Post Season Things

[Darren]

Just think how Olszak feels with perps breathing down his neck from all sides and in the end the Commission does what it wants anyhow.

It's the exact same boat Larry was routinely in. He presented public opinion and bag check data, then the commission did what it wanted that didn't align with what had been presented, much of which was apparently driven by SW La's own Mr. Courville, at the time.

Annnnnnnd that's when I stopped going to the commission meetings.

[Ducaholic]

Ditto...Courville was very self serving.

[Rick]

Pretty sure he hunts across the road from Dave, so should have served him, too.

[DComeaux]

Ditto...Courville was very self serving.

True. I'm fairly certain he had a big part in our two split three segment season.

[Darren]

Ditto...Courville was very self serving.

That's the last time I saw you, probably! (unfortunately)

Guessing we'll see what's what later this month.

[Rick]

True. I'm fairly certain he had a big part in our two split three segment season.

Don't know about that, or much of anything with great certainty, but Chad's told me his Miami place goes downhill after December.

[DComeaux]

True. I'm fairly certain he had a big part in our two split three segment season.

Don't know about that, or much of anything with great certainty, but Chad's told me his Miami place goes downhill after December.

Maybe the tide is turning.

[Ducaholic]

True. I'm fairly certain he had a big part in our two split three segment season.

Don't know about that, or much of anything with great certainty, but Chad's told me his Miami place goes downhill after December.

A second split seems like a way to get more out of January in the minds of some. Courville included or so I heard.

[Rick]

Don't know if he was even still on the commission when the extra split was added. Just know he told me his was a good. mostly teal, lease that fell off after December, which would seem to make his support of late dates for personal reasons unlikely. But commissioners can trade support like congressmen. Again, dunno.

[Ducaholic]

Courville served until March 2021. How many years did the two split season exist? I recall two if so I'm not sure who hatched that idea originally. Guess it could be the perps that want it to continue.

[DComeaux]

Don't know if he was even still on the commission when the extra split was added. Just know he told me his was a good. mostly teal, lease that fell off after December, which would seem to make his support of late dates for personal reasons unlikely. But commissioners can trade support like congressmen. Again, dunno.

He wasn't on the commission but was very vocal and present in the meeting. I'm fairly certain he was on the late season closing band wagon. I still don't understand why.

But commissioners can trade support like congressmen. Again, dunno.

This is true.

[DComeaux]

What I outlined as a zone eliminates the rice hunters that complain about early opening due to second crop rice still in the fields.

With geese opening the first of November, that seems a mighty weak argument. And given the ecological connection between SWLA marsh and rice, as well as clarity, I-10 would make more sense to me. Not that making sense ever held much sway with our commissions...

I just saw this in a post on FB on the proposed west zone dates and thought of your comment.

"I emailed him. That’s an awful lesson. Most farmers won’t have their 2nd crop out by November 8."

[DComeaux]

Bill and I went down to the camp yesterday evening, and this morning we ran out into the marsh to check on the hay bales and to lower the boat hide a bit to hopefully lesson its profile. We jumped ducks from the time we left the launch area all the way to the blind and beyond. We saw both species of teal, mottled ducks, spoonbill, ruddy ducks, ruddy ducks, and poule d'eau. There may have been others in the mix. We were buzzed by waterfowl the entire time we were out there. It was good to see them in a relaxed state.

The water is at the perfect level (LOW) and there are signs of new vegetation growth. The hay bales are fully saturated and in a state of early decomposition. There is also a sediment build up beginning on the land side of the bales. I was told that the marsh restoration area that borders our lease to the south had a few thousand waterfowl on it as of a couple of days ago. He bumped them up in an airboat while surveying the levee condition with that landowner. He said they have committed to adding more fill to the levee as reinforcement and to add height.

20250322_093908.jpg

20250322_094029.jpg

[Rick]

So far, so good...

[DComeaux]

Not a good report, though it's fairly evident. There are those in denial and others that profit from it seeking to keep what they have.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/195rxx1WYv/

[Rick]

How about just not desperate enough for bad news to join FB to get it?

