Time to talk about ducks

**Hogg** · 01-20-2021, 02:35 PM

Wow. Every time I have hunted there it has been on fire.

**buckpro** · 01-20-2021, 02:38 PM

I've never seen it this bad in that area, not even close and especially not this time of year.

**huntinghagen#12** · 01-20-2021, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by BRR

South eastern states try to cut crops as soon as possible(hurricane season fears). Warm air and humidity ruins waste grain. Ducks tend to follow geese dry feeding on grain in other states. When our resident geese are eating corn in September there aren't many or any ducks around. Also there are no cold nights driving ducks to feed on fields if they were here. The few dry feeding ducks I have seen in SC were on soybeans late. Just my 2 cents.

I’ve seen millions of geese dry feed in Arkansas (snows, specks, and canadas). . I’ve seen one group of ducks dry feed here.

**JABIII** · 01-20-2021, 03:44 PM

One day maybe I will get these VCR tapes switched over to digital and show y'all what 10's of thousands of bigducks and teal in SC dry feeding looks like. Before the season cut corn, and beans/protein towards the end and after. Given the habitat and space to do it, they certainly will. Acres and acres of summer ducks dry feeding corn in September as well...

**kquinn** · 01-20-2021, 03:55 PM

Geese do not sit in flooded corn fields, and the geese migration hasn’t been affected- why is that?

**welltaut** · 01-20-2021, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by JABIII

One day maybe I will get these VCR tapes switched over to digital and show y'all what 10's of thousands of bigducks and teal in SC dry feeding looks like. Before the season cut corn, and beans/protein towards the end and after. Given the habitat and space to do it, they certainly will. Acres and acres of summer ducks dry feeding corn in September as well...

chop chop....that's something I'd really like to see!

**LabLuvR** · 01-20-2021, 05:22 PM

I’m telling you boys it’s all about the weather

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**union** · 01-20-2021, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by LabLuvR

Iâ€™m telling you boys itâ€™s all about the weather

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Correct. We have an outfit we sponsor in South Dakota and they were wearing t shirts In November.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Elcid_Fowler** · 01-20-2021, 07:59 PM

So global warming is real or no?

**BRR** · 01-20-2021, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Elcid_Fowler

So global warming is real or no?

The earth has warmed and cooled many times over....

**Elcid_Fowler** · 01-20-2021, 08:26 PM

So what does that impact of it warming and cooling many times over (assuming you can share data to support this) have to do on waterfowl populations in current times. Without assumptions being made, what data can support that the trend will correct itself. I'm sincerely asking. No agenda on my side here.

**union** · 01-20-2021, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Elcid_Fowler

So what does that impact of it warming and cooling many times over (assuming you can share data to support this) have to do on waterfowl populations in current times. Without assumptions being made, what data can support that the trend will correct itself. I'm sincerely asking. No agenda on my side here.

In simplest terms, if you were programmed to escape danger of cold and freezing to death when days become shorter, but the journey is dangerous in its own right and tiring, the warmer it gets locally, the birds simply don’t have to go as far, hence why they appear to not be in SC. No need to do the journey.
I’m being wildly simplistic but the point is no need to migrate

**Calibogue** · 01-20-2021, 09:07 PM

IMO, it's pretty simple.....birds are not going to migrate any further than the weather drives them.
All kinds of conspiracy theories can be contrived and people can blame it on corn ponds, ice eaters, too much pressure, loss of habitat ete etc but that one simple fact remains and it's backed up by research that supports it.

**Elcid_Fowler** · 01-20-2021, 09:15 PM

I agree. Call me crazy but since we have recorded data the trend in climate temps has progressively moved up. I understand the argument that the earth has reportedly heated and cooled many time over but we can't say what impact that perceived heating and cooling has had on waterfowl (maybe there are studies out there that predate modern data). Regardless, based on modern data the trend is increasing and thus the impact on the SE and other areas is being felt. Call it global warming or not. It's something and it's having an impact. We can do something about it or we can just assume it'll correct itself. I guess that is the dividing line in beliefs...

**tman** · 01-20-2021, 09:17 PM

Ahhhhh yes..... the good old, "it doesn't get cold any more" argument. Don't yall get tired of hearing/saying that? Maybe that affects mallards more than other species, but what about the rest of the birds? SC doesnt have any of those either.

https://www.getducks.com/hunts/mexic...nting-obregon/

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**Calibogue** · 01-20-2021, 09:30 PM

Every Flyway is different and no one has all the answers.
The climate is warming and that is undeniable and unfortunately it has consequences that may change wildlife behavior both good and bad as we perceive it.
Hell, no one on this site knew the Atlantic Flyway never had mallards until they were released from European descent in the 1920s and no one knew that population was trending their migration westward.
The Lavretsky podcast I posted back in October is just one of many that begins to sheds light on what's happening to our waterfowl.
I want to know more myself..... Where are the gadwall, why so many ringers are just a couple questions I have?

**Palmetto Pride** · 01-20-2021, 09:33 PM

And most of the ducks in that picture are unaffected by weather and most affected by photoperiod
The boys in La will tell you the cans and ringos and ringnecks come but not the mallards ... and the specs will reverse due to hunting pressure

Oh... and fuck a mud motor ....