McNeese Ducks Unlimited

[Smalls]

I guess you guys pissed about DU "taking our money and buying land up north" will be real pissed to know that LDWF takes tax dollars and sends them up north to Canada as well. Been doing it for over 50 years. So does every state.

Got into a big conversation on this last week. Its funny really. To each his own. I feel comfortable with where my money goes. No one has ever shown me evidence to the contrary, while I've seen plenty of where they have done work on public land down here. Everything can't be done on public land, as nice as that would be. And everything can't be done down here when you have to protect the breeding grounds. No breeding grounds, no ducks. I guess those farmers will just be nice and leave those areas alone out of the goodness of their hearts.

*****ing about money going to Canada is a new one for me though. My personal favorite has been the spreading of corn and flooding of every field up north to keep the ducks from coming down. Nevermind that agricultural production increased up north, particularly rice farming, and this was mostly because of the decrease we had down here, leaving a gap in the market.

But yeah, DU did all of that.

I'm a Delta supporter too, but if anyone believes Delta does anything in Louisiana with their money, well, don't know what to tell you. Delta is a research organization that puts money into predator management and probably not near as much into land as DU does. If any at all, and I've never seen a delta project in Louisiana.

The funny thing is, a lot of the guys that will bash DU for not helping down here are the same ones flying the CCA banner. Know quite a few of those. My FIL is one. Makes Christmas interesting.

[Lake Chuck Duck]

Originally Posted by Lake Chuck Duck

Just curious, are they actually purchasing this land? And what are they doing to manage the land they purchase?

^^This is a legitimate question for anyone that wants to answer it.

As far as all these "Louisiana" projects are concerned, the only thing that can help Louisiana hunters is to start growing rice again, and thats out of any ones hands except the farmers.

And yes, the majority of Delta Funds are spent up north in the breeding grounds of the Dakotas and Canada. Without healthy hatchery you have less ducks. The only difference is Delta figured out how to do it effectively and efficiently. Why would you "purchase" or lease a whole plot of land when all you really need is the potholes? Lease the potholes and trap them, set up hen nests, the farmer gets to make money off his crops and makes money off the low lying unusable land all while reducing costs to the organization. The ALUS program in Canada is redefining conservationist/farmer relations and actually producing measurable results by making the farmer a major part of the process.

DU busy trying to bribe people with fleece jackets and making sure they keep Academy stocked with seat covers, steering wheel covers, stickers, wrapping paper, trinkets, etc......lmao

[Top Dawg]

Originally Posted by Lake Chuck Duck

^^This is a legitimate question for anyone that wants to answer it.

As far as all these "Louisiana" projects are concerned, the only thing that can help Louisiana hunters is to start growing rice again, and thats out of any ones hands except the farmers.

And yes, the majority of Delta Funds are spent up north in the breeding grounds of the Dakotas and Canada. Without healthy hatchery you have less ducks. The only difference is Delta figured out how to do it effectively and efficiently. Why would you "purchase" or lease a whole plot of land when all you really need is the potholes? Lease the potholes and trap them, set up hen nests, the farmer gets to make money off his crops and makes money off the low lying unusable land all while reducing costs to the organization. The ALUS program in Canada is redefining conservationist/farmer relations and actually producing measurable results by making the farmer a major part of the process.

DU busy trying to bribe people with fleece jackets and making sure they keep Academy stocked with seat covers, steering wheel covers, stickers, wrapping paper, trinkets, etc......lmao

They purchase the whole plot cuz the big wigs need a place to hunt while these face painters steady buying their gun calendars haha. As far as the projects in louisiana that were mentioned...Well that's almost comical.

[gckid]

what turned me off of DU was a debate Question between DU rep and Delta waterfowl rep. When questioned about predator control Delta had data on trapped areas/un trapped duck production that they paid trappers to trap. Du said they did not want to offend non hunters with predator control.

[wetfeathers00]

[QUOTE=Outdoorsman97;777056]McNeese Ducks Unlimited is having their first sportsman night out on November 3rd at 6pm at Our lady Queen of Heaven life Center. There will be Jambalaya, beer, Bird Dog whiskey, and Bayou Rum. There will also be raffles and an auction.

