McNeese Ducks Unlimited

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

Look,

For thousands of years DUCKS have been migrating from the North to the South as programmed by nature. Thats why we have duck seasons, thats why the hunting dates are made around this fall migration.

SO using the argument of building breeding Sanctuaries is absurd. They were already breeding sanctuaries.

DU did a lot of good things in the beginning, but when they got into land management to help grow the organization, they made their biggest mistakes. Changing landscapes to secure federal funding has nothing to do with the conservation.

Kinda of like a church wanting to grow, and asking the church members to put up enough money to buy a 10 million dollar airplane to spread the word and buy a bigger church.

this is where you just lost me. There were already breeding sanctuaries? So the prairie potholes being converted to agricultural production means nothing to you?

I keep seeing this "for thousands of years" crap. Who is arguing that crap? If anything, it's the anti-DU crowd that thinks DU is purposely changing the flyway with these practices. If you are trying to suggest that habitat work does not need to be done across the flyway, then we need not even continue this conversation. It would be pointless for me or anyone else to point out all of the degraded habitat from the breeding grounds in the Prairie Potholes to the coastal marshes in Louisiana.

[wetfeathers00]

Originally Posted by Smalls

this is where you just lost me. There were already breeding sanctuaries? So the prairie potholes being converted to agricultural production means nothing to you?

I keep seeing this "for thousands of years" crap. Who is arguing that crap? If anything, it's the anti-DU crowd that thinks DU is purposely changing the flyway with these practices. If you are trying to suggest that habitat work does not need to be done across the flyway, then we need not even continue this conversation. It would be pointless for me or anyone else to point out all of the degraded habitat from the breeding grounds in the Prairie Potholes to the coastal marshes in Louisiana.

MY OH MY, I GUESS THIS IS TOP SECRET INFORMATION. Look at the Coinciding map info.

One is DU projects the other is Flyway changes. Notice the large vacant spaces missing red dots in south Louisiana.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

MY OH MY, I GUESS THIS IS TOP SECRET INFORMATION. Look at the Coinciding map info.

One is DU projects the other is Flyway changes. Notice the large vacant spaces missing red dots in south Louisiana.

What am I looking at here? A bunch of DU projects?

Ok. Have I argued they aren't putting in projects? No. Quite the contrary.

"One is flyway changes"

What?!?! What are you talking about one is "flyway changes"? Both of those clearly show the same thing! I see quite a lot of red dots in Louisiana, by the way.

But I guess since the large one doesn't include a legend, you can claim it shows what ever you want. Clever old boy, clever.

And a lot of Vacant space in Missouri, which you earlier claimed was one place DU was spending lots of OUR money.

Looks like most of the money is focused along the Mississippi River, with a very large amount in both Arkansas and Louisiana.

Would it make a difference to you if I pointed out that Arkansas kicks our *** in rice production every year? And that many claim the reason for the decreased duck numbers in SWLA is the lack of rice production? I've heard that argument made many times. Does it make a difference that Arkansas had nearly 3.5 times the rice acreage that Louisiana did in 2014?

It seems to me that people want to blame DU when landscape changes far from DU's control are more likely the cause of "decreased" duck numbers in Louisiana. Are our wetland conditions not worse today than they were 20 years ago? Are our crop productions not worse today than they were 20 years ago? Are our hunter numbers not higher today than they were 20 years ago?

More pressure, less habitat in the south; More habitat in the north. And people wonder why there aren't as many ducks down here.

[wetfeathers00]

SMALLS,,


Seriously, the map shift shows the drop in population in SOUTH SOUTH SOUTH SOUTH Louisiana. 10-15 years ago, that map would have been solid Red across the Coastal and I-10 corridor.


The map on the Left is DU projects, the map on the Right is DUCK POPULATIONS in the FLYWAY. The right map is not DU PROJECTS>


But for the sake of arguing. We get it, you support DU. Great Job. Keep supporting them.


Many of us do not, and that's our choice. You have your reason why, and we have our reason why.


