This place is all but dead.....

[4dawgma]

let redleg90210 back in

[teul2]

let redleg90210 back in

no

[Trip]

Ha!

I tell you what though, if you're in the market for an old schitty outboard motor he's your guy

[richard b evers]

We could always talk about the Cross Gates WMA, that always got a good laugh

[mlj300]

I miss the Master of the Timber. And all other forms of BS that use to happen here

Does anyone happen to have a link to the "master of the timber" cartoon. I could use the laugh....


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[Anatidae]

..........even the guides in the area getting skunked.

A guide getting skunked? Must not hunt very 'mobile'. I know times get tough sometimes, though.

You take most folks that kill ducks on a consistent basis? - they likely have a good spot with lots of good habitat and birds. But put the majority of'em in a boat and tell'em go find some ducks and figure-out how to set-up and such.......they'd probably be hard-pressed to kill a duck.

I remember the years 1997-2000........I thought we were pretty-good hunters. Then the birds quit coming down here and for the next 10 years, I really began to question what I thought I knew about duck hunting.

But you stay with it and keep going (especially since I can go every day now)....and that becomes the bigger game.......not how many you bring home..........but finding them and fooling them 'bad', despite dismal prospects.

What's wrong with duck hunting these days is there's too many easily accessible manufactured 'duck holes' and it pulls birds from their normal habitat into a 'shooting' zone.....and they get smart and move out of those areas into sanctuaries that are inaccesible. Roughly translated.......PRESSURE!

[teul2]

But you stay with it and keep going (especially since I can go every day now)....and that becomes the bigger game.......not how many you bring home..........but finding them and fooling them 'bad', despite dismal prospects.

^^ This!

[mfalkner]

..........even the guides in the area getting skunked.

A guide getting skunked? Must not hunt very 'mobile'. I know times get tough sometimes, though.

You take most folks that kill ducks on a consistent basis? - they likely have a good spot with lots of good habitat and birds. But put the majority of'em in a boat and tell'em go find some ducks and figure-out how to set-up and such.......they'd probably be hard-pressed to kill a duck.

I remember the years 1997-2000........I thought we were pretty-good hunters. Then the birds quit coming down here and for the next 10 years, I really began to question what I thought I knew about duck hunting.

But you stay with it and keep going (especially since I can go every day now)....and that becomes the bigger game.......not how many you bring home..........but finding them and fooling them 'bad', despite dismal prospects.

What's wrong with duck hunting these days is there's too many easily accessible manufactured 'duck holes' and it pulls birds from their normal habitat into a 'shooting' zone.....and they get smart and move out of those areas into sanctuaries that are inaccesible. Roughly translated.......PRESSURE!

All very true, Randy. And yes, the guide's getting shut out are mostly hunting prepared holes although many of the hardcore public land hunters I know are struggling also, both in MS and AR.

Not all of us have the luxury of time and means to hunt every day and stay on top of birds - count your blessings for that. I've done it both ways. Right now, where I am in life, I consider myself very fortunate to have a couple days a week to go sit in one of those manufactured duck holes, see some birds and try to work pressured, educated ducks into my spread using weather, wind, calling and good decoy practice. It's a different kind of game, but when you live in the hills and choose to put certain other obligations ahead of hunting (family, work, church), you just do the best you can.

If that makes me "what's wrong with duck hunting these days", I can live with that. Been doing this over 30 years and I have just as much fun fooling a group of mallets as ever. For me, a fun hunt beats a limit any time - as it does with you, I know.

[Anatidae]

All very true, Randy. And yes, the guide's getting shut out are mostly hunting prepared holes although many of the hardcore public land hunters I know are struggling also, both in MS and AR.

It's been 'slow' here, too.

Not all of us have the luxury of time and means to hunt every day and stay on top of birds - count your blessings for that.

I do. We've waited and prepared the best way we could for 'retirement' - we ARE blessed right now.

I've done it both ways. Right now, where I am in life, I consider myself very fortunate to have a couple days a week to go sit in one of those manufactured duck holes, see some birds and try to work pressured, educated ducks into my spread using weather, wind, calling and good decoy practice. It's a different kind of game, but when you live in the hills and choose to put certain other obligations ahead of hunting (family, work, church), you just do the best you can.

I've been in those shoes. And the older I get, the more appeal an 'easier' method of hunting, begs. I remember we made the comment last season on a morning where everything seemed to work against us......."we better get in a lease, somewhere."

I guess my comments about manufactured duck holes failed to distinguish 'hunters' (like yourself) that hunt those places for the reasons you mentioned....... from 'shooters' that want to be taken, or be 'seen' going to what has become widely regarded as sport (lobbing cases of 'Black Bull$#!+' skyward in hopes that one errant pellet will hit its mark and send the one bird sailing to the next rice farm over.......then saying, "NICE SHOOTING, GUYS".....and captured on a barrel-mounted Hero or Go-Pro.....highlighting uncontrollable laughter, incorrect tense usage, painful calling and a dog named 'No-HERE!').

If that makes me "what's wrong with duck hunting these days", I can live with that.

If it does, then I'm guilty, and can live with it, too. I've hunted where I depended on birds coming to me.....mainly because of an abundant or easily accessible grain source or habitat and no time to do it any other way.

Been doing this over 30 years and I have just as much fun fooling a group of mallets as ever. For me, a fun hunt beats a limit any time - as it does with you, I know.

Agreed. Doesn't matter where you hunt'em - a 'fooled' mallet is more gratifying than a boat-load of 'dip-shot' ducks any day.

Happy Hunting!

[mfalkner]

Maybe we need to get us a catchy theme song......

[mfalkner]

Maybe we need to get us a catchy theme song......and teach our dogs to break at every shot. We could get famous.....

[Deltamud77]

I miss the Master of the Timber. And all other forms of BS that use to happen here

You dudes ran him off...

[Wingman]

I sometimes feel I'm not a modern hunter because I'd rather shoot the three birds that are feet down in the decoys than get my limit of passing shots at 60 yards.

To me it's about decoying birds.

[Denduke]

Amen to that....identify and pic out drakes too.

[mfalkner]

Well put Rob, and a pretty bag of drakes.