Clarion Ledger

[hillhunter]

Not trying to start a *issing match here, but how exactly does one go and find the ducks??? 95% or more of the Delta is privately owned, so you may go and find ducks but odds are you ain't going to hunt them. Most guys lease so that they may have part of that 95%. I only hunt on our own family land or maybe a couple of neighboring farms, but I do not see how the regular guy can ride and find ducks in MS these days and expect to go hunting. Therefore the complaining makes perfect sense. A guy leases a tract he believes to be a productive piece of ground and hopes to kill ducks more years than not. A guy may join a club or buy into an existing property. He is pretty much fixed in said location. Scouting for ducks may sound cool. For sure something someone who hunts public land only has to do more than actually hunt time. But the perception that MOST guys who hunt in the Delta can go out and FIND ducks and then HUNT them when there are few on his own property or lease to hunt is pretty weak. IMO

+1


The funny thing is that if all the guys complaining about our marginal year actually got out and "found the ducks" like some suggest, then every WMA would be so slap ass full you couldn't think of getting to hunt, so telling the masses that the ducks are here, you just have to find them is giving an open invitation to flood the WMAs. I have hunted some of them in the past with limited success, but the most common thing I have ever found while out having to "find the ducks" on these kind of years is an empty tank of gas, cold, unproductive 4 wheeler rides, and some hurt feelings. Personnally I would rather wake up at 5:30 and go hunt with some buddies and kill 5-10 ducks than get up at 3:00, race to the hole which may or may not be occupied, and go hunt with every Tom, Dick and Harry and kill 5-10 ducks.... but, I guess if I did that I could say that I "found the ducks"

[SWAG]

I was just curious if anyone read the Outdoors section "Time short for Migration"? Bobby Cleveland wrote about this year being an above average duck season... I have talked to many that had a horrible season based merely on numbers! Don't get me wrong, having an opportunity to be able to go is a blessing. I would just like to take a poll on the available population of huntable ducks (mallards, pintials, teal, and greys) in your area. Above Avg., Average, or Below Avg.

Mine, has been well Below Average..... Thanks, Lodi...

To get back on original topic....when I read the article Sunday I thought Bobby may have just had a brain fart or something. Article sort of lent to it being fewer ducks, but the "above average" part just did not fit. Maybe he actually meant to say below average.

[Plainsman04]

Definitely a below average year for me, and that may even be an understatement. Also missed out on some good hunts due to poor timing and an inflexible schedule. Day late and a dolla short.

[sondance]

I enjoy reading Bobby though I rarely agree with what he is saying when it comes to hunting. However, I do get tired of the Rabbit crappie fishing and Pete Ponds bass fishing articles. They aren't poorly written just too frequent.

As far as my season it's been average. Lot more grey ducks and pintails. Fewer mallards. We have killed about the same number as we always do but I still have not seen the big push of ducks. We are just fortunate we have so many places to hunt we can go to the farm that is holding. The thing about this year is we haven't had multiple farms holding ducks at any one time due to no cold weather up North.

[lower14]

Worst season I can recall in the past 20+ years. The assholes poaching geese on our land might have a different take on things, but damn near zero ducks all season long.

[greenheadgrimreaper]

Worst season I can recall in the past 20+ years. The assholes poaching geese on our land might have a different take on things, but damn near zero ducks all season long.

With rifles?

I talked with a friend a couple of weeks ago who had a 22 mag bullet whiz by he and his crew while goose hunting. Scary stuff for sure.

If a fellow is caught doing this he should be charged with aggravated assault, as well as a game law violation.

[teul2]

If a fellow is caught doing this he should be charged with aggravated assault, as well as a game law violation.

I was thinking reckless endangerment, attempted murder, something like that.

[Dux Be Us]

Hung up the dux by Christmas...been deer hunting instead. Finally seeing some birds...saw a few cranes too

[lower14]

Worst season I can recall in the past 20+ years. The assholes poaching geese on our land might have a different take on things, but damn near zero ducks all season long.

With rifles?

I talked with a friend a couple of weeks ago who had a 22 mag bullet whiz by he and his crew while goose hunting. Scary stuff for sure.