But at the end of the day, the DUCK populations in South La have fallen.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

SMALLS,,


Seriously, the map shift shows the drop in population in SOUTH SOUTH SOUTH SOUTH Louisiana. 10-15 years ago, that map would have been solid Red across the Coastal and I-10 corridor.


The map on the Left is DU projects, the map on the Right is DUCK POPULATIONS in the FLYWAY. The right map is not DU PROJECTS>


But for the sake of arguing. We get it, you support DU. Great Job. Keep supporting them.


Many of us do not, and that's our choice. You have your reason why, and we have our reason why.


But at the end of the day, the DUCK populations in South La have fallen.

Link to the map then, because from what I'm looking at, it is the exact same as the one to the left, but shows the entire mississippi flyway. How you can argue any different, I don't understand.

[wetfeathers00]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Link to the map then, because from what I'm looking at, it is the exact same as the one to the left, but shows the entire central flyway. How you can argue any different, I don't understand.

IT DOES LOOK THE SAME> ABSOLUTEY.


THAT IS THE POINT> The DIRECT reflection of DU projects in Arkansas and Missouri (Along the Mississippi River as you say) shows a direct impact on the FLYWAY and where the birds migrate.


That's been my whole point.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

IT DOES LOOK THE SAME> ABSOLUTEY.


THAT IS THE POINT> The DIRECT reflection of DU projects in Arkansas and Missouri (Along the Mississippi River as you say) shows a direct impact on the FLYWAY and where the birds migrate.


That's been my whole point.

You clearly have something loose in your head. The map is the same, and does not make any assumptions about the migration.

YOU are making assumptions about the figure and its relation to the migration.

If the figure relates to migration, then how many ducks does each of those dots equal?

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

LOL, and WHERE is the most projects being done?????? Come one Smalls, what part of that map and link you just sent concentrated on??

ARKANSAS.

You're bent, plain and simple. You can tell, without a doubt, that the most parts are taking place in Arkansas?

Care to weigh in on my point regarding rice production? Or habitat loss? Or do those points just work against your agenda?

[Cjleger337]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

MY OH MY, I GUESS THIS IS TOP SECRET INFORMATION. Look at the Coinciding map info.

One is DU projects the other is Flyway changes. Notice the large vacant spaces missing red dots in south Louisiana.

Smalls, Im compelled to ask: Is there a correlation between the DU projects and what land is considered protected land in LA? It seems like majority of those red dots coincide with land that would be considered protected land/land owned by the state or feds. Is there a reason for this? I wonder if its the lack of support that DU has from private land owners in LA? I wonder if DU had more support from private land owners in LA they would make an effort for conservation on privately held land?


I used to believe all the negative about DU until I started doing all my own research, then realized most of the garbage spewed about DU came from ill informed hunters who were only spreading rumors... unknowingly repeating something that they heard someone else say.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

Question

Where do yo hunt??

ON a DU project property??

On someone else's leased land??


Your answers will help this issue of why you support DU and I dont so answer honestly.

I'm assuming you are aiming this at me. I hunt public land, and to answer ASR's question, I hunted roughly 12 days last year. Most of that was weekends, but I took a few days here and there during the week. Stayed pretty busy at work, so it's hard to take off during the week. I hunted once on private land with a buddy that has no ties to DU. All of my other trips were public land in SELA, and none of those are in areas that have benefited from a DU project. I've been on some public areas in the past that have benefited from DU projects, but I rarely hunt those anymore because there are public areas closer to where I live now.

So, I'm not as big a diehard as some guys, but, you know, being 26 and all (since you seem to think my age is so important to the topic), duck hunting doesn't pay the bills, and I have a family to think about.

Still waiting to see that information on those grants. I really do want to read about this program that is apparently biasing conservation activities towards other states.

