Post Season

[DComeaux]

There seems to be an uprising of the duck hunters in this state in regards to migration. I've been researching and reading a lot about migration and have stumbled onto a few articles and forums on this subject. It seems the mindset is that the large flooded corn operations to our north are changing the migration pattern, holding birds longer, until they must move. The must move scenario is that these duck hunting operations shut down and things freeze up, pushing ducks down to us after the season closes.

I came across an article from last January where Canada was looking at their own baiting issues (flooded standing Corn fields, etc) There is a long thread on a Canadian Forum where some pointed out our (U.S.) large flooded corn operations. Some mentioned, and argued the point that the southern U.S. was losing migration numbers due to these large operations. This was used to shed light on their own issues.

I have mixed feelings and thoughts on all of this, but I do know the winter weather scenario we had this year is something I, and many others were waiting on to disprove many of the theories floating around, and this didn't happen, in fact, I think it intensified a need for answers.

This is the Delta Waterfowl January migration report video. The last to report is Louisiana. The comments were exactly my thoughts closing out this season.

https://deltawaterfowl.org/january-migration-report/

[Ericdc]

I was sitting in Little Chenier New Year’s Day waiting on an epic bird show that never showed. Can’t use that for evidence because others faired well.

However, I witnessed a huge push out of the north at my place January 12th.

One of my best explanations after talking with guys who hunt northeast LA and east Arkansas was that the birds stayed on the Mississippi River and fed in fields during warmest part of day. This included lots of teal, if you can believe it.

If you’ll remember November of 2014, we had a huge front hit the 2nd weekend of November which froze us up here for youth hunt, but provided a pretty remarkable opener and bird for November survey.

I think big January fronts are too little too late for the coast, but not for the northern part of the state.

I don’t think we’ve given the ducks enough credit, I believe they have adapted, but I don’t believe the big operations like habitat flats can short stop enough birds to make a difference for us.

I’m anxious to see what happens when the seasons get more restrictive as far as how many birds we see.


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[aunt betty]

There seems to be an uprising of the duck hunters in this state in regards to migration. I've been researching and reading a lot about migration and have stumbled onto a few articles and forums on this subject. It seems the mindset is that the large flooded corn operations to our north are changing the migration pattern, holding birds longer, until they must move. The must move scenario is that these duck hunting operations shut down and things freeze up, pushing ducks down to us after the season closes.

I came across an article from last January where Canada was looking at their own baiting issues (flooded standing Corn fields, etc) There is a long thread on a Canadian Forum where some pointed out our (U.S.) large flooded corn operations. Some mentioned, and argued the point that the southern U.S. was losing migration numbers due to these large operations. This was used to shed light on their own issues.

I have mixed feelings and thoughts on all of this, but I do know the winter weather scenario we had this year is something I, and many others were waiting on to disprove many of the theories floating around, and this didn't happen, in fact, I think it intensified a need for answers.

This is the Delta Waterfowl January migration report video. The last to report is Louisiana. The comments were exactly my thoughts closing out this season.

https://deltawaterfowl.org/january-migration-report/

Have wrote about this exact topic several times in this forum.
There are several factors you're leaving out.
I live in East central Illinois and see what you're talking about up close and personal.
Spinner does too but even more. He's up by Chicagoland tho. LOTS and LOTS of big Canada geese.
He might chime in and back up what I'm about to post.

1. Giant Canada geese imported from the "Minnesota flock" do not migrate but simply fly to where it's not snow-covered. Illinois imprted them in the 1960's or 70's. Not sure exactly when. Google it if you feel the need.
2. No-till agriculture leaves literally tons of grain laying on the ground each fall. Walk a corn field in Champaign County Illinois and see. You'd get upset about it.
3. Nuclear power plants with cooling lakes like bath tubs that will not freeze on the "hot side". They hold a lot of waterfowl that won't leave until they can not eat.

Those three factors have totally changed the waterfowl migration timing. In my opinion no-till is the biggest factor. Food everywhere that's not covered in snow six inches deep.

[Ericdc]

No till up north and till in our part of the state. Wish it was reversed.


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[aunt betty]

The reason farmers up north used to plow everything deep and turn it over. It killed the insect larvae and eggs.
Flash forward to today and we got CHEMICALS that kill all the bugs. Crop dusters etc.
Yeah. Ain't it great? @

Walk a plowed field in Champaign County once in the rain and you'd learn to appreciate no-till.
There will be 4 inches of black loam stuck to the bottoms of your boots.


Another difference. Down south where I've been there is a bottom to the mud. Aggressive ties and you can get down to the bottom and get traction usually. Up here? No bottom for 3 feet. Use them aggressive tires and you'll dig yourself in axle deep before you can say "aw fuck". Big difference.

[Ericdc]

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[Ericdc]

Our farmers spray just as much to kill unwanted vegetation and insects, but still plow like crazy


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[aunt betty]

The only experience I have in "south" is Arkansas. Mainly NE AR. It's closer. lol

You can find soft spots in fields but if you "tippy toe" around you can manage. Road tires are a mistake though. I like them BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A's. WalMart sold me a set. Put it on the card and the weirdest thing happened. You know how a charge is simply "authorization" up to a certain point? We got the tires but never got charged.
Had mounting issues so I was swapping wheels and bringing em in two at a time. The issue was lugnut recall and they refused to work on it. I did it myself because they only had 4 lugnuts that'd fit. I think that was BS.
Complicated things and the techs got confused or something.
I WIN! That's like VEGAS. Over $1200 in tires. WHEEEE.

OH YEAH THEY LOST MY KEYS! We're even.

Makes up for that day I had two flats at a time.

[Rick]

Theory I see touted is that the more casual hunters will quit, thus lessening pressure and making migration to and wintering in our fair state more appealing.

