Why has duck hunting become the "thing to do"

[Rubberhead*]

It's all the fancy catalogs full of gadgets and new camo patterns.

[dukhntr]

Speakin of new camo patterns, every time I get used to a new pattern, and assemble a matching get-up, they come out with a new freakin pattern and the one I like is discontinued! What kind of bullshit is that. I think I'll go back to brown camo, my dad and grandfather killed a shit-pot full o ducks wearing that pattern. Now its max4d.shadow.flight.fall.grass.breakup.bottomland. wetlands.delta.marsh. FOR GOD'S SAKE MAN!

[Sportin' Woodies]

now that herters is basically outta bidness (except for the input in cabelas) you all but cant buy brown ww2 camo. that stuff worked for all seasons, dove, duck, deer, and early turkey.
JAB certainly an entertaining post. That ought to be in a magazine.

[southpaw]

It is a shame that young hunters today will not know what is like to go and kill a few wood ducks and this be considered a good hunt. Nowadays if you don't limit out on big ducks it is considered a bad day. The days of drifting down a river in hopes of sneaking up on a duck are becoming a thing of the past. I remember hunting Black River 20 years ago with my father and not seeing a sole the whole day. If I got to shoot at a duck whether I hit it or not mad my day complete.

[muzzy]

Well , I didn't "grow up duck hunting", but a man I worked with asked me to go about 5 years ago now, and we paddled his canoe down into some backwater, an hid on the bank in a blind made of sticks, and we killed two woodies a piece and headed for the house. I thought it was the greatest thing I had ever been a part of. Today, i have some gear, and a great boat that I use for fishing/hunting/shrimping ect. , but if all I ever got was two woodies, I would still go, and I would still love spending fall and winter on the water. I like to think I duck hunt for the right reasons. Would I call myself a "duck Hunter", no cause I haven't earned it yet. I will say that I have tried my hardest to learn good practices and principles. I get to the ramp early to get to my spots, If i get up late, I stay home, I don't want to be one of the guys that everyone would love to pepper his boat with #4's for gett,n on the water at daylight. If i get to my hole and someone is there...I quickly and quietly move on, I got another two spots lined up at least cause I bust my ass scouting every year. I'll say this though, if it wasn't for one ofthe old school guys tak'n the time to put with me while learned, and answer my dumb questions, then I would never have had the chance. I think the limit should be two mallards, I think robo ducks belong in popular science, and I think we need to be recruiting the "right" kinds of young men and women to share our sport... but that's just me, and like I said I didn't "grow up duck hunting
', jeff

[dukhntr]

Muzzy, even though you didn't "grow up on duck huntin" you are still a duck hunter in my book, especially after that post. I have duck hunted my whole life, and I feel the same way you do. Good luck this season, haus.

[LabLuvR]

It don't matter if you grew up hunting or not. The key is that you hunt in the right manner. There are shitheads that have hunted their whole life, they learned how to kill ducks, but they NEVER learned what the word respect means.

[Low Country Sandlapper]

Well said, old boy!

[ftroop82]

I hate to say it but I think it is the popularity of Ducks Unlimited and SCWFA Banquets.
Just an opinion.....

[duckpaddler]

gotta share this re: camo. sucked it up and went to a public dove field last year and it was pathetic - a gun every 5 yards. I just sat and watched from the truck with my dog and kid. One dude sat in the middle of the field against a hay bale. Pink Tanktop and an old single barrel chain-smokng cigarettes.
He limited out in about 30 minutes. funniest thing I've ever seen. There was more camo on that field than the Bass Pro in Duluth

[LabLuvR]

I hate to say it but I think it is the popularity of Ducks Unlimited and SCWFA Banquets.

I would agree to a point. Organizations like DU and the NWTF are marketing the sport to raise funding for resource betterment. The downside is this leads to more pressure on the resource due to popularity increasing.

[DUCKMAN]

Good post all! Lab - I do agree but it is a necessary evil and comes with the territory!

[2thDoc]

would it suprise anyone if i told you that the SCWA banquet in columbia raised $90,000?

Yep. $90,000. think about that for a minute. think about people YOU know that might've been there. think about the type of "hunters" that attended that banquet. think about what these "hunters" would be able to teach a newbie.

don't get me wrong, i like a banquet as much as the next guy, but would i go to the democratic national convention?

i think its important to be a realist. the reality is that SCwa is still taking in $90,000 at a banquet because the people behind it are committed to their goal. What is YOUR goal? What do YOU want out of your duck hunting experience? What do YOU want the future of duck hunting in SC and beyond to be like? What are YOU committed to?

i have friends who know NOTHING about scducks, but they will ALL comment on the site in a negative way. "All you guys care about is talking shit and bad-mouthing tame birds and SCwa." They might be right, and i am committed to my goal. The only word i take out of their quote is "care." I think that's what makes SC Ducks a good place to meet people and swap info...because we all CARE.

I believe that the way to put more ducks in the sky is to protect habitat (especially the breeding and nesting areas). I support DU with a LOT of time and a LOT of money because i am a realist. I realize what hammers so eloquently stated when he started this thread.

now i am just pissed that i had to agree with him. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[LabLuvR]

Agreed.

[deadriver]

Amen on the 3 duck limit. I keep saying on this site, NO ONE needs to shoot 6 ducks a day. I feel like we stepped back a 100 years with this 6 duck crap. Even if the poopulation could handlle it, (I think AHM is unfounded biologically), why not let more birds have achance to live. It is just like passing up a deer, when you pull the trigger he is definitely not going to live any longer. Compensatory mortality is a load of shit. Bring back the 3 duck limit and bring conservation BACK to waterfowling.

[imported_admin]

HARRUMPH!!!

[LabLuvR]

Compensatory mortality is a load of shit


Hallejuiah!!!!!!!!! Someone else has seen the light! What a bunch of contradictory bullshit that is!!

[Candor]

The concept of compensatory mortality is not a load of shit. It is not IMO appropriate for the way our hunting has evolved. Hunting when done as what could simply be called a “minor” force, like it was perhaps 50 years ago may have been compensatory…and a certain amount of the harvest still is. However like Deadriver said at 6 birds and the large # of hunters and the days spent afield it has IMO become additive.

[ftroop82]

If I get to see 3 I feel it is a good day

[ftroop82]

All I can say is that it is a "Sad Situation"

SCWA = Rubberhead Making Machine