Impoundment Buffers

[Nab]

That was a pretty good one wasn't it Swampy?!
Well said Rubberhead - it amazes me how many people want to tell me what I should do to kill ducks and what I need to do to enjoy HUNTING them! Remember, "hunting" ducks in a corn pond is much harder anyways so maybe I need to try that route - guess I've been taking the easy way out all of these yrs too!
Duck Tape - you are doing well in your "political" training - talking alot and not saying anything - you're catching on fast.

[Green Heads Only]

Rubberhead that sounds beautiful, I love to hunt like that too. The only trouble with that scenario is reality, in South Carolina it seems if there are many ducks under that cypress tree there will also be another hunter leaning against the side unless you happen own it and everything else around it.

[Green Heads Only]

Nab, since you have been a powerful voice on that comittee a pretty long while now tell us what exactly you have accomplished beside talk?

[Swamp Rat]

All this is why I love a diver.

[falcon40]

wow. its been a year since ive been on this website and its ssdd. ive hunted the edisto for 20 years.its been my experience that you can set up next to dikes and with the right wind short stop new ducks into your spread drt.ive also witnessed the education of the birds with a little help from a skybuster,but the ducks still go in,they just change their approach.you cant keep a hungry duck down.i think hunting too close to an impoundment on the days they hunt hurts you more than helps.ducks dont land outside the impoundment after getting their tailfeathers shot off. yet another biased poll.a simple yes or no answer would suffice.

[Edisto]

Guess it's time to come out of hibernation. I think that Duckman hit the nail on the head. Lottery draws for blind spots just like Maryland does would be great.

[Dook]

I need someone to get NAbbath on a corn pond hunt? Any takers?

He really thinks it is easier than hunting in the swamp.(clarify a swamp with ducks)

I think he has no clue the restraint of a impoundment owner and how hard it is to keep wintering ducks happy.

I am almost willing to bet we could gift nabbath a 150 acres of corn to manage and hunt, and he would kill nothing more than his 2 woodies and an occasional tamie.

[BOGSTER]

Hard???
1. Limit your hunts to every 2 weeks.
2. Get out as soon as you have your limit.
3. Leave them alone until your next hunt.

That about sums it up Dook.
And all BS aside, It is easier to hunt ducks in a corn pond than it is in the swamp.
Remember......the ducks have every intention of coming in as long as you don't screw it up.
In the swamp.....thats usually not the case.
Unless you are where they want to be.

You hunt corn ponds Dook??

[Edisto]

Bogs -- I think I need some clarification on the definition you are using for hunting.

Limit your hunts to every 2 weeks? You think that is it?


1) Is is easier to hunt as an invited guest to hunt a well managed pond/impounment over the swamp? Yes

2) Is is easier, as the owner/caretaker, to hunt the impoundment/pond than the swamp? I don't think so.

If we define hunting only as getting in a boat, travel to spot, throw out dekes, shoot ducks (maybe), pick up dekes, go back to landing, go home -- If we expand the definition of hunting to inlcude to year round hard ass work to prepare the land, prepare the dikes, work on dikes, plant, reap (maybe), flood, not distrb the birds, MAYBE, MAYBE get in 2 or 3 hunts all season, then I think it is obvious which is easier.

As a public land/water hunter I wouldn't want to trade with the good pond owner. Too much blood, sweat, and tears. If your definition of hunting stops when you leave the river then you only deserve 2 wood ducks.

Why would anyone want to pass shoot ducks going in someone else's impoundments?

[redhead25]

Let me say that if anyone is stupid enough to think that I have the money I do invested in boat, gas, decoys, shells, etc.... and I am only going to hunt every two weeks, then they can kiss my big white A$$! I am grateful to the private landowner with more money than he has sense and can afford to make a beautiful place for ducks. My job as a poor brokedown hobo that loves to hunt is to scout and find where I can intercept these birds and possibly throw out a decoy spread that looks remotely decent enough to make them come down and look. Waiting for a limit of birds to decoy in every morning around the rubberhead skybusters is like waiting for a commorant to crap a golden nugget on me as he flies by.

[Turd Ferguson]

those are MY DUCKS flying into HIS field!
I need to be there EVERYDAY to cut them off- I dont want MY DUCKS eating HIS FOOD that HE paid for- it is not fair to the rich landowner to make him pay for MY ducks to eat- swat em high boys!

[Edisto]

Red--I agree with 1/2 of what you are saying "My job as a poor brokedown hobo that loves to hunt is to scout and find where I can intercept these birds and possibly throw out a decoy spread that looks remotely decent enough to make them come down and look. Waiting for a limit of birds to decoy in every morning around the rubberhead skybusters is like waiting for a commorant to crap a golden nugget on me as he flies by." -- Exactly

However ..."Let me say that if anyone is stupid enough to think that I have the money I do invested in boat, gas, decoys, shells, etc.... and I am only going to hunt every two weeks, then they can kiss my big white A$$!"

