up everything myself and had an early flock, bang, bang and packing up before the dog had the first bird back. Haven't done that since. With 3, it changes the game quite a bit. I'll be quicker on the trigger. It's a lot closer to early goose where we can shoot 5. It's funny how just 1 bird changes things so much.