Of course, it was during the 3-duck-limit and 30-duck-days years that the great goose hunting boom began, and ours went from a camp sleeping 11 hunters to one employing 33 guides on busy weekends in just three or four seasons' time. Which, of course, also applied more pressure across our ag lands. Only reason our camp was so well positioned to take advantage of that shift in interest was that prior to that time, everyone wanted the best duck hunting - which was in the marsh. Even the place where I once enjoyed the finest duck hunting I've known in Louisiana was an ag land blind we rented from a fellow who did his own hunting in "better marsh". Which was quite common among landowners then, and land blinds not literally adjacent to marsh or containing it was dirt cheap by comparison. How times have changed...

[DComeaux]

Why restrict the season if the over all population in the flyway is good? I don't get that

Theory I see touted is that the more casual hunters will quit, thus lessening pressure and making migration to and wintering in our fair state more appealing.

That is it. Just throwing things out there. IMO, If it continues the way it's going we may lose the "casual" hunters anyway.

To be honest, we held enough birds this past season to keep us happy. Just knowing they're there is enough. Though it didn't translate into limits on every hunt, we're still content.

[Ericdc]

Who proposed a restrictive season?


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[aunt betty]

Who proposed a restrictive season?


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I don't know but LOVE to speculate.
It wasn't me.

Spent a whole lot of time in Facebook before I got removed for political view. One of the secret groups I was in was a group of Arkansas guys. Lurked and watched them whine about oosers and what all they proposed to do about it.
Ironically they have AGFC's ear and they're actually enacting some of their hair-brained ideas about how to bring the good old days back where it was easy to kill ducks. They think all they have to do is change regs and make it more restrictive for oosers.

Finally I'd listened to enough and started telling them guys that hey, "AGFC is going to miss the revenue and try to make up for it by charging you einsteins more money for your local licenses". Take a look at what all they get for $25 down there. The whole shebang for $25 and stamps includes 4 turkey permits and 4 deer. They got it made until the ooser subsidies quit coming in and AGFC needs a little change.

Sorry about the tone of this post. Am disappointed. I had my arkansas seasons. Did not go this year and I bet they miss my money.

[Ericdc]

Agree completely, I only want restrictive seasons when the numbers and may pond counts verify the need for it.

As far as restricting the season to try to help the population when the feds say it’s healthy, I can only think of one example and that’s what we did with specks 2-3 years ago when the Flyway went to 3 birds and we added 14 days instead. Kind of a head scratcher but the commission did what they wanted to do.






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[Ericdc]

I’d like to know how many actual farmers are flooding unharvested corn, or leaving unharvested corn standing but not flooding it.

I understand the bigger outfitters are doing this but the acreage of flooded unharvested corn can’t be very much.


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[Ericdc]

Yea y’all seemed to have a really good year with geese down there, you and several others I know.

Maybe the bad cold we experienced was still enough to move geese somewhat like it used to, but didn’t do much for the ducks.


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[DComeaux]

as far as the corn situation---it is genetically engineered corn where the ears are low enough to the ground for birds to feed

even completely frozen water---ducks stand on the ice and still are able to get at this corn---so what used to make them migrate---48 to 72 hr freeze,,,no longer pushing them because they still have a viable food source,so why leave

does this practice cover enough land to hold things up? I don't know,but some do think this practice is significant enough to alter the migration

in my mind,something is going on when Missouri,parts of Arkansas,etc...freeze for 4-6 days and there is no mass exodus ???

so the argument is how is this practice different then baiting? This is where I tuned out because I am not into all that,but they are saying because the feed is above the ground is ok,but if on the ground not----something like that I think

I think people first thought that this practice was not large scale enough to alter things,but maybe now are re-thinking this

I don't know---I just know weather that used to push ducks here like clock work aint doing it now for whatever reason

some were saying it's farm implements leaving corn behind---I don't buy that,if a combine barely leaves a grain of rice,it sure as hell is not going to leave ears of corn

I read where farmers are being subsidized to plant stands of this low ear corn to act as refuge for waterfowl---which it obviously does but screws anyone below where this is occurring

I agree with this, but without firm data its hard to point the finger. I know of at least one place across our northern border that works hard all year long to make a haven for the birds (Imprinting). You do this in enough places, with enough acreage, and limited pressure, I do believe it'll make noticeable changes.

With that said, here's Missouri's December (last) waterfowl habitat survey.
https://extra.mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mdcdevpub/apps/wtr_survey/main.cgi

[Ericdc]

Seems to read that most of their birds left in early January. That times just right for when we started doing well at my place and I believe Rick started killing lots of mallards.

If we don’t get the freezing weather, the habitat is there to hold more than Missouri used to. Not much we can do about that.

The last 2 winters, 2015-16 and 16-17 were incredibly mild like article says.


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[Ericdc]

Other states probably manage pressure better than what we do.

Our lease only gets hunted about 30 times a season, don’t really think that helps us any though because after opening weekend we are hunting traffic.

Wouldn’t want any limits placed on private land like curfews from the government.

I also wonder how the seemingly large increase in “outfitters” has effected our hunting. Seems like new places popping up all the time hunting all 60 days.


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[DComeaux]

These are the "Intensevly" managed State areas in Missouri. Just for thought,Arkansas was dry as a popcorn fart this year.

https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/waterfowl/waterfowl-where-hunt/managed-waterfowl-hunt-areas

I wanted to add this. It's a video of ten mile pond in December of 2016. It's on the list of management areas.

[Ericdc]

Arkansas was dry but those birds will roost on the rivers and dry feed in the rice stubble.


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[Ericdc]

My thought was that there are more folks hunting close to 60 days than maybe ever before.

Definitely not trying to limit them, just wonder what that pressure is doing to the birds, like u mentioned making them go nocturnal.




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