I've got $10,000 is decoys, guns, boats, dogs, robos, etc. so I'll hunt whenever I want, and when I am not hunting, I'll scout. I hate Mr. Landowner, because all he does is plant corn in a pond and he has all the ducks!!

[BOGSTER]

Originally posted by Edisto:
Bogs -- I think I need some clarification on the definition you are using for hunting.

Limit your hunts to every 2 weeks? You think that is it?


1) Is is easier to hunt as an invited guest to hunt a well managed pond/impounment over the swamp? Yes

2) Is is easier, as the owner/caretaker, to hunt the impoundment/pond than the swamp? I don't think so.

If we define hunting only as getting in a boat, travel to spot, throw out dekes, shoot ducks (maybe), pick up dekes, go back to landing, go home -- If we expand the definition of hunting to inlcude to year round hard ass work to prepare the land, prepare the dikes, work on dikes, plant, reap (maybe), flood, not distrb the birds, MAYBE, MAYBE get in 2 or 3 hunts all season, then I think it is obvious which is easier.

1. agreed.
2. I agree.....a man tends to get partial to the ducks using his property.

But Dookie was referring to HUNTING as I read it.
And with that in mind i still stand by my statement.

Its a HELL of alot more work and money to plant and flood than to take a boat ride up to the swamp and go lookin around for ducks.
But....that has nothing to do with HUNTING them.

You know as i do, when hunting an impoundment the ducks ARE going to come.
The skill is getting them to land within your shotgun range.
And usually that can be pre-arranged by observing which part of the field the birds are using most.
If they aren't there.....you just move down after the first few flights.
And talk dirty to em on the Echo.

Hunting pressured ducks on public water with no food is a totally different ballgame than non-pressured ducks in a flooded grain field.

[BOGSTER]

Originally posted by BOGSTER:

1. Limit your hunts to every 2 weeks.
2. Get out as soon as you have your limit.
3. Leave them alone until your next hunt.

You can hunt more than every two weeks.
Thats just the way I tend to shoot the beaver ponds.
If i shoot one....i usually don't shoot it again for a couple weeks.

[Rubberhead*]

15 years ago most of today’s managed impoundments lay fallow if they existed at all. The ducks we had were wild, lived off of wild foods, and were scattered throughout the state mostly in places open to the public. They were also huntable to the practiced duck hunter. To the extent that I’m a good duck hunter it is because I learned to hunt ducks under these conditions.

Now, mostly because disposable income is so high and because of the long seasons and high limits, there are many, many managed impoundments. These mega-managed impoundments now hold most of the birds that visit South Carolina.

Mud motors that allow public hunters to scout every inch of Lake Marion in one morning have further pushed the public birds into the managed impoundments.

I guess it's a good thing that increase in the number of managed impoundments coincided with the increase in the number of mud motors.

My belief is that future 30-day / 3-bird seasons will greatly reduce the number of acres of managed impoundments.

Giving away now public areas to create buffer zones around managed impoundments ignores the greatest problems facing the ducks right now – long seasons, high bag limits and extreme disturbances.

It’s not popular to talk about and tough to regulate but we need to deal with these issues directly, not by creating more knee-jerk band-aid solutions.

If Rubberhead were king: 30-days (Eastern 3-flyways), 3-birds (nation-wide), No mud motors (ambient water cooled engines only) on public waters shallower than 6 feet deep at high water.

[jwilliams]

It is very difficult planting and managing impoundments. This one time, while writing a check to the farmer who planted my corn, I got a cramp and it turned out to be CT..had to get therapy. Then, just when I thought i was done, I had to send another man out to flood my pond. Talk about trauma. You guys don't get it. It is hard work for SOME

[Edisto]

"Hunting pressured ducks on public water with no food is a totally different ballgame than non-pressured ducks in a flooded grain field."

So, what can I control as a public water hunter to improve my lot? Pressure less, and try to ensure the ducks have food. I admit that ensuring food would be difficult, but I can damn sure reduce the pressure based on the number of ducks around. Unlike Mr. I've got all this money tied up in duck hunting, I'll hunt as much as I want to. ! [img]graemlins/shakehead.gif[/img]

I agree though with you Bogs based on that strict definition of hunting.

So Art, either you're feeling a little ill, or that is that evil monster envy seeping out through your pores.

Just as many rubbaheads stroke checks for remote decoys, big mud motors, camo'd boats, ultra conceal blinds, etc., etc., etc. What's your point? You think good duck management is easier than John Q. Public hunter? You're insane.


Back to the original question.

Why would anyone want to pass shoot ducks flying into another man's impoundment?