Tickets can be bought at the door or online.
$45 non student
$35 student
$25 17 & under


Online
https://www.ducksystem.com/cgibin/ww...001&ex=TICKETS[/QUOTE]




EVERYONE DROP ALL YOUR DU MEMEBERSHIPS AND JOIN DELTA WATERFOWL>


NO MORE SUPPORT FOR DU TO USE FEDERAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT THIER UNION THEY HAVE BUILT TO EXPLOIT FEDERAL MONEY>


THEN TURN AROUND AND SPEND ALL THIER TIME HELPING ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, AND IOWA TO DEVELOP ARTIFICIAL MARSHES AND PREVENT THE DUCKS FROM COMING SOUTH.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by Lake Chuck Duck

^^This is a legitimate question for anyone that wants to answer it.

As far as all these "Louisiana" projects are concerned, the only thing that can help Louisiana hunters is to start growing rice again, and thats out of any ones hands except the farmers.

And yes, the majority of Delta Funds are spent up north in the breeding grounds of the Dakotas and Canada. Without healthy hatchery you have less ducks. The only difference is Delta figured out how to do it effectively and efficiently. Why would you "purchase" or lease a whole plot of land when all you really need is the potholes? Lease the potholes and trap them, set up hen nests, the farmer gets to make money off his crops and makes money off the low lying unusable land all while reducing costs to the organization. The ALUS program in Canada is redefining conservationist/farmer relations and actually producing measurable results by making the farmer a major part of the process.

DU busy trying to bribe people with fleece jackets and making sure they keep Academy stocked with seat covers, steering wheel covers, stickers, wrapping paper, trinkets, etc......lmao

They don't always buy the land. Easements are used in some cases. The land they do own has varying levels of management placed upon it. I've heard of some areas not being as intensively managed as others (water control being a primary tool). The main thing is the preservation of the breeding grounds.

As far as buying the whole vs only the pothole.....you can't just manage the potholes. If all of the land around is converted or farmed, the pothole is degraded as well. It's the same principle as protecting marshes and prairies along the gulf coast for mottled ducks--the mottled duck doesn't just need the marsh, it needs the prairie as well. Same for the ducks that use the prairie potholes.

The ALUS is a great program. NRCS has similar programs here that DU has backed. The Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative was one of those.

Delta is a great organization, but they do not put the emphasis on the entire flyway like DU does. Like you said, Delta's focus is the breeding grounds. What good does more ducks do if you have no wintering habitat? Is that not one of our biggest issues? We've lost over 90% of the prairie in Louisiana. We are coastal wetlands at alarming rates, something that no one can seem to erase and no one seems to have a quick answer to.

I love that Delta is so big on predator control, but again, that goes back to the habitat. If we weren't losing the potholes at such high rates, the predator densities would not be so high. When you concentrate the prey, it concentrates the predator. Rebuild the habitat, expand the habitat, and it reduces the pressure from predators.

What I don't understand is why it seems the two don't work together. Maybe they do. Both have a common goal.

And I'm not even going to touch the "trinkets" comments. If your basis for why DU is bad is because someone else is selling a product with their logo on it, then I've got nothing for you. Especially when Delta has a--albeit, limited--store on their website.

[B-Stealth]

Originally Posted by gckid

what turned me off of DU was a debate Question between DU rep and Delta waterfowl rep. When questioned about predator control Delta had data on trapped areas/un trapped duck production that they paid trappers to trap. Du said they did not want to offend non hunters with predator control.

In defense to DU I'm assuming the non-hunting groups are contributors; can't bite the hand that feeds you.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by Top Dawg

They purchase the whole plot cuz the big wigs need a place to hunt while these face painters steady buying their gun calendars haha. As far as the projects in louisiana that were mentioned...Well that's almost comical.

What's so comical about them? Seriously, educate me, because apparently you know all about why DU is a farce. I want to know. I've yet to hear one compelling argument as to why they are a joke. Everything I've ever heard--heated ponds, baited fields, etc.--I've been able to disprove through my own research, independent of anything DU has said. There are simply more logical arguments for the same effects that these naysayers claim DU is responsible for causing.

If you really want to stop giving your money to causes that send money up north, you should probably stop buying hunting licenses, duck stamps, shells, or anything else associated with hunting, since taxes from those go to LDWF and USFWS, which in turn send money up north.

