Post Season

[DComeaux]

Trey Iles
(225) 765-5115
riles@wlf.la.gov

For Immediate Release
Feb. 3, 2022


The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will hold a Zoom public meeting March 2 at 6:30 p.m. to present and gather comments on the proposed 2022-23 and 2023-2024 resident game hunting seasons, 2022-2023 general and WMA hunting seasons, rules and regulations, 2023 general and WMA turkey hunting season rules and regulations and the 2022-2023 migratory bird hunting season rules and regulations.

To attend the Zoom meeting, go to https://wlf-la.zoom.us/webinar/register ... G-0Pu8HtEQ.

Public comment will be taken on the items currently under consideration in the Notice of Intent by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC).

To view the full notice of intent and all proposed hunting season dates and regulation changes, visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/commission.

Public comment will be accepted through March 3 at LWFC monthly meetings or may be submitted directly to Tommy Tuma, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA., 70898-9000 or via e-mail to ttuma@wlf.la.gov by March 4.

For more information, contact Tommy Tuma at 225-765-2349 or ttuma@wlf.la.gov.

[DComeaux]

I put out 2 new wood duck boxes this afternoon that are replacing the two that fell apart over the last couple of years. Those were put in place over 10 years ago. I'll be watching these over the next few weeks for activity.

I ordered a new pair of waders this evening. The water seeping in was cold and the straps have no more elasticity.

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[Rick]

Never fun finding out it's new wader time, but at least you got the boxes up in time for the first round of nesting.

[Duck Engr]

Good on ya DC. We wood duck hunters appreciate your efforts. Reminds me I need to clean mine out.

[DComeaux]

Good on ya DC. We wood duck hunters appreciate your efforts. Reminds me I need to clean mine out.

Got to keep the stock up to at least have some fowl to shoot at in the coming years. I'll just walk out in my back yard. I can do this today but don't have the need, yet.

[DComeaux]

I found the mallards. This was the last week or so of the Missouri season for that particular zone, which ended on January 9th. The weather needed to move these heavily imprinted fowl would be a natural disaster type of situation.

[Ducaholic]

I found the mallards. This was the last week or so of the Missouri season for that particular zone, which ended on January 9th. The weather needed to move these heavily imprinted fowl would be a natural disaster type of situation.

You right brother! I would just like to see December weather equal this past January's good cold fronts so I could finally ask now what when the survey numbers still pale in comparison to 20 years ago.

[DComeaux]

You right brother! I would just like to see December weather equal this past January's good cold fronts so I could finally ask now what when the survey numbers still pale in comparison to 20 years ago.

I've been waiting on the same thing. We had one such winter a few years back and it amounted to nothing. Don't recall the year at the moment. The problem I see is that even if we do get the weather up north for a week or more it will not be sustained. I doubt seriously that we ever had cold winter events up north in our past that lasted the entire season.

I think these birds may flee the north and it's buffets for a short time to escape the severe cold and snow, and leave here once they sense a thaw. We don't have near the handouts as those up north.

[SpinnerMan]

I think these birds may flee the north and it's buffets for a short time to escape the severe cold and snow, and leave here once they sense a thaw. We don't have near the handouts as those up north.

I don't know about ducks, but Canada geese will definitely yo-yo with the weather. It's not that there are better handouts to the north. There are probably less, but they do not consume all available food. They also likely face far less hunting pressure. In fact, in many cases the season is completely closed. Where would a duck rather be? In Louisiana where there are huge numbers of people trying to kill them or up north where nobody is bothering them?

I think this is a good summary of the problem for you all far down south.

https://www.louisianasportsman.com/hunting/waterfowl-duck-hunting/ducks/ending-louisianas-duck-detour

Reynolds said. “The same type of white-fronted geese we have here in North America are wintering hundreds of miles farther north in Sweden.”

Is Sweden offering them more handouts?

Another shocker: our wetlands are in a state of disarray. The Gulf of Mexico is continuously dissolving our coastal marsh, with about a third of our wetlands already lost since the 1930s.

