Update on "Hand Feeding"

[WNE Driver]

Fellas,

Here is an update of what I have learned so far concerning feeding. As to those that have said that feeding at NWR's has ocurred on a large scale, so far I have found reference to it happening once. Read on and you will see what I have uncovered -

Quack Attack told us about feeding at the Wheeler NWR observation area in Alabama. Many other members have confirmed this.

Camper says he saw a picture of corn being dumped on a road while more than a foot of snow was on the ground. No date or location given.

JP says he saw the same picture Camper mentioned in a copy of F&S or S/A back in the late 1970's. He believes it was on a NWR in Illinois. The article also featured photos of ~100K birds on a 15 acre pond.

Snowgoose has seen it with his own eyes in his area (SW Louisiana). He is unable to provide additional info as he doesn't want to cause any trouble for the person that told him about it.

AQ investigated a report that JP found on feeding in 1965. It is ass follows -

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Evaluation of efforts to redistribute Canada geese - Transactions of the North American Wildlife Natural Resources Conference 50:506-524.

"Fall Canada goose (Branta canadensis) counts at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge reached 100,000 in the early 1960s and were increasing annually.

Management agencies dumped 467.5 tons (475,003 kg) of shelled corn to hold Canada geese on the refuge in 1965, but crop depredations were high nevertheless.

In 1966, an effort was made to disperse Canada geese with aircraft, but the program failed due to lack of cooperation. In late October a helicopter operated only over the refuge flushed geese from adjacent private lands up to 2 km (1.24 mi) distant.

Airboats were effective and versatile for hazing Canada geese because they could be operated after dark. While Canada geese were highly sensitive to helicopters flying low, they could not be used after dark.

Although Canada geese loafed in uplands during the day, thousands returned during the 2-hours after sunset in 1966. Disruption of night roosting was achieved with airboats in 1976-78. Propane exploders were largely ineffective, but frequent use of airboats for exploder maintenance provided a major disturbance.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Again, this is just an update for those interested. If anyone else has eyewitness accounts (the date and location would be great) or factual data concerning this, let me know.

[msdawg]

The accusations of feeding migrating waterfowl are running rampant. A buddy of mine came back from Stuttgart last week and told us this was all the talk in Arkansas. The talk there was that the feeding started after the northern states seasons closed thus keeping birds from migrating South....

We can dream up a number of scenarios but we all know the real reason we aren't killing any ducks, its because torch and no angel will get them all (LOL, just joking guys). The real problem is the weather...we have a lot of water and it has never got really cold up north. The northern states have had very little snowfall and nothing is locked up. Lets face it, the ducks would not be down here anyhow, feeding or no feeding. We have had a horrible season, but if can only get better from here.

[ January 17, 2002: Message edited by: msdawg ]

[Wildfowler]

Please don't think that it would be possible to hold all of the ducks up North by putting out feed. That's crazy.

Ok, I want everyone who reads this to think back on what they have learned over the years. I'm sure all of you know of some old timer who once told said that "ducks will fly back north if it stays warm for too long during the season"

I know you will all remember something that you learned in hunter safety. I took hunter safety about 18 years ago and I remember this very vividly.

For those of you who have taken the class think back on something you should have learned from the booklet that accompanied the course. I'm talking about the ducks at a distance section. If you still have the booklet, go pull it out and follow along with me. Quote.

"The Mallard is our most common duck, found in all flyways. The males are often called 'greenheads'. The main wintering area is the lower Mississippi basin, and along the gulf coast, but many stay as far North as open water permits."

Let me read that again, "BUT MANY STAY AS FAR NORTH AS OPEN WATER PERMITS!" This is a biological fact of life.

Let's examine what this statement really means to you and I living here in MS. The ducks will stay as far North as open water permits. What factors are needed for open water to be present North of here. We can sum this up with three simple questions.

Q1. Have the Northern states experienced a severely cold Winter this year? No, therefore open water must be available to the ducks North of here.

Q2. Have the Northern states experienced a normal amount of snowfall this Winter? No, therefore open water must be available to the ducks North of here.

Q3. Is there any reason to believe that ducks would want to migrate South this year? No, therefore the ducks must be congregated North of here.

This concept has been engrained into my psyche, my entire life. You've got to have cold weather to have the ducks. Comprende?

Can we go to bed now? I'm tired. (just my opinion.)

[BB]

First, I thought somebody asked this guy to be removed. I know we have had a bad year due to the weather up north and the large amounts of rainfall. I don't doubt this. But, the only guy defending the so called "feeding" is from IL. I am going to speak for me.. I don't care to hear it from somebody who does not live in Mississippi. You hunt north of us and get on this web site to try to shut everyone up. I could care less if you have looked back to the 60's to find out if they were people feeding waterfowl. This is Mississippi, I would like to hear from somebody in the area. If you arent from Ms then at least have something positive to say. Hey, just my opinion.

[WNE Driver]

BB -

As to "defending" feeding - I have in no way defended feeding. Quite to the contrary, I am ready to raise hell about it. All I need is some proof based on fact. If I have defended anything it is rational thought and common sense. It seems those that support the rumor that feeding is ocurring are a little short in these areas.

I can appreciate what you are saying about this being a MS forum and not an IL forum.

The reason I posted to this forum was very simple. The majority of those folks claiming that feeding is occuring or asking if it is are southerners.

What better place to go and find out about it than a southern forum.

I didn't want to "shut everyone up". Quite to the contrary I asked anyone to come up with some proof and facts about this matter. I even invited anyone to come visit me so we could visit refuges within a days drive of my home.

Actually I found that only about 1 of 30 folks that replied to my posts felt that feeding is occuring.

Futhermore, since the majority of these few folks that believe feeding is ocurring are southerners, what better place to ask about the truth and display the facts of the matter.

Since this rumor generally revolves around northern states feeding waterfowl, why wouldn't you expect someone from one of these states to question this rumor? If you want to know the truth, what better person to ask than someone that lives here?

As to being banned, you may want to take that up with Micah. If he asks me to leave, I will do so. If this does occur, I thank everyone that could see my point of view and look forward keeping in contact with the new friends I made here via email.

Just keep this in mind BB - I am a northerner by chance (I was born here), I am a duck hunter by choice...Just like you. And I 'spect just like you, I would be a duck hunter pretty much no matter where I lived long as there was a duck to be had.

[ January 18, 2002: Message edited by: WNE Driver ]

[dos gris]

BB:

Get your panties out of a wad. The only person that asks someone to leave is Micah.

WNE Diver:

I appreciate your informative point of view.