[DComeaux]

How about just not desperate enough for bad news to join FB to get it?

Try this one.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/state-of-the-birds-duck-declines/?

[Rick]

Thanks, i guess. Had seen that unsurprising trend for birds in general elsewhere. Just one more reason to be thankful to have lived before our species screws itself out of most others.

[DComeaux]

“Where are the ducks!?”
You want answers, and we don’t blame you. This episode explores some hard truths affecting where and when ducks arrive in the southern United States. Our expert panel includes host Joel Brice, Chief Conservation Officer, with guests John Devney, Chief Policy Officer, Dr. Frank Rohwer, president and chief scientist of Delta Waterfowl, and Dr. Chris Nicolai, waterfowl scientist.You've been asking. We've heard you. There are five key parts of duck distribution:Duck Production – When conditions are dry on the prairies, like they’ve been for years now, few ducks are produced. That means there are fewer juvenile birds in the fall flight. Birds of the year are easier to hunt, so the overall numbers seen and taken a drop.Weather Variability – We talk to long-time hunters and farmers in Canada and the Dakotas. They tell us it’s staying warmer longer in the northern country. Here in North Dakota, it used to be 50/50 whether we’d be frozen out by Halloween. Now, the water commonly remains wide open, and fields stay bare of snow until Thanksgiving, even Christmas. The ducks are staying north longer.Changes in Agriculture – There’s a lot of internet chatter about migrations and wintering areas shifting, but the data mostly shows otherwise. However, in the core wintering areas, agricultural practices have changed, and that impacts exactly where within those areas where the birds hang out. Public Land Issues – Public lands – HISTORICALLY FAMOUS places to provide habitat and high quality hunting opportunities – are falling to ruin due to declining resources for maintenance and management. On the other hand, private lands are being managed more beneficially than ever, so that, too, impacts where ducks spend their time.Hunter Expectations and Regulations –At Delta, WE ARE THE DUCK HUNTERS ORGANIZATION. We understand expectations are influenced by what you’ve experienced, the kind of seasons you’ve lived through, the variety of regulations you’ve hunted under in your lifetime, and – today – by social media. What you’ve personally lived through determines what YOU consider a LOUSY duck season or a GREAT one.The dedicated team at Delta doesn’t take any of this lightly. We’re digging in and doing the analysis.

[Darren]

I like where the list goes, but haven't watched the video yet.

My own thoughts are consolidated below:

“Where are the ducks!?”

There are five key parts of duck distribution:

1. That means there are fewer juvenile birds in the fall flight. Birds of the year are easier to hunt, so the overall numbers seen and taken a drop.

2. We talk to long-time hunters and farmers in Canada and the Dakotas. They tell us it’s staying warmer longer in the northern country. Here in North Dakota, it used to be 50/50 whether we’d be frozen out by Halloween. Now, the water commonly remains wide open, and fields stay bare of snow until Thanksgiving, even Christmas. The ducks are staying north longer. This isn't anecdotal anymore, it appears to be trending. This also factors in as a two-prong force with #4 below.

3. In the core wintering areas, agricultural practices have changed, and that impacts exactly where within those areas where the birds hang out. Don't have nearby quality habitat? Can't expect to see much for sheer numbers routinely.

4. Private lands are being managed more beneficially than ever, so that, too, impacts where ducks spend their time. The have's and the have-not's is in full force and growing. Just this season the magic of social media showed us swarms and swarms of birds some were holding/managing, while others saw a few flocks here and there.

[DComeaux]

I like where the list goes, but haven't watched the video yet.

My own thoughts are consolidated below:

“Where are the ducks!?”

There are five key parts of duck distribution:

1. That means there are fewer juvenile birds in the fall flight. Birds of the year are easier to hunt, so the overall numbers seen and taken a drop.