There is a lot of wetland construction and rehab going on up north. The laws have changed for the better. Where I live, there are a number of wetlands built in the last decade or so that are now the most reliable places to see waterfowl. Many of these are purposefully designed to maximize their wildlife value and not just bowls to catch runoff.

At the same time Louisiana’s natural habit declines, our rice production is also dropping, off 30% to 40% from historical highs. While our production declines, agriculture efficiency has improved. Thirty years ago the rice harvest left approximately 400 pounds per acre; today, it’s about 70 pounds per acre. That means there is 20% less waste grain available for foraging waterfowl.

He actually wrote that incorrectly. There is 80% less (20% of what their used to be) waste grain available. The reduction in acreage and reduction in waste have resulted in about 1/5th as much waste grain as their used to be. The handouts down south have been cut dramatically.

And while Louisiana agriculture is decreasing, the Midwest’s agricultural production is increasing, primarily due to the rise in popularity of ethanol. The corn-producing acreage in the United States has increased by millions of acres over the past 20 years, a scale so large that waste grain can be found on the ground as late as spring.

“Species like snow geese are actually feeding on corn during their spring migration,” Reynolds said.

I'm all for killing ethanol completely. It would greatly reduce corn production, but even that I think is too late. The land has been cleared, the drain tiles have been added. The big cost of expansion has already been made. The benefit would be in a shift from corn to soybeans. Soybeans don't last near as long after they hit the ground. You can find corn on the ground in the spring and as Larry notes, the waterfowl are still eating it in the spring. I rarely see soybeans after the first warm wet period. Then again, maybe they just aren't as noticeable as the yellow corn.

There are about 100 million acres of corn and soybeans planted in the Midwest. That's somewhere around 10,000 million bushels or around 250 million tons. Even a small fraction will feed a lot of ducks and geese. And with the warmer winters, there is more open water, not to mention more people and more warm water discharges, rehab'ed wetlands, etc. and a lot less hunters per square mile. A lot of cold tolerant ducks are going to stay as far north as they can and there is a lot more food and water for them to stay north than their used to be.

Now if we could just get them to let us hunt ducks into January. Three 20 days seasons. One early for the woodies and other early birds. One in the middle when weather is moving birds. And then one late for those mallards that don't show until things freeze up to the north.

[Ducaholic]

You right brother! I would just like to see December weather equal this past January's good cold fronts so I could finally ask now what when the survey numbers still pale in comparison to 20 years ago.

I've been waiting on the same thing. We had one such winter a few years back and it amounted to nothing. Don't recall the year at the moment. The problem I see is that even if we do get the weather up north for a week or more it will not be sustained. I doubt seriously that we ever had cold winter events up north in our past that lasted the entire season.

I think these birds may flee the north and it's buffets for a short time to escape the severe cold and snow, and leave here once they sense a thaw. We don't have near the handouts as those up north.

The last complete winter I experienced was 2013/14. It was the first year I had my place in Bordelonville. We opened strong and finished strong with weather events dotting the calendar thru out. That year was the culmination of almost 10 years of excellent waterfowl hunting. It's slowly been going down hill from there with a few bright spots in between. La. harvest numbers and waterfowl surveys bare that out. It is what it is!

[SpinnerMan]

It is what it is!

Still far better than almost anywhere else.

“In Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois, they had their best year in the last 10 year. They averaged 1.9 ducks per hunter,” Reynolds said.

It’s a stark lesson in perception. Midwestern states’ best average harvest is equal to one of Louisiana’s worst.

[Ducaholic]

It is what it is!

Still far better than almost anywhere else.

“In Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois, they had their best year in the last 10 year. They averaged 1.9 ducks per hunter,” Reynolds said.

It’s a stark lesson in perception. Midwestern states’ best average harvest is equal to one of Louisiana’s worst.

It's all relative and subjective. It is what it is.

