Arkansas hunters look inward to solve scarcity of ducks

[webfoot]

Arkansas hunters look inward to solve scarcity of ducks

Bob Marshall The Times-Picayune

For the last few years, waterfowlers across the South, frustrated at empty skies, have been looking for someone to blame for a string of increasingly poor duck seasons. Their angry search resulted in conspiracy theories that covered all the usual suspects (those lying federal and state agencies, selfish Yankee short-stoppers, inept biologists) and some unusual ones (Ducks Unlimited!).

The red-hot center of that anger and angst was Arkansas, where over the last decade duck hunting became even more serious than a religion or lifestyle -- it became big business. So it was no surprise when the Arkansas Wildlife Federation formed a Duck Committee with a special charge: Find out who, and/or what, is responsible.

And after six months of serious investigation, those Arkansas duck hunters -- among the most rabid in the nation -- told their brethren across the nation how to find the party most responsible for the demise of their sport: Just look in the mirror.

After examining all the theories, after interviewing experts in every field from waterfowl biology to finger-pointing, it all came back to this: too much hunting pressure.

Their report, "Improving the Quality of Duck Hunting in Arkansas, " is so thorough and balanced, it has won national awards from conservation groups.

"There are a lot of things affecting the migration, but the main thrust, the biggest factor by far -- and the thing that affects almost everything else -- has been too much hunting pressure," said Terry Horton, executive director of the AWF. "We're just hitting these birds too hard for too long, and that has profoundly affected the way they behave on the flyway."

The committee found what some of the more rational voices in the duck-hunting community have been saying all along: We've got more hunters than ever, hunting more days than ever, with seasons starting earlier and ending later than ever, with the higher bag limits than ever.

Ducks may have bird brains, but they aren't stupid. If they're shot at consistently in one place, they leave for good. That can be a pond, an area or a region. Hunting pressure moves birds.

Certainly, there are other important factors, including warmer winters, falling production on the prairies, changing farm practices and the millions of acres in waterfowl refuges on the flyway. But hunting pressure exaggerates the impact of each of these.

Birds lingering longer on snow-less fields up north can do so because of waste grain left by no-till farming. But they return to those areas -- actually flying north again -- during the fall or winter because of hunting pressure.

Falling production means fewer birds coming south. But hunting pressure in early September up north means many young birds are killed, and the older, wiser birds that head south are more wary than ever.

Wildlife refuges that once served as a reserve of birds for surrounding private or public hunting lands, now act as daytime homes for most birds in many regions due to hunting pressure outside the refuge. The birds only leave those refuges at night, when the guns fall silent on outside lands.

Sobered by what they discovered, those Arkansas duck hunters reacted in a way that honors the true spirit of the waterfowling tradition. They made a series of recommendations to their wildlife commission that puts the emphasis on returning quality to hunting by reducing pressure.

"The name of our report is 'Improving the Quality of Duck Hunting in Arkansas -- not 'Improving the Number of Ducks We Kill in Arkansas,"' said Horton. "Our people want a return to enjoying their experience.

"There's plenty we can't control -- weather, some farming practices, drought. But we can control the biggest single factor ruining our sport. That's hunting pressure. That's the main thrust of our recommendations."

Those recommendations are a remarkable example of hunters accepting responsibility. They include:

-- Reducing the season by one week and including two one-week splits for birds to rest.

-- Reducing the limit to five, including just three mallards, only one of which can be a hen.

-- Banning spinning-wing decoys.

-- More sanctuaries for ducks on public lands, not fewer.

-- Limiting the number of hunters (especially non-residents).

-- Morning hunting on only public lands and nearby private lands.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission enacted many of those recommendations last season, and others will go into effect this season.

The best thing that could happen to duck hunting is for that spirit of personal responsibility and self-control to become a wave that spreads to waterfowlers everywhere.

As Horton said, we can't control weather or farming, but at least we can control ourselves.

[dukbum]

The best thing that could happen to duck hunting is for that spirit of personal responsibility and self-control to become a wave that spreads to waterfowlers everywhere.

As Horton said, we can't control weather or farming, but at least we can control ourselves.

i think that kinda says it all there......i agree!

[eastwoods]

Although I'm opposed to not hunting my private fields in the evening, I support everything else. I even support not hunting my private timber after lunch.

It's not about killing numbers it's about working large groups in the timber and shooting them with their feet out.

Our ducks haven't used timber statewide to a great extent since 99/00. I wish the WMA's would put in a no-hunting section (640 acre) in some of the shallower hardwood feeding areas to keep the birds flying the timber. I'm starting to think they won't ever return to the timber.

Pass shooting juveniles with a robo is not duck hunting. I don't care if you get a limit of greenheads it's not real Arkansas style duck hunting.

[crackhead]

Dam benny it kills my soul to agree with you, but your right on this one!!

[h2o_dog]

The few diehards that are hanging out on this forum in the off-season can all agree with this until the cows come home. The greedy trigger pullers (can't call them hunters cause they aren't sportsmen) that show up this fall will be all about shooting 'em from can-til-can't.

