Duck pop. speculations !!!!

[MJ]

Anyone heard what the ducks are suppose to be like this year ?? Is Duck season going to open on a sunday afternoon too??? Next thing they will do to us is take our pumps and auto's away from us; ole Dirty B's !!!

[tupe]

MJ,

I'm not sure how you have missed out on all of it but here is a VERY brief run down. Overall waterfowl populations were down again this year buy mid continent mallard populations, though lower, were still within the long term average so AHM set out a liberal framework. This has not been the most popular decision (opinion).
I do wonder though how someone comes to be a wterfowler without keeping up with the status of populations and conservation issues. To me that comes first, my shooting second.
If in the furure you would like to stay up on the latestissues concerning the future of waterfowl and waterfowling feel free to PM and I can send you some links to great sites like this one and some very informative conservation sites that can keep you informed.

Best of luck,

M.B.

P.S. PRay that the potholes get snow or we are in BIG trouble duck population wise next year, and that no one can dispute.

[THE DUCKSLAYER]

AND THEY CALL THEMSELVES DUCK HUNTERS!!!!

THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT BOYZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

[MSDuckmen]

BAWHAHAHAHAHA

[DuckyDan]

M.B. Waters is right. That's what I've been hearing this year anyway. I'm glad that at least they admitted numbers were down this year. They've been saying that for the last three years, numbers are WAAY up and they've been the worst three seasons I've seen. Delta Waterfowl said this year that they're re-evaluating their study method of counting breeding ducks in hopes that they will be able to get more of an accurate count. DU is also following along in the same matter. I hope they get it figured out. I don't mind donating money to both organizations as long as they tell us the truth about populations and they keep the numbers up there!

[tupe]

Dan,

I am not sure where your information on #s has come from but according to the last three years of USFWS surveys, which by the way neither Delta or DU conduct they only report on, waterfowl popultions have been in a decline for three years.
What you have heard from DU is that pops. were above the LTA (long term average) which is true but they have in fact been falling thatwhole time and this year are just at that line.
Delta took a beating last year when they came out and said that we needed to be concerned that pops were falling.
Your are correct thatthe formulas havve had to be adjusted and will likly have to be tinkered with again with the FEs (framework extentions) coming on line this year.
If you are interested in seeing the last few years of population figures PM me and I will send you the link.
I am still surprised that so few people are aware that teh populations have taken such a sharp downturn over the lastfew years. I guess it is because buisness and other interests want people to believe that there is "good hunting ahead" so theywill continue to spend money.

M.B.

[DuckyDan]

MB>>> I'm afraid what you said about people saying numbers are up to increase spending and sales is true. I kind of like the numbers being down the last couple of years in a way. We got to where there were waaaaay too many people hunting around us all of the time. Now, last year, it seems like fewer people hunt, which makes it more enjoyable for me. No one there to shoot swing birds, skybust and flare birds, stealing your hole, or calling (if they want to call it that) nonstop. The bottom has actually gotten a little more peaceful as a result. The only ones left are the few, the proud, (no, not the Marines!!!), and the die hards! Hopefully we'll get a little better flight in another couple of years. PM me that link. I'd like to read that. I try to keep up with DU Magazine and Delta's quarterly mail outs, but I don't have enough time to read EVERYTHING! Thanks!

[MJ]

mb waters.... it seems you just have all the anwers today?? please post your email, phone numbers etc... in all the duck publications so we can skip all the beuracracy and go straight to you since you seem to have all the right answers..... well, a lil news flash there turbo.... i do duck hunt but i don't always catch the latest publications... i don't follow the crowd, i don't have all the latest gadgets and i don't always have the quick witted answer that will make everyone think im "somebody" but what i do have is a nack for hunting which is something i am very proud of... i have something given to me by my father which was given to him by his which was given to him by his father.... its not something you can read in a magazine or describe on a video tape..... don't be so quick to pat yourself on the back because you know the duck population or where they will be flying this year..... you doubt my knowlegde and question my hunting ability because i post a simple question but, mb waters, i gaurantee you this one thing..... there will be no doubting me when the mist rises, the decoy's float and that duck falls!!!! enjoy your field and stream "yoda" !!!!!!!

