Feeding Ducks in Yankee Land

[SoftCall]

Meeka - whining or no whining - the ducks are NOT here. Read the reports from everywhere...If you have them, good for you. I am not limited to one spot and I haven't seen any substantial numbers anywhere AND I have put in the hours. The latest migration reports from 1/9 say that Illinois and MO are holding substantial numbers of birds. See the Arkansas report from yesterday - still well north of my part of the Delta that is just south of 82.

Look--

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's waterfowl report for Jan. 9,
2002; listing area, percentage flooded, water condition, number of ducks and
hunting success:

Cold weather did push new ducks into the state
The first few days of the new year were mostly dry and cold. The cold air
did help push a supply of new ducks into the state. Milder weather north of
Arkansas has most shallow water thawing from the early year freeze. Large
numbers of ducks are still being reported in Missouri and Illinois. Habitat
conditions throughout Arkansas are still outstanding with birds remaining
widely dispersed around the flooded acreage. This week’s warmer
weather will begin to thaw some shallow waters that froze last week.
This week’s forecast: lows in the 30’s and highs in the mid to
upper 50’s, possible rain on Thursday and Monday. Duck hunting
forecasts are still decent around the Arkansas, but birds are widely spread
around the state.

[Meeka]

Maybe it is true - "The bit dog howls first" . Do you feel like I reamed you?

If you would get out from in front of the fireplace and get in the woods and break a sweat, you might again see ducks LIKE YOU USED TO IN THE OLD DAYS! I know you could do it if you tried, cause I've seen it, both in the woods and even from my camp kitchen window!

If you were offended by my post, maybe it WAS directed at you. Quit whinin bout the ducks not being here, cause they are. Obviously they aint where you are looking, so maybe you ought to think about where, when and how you are looking.

[ January 11, 2002: Message edited by: Meeka ]

[dos gris]

easy there guy, easy. Ain't worth gettin hot under the collar. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Steel 3's]

Last year there was a similar report from NE Louisiana about a "Waste Grain Dispersal Program", except in that report, it was Ducks Unlimited that was responsible. The hunter that contacted me even said there was a DU sign near the field where those payments were made to the farmer for inefficiently harvesting his grain and scattering it in a "No Hunting" field.

When I told him to photograph the sign and give me an exact location so that I could access USDA landowner maps and report that to a good friend who is Dir. of Conservation Programs at DU ..... he found out it was all a lie. He was just alarmed by what he had "heard". Now I see a similar ficticious program (at least that would be my bet) has arisen in Iowa and Illinois?

It's getting tougher all the time to know what's true and what's not here on the internet. People can say whatever they want as long as it's prefaced by "I heard".

[WNE Driver]

Highball -

You asked -

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

I think the main problem is the warmer weather pattern and maybe too many refuges. What do ya think?

and i never really answered. Here is what I think -

1. The USFWS has gotten better over the years at managing the refuges especially when it comes to agriculture and managing moist soils for natural feed that are then flooded. End result, good feed IF the weather during the planting/growing season cooperates.

2. The ducks are pushed south by the snow/freeze line. They will only go as far south as need be. Instinct tells them that a shorter migration in the spring leads to them arriving at the nesting grounds in better shape.

3. When we have ducks here on the refuges they are utilizing many natural feeds - wild millet, sedge, bullrushes, barn yard grass. If the weather stays mild (lows of say 40 degrees), the ducks stay on these refuges only occasionally getting up to exercise. Those that leave are quickly conditioned and become blind/call/decoy shy. This can occur here even within the first couple weeks of season if we have no new birds.

4. If the lows reach say 20-30 degrees these feeds don't seem to be satisfactory to them when compared to the higher energy waste corn in the surrounding ag fields. This is when the birds start to come out of the refuges. If conditioned, they are 100 yards high before crossing the "firing lines", go out to feed and then come back 100 yards high til they get over the refuge. This is what happened most of our season this year.

5. If we have a constant pushes of new birds and cold weather we have good shoots. Particularly when both of these occur at the same time. The new birds, not being conditioned to the area are "dumb" and voila! Workin Birds!

[chris blaine]

i dont believe that it has anything to do with refuges if anything the refuges are helping i am with you on the whole weather pattern problem. thing is that it is not really "@#$%#" the northern states it is "@#$%#" the southern states. Heres how. You guys are going to have ducks nomatter what. (WEATHER OR NOT) and we are not. So here is what needs to happen our wildlife conservation committee need to get together and start a new season for the southern states we need to start our season mid jan. and let it extend through the mid of feb. and that be all. I mean the usfws acts like they are doing us a favor by giving ms 60 days. sixty days of what setting in your "@#$%#" blind in a tee shirt talking to each other that sucks. change the season with the change of weather pattern that is all i am saying.

!!!lay the hammer down!!!!!!!!