Rick wrote:As with flooding corn, not on a meaningful scale.
Rick wrote:As with flooding corn, not on a meaningful scale.
Rick wrote:Or rail at ethanol for a while, it's a far more real problem.
I enjoy the ribbing Dave receives over flooded corn but ducks can and will eat shoulder to shoulder. They won’t nest within a few hundred yards of each other though, so although both might be the case, the nesting habitat requires a much much larger scale than food does to be meaningful.Rick wrote:As with flooding corn, not on a meaningful scale.
Duck Engr wrote:
Back to Dave’s comment, all the nesting habitat work in the world won’t do any good this year unless you’re air-dropping some water in each of them weekly. It’s been big time dry up there this spring and summer.
the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s spring survey of wetlands and ducks in this vital state indicates very dry conditions, with a water index (wetland count) down 80.3 percent from 2020, and nearly 66.7 percent below the long-term average.
Darren wrote: with a water index (wetland count) down 80.3 percent from 2020, and nearly 66.7 percent below the long-term average.
Darren wrote:Just not much you can do about that
DComeaux wrote:Darren wrote: with a water index (wetland count) down 80.3 percent from 2020, and nearly 66.7 percent below the long-term average.Darren wrote:Just not much you can do about that
We can't continue running at full throttle while ignoring the knock in the engine.
And while the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks did not complete any official survey of breeding duck numbers this spring, Murano believes that the state could be looking at one of the best seasons of duck production in recent memory.
“Based on my observations and those of our staff out in the field, I think this could be some of our highest duck production in many years,” said Murano. “The amount of water out there this spring attracted a lot of ducks, and then the conditions allowed those birds to have a successful nesting season. There seem to be duck broods everywhere, including mallards and an absolute truckload of blue-winged teal.”
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s spring survey indicates a breeding population of 4 million ducks — an 18 percent increase over 2019 and 64 percent above the long-term average. The population estimate is the highest since 2014 and the 13th highest in the state survey’s history.
North Dakota’s survey indicates stable to increasing numbers for most species, with the exception of redheads, down 12 percent from 2019 to 203,121, but remaining 72 percent above the long-term average. The mallard estimate of 872,982 is essentially unchanged from last year, remaining 84 percent above the long-term average and representing the 18th highest count on record. Gadwalls climbed 6 percent to 440,379, putting them 43 percent above the long-term average. Green-winged teal increased 66 percent to a record high of 68,845, 249 percent above the long-term average, and blue-winged teal are up 58 percent to 1.1 million, 59 percent above the long-term average. Bluebills (lesser scaup) also made a significant jump — up 40 percent to 275,190, 85 percent above the long-term average. Canvasbacks increased 22 percent to 62,207, 54 percent above the long-term average.
With the exception of pintails — down 2 percent from last year to 239,724 and 5 percent below the long-term average — all key species are well-above their 72-year averages.
Ducaholic wrote:Absolutely no reason to throttle it back just yet.
SpinnerMan wrote:Ducaholic wrote:Absolutely no reason to throttle it back just yet.
If we are going into a long term drought, there maybe in an argument for ratcheting it way up to reduce crowding and disease. If the population will be above desired levels because of reduced water, it's better to eat them than let them die of disease.
It might seem counter intuitive, but I believe the math and science is correct. Ideally we don't send too few OR too many back north.
I think the best we can do practically is not over react. Small adjustment over years and not big ones year to year.
DComeaux wrote:I should have the camper back under cover down there in three weeks and we'll limp along with the remainder for some time. I've decided to take the blind back for this year and we'll see how that goes. I'm just one more hurricane away from calling it quits, and I doubt seriously I'd pick up another rice blind with todays pricing and crowds, unless something special should show itself. I'm afraid my duck hunting days are numbered.
Ducaholic wrote:DComeaux wrote:I should have the camper back under cover down there in three weeks and we'll limp along with the remainder for some time. I've decided to take the blind back for this year and we'll see how that goes. I'm just one more hurricane away from calling it quits, and I doubt seriously I'd pick up another rice blind with todays pricing and crowds, unless something special should show itself. I'm afraid my duck hunting days are numbered.
The best advice anyone can give you is be prepared to move all over the lease if that opportunity is still available to you. Don't marry yourself to the your pit.
Darren wrote:Any real progress down that way as far as additional recovery or still seem like many have abandoned it, at least for now? Glad to see it looks like you're making headway. Did see this:
Great news for Rutherford Beach and the Creole community - Canik's Grocery is now open!
BGkirk wrote:Only advice I could give, knowing you probably have bigger water now is more decoys. We tried it last year and I think it paid off. We are stepping it up a notch again this year. I feel there’s too many 5-10 dozen type spreads around us so I’d like to stand out somehow.
Unfortunately it take a 3-4 man crew to deploy and pick up. And we learned last year our weights weren’t heavy enough a few times after some of those brutal northern winds. Will have that fixed this year with cement weights.
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I felt sorta bad, but I capitalized on 2 different hunters that were getting rid of decoys in bulk. In fact, one was an old timer who was giving it up. I halfway think the storm finished off his waterfowl career unfortunatelyDarren wrote:Yea I didn't take DC to be in the mood for the purchase of MORE decoys, especially coming off the storm damage on top of slow hunts.
Rick wrote:That seems incredibly odd. As you know, we run the crap out of Go-Devils, mostly with minimal maintenance, and one of mine that doubled as a mud grinder for however-many seasons is the only one that ever spun a prop. Never had a prop come clean off. You're cursed.
(Having said that, mine will probably fly off when I crank it for its weekly idle Monday.)
Anecdotal reports ive read said dry on Saskatchewan again this year.SpinnerMan wrote:Any idea on the conditions in Canada and elsewhere? If it's everywhere, it's pretty bad. If it's a one year drought basically just in ND, that's actually probably a good thing. I've heard droughts are needed for the health of the sesonal wetlands.
Same here please sir. Strange indeed.Rick wrote:Coco would be the best one to answer that, but I've been bringing mine home for the off season and pretty religiously running it for a while every Monday for some years now. If you learn that's a poor practice, please let me know.
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