[wetfeathers00]

Originally Posted by Smalls

What's so comical about them? Seriously, educate me, because apparently you know all about why DU is a farce. I want to know. I've yet to hear one compelling argument as to why they are a joke. Everything I've ever heard--heated ponds, baited fields, etc.--I've been able to disprove through my own research, independent of anything DU has said. There are simply more logical arguments for the same effects that these naysayers claim DU is responsible for causing.

If you really want to stop giving your money to causes that send money up north, you should probably stop buying hunting licenses, duck stamps, shells, or anything else associated with hunting, since taxes from those go to LDWF and USFWS, which in turn send money up north.

Debate this:


I Joined DU in the Lake Charles area in 1981. Held meetings in Burton Coliseum all the time. It was a great organization.


But DU has become a UNION, and they have dug into the Federal racketeering GRANTS programs to make the DU UNION leaders rich. The federal grants they secure have a problem, they are for developing UNDEVELOPED land into wild life management.


SINCE THE ENTIRE STATE OF LOUISIANA is pretty much a wildlife habitat, and they cant spend the money in Louisiana to develop land that is already considered wildlife management areas they turned to the northern states of ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, ILLINOIS, and IOWA to fulfill their FEDERAL GRANT obligation and to keep the dollars in their pockets.


WHO cares if it screwed up the flight patterns and Central Flyway. DU damn sure doesn't.


They just want to show their face in the FORMER DUCK HUNTING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD to continue getting revenue from the Un-Informed hunters of Louisiana.


Since 1981 I have seen DU memberships in Louisiana drop over half. And this not because of some fluke.


Many people are aware of what DU does now and they do not approve.

[Spunt Drag]

Y'all just quit *****ing and give DU your money. That's all that matters.

[capt coonassty]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

Debate this:
Many people are aware of what DU does now and they do not approve.

Do they? Clearly not.

DU has done a lot of terracing in Louisiana with state, federal, and private funds.

I think most of these guys your talking about getting rich off of DU started off rich.

[AubreyLaHaye458]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

Debate this:


I Joined DU in the Lake Charles area in 1981. Held meetings in Burton Coliseum all the time. It was a great organization.


But DU has become a UNION, and they have dug into the Federal racketeering GRANTS programs to make the DU UNION leaders rich. The federal grants they secure have a problem, they are for developing UNDEVELOPED land into wild life management.


SINCE THE ENTIRE STATE OF LOUISIANA is pretty much a wildlife habitat, and they cant spend the money in Louisiana to develop land that is already considered wildlife management areas they turned to the northern states of ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, ILLINOIS, and IOWA to fulfill their FEDERAL GRANT obligation and to keep the dollars in their pockets.


WHO cares if it screwed up the flight patterns and Central Flyway. DU damn sure doesn't.


They just want to show their face in the FORMER DUCK HUNTING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD to continue getting revenue from the Un-Informed hunters of Louisiana.


Since 1981 I have seen DU memberships in Louisiana drop over half. And this not because of some fluke.


Many people are aware of what DU does now and they do not approve.

Did you also hear about the giant net they put up at the Ark/La state line??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Marque]

I think if DU stopped printing stickers their membership would go up, CCA too. If they could see some of the a$$ clowns who sport their colors they would distribute their logo's more selectively.

[Lake Chuck Duck]

Originally Posted by Smalls

They don't always buy the land. Easements are used in some cases. The land they do own has varying levels of management placed upon it. I've heard of some areas not being as intensively managed as others (water control being a primary tool). The main thing is the preservation of the breeding grounds.

As far as buying the whole vs only the pothole.....you can't just manage the potholes. If all of the land around is converted or farmed, the pothole is degraded as well. It's the same principle as protecting marshes and prairies along the gulf coast for mottled ducks--the mottled duck doesn't just need the marsh, it needs the prairie as well. Same for the ducks that use the prairie potholes.

The ALUS is a great program. NRCS has similar programs here that DU has backed. The Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative was one of those.

Delta is a great organization, but they do not put the emphasis on the entire flyway like DU does. Like you said, Delta's focus is the breeding grounds. What good does more ducks do if you have no wintering habitat? Is that not one of our biggest issues? We've lost over 90% of the prairie in Louisiana. We are coastal wetlands at alarming rates, something that no one can seem to erase and no one seems to have a quick answer to.