2. We talk to long-time hunters and farmers in Canada and the Dakotas. They tell us it’s staying warmer longer in the northern country. Here in North Dakota, it used to be 50/50 whether we’d be frozen out by Halloween. Now, the water commonly remains wide open, and fields stay bare of snow until Thanksgiving, even Christmas. The ducks are staying north longer. This isn't anecdotal anymore, it appears to be trending. This also factors in as a two-prong force with #4 below.

3. In the core wintering areas, agricultural practices have changed, and that impacts exactly where within those areas where the birds hang out. Don't have nearby quality habitat? Can't expect to see much for sheer numbers routinely.

4. Private lands are being managed more beneficially than ever, so that, too, impacts where ducks spend their time. The have's and the have-not's is in full force and growing. Just this season the magic of social media showed us swarms and swarms of birds some were holding/managing, while others saw a few flocks here and there.

After watching the full video yesterday evening this is my takeaway. As long as there are enough ducks to make the northern hunters happy, along with those that have the means to manage property we're good. The AHM was changed to keep or to make liberal seasons easier to achieve with a dwindling population and habitat. We'll just shoot what's left until they're gone, there's nothing we can do.
I hate that I had to type that but it's how I see the "management" situation. Hopefully I'm wrong and I get to see a change for the better down here as the years go by, but I have a feeling that the pond and population numbers will again be adjusted further to the low side as we move into the future to maintain liberal seasons. If the duck population is getting older then I would think that mortality rates will be going up on what remains, and coupled with liberal seasons and bag limits I don't see a good outcome.

I got a sense that they're throwing there hands up in surrender. Apparently the downturn hasn't effected enough of the right people, yet.

[SpinnerMan]

The question I have and have no clue about is when we enter a dry stretch so the pond counts are falling does sending more birds back to be more concentrated around the reduced number of ponds help or hurt the population? The reason I ask this is because concentrated waterfowl can get diseased and result in a large die off. The carrying capacity is falling when the pond counts are falling, so ideally we would send back no more than the reduced carrying capacity. Clearly it is better to eat them than sending them back to die from disease and predation because they are over concentrated on the reduced number of ponds.

Regardless, when we go through a dry stretch in the prime breeding areas, duck numbers must fall one way or the other. Just not clear to me what the optimum management strategy should be. I think "overharvest" on the way down and then when we return to the wetter conditions, "underharvest" on the way back up seems to be the way to go, but it is a very complex question, especially since in the fall we don't know what the next spring will bring.

[DComeaux]

Banding Video made near my camp/lease.

[Rick]

Quite surprised by the number of black-bellies, as I've no memory of any during parties there. Know they've banded good numbers in Pecan Island, but I've only helped target them in Sweetlake. Don't recall Paul wearing gloves to sex them then, but it sure seems a good idea! Re: the clubbish foot, that's something the guides at Cherry Ridge reported after a last week freeze I mostly missed as an extra there in January of '24, but I watched for and didn't see after this past January's hard freeze. Just an apparently frozen gallinule Call found at the blind on his return after the thaw.

[Rick]

Might mean you'll start seeing them in season. Believe Paul said something about them being the future, and it's looking that way, at least for a while...

[DComeaux]

Might mean you'll start seeing them in season. Believe Paul said something about them being the future, and it's looking that way, at least for a while...

If we can keep more fresh water we just may keep a few. I know they pour in down there during the spring and early summer. We see lots of broods along the road but they disappear during the season. They know where the banding spots (feed) are located and return every year. There was such a spot in Pecan Island behind a friends camp. They'd start showing up and checking the spot a month before it was active. Seems they've found Paul's place. He'll have a mess of them from now on.

I would guess the gloves are for use with the black bellies. Notice he doesn't wear those long gloves at the beginning handling the BW. Bellies have talons.

[Rick]

You betcha the gloves were for blackbelly hooks. Second only to poule d'eau's in my experience.

Curious if the Pecan Island banding was at John Reynold's place?

[Deltaman]

Those Black Bellies show up en masse here during the Spring, and start there broods. Unfortunately, they disappear before the season starts, I presume back to the West to y'all. Sure do wish they would stick around!!!!