HUNTERS ORGANIZE MEETINGS TO FIND DUCKS

[webfoot]

HUNTERS ORGANIZE MEETINGS TO FIND DUCKS

BISMARCK, N.D. - Duck hunters from Minnesota to Louisiana are organizing rallies and planning public hearings in an attempt to answer the most nagging question in the outdoors, "Where are the ducks?"

Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson said one reason hunters across the country have been disappointed by recent duck seasons is that the Canadian portion of the prairie pothole region isn't attracting and producing as many ducks as it once did.

"Duck hunters believe well still have lots of ducks," Olson said. "They've been told the fall flights have been short-stopped by mild winters or by refuges or changing farm practices, or all of the above. But, the biggest culprit is that we don't have as many ducks as we used to, and the lack of production on the Canadian side of the breeding grounds is a big part of the problem."

Olson said duck populations always rise and fall in response to water conditions on the prairie breeding grounds, and the 1990s were no exception.

"Most hunters were satisfied with the number of ducks they say in the 90s, but prairie Canada didn't participate in the bounty " at least not at its former levels."
A look at the breeding population of the last three wet cycles paints of grim picture of Canada's waning productivity.

"Between 1955 and 1958, prairie Canada attracted an average of 6.9 million nesting mallards each spring," Olson said. ""During the wet cycle between 1970 and 1976, an average of 4.8 million mallards nested in prairie Canada."

But, during the wet cycle that lasted from 1994-99, only 3.5 million mallards settled there each spring, barely half the number from the 1950s.

"Not only are fewer mallards settling in prairie Canada, but nest success is half what is was in the 50s," Olson said. "With half the breeding mallards experiencing half the nest success " well, you do the math.

"Prairie Canada is no longer the pristine wilderness many duck hunters envision," Olson added. Canada doesn't have large-scale government backed conservation programs like the United States, and that means Canadian farmers are forced to put as much land as possible into production."

Olson said research indicates the United States portion of the prairie pothole region has become more productive, in large part due to the Conservation Reserve Program.

"More than 90 percent of the continent's ducks are produced on private land," Olson said. "That means conservationists must work toward farm-friendly programs that provide the habitat nesting ducks require to be successful."

Olson said Delta Waterfowl is close to announcing a program similar to CRP in Canada.

[DM919]

Where has all the DU funding been going then ? About like the NRA of today. Sounds like somebody is lining a pocket or two and telling us BS----that is why I am not a member of those kind of organizations anymore. We don't need anymore sanctuarys in the Mid-West US so the ducks won't get to those of us below and including Missouri before season is over.
I didn't remember that all DU funding was to be spent in the US.
AR would be better off without them building and planting Middle Pond in the East Camden and reservoirs in Sheridan on private land, for instance,--- and another resting plot in Missouri or Kansas with a built in thermostat to keep the water from freezing. (made that last part up)

Lets go back and live by natures rules. Do away with seasons and let people hunt ducks when they get here, turkeys when there gobblin, and deer when they are ruttin. Just protect the hatching seasons, and send water to Canada, I guess (since that is always the culprit is seems) and teach Mallards how to pro-create and quit gang-banging all the other species and their own hens.
The downside to that would be a major increase in divorce across the US and bankruptcy, due to hunters no longer having jobs since they can now hunt everyday, I guess.
May not be a great idea after all---but we are being vamboolzed or ya'll are anyway. I just get to help pay the price of no ducks. Well, at least before long, lease prices will be a thing of the past at this rate. Maybe their strategy is to buy up all the land at a cheap price, and then increase the duck population for a few hunters. As ridiculus as that sounds---something is up and you can usually guess----it has got to involve $$$$.

[SoftCall]

Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson said......

Y A W N.....

[bigwater]

i seed a duk once... on my papppies pon.... me and my bro... we snaked up on it... never saw us .. the yr wux roun bout 1985... ii dove 'ed under rite as i shota it.....

[Don Miller]

Go to bed Bigwater!!!!!!

[Po Monkey Lounger]

"Hunters organize meetings to find ducks"

I think we should organize a MSDucks member meetin to go find some ducks. We could divide the state into sections, assign the lookin and countin to the most sober ones of the bunch, and send everyone out on this weekend quest armed with a bucket of chicken , a few 40 ouncers, binoculars, cell phones, and at least one attorney. Start early one Sat. morning, report in Sat. night at a few select watering holes in each sector, and have full final reports in by sundown on Sunday.

Anyone got a date in mind?

[GulfCoast]

Who is gonna be on the "stand-by" team to get people outta jail and post bond? The attorney will probably be the first one to get locked up. Just ask me about my lovely visit to Tchula!

[Money]

"Hunters organize meetings to find ducks"

I think we should organize a MSDucks member meetin to go find some ducks. We could divide the state into sections, assign the lookin and countin to the most sober ones of the bunch, and send everyone out on this weekend quest armed with a bucket of chicken , a few 40 ouncers, binoculars, cell phones, and at least one attorney. Start early one Sat. morning, report in Sat. night at a few select watering holes in each sector, and have full final reports in by sundown on Sunday.

Anyone got a date in mind?

I'll be in charge of the 40's and Blue Room Boy gots da chicken !

[Po Monkey Lounger]

Good point GC, the lawyer on each search team would have to be in disguise, or he would be the FIRST person locked up.

Money, having you and BRB in charge of the chicken and a forty would be like the fox guarding the henhouse ----wouldn't be nothin left for anyone else.