[duck_nutt]

"-- Limiting the number of hunters (especially non-residents). "

hmmmmmmmmm

[noles97]

I am obviosly from OOS (Florida). I thik that limiting the OOS hunter on "State Land" is perfectly acceptable. The people of Arkasas, or in our case Mississippi pay for that land and they should get the benefit of it for the most part. I am not sure how much this will help the problem because I have never hunted public land in Mississippi, and don't think that I ever will because I have my own place and I feel like residents should have the use of that land just like I would want in Florida.

As for limiting the private lands around WMA's and federal land I have to disagree. There is something called "equal protection laws" in the Constitution that say you cannot treat one person diferently than another and just because someones private land is located in one place does not mean that he should be treated differently. Again, unless they said that the law included over a 20 mile radius of a WMA, it would not affect me but I still think it is wrong.

The other things I can live with as far as the ideas being put forward. Maybe someday it will happen in Mississippi, who knows?

[Cotten]

[quote="Webfoot"]-- Reducing the season by one week and including two one-week splits for birds to rest. [/quote]


The bean counters have a "keeping the $$$ flowing dilemma" as to which will run off the larger number of hunters or deter new duck hunters (i.e. those who buy duck stamps etc.). Shortening the season and reducing limits along with these other possible limitations, or allowing duck populations to worsen?

The only certain answer is that $$$ will determine the final decision IMHO.

Otherwise the net 39 day season sounds like a good start to me.

[gator]

good posts ben.....you sound like you "might" know what you're talking about

funny thing is, it REALLY don't take THAT much effort to reduce the amount of pressure on a hole....it just takes some will-power and resolve.

things are reaching a "head" and it's gonna be interesting to see how they shake out.....gator

[Po Monkey Lounger]

For me, selfishly, what I really treasure are the days afield. Would not matter to me if they reduced the limits to 4, with 3 mallards, to include only one hen. And I think there are many out there like me who favor the time afield more so than the higher bag limits.

This leads to my questions: Just who are the 6 duck daily limits for? The Outfitters/Guides? To draw more hunters into the sport for more money? And, how many on this board would stop hunting ducks if the daily bag limit was reduced to 4? Probably none. ( But, I think we are probably the exception to some extent ------ as evidenced by our very presence on this board during the "off-season". ). So, who are these hunters who must have a daily bag limit of 6 and 60 days each year to enjoy the sport?

I would hate to see a lot of otherwise unnecessary regulations/laws passed just to preserve the sport for the benefit of duck related commerce. Limiting private land hunting to mornings only would be a step in that wrong direction.

I have no problem with a few less days, reduced bag limits, banning robos and more splits in the season, and have said so on numerous occasions. I think MS should move toward enacting these type measures, following AR's lead. However, I have mixed feelings about the morning only hunting restrictions and more public rest areas/sanctuaries. Although I primarily only hunt in the mornings (because that is when my club's holes produce the best and is the best way for us to manage hunting pressure on our holes), I would not presume to know what is best for some other private landowner and how they manage their property, which is their business. If I ever had a good afternoon hole, I would want to be able to hunt it every now and then. And I am not certain that even more sanctuaries for the ducks would make a difference, especially when the state already has a shortage of quality public duck hunting areas. My guess is that too create more sanctuaries, it would be at the expense of already too few public hunting areas.

Although I am in favor of making some adjustments to the season lengths, bag limits, etc as referenced above, I still think these measures may not be enough to make much of a discernable difference in the overall duck populations ------doing more to save the PPR will make more of a difference in this regard. But, such measures may help improve the quality of the time afield duck hunting in MS, whether we have more ducks or not.

[eastwoods]

Ya'll want to improve duck hunting in MS?

Ya'll send what you want to who makes the laws and it will change. A bunch of Arkansans on the fuge changed a few laws last year just by using the internet.

Hunters that spend time afield know much better about behavior and pressure than the biologists behind a desk. Why can't those that know make the laws. Use your 'puter!!!

If AR was not a lone ranger and had MS joining/backing it would swing the nation and scientists.

Time to stop the greed and robo wannabe's. If you can't do it the real way find another sport. Your screwing what I love up.

[sorefeet]

Hey... take a kid hunting. We need more duck hunters. Let make youth waterfowl a couple weeks longer so we can push things way on into Feb.

[GordonGekko]

Finally, somebody talkin' some sense...let's hope it doesn't stop in Arkansas....

I hardly ever hunt after 10 a.m. don't wanna run the birds off, and try to have some 3-5 rest days a week for each duck hole...it blows my mind that it took a comitee to figure that out

However, I can't presume to tell someone else what to do on their private land...public land however is a different story...cut off at 12 p.m. and add an additional OOS public hunting permit with limited availability...that might help...Noles has a good point we pay for it we shoot get first option.

Some steps in the right direction...however, they tried the 5 bird limit 2 years ago, why did they go back? Money'd be my guess

[Spoonallard]

I'm with Monkey on this one. leave my days alone and give me fewer birds. i just want to be out there. i don't care if it is a two duck aday limit. The hunt and the time spent in the field is what i'm in there for.
JMO
Spoon