Broad river Draw Hunt

[Catdaddy]

I used to do counts at a local roost. 15-20 years ago there were 1000-1200 Mallards coming to it every evening in late December.I have checked it twice recently. There were 0 Mallards, 2 black ducks, and 25 wood ducks.

Here what recent science is telling you. The plentiful mallard population from 20-40 years ago was the result of massive release projects(to the north of us)which interbred with the wild Mallards. As the releases slowed down and/or moved south, the resulting hybrids haven't produced well enough to keep a steady population of Mallards in the Atlantic Flyway.

I think overtime, the bad genetics will be reduced to get an almost wild Mallards again, which will breed and have better nesting success than the break even point of aporox15%.

As far as SC is concerned, they need to manage for ducks that still migrate this far(ex=ring necks, teal, pintails).



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[Calibogue]

Imprinting is the result of proper habitat. Habitat must have food, water and minimal disturbance.

Gray ducks are not interested in grain on dry ground nor woodies. That is all we have left. "Big ducks" have shifted their migration. Climate affects their location because snow covers their food source. Frozen water does not suit their needs. It appears they follow the freeze line and snow cover.

Temporary climate changes have temporary effects. Long term mis-management causes a loss of habitat resulting in shifts in imprinting. You can bet you gun that hundreds of millions of acres of grain scattered over the mid-west caused a shift in the migration of big ducks.

I think you miss my point on imprinting.
This wheel was in motion long before the advent of no-till farming and coastal development.

[bitesize]

240,000 acres of rice went away and the ducks followed- while the rice crop went away over night ducks took a little more time to shift. We have more habitat than ever, just don’t have the ducks flying by it!

[bitesize]

And I still want to know when the state is buying those Spencers!

[Calibogue]

240,000 acres of rice went away and the ducks followed- while the rice crop went away over night ducks took a little more time to shift. We have more habitat than ever, just don’t have the ducks flying by it!

Yep

[YoungBuckTX]

https://www.facebook.com/FowlWeatherPodcast

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[cat III]

Skiing in Steamboat is still spot on

[2thDoc]

i dont think you can pass judgement unless the properties are managed properly. that means FOOD.
if you dont plant it or manage it properly...and it doesnt hold ducks....it may not be the atlantic flyways fault.

plenty of places hold ducks. shockingly(?) its the private ones. its always seemed silly to me that DT can fund WMAs with millions but cant plant corn worth a shit.

[darealdeal]

Don’t forget the war on hydrilla! How much food has that killed off?

[EveryDay]

The crops haven't been the same since, Bob retired. Certain SCDNR employees can't seem to understand that you don't even show up on site in the daylight Sunday through Friday during duck season.Those birds can't handle human presence in that small of an area. Bob understood that and it really shows

Speaking of small fields, was anyone there or has anyone heard how the late December Samworth hunt went? DNR hasn't posted the results yet. I'm not 100% sure on the dates but I think its the first time it's been hunted in a good number of years, maybe the first time since the Carr marshes went Cat 2.

[2thDoc]

any updates from the OP???

[thawhacker]

Wondering the same thing
Where the dead pics

[Quackhead22]

Speaking of small fields, was anyone there or has anyone heard how the late December Samworth hunt went? DNR hasn't posted the results yet. I'm not 100% sure on the dates but I think its the first time it's been hunted in a good number of years, maybe the first time since the Carr marshes went Cat 2.

They hunted several years after the Cat 2 transformation. I was just outta high school when that happened and I know they hunted at least another 10 years. So 2015/2016 may have been the last year it was technically hunted.


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[Palmetto Pride]

It really is when, not if, the govt entity will mis-manage a property due to lack of knowledge, drive, funding or a combination of all. I personally watched Richardson, now Donnelly, plummet in duck numbers similar to Bear Island while private places around it improved or prospered, but had fluctuations due to weather. True sample sizes are 10year averages vs. what some 20yo “heybo” saw hunting from the time he was 16-20.
It takes money and work to have ducks.