New Poll Cat One WMA (please vote)

[FBT]

100$ ain't shit only when compared to the situation above. I am not even close to being considered wealthy but will spend money on things that I am passionate about. I'm trying to support your cause bog. Don't be a dick. I'm not trying to say that I want to put these hunts out of reach of certain people but...........wait a minute, yes I am saying that. Who am I trying to kid here.

[FBT]

I get that you've experienced some cool shit sprig. I love to duck hunt and have travel to get my fix. I don't hunt public ducks in sc because I put too much into it and get frustrated with what the masses consider "duck hunting". That's my choice.

[L C Hillbilly]

I don't know if this was brought up yet, but as of now you are pretty much guaranteed to get drawn about every three years. If you take one of the Cat ones out of the normal draws and have the same number of hunters put in for the draw hunts, could the three years turn into four or more for a guaranteed draw?

[sprigdog]

I get that you've experienced some cool shit sprig. I love to duck hunt and have travel to get my fix. I don't hunt public ducks in sc because I put too much into it and get frustrated with what the masses consider "duck hunting". That's my choice.

It aint about experience. Its reality. My daughter drew that hunt 2 years in a row. State and the Fed hunt. 1 hunt she didnt have a duck close enough to pull the trigger.
2 boys drew hunts, and on 1 hunt, we worked our ass off to kill ducks.

I hunted it twice, once was simple, the other was a struggle.

Its duck hunting. I just dont understand the mystique of the place. I apply for a fewy reason, not having to do a 30minute boat ride, not fighting tides and there is a chance of killing a few decent tasting birds.

My beef is seeing all that property not being used to its potential.

I just keep thinking bottom line: 3 years wait, to shoot a max 6 ducks in 4 hours time.

3 years....thats wrong.

[scandler]

Yeah, thats cool. I have been in SCR for 5 straight years. From 2008-12.

It's duck hunting. Seriously, have you not hunted any where else?

I do realize for SC this is good stuff. You get your own pond. Last year, me and a buddy had a great hunt. 5 wigeon and 5 gadwall.

Working ducks flared from near ponds shooting, we witnessed skybusting at its finest, and listened to everyones story about shooting a box of shells and loosing a couple ducks.
Just like everywhere else in the US.

Hunt a draw hunt anywhere else, this aint special. Sorry.

How you get to hunt 5 years straight dude ? Please tell or pm me please

[surfcock]

How you get to hunt 5 years straight dude ? Please tell or pm me please

Put it this way, if you are selective about your dates, you lower your chance of being selected.

[Magic]

Excuse me Bogster but I'm curious. How much property do you manage for waterfowl and how long have you been doing so? I don't mean to offend you I'm just trying to get some background here.

[kquinn]

Last Saturday of the season all land should be opened. Draws are over for another 10 months and you can't ruin it in a day, but a lot of people would be able to access land that they otherwise would not get to hunt. Charge what you want for it, but it would be a money maker.

[scandler]

Now I like that thought just a little bit

[Sparkleberry Ridge Runner]

Isn't there a similar system in Missouri?

[FBT]

Missouri has a show up and draw system everyday. You can view their results online for the different conservation areas. You can see how many put in, how many drawn, vacancies, etc...

[surfcock]

Last Saturday of the season all land should be opened. Draws are over for another 10 months and you can't ruin it in a day, but a lot of people would be able to access land that they otherwise would not get to hunt. Charge what you want for it, but it would be a money maker.

That would need a whole heck of a lot more structure than just show up and hunt to prevent somebody from getting shot like what happened at Hickory Top (which is bound to happen again).

[BOGSTER]

That would need a whole heck of a lot more structure than just show up and hunt to prevent somebody from getting shot like what happened at Hickory Top (which is bound to happen again).

Agreed.

I wouldn't take part in that.

A couple hundred people at 4am, racing down dikes with marsh on both sides through thousands of acres that they don't know and piling into fields thick as thieves?

That sounds pretty sporty.

[quackaddict]

I just can't understand why some of you people are so against this. It makes ZERO logical sense.

Being against a plan like this is something that I can't wrap my head around.

[sprigdog]

I just can't understand why some of you people are so against this. It makes ZERO logical sense.

Being against a plan like this is something that I can't wrap my head around.

I get it. Draw hunts are one of the things to look fwd to in the duck hunting world.

If left alone, you know that yo will still get that chance at some phenominal duck hunts in SC.

You start tweaking it, it may change the success rate while inside the refuge and the added pressure may affect birds using the area negatively. Which in turn, affects the amount of birds that the public land hunter outside thje refuge kills on a daily basis. In a nutshell, my day to day duck hunts may suck donkey balls without all those unmolested tefuges holding birds.

Or

My day to day duck hunts outside the refuge may get better with a tad more pressure put on those lazy birds that loaf all day.

I happen to think it would help me on the outside. I may be wrong, i dont think so, but..

[mello_collins]

100.00 to you "ain't shit" but it very well could be to many others.

I really can't believe that increasing the fees as a means to deter other people from applying has even been brought to the table.

Good grief.

I don't and many others like me don't have the greatest flexibility in scheduling. Family, house, yard, mom's house, kids activities, WORK schedule, etc... I have to plan my outings well in advance. Given a month, better two, I can make sure I am able to go. Your system would negatively affect every one in the same situation. It would lessen the days available to get the draw in advance. I don't have a problem with making the fee $200 non-refundable, drawn or not. Might speed up the system, knocking out the people that can't afford it and limit the skybusters. People from all over the state have an equatable system to allow access now. How would your system be fair to people from the up state. They would have to drive a long way to see IF they might get a chance to hunt. Do you think the current system is unfair? Do you think $200, non-refundable is fair? A lot can't afford that.

[quackaddict]

Yea, and there would still be your regular old draw hunts that you can schedule for. But I guess having the opportunity to hunt some of the best areas in the state a couple of times a year, which wouldn't push many(if any) birds off the place, is a bad thing.

[fuzzy]

Increasing the number of hunters is the only way to achieve your goal, which I oppose. Implementing a show up and draw before the hunt does nothing but create a cluster. If one group has the potential of being drawn for 5 hunts, you will make them happy but have taken the opportunity away from 4 others. There are a set number of spots, and IMO that does not need to change. Raising the fee is a "catch 22". That would only limit the less fortunate, who have just as much of a right to hunt these properties as anyone else. Yes, it takes me 3 years to get drawn for where I like to hunt, but I know with out a doubt that I will get to hunt there.

[NO FLY ZONE]

I don't and many others like me don't have the greatest flexibility in scheduling. Family, house, yard, mom's house, kids activities, WORK schedule, etc... I have to plan my outings well in advance. Given a month, better two, I can make sure I am able to go. Your system would negatively affect every one in the same situation. It would lessen the days available to get the draw in advance. I don't have a problem with making the fee $200 non-refundable, drawn or not. Might speed up the system, knocking out the people that can't afford it and limit the skybusters. People from all over the state have an equatable system to allow access now. How would your system be fair to people from the up state. They would have to drive a long way to see IF they might get a chance to hunt. Do you think the current system is unfair? Do you think $200, non-refundable is fair? A lot can't afford that.

I think bog said an online draw a couple days in advance , that would eliminate the long drive.

[SCDivers]

Eliminate the preference point system first and foremost. Then a small fee to apply followed by larger fee for permits, if awarded, (think gator tags). Next give unclaimed permits away the morning of. Oh and keep the non residents in check either price them out or don't let them apply.

The p point system is hurting the ability of people to access cat 1s people pick a spot and wait and it's to the point where it takes four years to get a permit in some places. I'd rather play the odds.