If a fellow is caught doing this he should be charged with aggravated assault, as well as a game law violation.

The guys poaching on our land didn't have rifles - just layout blinds and shotguns. Pretty ballsy - just went out and set up like they owned the place.

[Double R 2]

Last night call from outfitting partner in central Ontario: 1 inch of snow cover, had lots of ducks. Into December, and STILL have a few mallards and Canadas hanging around.

[Old Griz]

I saw two flocks of Canada geese yesterday just west of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Only about 2 inches of snow there and the rivers were open. Very mild winter so far in the north country.

[GAHEEL83]

Inconsistent at best, but we had a kazillion birds show up Wednesday afternoon and had 3 excellent hunts Thur / Fri / Sat am; I have never seen so many pintails in my life.

[gunner]

Worst by far

[BR549]

Yes there are birds, yes they are spotty, and yes there are some spots that are producing decent limits of birds........but if you think they "are here" just like most normal years, then you are trying to be billy joe bad booty.....because they "arent here" like normal

no no no i know they arent here in full but I just get tired of folks complaining all the time. Hell It happens every year.

Here here Im glad someone finally said it! Our area has been covered up since christmas. Most everyone around here was killin limits. Even HM was limiting out on a regular basis. More ducks killed in the South Delta this year than in the past several years!

[Lodi Rebel]

As everyone knows, I am the one who started this topic just out curosity. My simple question was, "How was your season this year, compared to a normal population of huntable ducks in seasons past".
As far as having a normal huntable population of ducks mentioned above mine was below average. As I also said before, I'm not complaing and I'm very greatful to be able to have the opportunity to duck hunt period. The two to three guys I hunt with or hunt with me, ever how you want to put it, did have an awesome last two weeks. I was on hunts that consisted of 243 kills in the decoys, as pretty as it gets!! The last week was 178 great and wonderful dead working decoyed ducks.

OK... Now in response to the type of post the "hntrpat1" is a different story....

I'm just getting tired of the lease folks or hell any of these so called duck hunters that think duck hunting is riding a four wheeler, getting in a pit, hunt over the same crappy decoys that have been left out all season, turn on two mojos and get mad because "they ain't killing no ducks." Then get on forums and spout all kinds of crap about "ducks don't come to mississippi anymore" "Not cold enough" "winds wrong" "no water" "Not enough snow" "we need to have 30/3" "duck counts are wrong the feds lie for money" blah blah blah blah.

It seems to me that you may be one one of the "so called duck hunters"!! The way your post reads, you are doing as much fussing or more than anyone who has posted. All I wanted to know was how your season was going!! I work just as hard for my ducks as you do, I promise. I work and run two businesses all year long to be able to afford to hunt at all. Then I work on leases, the duck club, boats, layout blinds, with my dog, decoys, and scout public ground throughout the whole year to find where certain effects of nature are taking place (whats growing up with viable grasses, weeds, and sedges; what the four Corps Lakes levels are at throughout the year, how many times the Big Black River was out the banks throughout the spring, summer, and fall; The MS River levels, and etc).... All this doesn't include the countless hours of studying what ducks on my "huntable ground" are doing with their time. That can only take place if the ducks are where I can hunt them without being a Lowlife Trespasser. You must be one of those "fortunate ones" that will hunt were you see them. Thats just the way your post reads in my opinion!! Find'm and hunt'm.....

I'm not trying to be some type of smarta$$, but you really need not insult your fellow hunters in the way you have. It takes all of us hunters beliving in the sport to have this hunting heritage continued. To me, hunting is just like driving, its a privilege!! All hunters need to respect the fellow hunter... if you can educate someone willing to learn, teach them; if you can steer someone in the right direction, show them; if a hunter needs help, help them; if a hunter has nowhere to hunt, take them; if a child wants to go hunting, by all means necessary take one; and always do unto others as you would want done to you!! Disrespecting your fellow hunters is selfish, rude, uncalled for, and most of all "a coward".. Everyone works for ducks, just because someone doesn't have luxuries as yourself, doesn't mean they are any less of a man!!

Swag, I really enjoyed your post!

Thanks, Chad