Time to Rate the 2016-2017 season

[novacaine]

Im sure those statistics are spot on but it does me no good when 25 Million are north of the mason dixon line and 25 Million are on the coast.................... I hunt in the middle.

[DanP]

Im sure those statistics are spot on but it does me no good when 25 Million are north of the mason dixon line and 25 Million are on the coast.................... I hunt in the middle.

Exactly my point.

Maybe one day folks will start thinking about the problems, or opportunity, we have here at home as much as they do the breeding grounds.

[JMCMILLIN]

7

[eSJay]

Im sure those statistics are spot on but it does me no good when 25 Million are north of the mason dixon line and 25 Million are on the coast.................... I hunt in the middle.

Exactly my point.

Maybe one day folks will start thinking about the problems, or opportunity, we have here at home as much as they do the breeding grounds.

IAWTP ...... Both of them!

[Matt S]

We didn't limit every day but we consistently killed ducks most of the year except when things froze up. I'll give it a 8.

[eSJay]

I was just cruising through the DW website & stumbled up on this.

T.J. Mallette, Development Director, Mississippi
"It was a great season. The combination of cold weather and ducks made the hunting in the south a 10"

Glad to see someone had a good season!

[maverick21]

3.75 mainly due to the terrible slow,dry start. Learned more about some new holes to hunt, had a blast at camp, just missing ducks other than the last 2 weeks of season

[novacaine]

I was just cruising through the DW website & stumbled up on this.

T.J. Mallette, Development Director, Mississippi
"It was a great season. The combination of cold weather and ducks made the hunting in the south a 10"

Glad to see someone had a good season!

Next time you see him, kick him in the nuts on behalf of me and everyone who has a "3.75" or less.

[Wildfowler]

Just gonna throw this out there.

I believe that's accurate....

[champcaller]

9.5 - no lack of ducks from what I can tell.

[Up2Early]

After nearly dying this past April from a massive heart attack, I'm thrilled to have had a season. I relished the chance to spend more days afield with my sons and my friends this winter. I've learned not to take these days for granted. As we've all seen over the past month, you don't know when you've done it for the last time.

Thanks to the heart attack, I had some new physical limitations that caused me to rethink some of my hunting locations and techniques. I had to get creative with how to move gear and people around. That kept things interesting and added a degree of difficulty to a tough season. This was my first year hunting with a dog and I really enjoyed watching her become a duck dog and hunting partner.

My oldest son now has his own hunting group and will be moving along to college after one more season. That time I got with him doing what we love was precious to me. We have plans to make next season one for the ages!

The longer I do this, the less the number seems to matter. It's become more about the memorable moments for me. Now, I will say that the chance to draw down on committed birds sure helps memorability, but so does the setting, the company, and the events of the day. The weather, water, and lack of ducks in my normal places left me frustrated at times, but that made the good days so much sweeter. Some of my memories from this season:

- another spectacular youth hunt where the birds were plentiful and finished close
- Delta's first retrieve (a drake green wing)
- Weekly talks with Rocky about various philosophical issues
- listening to the podcast on the way to the hunt and discussing the topic with the group
- My pintail-obsessed hunting partner beating the dog to a downed sprig (I threatened to put a collar on him if he broke like that again)
- arguing with the dog about the location of a cripple (she was right)
- a solo hunt in the Arkansas timber that was just ridiculous
- the last weekend when the ducks were in the old woods in unbelievable numbers and watching Ryan land big groups at his feet
- putting Aaron (my youngest) on a public land limit of mallards and gadwall even though he was on crutches

How can all that not be a 10?

[Blackduck]

I was just cruising through the DW website & stumbled up on this.

T.J. Mallette, Development Director, Mississippi
"It was a great season. The combination of cold weather and ducks made the hunting in the south a 10"

Glad to see someone had a good season!

Have you seen who he hunts with?. Of course it's a 10 and it isn't because of any feathery webfooted waterfowl.

My season was straight up 5. I turned in my fish and wild life survey today. Lots of 1's and 2's in early Dec. lots of '6's on last weekend. Youth hunt was a 10. Pleasant weather and a few ducks. Watching a couple of yutes smoke a sprig as the last duck of the season was perfect. Last morning sunrise wasn't too bad

[JaMak84]

The coffee didn't suck

[bigwater]

This season was like trying to fit a square hole in a round peg

[NyssaAquatica]

I was just cruising through the DW website & stumbled up on this.

T.J. Mallette, Development Director, Mississippi
"It was a great season. The combination of cold weather and ducks made the hunting in the south a 10"

Glad to see someone had a good season!

1. What cold weather? We had an unseasonably warm winter up until the freeze and unseasonably warm weather after it as well.

2. What is a 'development director?'

3. How do I become one so I can get invites to hunt the Irby woods?