teal season

[duckhuntalot]

Hey, anyone know of public place to teal hunt. I am from Kosciusko area and don't mind traveling say a couple of hours. I have hunted the Ross Barnett a few times with little success around the WMA? Can't remember the name of the place.

Have boat will travel.

[Drake]

You're gonna be hard up looking for someone to reply to that question. As you probably know, duck hunters sorta have to keep their public honey holes a secret. Good luck finding somewhere.

[Jeff]

Check around some of the big resevors. I don't hunt any of my spots around there anymore and I have a few. I could put you on some of them but not on here. If you are intereseted e-mail me and I'll try and be of some help.

[duckhuntalot]

Okay so I must be ignert for asking a question like that. But you never know.

[Anatidae]

No, not ignernt at all......asking is fine. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

What we're trying to discourage is giving specific information for EVERYBODY and his brother-in-law to see, over this board. As Jeff suggested, (and it's to the benefit of those wanting to know where to go), replies should be via e-mail, so the other 50 people that are within driving distance of that place (that also saw your question), don't meet you there, come opening day. [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

We're trying to manage the flow of info to counteract the effects of overcrowding due to someone's carelessness in divulging too much info to too many folks. [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]

Those who show courtesy enough to ask without naming specific WMA's, landings, etc, stand a better chance of a truthful response than those who show a lack of consideration for those that use a certain area by mentioning specific details either in their question or in the resultant response.

Don't worry....you haven't done anything wrong. Scroll sown to 'Coming to a WMA near you' on this same board. Maybe that'll give you better idea of what I'm talking about.

Thanks for your consideration and GOOD LUCK during teal season! [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Bercy]

I am glad that some people are starting to understand the problems regarding telling others where to hunt on certain public land on this board. A couple years ago, people on this board were getting bashed for telling others not to give information about public areas.

Is there that much difference between telling someone about certain public hunting places through email as opposed to over the board?

If you are worried about posting it on the board and having hundreds of people seeing it and saying ‘maybe I’ll try Your Favorite WMA’, what’s to say that whoever you email the information to is not going to go to Your Favorite WMA and bring his friend Adam; and Adam will bring Bob the next weekend; and Bob will bring Chad, Dick, and Efrom every other day for the rest of the season; Adam and Bob will also bring Frank, Greg, Haley, and Idiot throughout the season; and Frank, Greg, Haley, and Idiot will bring other friends along with Chad, Dick and Efrom bringing other friends; and these other friends bringing other new friends for the rest of the season and years to come?

At the end of all of this, whoever you emailed the information to never even came back to Your Favorite WMA, but that person spawned dozens of others that now hunt Your Favorite WMA.

All of a sudden, your innocent and secretive email has turned into being just as harmful as posting on the board or waiving a red flag outside Your Favorite WMA saying ‘lots of mallards in here, take the second atv trail on the left, go 1 mile until the Tupelo Gum slough, help yourself – I’m just trying to be nice and friendly.’

The number one golden rule that any hunter at any level should know is -- DO NOT TELL ANYONE ANY LOCATION OF WHERE YOU HUNT. This should also include -- do not email anyone regarding information of where you hunt.

It is fine to give information such as there are 3000 acres of public land in the Delta; or teal like shallow, muddy water, so scout those types of areas; or certain kinds of decoys are better; or ducks prefer fields on cloudy days (which is not particularly true), . . . . If you have the urge to be nice and friendly, you can tell others this type of information. If someone wants to know where to hunt, let them put in the time and energy you put forth to find it for themselves.

PS – the duck hunting in Mississippi is not nearly as good as the duck hunting in Arkansas or Louisiana.

[Anatidae]

Well, Bercy....I couldn't agree with you, more. You make a very good point about 'saying anything at all', but, I think it depends on the person and the circumstances.

Like I've said before, it's a delicate balancing act and invloves more than the two people sharing info. It affects everybody that hunts that area, in turn, may affect you, too!

Ideally, there should be no response at all, but there ARE young hunters coming-up that may not have a DAD or older brother to teach them about duck hunting. I was really lucky...my Grandfather, Dad, brother, and uncle all had a hand in my development as a waterfowler. Nowadays, some kids' 'mentors' are too busy to take'em hunting and God only knows what they'd be taught if they did. 'Probably have a cell phone in one hand and a remote in the other.

So, while I think caution is advised (when exchanging information....particularly who you tell, what and how), I also think it's important to share some of your experience with the next generation. I just hope we can set a good example without gettin' squashed like a bug.

If a person is careless about what information he shares, then he ought to reap the outcome of his action and hopefully learn something from it. Too bad it usually screws things up for other folks in the process. I'm like you, in most cases...Just say nothing! [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] After all, like you said, finding good spots is hard work and you don't want to just give it away, right?

