Long Read but well written explanation of Louisianans frustration

[nitro5x6's]

The questions are….

Is flooding row crops for the sole purpose of hunting or refuge altering natural waterfowl wintering patterns?

It’s hard to take a man serious that doesn’t say yes.

Do we stay hung up on mallards, or do we address the ducks that do winter south of the Mason Dixon?

My vote would be to do what can be done to save the American Black Duck... That is a bird worthy of our support.

[Quack07]

I encourage anyone interested in this topic to go listen to the latest "standard sportsman" podcast with Lee Kjos. He talks about his trip this fall scouring the prairie pothole region and comparing the landscape to his pictures and memory from 20+ years ago. It's pretty simple to see where the problem is when someone shines a little bit of light on it.

[cajunwannabe]

The questions are….

Is flooding row crops for the sole purpose of hunting or refuge altering natural waterfowl wintering patterns?

It’s hard to take a man serious that doesn’t say yes.

Do we stay hung up on mallards, or do we address the ducks that do winter south of the Mason Dixon?

The question was asked about individuals thoughts on this past duck season. This was one answer from a fella in CA.

"Weather changes (warmest winter ever), changing farming practices (more grain being grown north and hundreds of thousands of acres of flooded rice), super clubs holding tens of thousands of birds, etc..."

I'm not sure what a "super club" is but it sounds like they have plenty of "habitat" in CA holding birds.

Since the destruction of hydrilla on our public lakes I've always said if it wasn't for private corn ponds, SC wouldn't have any ducks, they definitely work.

[Catdaddy]

The questions are….

Is flooding row crops for the sole purpose of hunting or refuge altering natural waterfowl wintering patterns?

It's hard to take a man serious that doesn't say yes.

Do we stay hung up on mallards, or do we address the ducks that do winter south of the Mason Dixon?

Another benefit is......pumping surface water into an impoundment and holding it for months is one of the best ways to replenish the aquifer. There are government subsidy programs that pay money for construction and yearly rates for maintaining them. The only better way is a lot of rain.

I remember when the duck commander blamed refuges for poor seasons. He wanted the USFWS to open them up so they could disturb the duck's last line of defense by the 7 day a week hunter...,aka the public hunter.

When I was young, I hunted 5-6 days a week in Sparkleberry Swamp. The mallards had no where else to go when they left the refuge.

The reason refuges and private impoundments work so well is 100% the fault of the public hunter.

I have seen multiple corn ponds ruined because the owners thought they could shoot twice a week with 15+ people. Mallards will not take that pressure and will switch to roosting and night feeding. The don't forge and live for 15-17 years.

I see beaver ponds on private land, where no hunting is allowed, go from 5 mallards during the 1st season to over 250 mallards by mid January.


I sincerely hope that Senator Kennedy's letter results in an unbiased scientific study. In the end the results will point to ....

1. the relentless pressure the public hunter puts on ducks.

2. Warming global temperatures shifting the migration 150-200 miles north.

3. Better habitat in those areas. Whether someone accepts it or not,.....the ducks are telling us the private impoundments are better habitat than some are giving credit.

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[JABIII]

Invasive Hydrilla was a very short lived deal in South Carolina. Stupid assed tournament bass fisherman brought it in to win that big $500 Thursday check. We spent $$millions getting rid of that shit, and then all those damned ringnecks invaded every hunt club from South Santee to Lake Murray. Did hydrilla bring us a pile of irregular ducks like widgeon and gadwall? Yes. Where were they naturally supposed to be though?

[darealdeal]

Invasive Hydrilla was a very short lived deal in South Carolina. Stupid assed tournament bass fisherman brought it in to win that big $500 Thursday check. We spent $$millions getting rid of that shit, and then all those damned ringnecks invaded every hunt club from South Santee to Lake Murray. Did hydrilla bring us a pile of irregular ducks like widgeon and gadwall? Yes. Where were they naturally supposed to be though?

I would prefer to have the hydrilla. I wish I still had Tuff’s power point he had on hydrilla in the lakes and power companies with all the data he collected.

[JABIII]

I would prefer to have the hydrilla. I wish I still had Tuff’s power point he had on hydrilla in the lakes and power companies with all the data he collected.

I get it. I do. I couldn't wait to get back to the hill and tell The Old Man about all those ducks I just saw piling into the middle of Lake Marion. Uncountable numbers. However, it was every single bit as unnatural as any corn pond and to pretend differently because it was "public water" on a man made lake is disingenuous no matter how you slice it...

[Catdaddy]

The hydrilla is wall to wall on both lakes now.

I'm not sure the ducks returned like everyone thought this time around.

As a fisherman. I hate that stuff.

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[Carlisle]

Worth listening to
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000747835836

[BOGSTER]

I don’t know of the areas you speak of, but I can’t see how Clarendon County impoundments replenish any aquifer.
Most are drained end of season and ditched out and eventually end up in the lake.


“Working well” is subjective. 90% of wintering puddle ducks are completely nocturnal and untouchable. Some 40k birds by accounts.
Ringnecks have begun to adjust to the pressure now and the River Road isn’t what it used to be. Ringnecks are starting to hold on the roosts until 9-10am, being unpredictable and choosing ponds at whim depending on hunt days.


I’m aware this is a response to pressure.


I’m not real sure that set in stone refuges are the best practice for waterfowl, and this isn’t coming solely from a selfish hunter.
God designed them to be a mobile creature, even on wintering grounds.

