feeding program in Il...

[judge jb]

got an e-mail from a buddy in Cairo Il. and he said that the Feds and or state G&f was feeding tons of grain as an experiment to condition waterfowl for the long trip south... now i don't know..... he also mentioned DU being involved but i really don't know... maybe the ducks is hanging up north to fatten up... if there is anything to this, i wonder how long they plan to hold, i mean feed them ? lets face it, if there is food, they ain't going no-where.. any one heard this, any comments?????


judge jb

PS. i'm still huntin rabbits...

[magnum]

Hmmmmmm... Intresting...

MAG

[SCOOTER]

we need to start a yellow acorn feild soon, no ducks at big creek. killed about 30 all year, got one band. season is really bad.

[mallard man]

I do know that a friend of mine that lives up around Bentoville Ark does some hunting ing Oklahoma,Missouri and Kansas and I have heard him speak of either the Corp or the Fed ,Ect planting millet and other grain crops on the public areas. Thats about all I know about it so I thought I would put in my 2 cents. I would have to think that as long as there is food for them and they have access to it they will stay there,but lets hope the most of them come on down here to Gods country!! [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[SoftCall]

Judge - I have heard of this in the past. It was rumored that these feeding programs were in MO and Il. Maybe the Feds are trying to get back at us for pinching their nads through our elected officials. BUT this is only a rumor - anyone out there have anything concrete?

[Lazy Drake]

It wouldn't suprise one bit, I read something like what you said on another duck hunting site.
Duck hunting has become such a commercialized business, duck hunting means big revenues to the states. The longer you can hold the ducks the more chances for out of staters to show up and spend their money in the state. It wouldn't suprise me to here DU involved. I am beginning to wonder about them.
This is also not a normal weather year, if it will ever snow up north and cover the food up, they will be headed our way. Just my 2cents.

[img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] LAZY DRAKE [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Wingman]

I think that's just a rumor. Seems I heard something like that a couple of years ago.

Wingman

[GulfCoast]

Ditto. I would think that is a crummy idea if it were true.

[no angel]

talked to a john deere manager that went up to ill and he said that the corn was a flop this year so they left it in the field and collected insurance money so until it snows we are in for a slow season. it is supposed to snow saturday just pray for a foot or so up north and it will be on for next week. it believe that this is very true and would not put it past them>

[chance]

The practice is called short-stopping. The northern tier of states have been accused of it since the beginning of time. Imagine feeding vast amounts of birds until the lower states seasons have all closed. Good reason to be against the extended season the southern states now enjoy.

[crow]

I don't like the way it's working out either. But, why is it different for them to plant crops to feed and hold the ducks and it's ok for us to do it? I look at the sanctuary at Panther Swamp and Mahannah; and have you seen the flooded bean field at Twin Oaks...I don't think they are doing anything that is not being done all the way down the flyway. Look at all the crp/wrp projects in ND, SD, NE, OK, and MO. The situation has changed for the ducks. They have more food than they have ever had. Why are we surprised that they are taking advantage of it? Couple that with the last several mild winters that have allowed the ducks to stay North for longer periods of time. Can you blame the ducks for not flying thousands of miles when they can have all the food and open water they need closer to home? Only thing that will change this cycle is for the winters to become colder and with more snow than the past few and freeze those bad boys out of Yankeeland earlier. I don't think it's a communist plot or anything...just a set of circumstances that frustrates the dog snot out of us at the southern end of the flyway.

[Wingman]

Crow, from what I hear, it's not the planted crops, but piling of grain on top of the ice for birds. I hope this isn't true, but if it is, I think us southern hunters should start a petition against it.

Wingman

[crow]

Yeah, that ain't right if that's what they are doing. Hey, Wingman, why don't you do a recon of the midwest for us. Probably wouldn't take much gas in your plane! I hear it's easy to see that yellow stuff from the air. By the way, email me; my computer was replaced over the holiday and I haven't retrieved my addresses yet. Did you get the message that I tried to call as I came through Belzoni after Christmas?

[NOHERE]

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS...SINCE THE
LATE 1970'S. IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ILL.
AROUND CAIRO...THE GRAIN IS DUMPED ON THE
GROUND... THIS IS MAINLY FOR THE GOOSE POPULATION, IM SURE THE DUCKS TAKE FULL
ADVANTAGE OF THIS ALSO, SOME YEARS MORE
IS PUT OUT THAN OTHERS, DEPENDS ON THE CROPS
THAT PARTICULAR SUMMER.

GENERALY THE GEESE WILL STAY AROUND UP THERE,
BUT THE DUCKS WILL COME ON SOUTH IF IT SNOWS
AND COVERS THE FOOD UP.

[Flo Man]

You guys said the key word. DU!