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Thread: Interesting read about hunting pressure.

  1. #41
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    I'm assuming the restrictions on CAT 2s don't count.... Its amazing how easily some would had something over to be government when it comes to hunting..... Our CAT 1s are some of the most restricted places in SC to hunt get only Murphy island seems to produce year after year and that is only recently. CAT 2S are restricted as well get how much success do they have???? I have idea let's add more restrictions.... It will only produce a false sense of management success..... Fact habitat and quality habitat at the will provide more opportunities and at the same time reduce pressure. We creat more restrictions we reduce the number of hunters in SC then we have created our own public land destruction.... Less hunters less money less management...... I say false success becuase yeah sure some groups will get higher numbers but overall how have we increased the overall duck population???? How has restrictions in place like AR decreased pressure????? It hasnt they took a out of state gun and just replaced it with an in state gun.... I mean honestly.... How many people in SC hunts everyday???? Our state stopped bird survey and some banding programs???? How about we bring back surveys and banding programs and increase habitat and take care of our CAT 1s and CAT 2s that are already restricted and increase food on our lakes and rivers and increase habitat and spread the pressure out over a grater area instead of the few acorn trees that drop into the water....... Sorry for the grammer and spelling one my phone haha
    Last edited by darealdeal; 02-13-2021 at 01:08 PM.
    “Duck hunting gives a man a chance to see the loneliest places …blinds washed by a rolling surf, blue and gold autumn marshes, …a rice field in the rain, flooded pin-oak forests or any remote river delta. In duck hunting the scene is as important as the shooting.” ~ Erwin Bauer, The Duck Hunter’s Bible, 1965

  2. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by cajunwannabe View Post

    Yet we will continue to go to restricted well managed STA's in FL, restricted flooded timber in AR, etc.

    I'd like to point out there are major differences between SC v. FL, and SC v. AR. #1 AR has dedicated WMAs that are seasonally inundated for the purpose of hunting. There are no bass boats running these WMA's. There are no pleasure-boaters and Striper guides fishing these WMA's. There are no Jet Skis running these WMA's. These "restricted areas" exist for the sole purpose of hunting. There are really not many places like this in SC.

    #2 FL has more ducks than SC, but it also has way more habitat and adversely, way more people. Lake O, STA's, Loxahatchee, Kissimee, Merritt, Everglades, Lake George, St. Johns River, Guana River, lots and lots of coastal areas up the west and east coast. Some of the previously mentioned areas are restricted. Loxahatchee has motor restrictions, but its an NWR. STA's are quota hunts - No mud motors there, or outboards, or bass boats, or pontoons, or jet skis, or anybody using that water during the week period- the end. You already have these areas in SC => CAT1 WMA => and they still underperform compared to FL STA. Why is it that one STA in Florida can outperform all of the SC CAT1 WMA's combined????? Technically, STA is not even managed for ducks, its managed for vegetation, which cleans the water before it enters Florida Bay.

    In summation, I believe a good balance of unrestricted areas and more-restricted areas would be ideal. But the fact is, I really don't think its worth regulating and restricting the hunter anymore, when there is already very limited natural resources as far as ducks go in the state of SC. SC is not Florida, or Arkansas, or Louisiana, or Texas, or Missouri. Ultimately, water is not what brings waterfowl. Good habitat is what brings waterfowl. SC can restrict the hunter on the water all they want, but that isn't going to bring more birds to SC.
    Last edited by tman; 02-13-2021 at 02:43 PM. Reason: typo
    "Hunt today to kill tomorrow." - Ron Jolly

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by darealdeal View Post
    Pressure..... It would seem from some comments pressure it the only reason SC public land sucks..... I'm curious how many in here commenting already sent an email to dnr about the aquatic draft plan for this year..... Pressure sure plays a small part.... Limiting the hunter had gone far enough in my opinion and when that happens it doesn't go backwards.... Without food on the lakes and better management of our CAT 1s and CAT 2s limiting pressure will only give the illusion of success. Sure some hunters may get a few more birds.... It's the same number of birds that would normally be here without the food unless that changes... Maybe we should push for better management instead of limits on ourselves and teach the younger generation to take care of a resource. Limiting hunting and access has enough of an uphill battle against anti hunters to not have to fend off attacks from fellow hunters..... If you really think pressure in SC is the biggest issue.... A little research goes a long way...... I would start with duck stamp sells from the 60s to 80s and look at duck stamp sells now...... You think there is pressure imagine the amount of public land hunters the vs now.....
    Yep I’d say food is at the top of the list but with the state we’re in here in SC pressure is a big problem. Even on the properties I manage in AR we still are very strict on pressure management. I don’t care how good you spot is and how much food it has you can ruin it with over pressure. As for loosing time afield I don’t like it either but it takes sacrifice. I’ve sat on my ass and not hunted for two days in AR due to no wind and warm temps but the ducks are still there when weather turns. Yes I know we’re not in AR but until we get food on our lakes we can’t continue to pound away at what few ducks in a few spots and think it will change.
    .
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  4. #44
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    Everyone needs to go ahead and accept SC in general and dnr will never prioritize ducks. It just costs too much money. And the lakes are never going to be managed for food again

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by Remy View Post
    Everyone needs to go ahead and accept SC in general and dnr will never prioritize ducks. It just costs too much money. And the lakes are never going to be managed for food again
    Ding ding ding. See you guys back here next February to beat this some more
    .
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  6. #46
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    And i would encourage others to go out and work with ya got and but something back.
    20210212_113805.jpg
    "I'm just a victim of a circumstance"

  7. #47
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    Aside from not having many birds, anybody else noticed just how incompetent most SC duck hunters have become. Their hides, decoy arrangement, and general setups are just plain sad and pathetic. For some reason I am still amazed by the number of people I encounter each year sitting in the wide open right beside their decoys.
    The new one I see all to often is the guy completely unaware that his LED headlamp is still on at 8:00 as he calls at ducks. Also the guy in the boat blind that forgot to cut his light bar off. The list goes on and on.