Find a food source, exploit it, and move on within their wintering range.

Now, due to corn ponds and the massive pressure they are subjected to, we have made them nocturnal feeders, and lazy day loafers and have completely altered their natural wintering cycle.

What good does it to winter 40-50k ducks that night feed and sit in a refuge all day undisturbed?

We treat em like they’re so fragile, any deviation from the status quo will cause utter chaos and they’ll be lost to the ether forever.
Where’s the proof of that?

Another benefit is......pumping surface water into an impoundment and holding it for months is one of the best ways to replenish the aquifer. There are government subsidy programs that pay money for construction and yearly rates for maintaining them. The only better way is a lot of rain.

I remember when the duck commander blamed refuges for poor seasons. He wanted the USFWS to open them up so they could disturb the duck's last line of defense by the 7 day a week hunter...,aka the public hunter.

When I was young, I hunted 5-6 days a week in Sparkleberry Swamp. The mallards had no where else to go when they left the refuge.

The reason refuges and private impoundments work so well is 100% the fault of the public hunter.

I have seen multiple corn ponds ruined because the owners thought they could shoot twice a week with 15+ people. Mallards will not take that pressure and will switch to roosting and night feeding. The don't forge and live for 15-17 years.

I see beaver ponds on private land, where no hunting is allowed, go from 5 mallards during the 1st season to over 250 mallards by mid January.


I sincerely hope that Senator Kennedy's letter results in an unbiased scientific study. In the end the results will point to ....

1. the relentless pressure the public hunter puts on ducks.

2. Warming global temperatures shifting the migration 150-200 miles north.

3. Better habitat in those areas. Whether someone accepts it or not,.....the ducks are telling us the private impoundments are better habitat than some are giving credit.

Sent from my motorola edge 2024 using Tapatalk

[BOGSTER]

They haven’t - but I think they will next year

The hydrilla is wall to wall on both lakes now.

I'm not sure the ducks returned like everyone thought this time around.

As a fisherman. I hate that stuff.

Sent from my motorola edge 2024 using Tapatalk

[BOGSTER]

I get it. I do. I couldn't wait to get back to the hill and tell The Old Man about all those ducks I just saw piling into the middle of Lake Marion. Uncountable numbers. However, it was every single bit as unnatural as any corn pond and to pretend differently because it was "public water" on a man made lake is disingenuous no matter how you slice it...

Bullshit.

unnatural and non-native aren’t the same.

80acres of impounded 180 bushel corn flooded to the ears and 100k acres of scattered SAV across vast flats of scattered cypress isn’t comparable and you know it.

[TXFowler]

Breeding habitat? I’ll listen.

Wintering habitat? Prove it.

All habitat. You only eat breakfast?


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[TXFowler]

I encourage anyone interested in this topic to go listen to the latest "standard sportsman" podcast with Lee Kjos. He talks about his trip this fall scouring the prairie pothole region and comparing the landscape to his pictures and memory from 20+ years ago. It's pretty simple to see where the problem is when someone shines a little bit of light on it.

Exactly. Lower production and no weather up north to push them before December. Once the days start getting longer, they’ll stick out a storm or 2 before they need to head back.


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[TXFowler]

Worth listening to
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000747835836

Listened to that yesterday. Agree with all of it.


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[BOGSTER]

Exactly. Lower production and no weather up north to push them before December. Once the days start getting longer, they’ll stick out a storm or 2 before they need to head back.


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I do love the weather topic. It seems to be relevant everywhere except the hundreds of thousands that bee-line to Mexico every year in 75 degree temps.

[TXFowler]

I don’t know of the areas you speak of, but I can’t see how Clarendon County impoundments replenish any aquifer.
Most are drained end of season and ditched out and eventually end up in the lake.


“Working well� is subjective. 90% of wintering puddle ducks are completely nocturnal and untouchable. Some 40k birds by accounts.
Ringnecks have begun to adjust to the pressure now and the River Road isn’t what it used to be. Ringnecks are starting to hold on the roosts until 9-10am, being unpredictable and choosing ponds at whim depending on hunt days.


I’m aware this is a response to pressure.


I’m not real sure that set in stone refuges are the best practice for waterfowl, and this isn’t coming solely from a selfish hunter.
God designed them to be a mobile creature, even on wintering grounds.

Find a food source, exploit it, and move on within their wintering range.

Now, due to corn ponds and the massive pressure they are subjected to, we have made them nocturnal feeders, and lazy day loafers and have completely altered their natural wintering cycle.

What good does it to winter 40-50k ducks that night feed and sit in a refuge all day undisturbed?

We treat em like they’re so fragile, any deviation from the status quo will cause utter chaos and they’ll be lost to the ether forever.
Where’s the proof of that?

“Due to the corn ponds…their migration is altered” is what I ask you to prove.


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[TXFowler]

Bullshit.

unnatural and non-native aren’t the same.

80acres of impounded 180 bushel corn flooded to the ears and 100k acres of scattered SAV across vast flats of scattered cypress isn’t comparable and you know it.

So you’re okay with hunting over hydrilla that was out there by man but not corn out there by man? Got it.


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[BOGSTER]

All habitat. You only eat breakfast?


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Where is this massive decline of habitat in wintering waterfowl habitat in the US in the last 50 years?

[BOGSTER]

“Due to the corn ponds…their migration is altered” is what I ask you to prove.


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Is that a direct quote?