Does anyone know of an actual % increase in the number of duck hunters over the past few seasons? Duck stamps purchased or something? And by duck hunters I mean turds with barrell stickers..

Some of those last few statements are gonna be hard to do. I use mojos majority of the time because they do help in certain situations. I use mud motors because that's pretty much the only way to get to some of the blinds I hunt unless you want to come push pole me several miles and drop me off at the blind. And I'm not gonna stop hunting in the afternoon based on some people's beliefs. Sometimes that's the only time I can go or I'll hunt in the morning then go back in the afternoon bc sitting in a blind is something that I love to do.

Remember that the only difference between cool and fool is one letter ... :)!! A good friend told me that one time. That's also he case between hero and zero ...

You make great points........
These are rehtorical for sure.......

I have pushed poled many many times for over an hour to get to a hole......and the birds would fly out and return winthin minutes, they absolutely do not do that when spooked by a mud motor.......

for every teal that comes into a mojo...........a mallard does not.......

the "new" way of hunting as pressured the birds beyond thier limits.
But I understand your views..........
Many guys have never hunted any other way.

Push poling into a spot, where birds are getting up in front of you and you can't see them in the dark, and your dog is frustrated because he can smell them and hear them but can't see them yet, is MY idea of a perfect hunt.

When I see younger guys sitting around after a hunt, I rarely hear talk about the actual hunt. I hear lot's of conversation about the boats, the guns, the mojos.........but rarely the actual hunt.

again not busting anyone's balls here, just my opinion.
closing in on 50 may have me seeing things a different way.

I personally killed 78 birds this year, my lowest numbers year in quite a few years.

I had a great year! I was out there, with a third season dog, a breed no ones knows about, a 18 year old over and under that people say I should not have in the blind, no mojo just old school kicken the water and jerk string, a pirouge with a paddle and pole, beef jerky and a thermos........

Could not have been better season.
All birds cleaned and eaten.

Great post, I am right behind you in age and agree that today it's more about your gear than the actual hunt. Technology has made it easier for those without skillz to access previously unaccessable areas and educate the birds. Birds are more educated than they have ever been in the past 50 yrs. There's plenty of birds out there but they have adapted to the world of motion decoys, mud motors and meat stick stickers on barrels. Ten years ago gadwalls would gladly come in and you could kill all but one and then he/she would come back to die. We killed all of the dumb birds and what we have left are the non-Darwin ducks. That instictive survival gene gets passed to the young and now gadwalls' are as difficult to kill as the mysterious Mallard. The "Full Strap" mentality will eventually be the demise of waterfowl hunting (disclaimer;I too have been guilty of this). Sunrises,whistling wings, great shots and outstanding retrieves should be what we remember.

Agreed!! Too much pressure, too much sky busting, too much noise from mud motors,etc = ducks that are smart and hard to hunt(kill). They find safe places to rest and become mostly nocturnal. Big south wind and heavy cloud cover help move them around and seem to be the best hunting days for most.

Why the ducks didn't reach Louisiana.
 

Let's not forget the sport of wing shooting versus killing for food! I'll bet there are more duck hunters who do not eat ducks than do. Just shooting for the thrill of the kill. You can get just as much enjoyment from shooting skeet.


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absolutely!

Postin pics on Facebook of broken clays isn't near as manly as a full strap of teal that died over a mojo.

Shut the season down for 3 years to allow recruitment of ducks that do migrate down to S. La. The offspring will genetically imprint to return each year to winter. If we keep killing those few who do make it down here we will se a diminishing number of ducks returning (we're witnessing this now). With more abundant wintering habitat north of us there is no reason for these ducks to migrate here.
Shut it down for a few years, bait the everloving hell out of your ponds for those years that are closed. then get ready for the best opening duck hunting ever!

interesting theory!

I think we should be able to hunt local honkers on golf courses.......would help supplement the need for pics on facebook.......

Reminds me of the old joke about the meeting to discuss season dates, the coonazz gets up and ask for the season to be extended a month. Moderator ask him what are we going to call that month.

Probably would work, never will happen.

Take the money we'll save on local duck hunting and spend it on trips to Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Shoot the hell out of their ducks and hopefully move them to the safer La. waters. Heck, have the local duck clubs set up bus hunting trips up north every weekend. Imagine the fun a bunch of Cajuns could have on a bus trip....:D

In other news.

WASHINGTON – Jan. 29, 2014 – The House of Representatives today passed the 2014 Farm Bill with a bipartisan vote of 251-166.

The 2014 Farm Bill includes the conservation and sporting community’s top priorities of re-coupling conservation compliance to crop insurance and a Sodsaver program affecting top duck producing states of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“This is a big win for conservation and for working farmers and ranchers. The conservation programs authorized and funded through the farm bill are the backbone of Ducks Unlimited conservation work on private lands, and they have just been strengthened by the inclusion of our top priorities,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “It has been a long road of compromise to get to this point, and DU congratulates Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson on the major accomplishment of passing the 2014 Farm Bill.”

More than 70 percent of the nation’s original native grasslands and 50 percent of wetlands have already been lost. Conservation provisions included in the 2014 Farm Bill are designed to encourage the conservation of our nation’s remaining wetlands and grasslands, which help keep our waters clean, prevent soil erosion and provide vital habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.

“We also appreciate the leadership of Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi in shepherding this farm bill that is so important to all citizens to a strong bipartisan vote on House passage. We look forward to expedited consideration by the Senate and bipartisan passage there,” said Hall.

Attachment 62787


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It's all politics......

I can't complain... Was definitely in my top 3 of seasons this year... Last time I seen pintail like we had was 3 or 4 years ago.

That's for sure. We could always bank on our pintail flight


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

I would like to hear your opinion on this.


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1. They attached the increase in welfare and food stamps to this "farm bill" which is funny.

2. That's more money for the government and DU to pay for land to not be hunted.