MJ

[tupe]

My how eloquent. Sorry to have ruffled your feathers their friend. My only point in all this is that I see far to many hunters these days that think only about the issue of populations when it concerns "their share" of ducks to kill.
I am honestly surprised when people ask just around the first of fall what the season is going to be and what the fall flight is.

However, I will say this. It is the duty of EVERY waterfowler to be aware of conservation issues and the overall health of the population from which we wish to take every year, for if we are not aware, vocal and knowledgable about these issues than we are nothing more then takers.
For as long as there have been hunters it has been they who have guided the politics and policies of wildlife and wildland management in this country and it is therefor ALL of our DUTY, to be aware and to share our thouhgts, insights, and opinions with others who are truly concerned about the long term health of both waterfowl and waterfowling.

As I said before, have a great season.

M.B.

P.S. If you or anyone else for that matter is interested in learning whatis going on with the waterfowl population here is the link to a greatsource of information. http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/

[Wildfowler]

Wishing for fewer ducks for your own personal gain is no different that the "big businesses" wishing for more ducks for their own personal gain.

I think the worst thing we as duck hunters can do is to think that somehow having fewer hunters around us is somehow better. True, if there are fewer hunters, there may be less headaches and hassles on public land. But if you can't figure out how to deal with it, there are other things you can do. Lease or better yet, buy your own land.

Fewer hunters means fewer dollars being contributed to groups like Ducks Unlimited or Delta Waterfowl. It also means fewer duck stamps being purchased. I shudder at the thought of where we might be if we had to rely solely on our conservation dollars to come only in the form of waterfowl stamps. You and I have the responsibility to promote waterfowling so that more people will want to become involved, so that more people will support the same conservation efforts that we all are supporting. More money spent on conserving and researching the ducks can only have a positive impact on the ducks.

Also, I don't believe that the price of hunting land will ever come down. The only way duck land/lease prices are going to come down is if waterfowl populations become so low that the Fed's decide that they should close hunting for several years or more. Essentially cutting off the demand for the service. And I hope that no one on this board really wants to see that. Without something so severe, there will always be some group of rich doctors and lawyers who are willing to pay whatever to buy/lease hunting land.

[DuckyDan]

Chill out, Wildfowler. I didn't mean it like that. You do make good points and I DO agree with you! I donate to Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited each year. I attend the banquets and usually spend more than I should, but I do it because I know it goes to a good cause. If we're ever to keep enjoying this tradition, hunters have to band together and raise money and habitat to support these beautiful birds that we enjoy going through such rigors to interact with. I agree, there is something magical about duck hunting that is more addictive than anything else. I look forward to it 10 months out of the year! I didn't mean that I wish we had fewer hunters. I was just trying to make light out of having a couple of bad seasons. The ONLY thing good about it was less pressure. It actually let me enjoy cruising the timber some with less stress. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have hunters everywhere and ducks swarming like bees than getting smoked on a hunt and no one else in the bottom! I want my kids and grandkids to enjoy this same tradition that I have learned. I think it's critical in raising a kid to expose them to this type of atmosphere and I would never wish anything to happen to the population to decrease the possibility of this occuring. As for the land, we DO have private land, but I really enjoy hunting flooded green timber and the WMA around here has some great spots. We get a lot of people over there at the beginning of season that do a lot of "unsportsmanlike" hunting like skybusting, trying to mess up swing birds, shooting swing birds, setting up 75 yds away through the timber so they can "bum" off of your calling and shoot swings, "borrowing" (STEALING) boats, etc. These guys usually show up the first week or two and then they're done. That's what I was referring to. If they would be responsible hunters and be courteous of other hunters I wouldn't have a problem with them. As long as they give their money, that's great, I just wish they cared enough to learn how to hunt ethically. Sorry if I came across wrong to ya'll.....

[Wildfowler]

Ok.

I too have run into the unpleasantries that you mentioned about public land. I don't have my own place to hunt, but I do get to hunt as a guest on private land about 35% of the time.

Most of my contact with other people while hunting public has not been that bad. If someone comes up and tries to set up on top of me. I will go over to them and try to talk it out with them. Normally, if they aren't too pumped up on steorids, the encounter will result in us hunting together as one group. Which is much more pleasant than the alternatives.

I've had very few encounters where a group of idiots set up on top of me and wouldn't listen to reason, which resulted in a horrible time for both of us.

I'm glad to know that you see the big picture. I'd gladly invite you to join me under the above conditions.