[Deltaman]

It was a duck wasteland in Coastal Alabama this year. There were the fewest number of birds I've seen in our delta in 50 years. What few did show up, were concentrated South of our causeway, and pounded out quickly. Never saw any concentration of birds in our bays North of the causeway, and even Wood Ducks in the creeks were scarce. Did a lot of scouting, but the "hope to see new birds" bucket kept coming up empty. My stepson and I killed a total of 10 birds this year, and 7 of the 10 were Bluebills . I shot less than a box of shells all season. Each year gets progressively worse, and the highlights of our hunts now are usually lunch

[Duck Engr]

Wow! Sad state of affairs down there Deltaman!

[SpinnerMan]

It is what it is!

Still far better than almost anywhere else.

“In Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois, they had their best year in the last 10 year. They averaged 1.9 ducks per hunter,” Reynolds said.

It’s a stark lesson in perception. Midwestern states’ best average harvest is equal to one of Louisiana’s worst.

It's all relative and subjective. It is what it is.

Enjoyment is so tied to expectations and the yardstick we create for ourselves. A few years ago we went out on Lake Erie duck hunting with a guide that also guides for walleyes. We were talking and he said they were thinking about going from a six fish to a five fish limit. One of us said that would be bad for him. He said no way. If he takes a group out and they each catch 5 fish they are disappointed because they didn't get their limit, but if the limit is 5 then they will all be excited that they limited out.

If I got a duck a day, I would be as happy as a clam. However, if I had a few years of 3 per day and then dropped to 1.5, I would think it disappointing. I get it.

[DComeaux]

If I got a duck a day, I would be as happy as a clam. However, if I had a few years of 3 per day and then dropped to 1.5, I would think it disappointing. I get it.

Exactly.

I have to say I/we are somewhat satisfied with the season we had this year. When expectations are at an all-time low it doesn't take much to make that happen. Low water through spring and early summer this year will be good for us if we don't get a hurricane and or saltwater surge.

[Ducaholic]

Right on spinner man.

[DComeaux]

I'm practicing for this season. Think I'll go bow only.

[Rick]

Well, it's not flooded corn. (Probably just added corn.)

One of my happiest memories from the "Way back when..." I was running white spreads that often succeeded by the truck load was learning Ted Nugent had canceled his bow hunt for geese with me. Just couldn't imagine that impending circus in a positive light.

[Deltaman]

WOW, And we thought shells were spensive but at least he gets some of the back!
Watched a similar video from Argentina, and it might've been the same guy, shooting doves with a bow

I remember an article in Outdoor Life from the early 70's, that had Fred Bear, and another big bow hunter?? maybe Ben Pearson??shooting geese with a bow. Said they practiced on old vinyl records that were hand flung.
Don't remember them having any high tech arrows either, seems they used field tips.

We used the idea of flinging old records for target practice with our shotguns a few years later, when a friend's family bought an old historical home in the 70's. We found a couple of boxes of old 33 1/3 rpm records in a closet, and took them to our houseboat one weekend during duck season. No telling what those old records might be worth today, but they sure were fun to shoot at, as they flew out like a frisbee and would sometimes get caught in the wind, veering different directions. Fun times, especially since #8 field loads were sub $2, and I was making a whopping $1.35 hr in a part time job.

[SpinnerMan]

Don't remember them having any high tech arrows either, seems they used field tips.

I'm sure they used flu flu. They come out fast, but then lose speed quick. That way they don't fly far, you can find them and don't kill somebody when they come down.


There's a variety of different tips for small game.

These are largely to keep your arrow from burying under the ground and not to better kill a bunny. Many variations.


I'd probably use that on ducks. There are more expensive ones that look more deadly, but honestly, I doubt they are unless you get to the more expensive expandable broad heads which you'd go broke shooting at ducks.

I've shot fish out of the air, but never went for waterfowl. Thought about it when I used to do a ton of bowfishing, but the interest faded.

[Deltaman]

Spinner,
Yes, arrows have come a long way over the last 50 years.