My general rule of thumb is get to know somebody pretty damn good before you tell'em squat! Then give'em a little bit of info and see how they respond. See if they're just tappin' you for info or if they're showing a concerted effort to learn something about duck hunting. If they go everyday for a week and haven't had any luck, give'em another tip. If you haven't heard from them all year and they call you the night before the season opens and say, " Hey, my buddy, Where ya'll goin', tomorrow?, I'll probably say something like, "Duck hunting!" [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I know what you mean about the 'ripple effect'...I've seen it happen and there's no way to reverse the trend. It causes more damage than anything else I've experienced. It's gonna happen, eventually, regardless of who starts it, particularly if ducks are killed. [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ August 22, 2001: Message edited by: Anatidae ]

[duckhuntalot]

[img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] Sorry to cause such an uproar. Anatidae, you have hit the nail on the head. I grew up in Little Rock,Arkansas in a low-medium income broken marriage home. My father worked two jobs and I only saw him every other week-end and was basically raised by my G-ma. I started duck hunting about seven years ago at the age of 23. My ex wife and I lived within three hundred yards of the Arkansas River right outside LR. While scouting for deer in the bottoms I noticed numerous woodies and an ocassional mallard. After several limits (really the first one) I was hooked. I have been studying and hunting ducks more and more each year since. I have also since moved to MS. (5 years ago)
Anyway, you are exactly right about not having a mentor to teach you about the finer things in life. My Father did some deer hunting and we did share that together several times. Even now he comes to MS and spends opening week here.
I have a son, daughter, step-son, and step-daughter and all have been in the fields with me several times. (It's getting even harder to sneak off by myself anymore both boys are seven)
Once again, didn't mean any harm. Just thought...... well maybe I didn't. Thanks for all the replies. I look forward to reading on..

[hawkeye]

Anatidae, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one, although I do see where you are coming from. I was once a young hunter coming into the sport, started when I was 15, with no parental guidance. My dad used to duck hunt, but quit about the time steel shot was made mandatory. But now, 7 years later, I'm kinda glad that no one was around, because I didn't kill many ducks those first few years, but I learned an infinite amount of knowledge that CANNOT be replaced. Something I wish all duck hunters would do, actually work for their ducks. But that is only dreaming my friend. So basically what I am saying is, don't tell ANYBODY, ANYTHING, about ANYWHERE. Because they may not tell but one person one day, just making small talk, thinking that it is okay, and that surely this person isn't gonna show up in your hole, but all it takes is one person waiting in your hole before you get there, and your hunt is ruined. It's not massive information that is a killer IMHO, but rather telling one or two people here and there, trying to make small talk or sound "in the know". You can always tell the real duck hunters, I mean the ones that really get after them and burn them up, and work for them, and want them so bad they can taste them, because they are the ones that keep their mouths sealed, and aren't really worried about getting their pics taken at the local kwik stop with his/her ducks. Now don't everybody go getting upset thinking that I said if you get your pics taken at the kwik stop with your ducks, you ain't no hunter, cause I've done it too, but you know the people that I'm talking about. Guys, public land is such a treasured thing, kinda like having a lease without paying for it, but once it gets crowded, it sucks. So if you find a little piece of it that every Tom, Dick, and Joe Blow haven't mud gouged and set up corn feeders in, then I suggest that you don't tell ANYBODY.

[woodmeister]

I guess I was raised different. I live on the gulfcoast and plan on taking a trip to hunt around greenwood this year with a couple of friends from atlanta. Having never hunted up that way I plan on doing a scouting weekend in the next month. Ill find my ducks on my own. If i run into someone who needs a little help or information Ill try to help them out. Its the only way I know. Some of the hunters on this forum are way to tight. What ever happened to duck hunting? Brian

[Anatidae]

Hawkeye, I appreciate your comments and respect your opinion. Sharing info (if you share any, at all), is a real 'fine line' and it only pays to be smart. Basically, our policy is to keep quiet! We met a guy and his 14 year-old boy one morning. They were hunting the same area we were, and we'd seen'em several times. ['Wife even gave the boy a nice Columbia waterfowler's jacket that got too small for her.] They didn't ask about our hunts or results and we didn't ask about theirs.

We built that mutual 'trust' that you NEED to have, before you divulge any useful info. A year later, we hunted together...on the last day of the season, and have hunted occasionally, since. 'Even took the kid when his Dad couldn't get-off work, 'cause he really wanted to go. That's the sort of thing I'm talking about....not just meeting a total stranger and spillin' your guts (even though that's what most folks seem to do and see no harm in it.....until the damage has been done).

We've known these guys for about 5 years, now and there are places and info I still WON'T share with these guys (and they know better than to ask), because they've got friends too, and people just can't help themselves....they're gonna talk. But, they know if they ever cross us and betray that trust, they're sunk, because they know I won't tell'em what legal shooting time is, from then, on! But if they've gone and haven't had any luck, I don't think it hurts to offer a 'strategy' with them , or something of that nature.

I think we're on the same page, Hawkeye.....our lines may just be drawn in different places. Take care! [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[hawkeye]

Well, I didn't know that you had known the people for 5 years. That's quite a bit different than what I was talking about. Yup, we're on the same page. Everybody, you may not realize it, but talking about places, ESPECIALLY on the internet, is very bad for duck hunting. Please, if your gonna divulge any information at all(which I wouldn't reccomend, you never know who's gonna stab you in the back) please do it somewhere other than an internet forum, such as, like Anatidae said, email.