  8. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by darealdeal View Post
    I'm assuming the restrictions on CAT 2s don't count.... Its amazing how easily some would had something over to be government when it comes to hunting..... Our CAT 1s are some of the most restricted places in SC to hunt get only Murphy island seems to produce year after year and that is only recently. CAT 2S are restricted as well get how much success do they have???? I have idea let's add more restrictions.... It will only produce a false sense of management success..... Fact habitat and quality habitat at the will provide more opportunities and at the same time reduce pressure. We creat more restrictions we reduce the number of hunters in SC then we have created our own public land destruction.... Less hunters less money less management...... I say false success becuase yeah sure some groups will get higher numbers but overall how have we increased the overall duck population???? How has restrictions in place like AR decreased pressure????? It hasnt they took a out of state gun and just replaced it with an in state gun.... I mean honestly.... How many people in SC hunts everyday???? Our state stopped bird survey and some banding programs???? How about we bring back surveys and banding programs and increase habitat and take care of our CAT 1s and CAT 2s that are already restricted and increase food on our lakes and rivers and increase habitat and spread the pressure out over a grater area instead of the few acorn trees that drop into the water....... Sorry for the grammer and spelling one my phone haha
    This guy is not wrong

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by JABIII View Post
    I wonder how many thousands of posts in hundreds of threads are archived on this site from the early 2000's discussing these exact points...

    Like, https://scducks.com/forum/showthread...d-on-New-WMA-s for instance?
    These same posts were abundant in 2006.
    I spent an infinite amount of time in the Santee Delta immediately following duck season. Late Jan through late March.
    Maybe 2-3 boats a day running pots or fishing.
    No ducks on public water then either.
    Pressure ain’t the main reason.
    Y’all got no food on public grounds. It really is that simple.
    Quote Originally Posted by trentsmith View Post
    Honestly I don't remember why I don't like you but I do remember that I don't like you.

  10. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by sprigdog View Post
    These same posts were abundant in 2006.
    I spent an infinite amount of time in the Santee Delta immediately following duck season. Late Jan through late March.
    Maybe 2-3 boats a day running pots or fishing.
    No ducks on public water then either.
    Pressure ain’t the main reason.
    Y’all got no food on public grounds. It really is that simple.
    This man geys it!
    "I'm just a victim of a circumstance"

  11. #51
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    I laugh at the people that cant find woodies. I dont target or shoot woodies. But dang ride the small creeks or rivers and find the damn akern trees they laying up under them. I could go every weekend and pick different layed down akern tree and kill a damn limit of wood ducks every weekend.
    Last edited by coot nasty; 02-13-2021 at 10:12 PM.
    "I'm just a victim of a circumstance"

  12. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by sprigdog View Post
    These same posts were abundant in 2006.
    I spent an infinite amount of time in the Santee Delta immediately following duck season. Late Jan through late March.
    Maybe 2-3 boats a day running pots or fishing.
    No ducks on public water then either.
    Pressure ain’t the main reason.
    Y’all got no food on public grounds. It really is that simple.
    Yep. The End.

  13. #53
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    While I hear many people saying they’re vehemently against reducing the season length, what about adding more splits and keeping 60 days? I’d love to see a late October/early November two week season. We always seem to have a pile of birds here then that are gone by the Thanksgiving split. Remove those weeks from early January, or even a week from Dec as and a week from January.
    There’d be a chance of missing a big push of birds, but would let the birds rest mid season.

  14. #54
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    It's much deeper than pressure or food. I have a friend who is a fourth generation farmer in one of the duckiest places in AR. They have always maintained an 800 acre sanctuary with standing crops. No vehicles are allowed to get close. Very limited hunting pressure on the remainder of the farm. As of yesterday there wasn't a duck on it.

  15. #55
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    And I well remember the 30/3 days.

  16. #56
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    The amount being spent to keep them North of us, on private, is a direct connection to why less birds in SC.
    Saw one say he will draw down his manmade green timber reservoir to around 10in after season. Dump 10k pounds of corn by air just so the ducks can imprint for next year. The arrogance that surrounds these folks is thick.
    Low country redneck who moved north

  17. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by mudflat View Post
    The amount being spent to keep them North of us, on private, is a direct connection to why less birds in SC.
    Saw one say he will draw down his manmade green timber reservoir to around 10in after season. Dump 10k pounds of corn by air just so the ducks can imprint for next year. The arrogance that surrounds these folks is thick.
    With the warm winters, and plenty of food why would the ducks need to come south of Maryland?

  18. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Red Huck View Post
    With the warm winters, and plenty of food why would the ducks need to come south of Maryland?
    It's more than weather. My friend is at the current freeze line and still no ducks.

  19. #59
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    Yet a group of guys is SC can take a turf farm and turn it into a duck pond and have 500-1000 ringers most of the season. Did pressure push those ducks into this new habitat, or did food bring them?


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  20. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gregory View Post
    It's more than weather. My friend is at the current freeze line and still no ducks.
    Yes it's more complicated. But if they can get what they need up north, why migrate? I've hunted SEMO for several years now with most of the duck stuck to the north with no need to move south.

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