WLF commission meeting

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by seachaser250

whats the deal with Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited? Just doing some research trying to figure out which organization is better.

Oh no, why would you go and ask a thing like that?!?! This was somewhat civil before.

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[B-Stealth]

Originally Posted by Lreynolds

This is absolutely not correct. LDWF does not restrict access to any land due to presence of whooping cranes. This reintroduced population is legally classified as "experimental and non-essential", and a lot of effort was expended to assure landowners that use of their property would NOT be restricted by the presence of cranes.

I've confirmed this with both the head of the whooping crane program and the Coastal and a Non-Gam Division Chief. All whooping cranes are fitted with transmitters, so LDWF knows where they are at all times. The pair currently using habitat on Gray Estate property are seen by hunters nearly every morning. This is the only pair near Sweetlake.

Mr. Reynolds, I apologize for any confusion from my post regarding the Whooping Cranes I was joking.

But on another note the Sandhill Crane herd in Sweetlake is growing nicely.

[meat killer 86]

Since some people talked about duck numbers I will say this. Usually I'm between 200-300 birds for the first split. This yr I am 20 birds. So where are my ducks???


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[Lreynolds]

Originally Posted by B-Stealth

Mr. Reynolds, I apologize for any confusion from my post regarding the Whooping Cranes I was joking.

OK. I'm sorry if I misinterpretted.

One of the REALLY big concerns prior to initiating the whooping crane reintroduction was the effect on private landowners when cranes showed up on their property. So LDWF is pretty sensitive to any implications of limited private-property rights.

Interestingly, when one of our birds crossed the Sabine River into Texas, it loses its "experimental/non-essential" status and becomes a full-blow endangered species with all associated rights and responsibilities. At least that was the case a few years back when I was more intimately involved. Texas wants us to keep our whooping cranes to ourselves.

[Lreynolds]

Originally Posted by meat killer 86

Usually I'm between 200-300 birds for the first split. This yr I am 20 birds. So where are my ducks???

Heheheheh!!

They aren't YOUR ducks until you "reduce them to possession" through legal hunting means. So YOUR ducks could be anywhere.

I just returned from the Harvest Management Working Group meeting, and the Canadians and folks from the northern states are taking good care of them for us. Canada is just now starting to get some meaningful snow. Minnesota's season closed without any significant ice. My colleagues from Missouri said they got their first big movement of mallards a little over a week ago, and with all the water and warmer than average temperatures, they aren't anticipating pushing them south anytime soon.

What a difference a year makes, eh?

[Baychamp1]

Originally Posted by Lreynolds

Heheheheh!!

They aren't YOUR ducks until you "reduce them to possession" through legal hunting means. So YOUR ducks could be anywhere.

I just returned from the Harvest Management Working Group meeting, and the Canadians and folks from the northern states are taking good care of them for us. Canada is just now starting to get some meaningful snow. Minnesota's season closed without any significant ice. My colleagues from Missouri said they got their first big movement of mallards a little over a week ago, and with all the water and warmer than average temperatures, they aren't anticipating pushing them south anytime soon.

What a difference a year makes, eh?

Normally doing freeze protection on camp at Toledo Bend starting in late Oct.- draining water & wrapping faucets, still hadn't had to do that yet, your right just that simple no cold weather yet, maybe second split?

[B-Stealth]

I hunted last 2 days south of Orange, they have some birds; but man are they skittish. Gotta be exactly where they wanna go.

[meat killer 86]

Well I was in Missouri deer hunting when their duck season opened. Hunted a reserve where they said the normal amount of birds on the refuge on opening day is normally 15-20 thousand. They said there may have been 1500 birds. Their worst opener ever there said.


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[cgoods17]

i think it has just been a warm winter all around for everybody.. i was in kansas early november and locals were saying it was very warm/hot for that time of year.


like larry said, until we get some snow to cover up the food and some ice to freeze up the water, we wont be seeing a push of new birds for a while.

heck arkansas is just seeing a large push of specks over last few days..


but... at least we opened the season a week early!

[AubreyLaHaye458]

I was in Kansas thanksgiving week and that was the first time it froze up there this year. It was obvious at that time that the ducks hadn't really showed up like normal yet.


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[cgoods17]

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo nobody has any update or news on this meeting?


Mr. Reynolds????

[DaPointIsDaBomb]

I just want to know what happened to our wigeon. Used to kill a pile of hem and now none. What is DU planting in those refuges in Missouri to keep them there?

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by cgoods17

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo nobody has any update or news on this meeting?


Mr. Reynolds????

Guarantee you a handful of people on this forum went, if that. All they want to do is complain about what the commission does. Or blame Larry. But NOOOO, when they have an opportunity to go say it to their face, they don't.

Bout the same as the DU migration reports, which are a joke. Got guys post all the time blaming Larry for the season being what it is. I post a message calling them on it, it gets deleted.

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[cgoods17]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Guarantee you a handful of people on this forum went, if that. All they want to do is complain about what the commission does. Or blame Larry. But NOOOO, when they have an opportunity to go say it to their face, they don't.

Bout the same as the DU migration reports, which are a joke. Got guys post all the time blaming Larry for the season being what it is. I post a message calling them on it, it gets deleted.

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so in other words, you dont have an update.........

[Lreynolds]

Originally Posted by cgoods17

so in other words, you dont have an update.........

What do you want an update on? The agenda is published as a press release, and you can contact the speaker at LDWF. The minutes won't be posted until approved at the next meeting and there is no "on demand" feature to get a recap of events if you weren't there or listening on-line.

I didn't attend the meeting as I represent the MS Flyway Council on the Harvest Management Working Group that meets the week after Thanksgiving every year.

Paul Link gave an update of some White-fronted goose telemetry studies being initiated this year in SW LA, and a vote was tabled regarding proposed rules on the Northwest Louisiana Game and a Fish Preserve, which is likely to spur a lot of interest in coming months because it has to do with private duck blinds on public land. There was also a new WMA proposed within the Catahoula Unitvof Kissatchie National Forest.

I was not informed of any public comment regarding the duck season. The regulations for the 2016-17 season will be proposed at the January meeting. I had to have those proposed dates in by Wednesday for some pre-meeting economic analysis that must accompany the Notice of Intent at the January meeting.

[Lreynolds]

Originally Posted by DaPointIsDaBomb

I just want to know what happened to our wigeon. Used to kill a pile of hem and now none. What is DU planting in those refuges in Missouri to keep them there?

They have shifted their breeding distribution westward in a big way. On the breeding survey, wigeon are now being counted more in Alaska and western Canada than decades ago, and we don't have a good explanation why. On our coastal transect survey, we used to count 300,000 to 400,000 in the 70's, and now, we don't even estimate 50,000. It's more drastic than the decline in mallards on that survey.

[Lreynolds]

Just in case anyone didn't already know, you can access Commission "stuff" on the LDWF Website: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and see the tab "LWF Commission". There you can get contact information for each of the members, agendas, minutes, action items, etc. Unfortunately, they can be a little slow getting stuff posted, except for the action items.

For the important stuff, there is always a press release, and those can be found under "News" in the middle of the page. That is where I go to find the latest agenda for Commission meetings, details on the actions they took, and contacts for that particular issue, which are always at the end of the news release.

I've been surprised by the e-mail and comments I've received even while the meeting is going on regarding my presentations, arguments, discussions with Commissioners and actions taken at recent Commission meetings. That live-streaming over the internet has forced me to "tighten up" my presentations and tone-down my demeanor over the last couple of months knowing so many people are watching live. I can read the reaction in the room, but ........