Quote:
Originally Posted by cgoods17
I was reading the post earlier about guys losing there leases at the last minute and a few other replies. Got me thinking.
What are your thoughts on the future of waterfowl hunting in Southwest La?
What has Duck Dynasty done for the sport? What has the prices of leases done for the sport? What can be done for better hunting in public areas? What can be done for better management practices? What has crawfishing done to hunting? What has big money done?
How can we better the sport of waterfowling in Sportsmans Paradise?
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First, I will say that the recent popularity of duck hunting has definitely changed the price and availability of leases and available hunting opportunities whether it be from pressure or price. The market determines the amount of cable TV duck hunting related programs and equipment sales. Heck, everyone in the country wants to be like us!
This also creates the problem for public hunting, the more popular and fun the sport, the more people looking to hunt. The recent invention of means of duck hunting transportation and new hunting equipment and techniques can also affect the public land hunting. More access, more hunters. (More yahoos sky busting)
Big Money will always rule the prime hunting areas in every hunting situation, it always has, always will. If you have a good duck spot for cheap, you better own it or keep quiet because someone is willing to pay more than you, nothing you can do about that... (Don't show off your spot to a rich guy)
Farming practices are the number one most important factor that affects hunting across the nation besides water. It's no different here. I have watched things change in SW Louisiana over the past few decades with the increase of Crawfish as the primary crop, only second to rice on my family farm, and the surrounding areas across my historical duck hunting grounds. It has had a negative affect on the numbers of puddle ducks that winter in our fields and has modified the activities of the wintering goose populations. How farmers manage moist soils during the year and the techniques that are used affects the food source and desirability of the land to hold ducks during the season. Every hunter knows that good farming is not good for duck hunting and trashy farms are great duck spots. Just because thousands of acres of deeply flooded crawfish ponds with traps and boats exist doesn't mean that it will be attractive ducks. It's been the opposite in my opinion. Give me a good plowed field holding just a little water in the flyway, with just a few blinds in the area, and I'll show you a good hunting spot. The problem with that is, they don't exist anymore.
We are also planting more food every year across the country, common sense would think that this would change the migration timing and patterns of birds in their historical range. We have never planted more corn than we do now in our history, think about it. Some species of ducks come early and head straight to the marshes like Gadwalls but others can maintain extreme weather and frozen conditions as long as they have the availability of food and water. Everyone here is constantly waiting for cold weather to bring the ducks down but just watch an episode of Avian X TV when they are breaking ice 2" thick and still shooting mallards in standing corn in December and you will see what I'm talking about. Of course, I'm simplifying...
I don't think that there is a simple fix to this combination of duck factors. We will just have to get smart, make more money, roll with it or start trout fishing in the fall!
Duckaholic....(Soon to be Troutaholic)
Guess I'll have to start training my retriever to drive the boat and net fish!!