Blackbellied Whistling Duck Season

[cajunwannabe]

Louisiana was allowed to open a BBWD only season in October. For anyone looking to harvest one, there is no shortage of them. I believe it's 10/3-10/11

I was in S La last week working on our camp and shot this. October is probably the best time for cast and blast too.

Turn up the volume and you can hear them calling. They tolerate a LOT of human interference, as you can tell. LOL

[pluffmudder]

Im going to start pushing for a season here too. Theyre everywhere around here but typically gone before the opener.

[Rubberhead*]

I've heard that the daily bag limit is going to be increased from the previous 1 to something higher. That will be appreciated...

[WNM]

I listened to a podcast about them, and the Louisiana birds don't migrate out of state. They just move to residential/unpressured areas once they get shot up. I think ours, at least some of them, might do the same thing. I pick away at a local group of them that stays year round. This was January 26th a few years ago.

Despite (possibly) adjusting to pressure quickly, they certainly aren't smart at first. I could wiped out the group that came into this cypress slough. They are slow to get up and hesitant to leave a member behind.

IMG_1062.jpg

[Calibogue]

It's amazing how they have colonized New areas is rapidly as they have. I've had them in Hampton County about 10 years but they're not thick on me like other places. I've killed a couple the last two seasons. I was up on the Cape Fear just out of Wilmington a few weeks ago and saw hundreds of them dry feeding in a freshly planted cornfield.

[cajunwannabe]

They are crazy adaptable to new areas and people. My buddies send me videos of both parents walking ducklings down the street in New Orleans suburbs

LDWF put trackers on them. They noticed BBWD's were traveling around 6-8 knots on the MS river. They were riding grain ships downriver feeding off waste grain on the decks of the ships. Once the ship hit open water they'd fly back upriver and ride another ship down. LOL

I like having them around camp. They're like pets until the shooting starts.

[loud1]

I see them in belle isle in gtown throughout the warmer months. I never notice them in the winter. I figured they leave typically.