Originally Posted by Cjleger337

Smalls, Im compelled to ask: Is there a correlation between the DU projects and what land is considered protected land in LA? It seems like majority of those red dots coincide with land that would be considered protected land/land owned by the state or feds. Is there a reason for this? I wonder if its the lack of support that DU has from private land owners in LA? I wonder if DU had more support from private land owners in LA they would make an effort for conservation on privately held land?


I used to believe all the negative about DU until I started doing all my own research, then realized most of the garbage spewed about DU came from ill informed hunters who were only spreading rumors... unknowingly repeating something that they heard someone else say.

Honestly, just by looking at the map, its hard to tell. I would suspect many of them are on private land. If you really look at that map, the majority follow the Red and Mississippi River basins. Now, the Mississippi River does have some public land along it, but not near as much as the projects that appear along it on this map.

Without really getting into it and comparing the project locations to public land, it seems like a fair amount of them are on public land. When you compare the public to private land acreage in the state, we are no where near the lopsided numbers of Texas, but private land still outweighs public considerably.

As much as I would love the majority of DU dollars to be spent on public land in our state, its unrealistic. Some of that money is going to get spent on private lands. Whether people like it or not, money is going to be spent on the Gum Cove and Black Lake areas. I've been out in Marcantel's "marsh", and its pretty useless. Open water. You all know this if you've been in that area.

Part of the reason that DU has so much resistance in Louisiana is because of the work they do on private lands here. People feel like Marcantel and others are getting special projects in return for large donations. I really don't see a problem with that if the money is returned to conservation done elsewhere. A lot of the work they do on public land goes unnoticed because of this. Hell, the only reason I knew about the Rockefeller project was due to a post on the Louisiana DU facebook page. They just don't seem to be very good at PR.

[meaux fishing]

public land du projects

[boatdriver]

Originally Posted by meaux fishing

public land du projects

Cool!!!!!! So, I can go hunt the White Lake WCA now without a problem??!!!! Everyone in this part of the state knows that is BS. Duck hunting there, as well as Cameron Prairie are done solely by lottery hunts.

[Cjleger337]

Originally Posted by boatdriver

Cool!!!!!! So, I can go hunt the White Lake WCA now without a problem??!!!! Everyone in this part of the state knows that is BS. Duck hunting there, as well as Cameron Prairie are done solely by lottery hunts.

And if it werent, it would be just as s****y hunting as the rest of public land WMAs.

Too many hunters, not enough public land.

[meaux fishing]

Originally Posted by boatdriver

Cool!!!!!! So, I can go hunt the White Lake WCA now without a problem??!!!! Everyone in this part of the state knows that is BS. Duck hunting there, as well as Cameron Prairie are done solely by lottery hunts.

But there is still public hunting opportunity there nonetheless. You have every opportunity to put your name in the drawings, and first time applicants have a better chance than somebody that hunted there last year.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by meaux fishing

public land du projects

Kisatchie being on that list has always confused me. Who the hell is duck hunting in Kisatchie? lmao!

Regardless, that is just the public lands they have done projects on. I don't believe they have only done 27 public land projects, and this list does not include Rockefeller either.

[meaux fishing]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Kisatchie being on that list has always confused me. Who the hell is duck hunting in Kisatchie? lmao!

Regardless, that is just the public lands they have done projects on. I don't believe they have only done 27 public land projects, and this list does not include Rockefeller either.

It is one of the green non huntable areas

[Cjleger337]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Kisatchie being on that list has always confused me. Who the hell is duck hunting in Kisatchie? lmao!

Regardless, that is just the public lands they have done projects on. I don't believe they have only done 27 public land projects, and this list does not include Rockefeller either.

lol, I guess it would pay to finish reading your entire comment, the first time I read it I didnt see a thing about yall talking about Rockefeller.

[C-Bass2mouth]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Kisatchie being on that list has always confused me. Who the hell is duck hunting in Kisatchie? lmao!

Regardless, that is just the public lands they have done projects on. I don't believe they have only done 27 public land projects, and this list does not include Rockefeller either.

There are def some people that shoot woodies out there with a lanyard slap full of Duck Commander calls..