[SpinnerMan]

Spinner,
Yes, arrows have come a long way over the last 50 years.

So much better than aluminum arrows. They are either straight or broke.

I've switched to a cross bow a few years ago since my shoulder problems made a compound problematic. In all honesty, I don't shoot it that well. I don't know if it's my crossbow. The short stubby bolts. Bad shooting habits. I could consistently shoot my compound better than I shoot my cross bow. I gut shot a doe this year. I have no effing clue how a gimme turned into a gut shot. Never ever would have gut shot that doe with a regular bow. I passed on several perfectly fine shots on does because I didn't want to risk a poor shot, then complete eff up the shot I had been patiently waiting for. I really need to put the hours in and either just get my confidence up or figure out what the problem is if there is one.

[DComeaux]

This is where our efforts ($$$$$$) should be focused.

[Duck Engr]

Agree. When you make a donation to delta waterfowl you can earmark it for the PPR or to a program like hen houses.

[Duck Engr]

Speaking of, I don’t like the sound of this.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-far ... 022-03-23/

[DComeaux]

Speaking of, I don’t like the sound of this.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-far ... 022-03-23/

"U.S. farm groups urge sowing on protected land as war cuts off Ukraine supply"

That's awesome!.......(Sarcasm)

[DComeaux]

I went down to the camp early on Friday and Blake met me on Saturday morning. We did a little more prep work to start the walls on the screened area. Over a few previous weekends we installed the roof over the screened area, and I have added/reinforced my RV covers anchors with (10) 27/8" heavy wall drill tubing cemented 4' deep in a 10"+ diameter hole. These pipe extend 8' AGL and are strapped in 4 places to the 21/2" square tubing cover legs with 3/4" wide SS banding and buckles, and are in addition to 8 3' auger anchors bolted to the bottom horizontal tubing . There is 160# of mixed crete per hole.
We also added 12 more of these pipe on the perimeter of the screened area for extended cover, and to hopefully serve as a debris catch during future weather events, sparing at least or main frame. We used 44 bags of crete to do this and I was a burnt pup after drilling the holes, setting the pipe, and pouring the crete. We all were.
We're headed back this weekend to install more pipe to the main 4" tubing and I beam frame by welding and bolting a flange plate with wedge anchors in the cement floor. I'll try to get a few pictures of our progress so far. Material pricing is depressing.

When we caught up with the work on Saturday Blake and I made a trip to the blind to spread fertilizer around the blind, and on the strip of land we have left. Hopefully this will beef up our natural brush. I was given a couple of bags of bird plot seed mix which a friend had received in a large order of a deer food plot mix as a promotional thing. It contains 3 different millets, sorghum, and sunflower, among other things, which we spread on islands near the blind. Hopefully we don't get a salt water surge this year. The water is very low now in our marsh and has been since the season ended, and I hope to see germination and growth to seed........ Experiment



I saw this tonight on FB and thought I'd share. I'm pretty numb now to this migration issue but I am curious as to what this group might find.

Cohen Wildlife Lab

We know that planting and flooding corn for ducks is a popular and sometimes controversial management tool. But the collective waterfowl science and management community has no idea how many acres of unharvested flooded corn exists in Tennessee or in the Mississippi River Valley. Over the past weekend, we hosted a "Hackathon", which was basically a three-day non-stop computer coding competition. The goal? To detect unharvested flooded corn fields using satellite imagery. In collaboration with the Data Science League and the Computer Science Department at Tennessee Tech, this competition attracted students from Computer Science, Data Analytics, and Civil and Environmental Engineering majors, all with the combined goal of finding duck corn using their computers!! Nowadays, these interdisciplinary collaborations are necessary to solve more complex issues in wildlife science and management. #duckscience #tnmallardproject #computerscience Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

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[Rick]

Sounds like a start, may at least learn some of what we don't know about learning what we don't know.

[Duck Engr]

44 bags of Crete. Woof. Made my back hurt just reading it. Hope you at least had the sense to get the 50 lbers instead of the 80s.