I love that Delta is so big on predator control, but again, that goes back to the habitat. If we weren't losing the potholes at such high rates, the predator densities would not be so high. When you concentrate the prey, it concentrates the predator. Rebuild the habitat, expand the habitat, and it reduces the pressure from predators.

What I don't understand is why it seems the two don't work together. Maybe they do. Both have a common goal.

And I'm not even going to touch the "trinkets" comments. If your basis for why DU is bad is because someone else is selling a product with their logo on it, then I've got nothing for you. Especially when Delta has a--albeit, limited--store on their website.

I wish they would work together since they both seem to attack different root issues. Delta leadership in LA has attended every meeting of the wildlife commission pleading that they split the 2015 (or 2016, not sure how that works) grant money 50/50 between Du and Dw. DU is steady politicing for 100%. They've gotten the the grant 100% every year except I believe once Delta got half.

[capt coonassty]

Originally Posted by Marque

I think if DU stopped printing stickers their membership would go up, CCA too. If they could see some of the a$$ clowns who sport their colors they would distribute their logo's more selectively.

I have more than one friend who has a DU duck head tattooed on them. One of them might never have even been to a banquet.

[wetfeathers00]

Originally Posted by AubreyLaHaye458

Did you also hear about the giant net they put up at the Ark/La state line??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

haha,

Have you been to Arkansas lately, have you seen the massive landscape changes they have made to farming lands and wooded areas that have been leveled and pretty much turned into artificial marshes and RICE PONDS (in arkansas lol)

But I guess you haven't noticed the drop in Duck Populations in LA over the last 20 years.

Let me give you the Federal Grant Plan.

Feds will give DU 1,000,000 for Louisiana funding because Louisiana is considered wildlife habitat already.

Feds will give DU 10,000,000 for Arkansas and other states because they are not considered Migratory bird sanctuaries, but will only allow the spending of the 10, 000, 000 grants in these areas.

Now which Grant do you think DU is going to chase more???

[Marque]

Originally Posted by capt coonassty

I have more than one friend who has a DU duck head tattooed on them. One of them might never have even been to a banquet.

Some times you got to cut a man loose.

[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.

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by wetfeathers00

Debate this:


I Joined DU in the Lake Charles area in 1981. Held meetings in Burton Coliseum all the time. It was a great organization.


But DU has become a UNION, and they have dug into the Federal racketeering GRANTS programs to make the DU UNION leaders rich. The federal grants they secure have a problem, they are for developing UNDEVELOPED land into wild life management.


SINCE THE ENTIRE STATE OF LOUISIANA is pretty much a wildlife habitat, and they cant spend the money in Louisiana to develop land that is already considered wildlife management areas they turned to the northern states of ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, ILLINOIS, and IOWA to fulfill their FEDERAL GRANT obligation and to keep the dollars in their pockets.


WHO cares if it screwed up the flight patterns and Central Flyway. DU damn sure doesn't.


They just want to show their face in the FORMER DUCK HUNTING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD to continue getting revenue from the Un-Informed hunters of Louisiana.


Since 1981 I have seen DU memberships in Louisiana drop over half. And this not because of some fluke.


Many people are aware of what DU does now and they do not approve.

"Developing undeveloped land into wildlife management"

I'm not following this. Why would you develop undeveloped land into wildlife management? What is undeveloped land? There is a lot of recreational acreage in Louisiana that I would consider undeveloped. Undeveloped land is typically wildlife habitat already, so why would there be a grant established to fund activities that manage it for wildlife?

What grant program is this you are referring to? I mean, it has to have a name. It's not some nameless grant. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program grants are only available to state and regional government agencies.

I still fail to follow this logic, because I know several seasoned duck hunters, who aren't YELLING IN ALL CAPS ON THE INTERNET, that don't seem to have a problem with DU. On the flip side, I know several that do have a problem with DU (with no real foundation), but still support an organization like CCA.

Moral is, I don't know what you are talking about. What I did understand, I could say for any conservation organization. I've heard the same stories about CCA and National Wild Turkey Federation. One I believe in and support, the other I don't.

[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.