What really would happen?

[BOGSTER]

I’m genuinely curious….

What would happen in your opinion, if there was a nationwide ban on the flooding of all unharvested row crops for waterfowl?
Moist Soil would still be legal, but zero planted anything.

Also, all waterfowl focused refuges would be open to hunting saturdays until 11am.

Would the ducks adjust or would it be a total collapse of populations resulting in major negative changes in modern duck hunting?
Would ducks simply abandon high pressure areas and feed wild, or would they suffer tremendously resulting in utter population decline?

[Hogg]

A dead horse getting flogged?

[12341234]

Maybe I don’t understand numbers, but there was 1.5 million federal stamps sold last year and there are 34 million breeding ducks in North America. If each hunter only shot 30 ducks there would be none left. Maybe we are just killing all the ducks. Maybe it has nothing to do with flooding corn.

[Catdaddy]

Duck Commander 2.0

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[Buckin Bronco]

Maybe I don’t understand numbers, but there was 1.5 million federal stamps sold last year and there are 34 million breeding ducks in North America. If each hunter only shot 30 ducks there would be none left. Maybe we are just killing all the ducks. Maybe it has nothing to do with flooding corn.

I think this is definitely a large part of it.

Doing away with flooding unharvested crops would probably help cut that number down to an extent and also drastically change the already strong pressure in Arkansas, Mississippi, and lousiana where people are actually hunting over harvested crops.

[BOGSTER]

Maybe I don’t understand numbers, but there was 1.5 million federal stamps sold last year and there are 34 million breeding ducks in North America. If each hunter only shot 30 ducks there would be none left. Maybe we are just killing all the ducks. Maybe it has nothing to do with flooding corn.

There aren’t as many ducks as they’re telling us, for 200 Alex….

[BOGSTER]

Duck Commander 2.0

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Well shit, I was hoping for your real opinion above all.

[cajunwannabe]

I've hunted a couple Federal refuges OOS, ducks quickly learn where the non hunting area of the refuge is located. I don't think there would be a drastic increase in harvest, ducks get smart or get dead. They've learned to feed at night in response to pressure. God gave them some sense of self preservation.

Ducks have adapted to drought (both Spring/Summer/Fall and Winter), disease, agricultural crop loss, native crop loss (hurricanes wiping out our coastal marsh / crops), development, habitat loss nationwide, predators and man, I think they'd survive without corn ponds.

[BOGSTER]

I tend to agree Paul.

They would survive just fine.

It would change the face of modern duck hunting, but the birds would adapt.

[Catdaddy]

I’m genuinely curious….

What would happen in your opinion, if there was a nationwide ban on the flooding of all unharvested row crops for waterfowl?

What about broadcasted rice and sorghum?

Is corn that much better than the other crops?

Is it the 6 days or more between hunts that make impoundments so attractive?

I think the 1998 revision eased up on the strict interpretation of the baiting laws. An example is now you can't be held liable for what your neighbor is doing.
Can your neighbor plant corn and just not hunt it?

Surely you arent going to yell a nonhunter he cant flood corn are you?
Could a nonhunter throw corn in his own property because he/she just like to look at ducks?

Alot cracks to fill in before you get a shot at them.



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[12341234]

It amuses me that everyone wants to blame the only people helping ducks. The ones that are creating habitat and refuge, yeah they are the problem, not the guys who travel all over the country hunt 50+ days a season and do nothing for the ducks.

[BOGSTER]

No flooding of planted and unharvested crops for the purpose of attracting waterfowl private, state, or federal.


You remember when wild ducks used wild food sources……..

Were we better off?

[BOGSTER]

It amuses me that everyone wants to blame the only people helping ducks. The ones that are creating habitat and refuge, yeah they are the problem, not the guys who travel all over the country hunt 50+ days a season and do nothing for the ducks.

I haven’t blamed anyone - I’m simply asking questions.


My ultimate ponder is:

Was duck hunting better before flooding row crops, massive refuges, robotic decoys, and boats that allow access to every nook and cranny, and if so, if we could magically take those things away in the name of betterment, would it make a difference?

1961 America duck hunting - was it better?

[Buckin Bronco]

I haven’t blamed anyone - I’m simply asking questions.


My ultimate ponder is:

Was duck hunting better before flooding row crops, massive refuges, robotic decoys, and boats that allow access to every nook and cranny, and if so, if we could magically take those things away in the name of betterment, would it make a difference?

1961 America duck hunting - was it better?

You have done more research on this and killed more ducks on Public than I ever will BUT looking at coastal SC can the argument not be made that all those rice fields planting rice for several hundreds years is what made it so good and why ducks are so keyed in on the area? The plantations that stopped planting years ago (besides Santee Coastal) how are their numbers?

But yes I think the robots, the accessibility with motors, and no rest days have a huge impact. You can’t shoot ducks on Sunday in NC. Why don’t we do that?

What about outfitters who are booked up 60 days a season with 1-10 people per group? Not sure what can be done that’s just as detrimental. Similar to someone who has filled their Turkey tags and starts taking friends just they can watch more birds die.

[SharkDave]

Less land + more people. Just an observation but we are fooked in so many ways. Less ducks(per person) is just a symptom. Glory days are never coming back. Nor are
The mid 90s chevys.

[SharkDave]

I would love to help solve this Bog and always enjoy and respect your take but I’m short on hope lately. Watching habitat disappearing before my eyes(Atlantic flyway last 40 yrs) .hope I’m wrong. Been wrong before.

[flopduster]

It amuses me that everyone wants to blame the only people helping ducks. The ones that are creating habitat and refuge, yeah they are the problem, not the guys who travel all over the country hunt 50+ days a season and do nothing for the ducks.

It tickles me when people think that flooding row crops so they can kill 2-3 x the average number of birds as hunters on public land think they are helping ducks.
You think Carters Big Island is helping those ducks on the refuge beside them?
How about those big money outfits in Missouri that buy or lease land next to the refuges there and kill thousands of birds in their “habitat”?
They compete to pull birds away from the refuges so they can kill them, not because they want to give those birds “habitat”.
Flooding unharvested crops is their best method. It is done to kill ducks, lots of them.
Even if they plant areas they do not hunt, it is so they can kill higher numbers in the areas they do hunt.

Conserving areas in the breeding range is the only habitat that matters. There are plenty of refuges and food for ducks.


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[Rubberhead*]

I'll quote one of the old school biologists that I really trust - ducks are the world's greatest pioneers. In other words, they'd quickly adjust.

[Southernduck]

There is nothing natural about flooded standing corn. We need a lot of changes. No unharvested crops, 30 and 3. No mojos. The biggest one we need to see will never happen and that is self control.

[SharkDave]

#grinding for the gram isn’t helping either. Stop the
dick measuring.