The enthusiasm for improving Duck hunting SC is great. It has been interesting seeing different views on the matter. However, I think most are still missing the long term root of the problem.
We can either treat the symptoms or cure the cause.
The symtoms of low bird numbers is skybusting, rallying, and all other forms of pressure. When people arent seeing birds they take longer shots, drive around looking for birds, and also break existing laws trying to kill a few birds. The less the opportunities the more pressure because of more competition amongst hunters. People start acting out of character when they have poor hunts. Ducks will make a man act a fool. I think this is why the number of people sneaking into our CAT 1 WMAs has increased dramatically.
The cure. The reason we don't have the birds we once did is because of lack of food plain and simple. If there were an overabundance of food we would see more birds public and private. Also, the birds themselves have changed dramatically over the years, puddle ducks especially. They follow the agriculture. These birds are utilizing food grown by man rather than natural foods more than ever, so that plays a large role in why the ducks don't come to SC like they once did. Also our lakes and rivers have become sterile compared to the states above and below us. We have become a flyover state.
Are we gonna be happy treating the symptoms by limiting our hunts and opportunities only for a chance to shoot at the same low numbers? Or are we gonna try to cure the problem and actually try attract more birds to the state.
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