"Too Many Refuges" a Farce

[torch]

Amen Doc and higher lease prices.

[Chuckle12]

The only thing that is stopping DNF from holding ducks on a refuge level, is the people that wont let them use it.

That is absolutely true. Over the last 5 yrs, the numbers of ducks holding in the area have gradually declined. I remember 5 or 6 yrs ago when you could go in at 10 or 11 in the morning and be out by 2 with a limit of fatheads. This year, I hunted my "old" hole twice and saw very few ducks. The ducks I saw literally flew around the hole. 2 yrs ago people started finding out about this hole and it was getting hunted morning and afternoon almost 7 days a week.

Some of the conditions at DNF this year were brought on by the water conditions in the timber pot holes. They were extremely shallow, but after a few rains this improved and duck usage did not. Howard Miller's old land, to the left of the dummy line, was void of ducks, and that place usually holds thousands.

There was still good hunting to be had, but it was found in holes I had almost forgotten about it had been so long since I hunted them.

[Greenhead22]

We'd get some new ducks in and have a couple of good days shooting, then those new birds find those spots and learn quick what to do and what not to do. We had tons of birds this yr.............they just knew where they couldn't be touched. Hell, I even tried shooting over those spots just to get them up to go to another hole. They'd get up, but go right back down. I would have flight after flight of birds circle me once.............then go across the treeline and go down in the "free as a bird" hole.

[torch]

DU should fence in all nesting areas in pot hole region. DW should trap all areas first. Then we should have 100% nest success. Problem solved. See how easy that was.

[Chuckle12]

I hate to say this; I never thought I'd say it. But here goes.

It may be time for DNF to put restrictions on hunting in certain areas. Make them huntable only certain days of the week and no hunting in the afternoon. People have been going there in the afternoon and shooting the chit out of them for the last 3 yrs and it has demolished the way ducks use the area.

Admittidly, there was a significant reduction in hunting pressure at the forest this year, but that was due solely to the lack of ducks using the area.

[Chuckle12]

I love that piece of ground down there and used to hunt it a good bit until it became Tourist - O - Ramaville.

Man in the old days you would get scared in THEM woods because if you got lost there was NOBODY to get you out hehehehehehe.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry from the sotheast started hunting there. The Rolling Fork Inn's business picked up 400%.

I got lost in those woods 3 yrs ago. We started out for the hole at 4:00am. We had hunted this hole for 3 yrs and never had a problem getting there. We walked for hours and kept walking in circles. Every thing looks the same out there. Finally we saw a deer dog and followed him out to the road. We got back to the truck at 11:00.

[crow]

It's funny, but in the late 60's and early 70's the locals cussed the "Jackson folks" and the "Vicksburg folks." Talked about how they didn't know jack and skybusted the ducks in the greentree "duck ponds" and were just ruining the hunting! Sound familiar? I have to agree that it is almost impossible to have a good hunt on public ground now. With the exception of the DNF as a whole, most of the sho nuff places that hold ducks are too small to get away from the crowds that show up now. Even though I grew up there and hunted many of these places before they were public, I have been cussed at and threatened by "locals" whose resentment is so strong they feel they should "discourage" the outsiders. I hate it has gottent to that!

[iron grip]

our neighbor in humphreys co. held ducks all year and one person hunted the hole last saturday morning. sunday morning we watched ducks, not as many mind you, still use the place. But you could watch them think about it more when they went around looking for their spot. This hole was so hot we would watch the big V 's of ducks fall out of the atmosphere and right in only to hear their chatter shortly after. I was amazed at the sight on 1/25 of ducks being wary of the place and the guy may have fired 15 times the day before.
I saw an interview with phil robertson a while back and aside from him talking about refuge hunts during the year from time to time he also talked about a farmer he knew that raised ducks. The duck commander said he walked up on a tennis court sized pen full of greenheads and thought wow thats a bunch of ducks it must be 12-15 hundred. So he asked his friend "how many ducks are in here?" "FOUR THOUSAND" his friend replied to his amazement. Mr. phil said if a tennis court can hold 4000 ducks how many can twenty acres hold? or fifty? two hundred? Get the drift? Saftey in numbers right ?

[goosebruce]

Just read 15 minutes of this discussion... the thought of most here is that hunting the refuges just a little would get the ducks moving and make the hunting better... doesnt it make sense, if adding a little pressure to no pressure is good, then removing a little pressure from too much pressure would also be good?

Jeff, you got duck holes across the ditch from sancutary holes.... Why you think those holes are better than yours in holding ducks? Cuase you are sitting in your holes, ready to kill them. The new ducks didnt decide, Ill go over there where its safe, they decided to leave you where it isn't.

Our seasons open plenty early... they run as late as the law allows. All we need is 2 real splits... a week, and a weekend, and a week, one 1/3 of the way thru the season, and one 2/3s a way thru the season. Real splits gave ducks the time to heal up, chill out, and get on with their lives. 60 days, almost non-stop, is a wide open booty hammering they won't and can't put up with... not with the numbers of hunters we have here, and the things (extent) we will go to kill them.

Nother 5 years (on this course), mallards will be like snow geese. travis

[Chuckle12]

I'm with goose on this one. We need a split or two in our season in a bad way. I don't think this is the answer to end all, but it would sure help out a lot.

[Caller1]

Ducks will be like Snow geese??????
Hell i hope so. #'s that is.
The Splits are helpful for sure. I'd love to see 'em just as you said Goosebruce. Don't see how 6/60 to 3/30 would help, since so many of ya'll are complaining about not having any Ducks though. Which one is it?? Ya'll killin em and adding pressure OR not seeing them and think that would make more ducks?????????