trophy/man rooms?

[Hambone]

I have heard that the hunting in Beaver Dam has declined somewhat over the last several years. What's the reason or theory for the problem? It isn't like the ducks have wholly vanished from the region.

[Deltamud77]

I have had the good fortune to hunt there and we had a solid hunt. However, (and I am not complaining) we killed almost exclusively grey ducks. We may have killed a widgeon or two as well.

Hunting in general has declined in my lifetime. I have been seriously duck hunting for around 20 years. There has been ebb and flow, some years better than others, but the general trend has been down. I actually had a great season last season though.

I am sure that Beaver Dam, as great as it is, is not immune from the decline of truly great duck hunting.

There are only a few truly great places that I am aware of in the state of Mississippi...legendary places. Off the top of my head I would think about Beaver Dam, York Woods and Fighting Bayou. I wonder if YW and FB have seen the same downward trend as the rest of us?

[The Waterfowler]

Then and now. High water was largely responsible for the dramatic changes at Beaver Dam as it killed much of the cover. It got so high and stayed that way for so long that it floated off the boat dock. When I first started hunting it in the early 70's it was a thing of beauty with all the saw grass, buck brush and button willows. Ducks had coontail moss, duck-weed, various tubers and smart-weed among other goodies to feast on and grow fat. Hiding places all over the lake were utilized by a multitude of waterfowl. It wasn't uncommon for Doc and I to jump-shoot the west side of the lake with the Ducker and limit in a few hundred yards. There wasn't a prettier hole than the Ussery Pocket and busting through the narrow trail into there would push hundreds of birds into the air. Now, you can barely tell where the pool was. The last time I hunted it the lake didn't ever look like the same place. Take away the habitat and you loose the ducks, plain and simple. All the brush that surrounded Doc's Pool, Round Pond and the Hanwerker Stand is gone now. You change all that has been lost and ducks will look elsewhere. I think to some degree that more hunters are there now and motoring around a lot more than back then also might, to some small degree, be a factor in the changes that have happened there.

This is Doc's Pool in the early 70's. Now all the buck-brush, button willows, etc. are gone from there. You could practically water-ski there now. The number of Grays, Wigeons, Mallards and Teal we shot there was incredible. It was like a parade all mornings with the constant stream of Blackjacks that would come through buzzing the decoys.

[Hambone]

Pat, your explanation makes total sense. We have fought a continual battle against high water in our brakes for year after year. Every summer, we have to do some substantial trackhoe work to counteract the beavers' efforts. It's a love-hate relationship with them - they keep water in there year-round, which coontail moss requires. But as you say, if the water gets too deep, it jeopardizes the habitat.

[jacksbuddy]

"If you're not wet and not cold, you're not duck hunting!" Ain't that the truth!

My daddy used to make the same comment to me and my brother. and yes, we both remember those early days well. Thanks for reminding us of a very memoral truth.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to put that quote in my signature line on this forum.

[Hambone]

That sure used to be the truth. Nowadays, if you are wet or cold, you are probably wearing the wrong stuff. I am about as old school as they come, but I sure like my neoprene waders and fleece pullovers.

[gator]

That sure used to be the truth. Nowadays, if you are wet or cold, you are probably wearing the wrong stuff. I am about as old school as they come, but I sure like my neoprene waders and fleece pullovers.

AMEN!

gator

[The Waterfowler]

I always told my boys that "Cold was a state of mind". Not that it necessarily is, but it helped them get through several mornings in less tha idea conditions and kept me from having to leave early. If you concentrate hard enough on what you're doing, i.e. shooting ducks, then you can forget about the cold. Neoprene, Gore-Tex, Under-Armour? If it wasn't sold at the Army surplus, we didn't have it!

BTW Gator, your BGE looks pretty nice if I do say so! If you don't like it, I'll keep it.

[gator]

My brain is fried....been one of those days, so forgive me for asking (and, i'm almost scared to ) but what's BGE?

gator

[LawDawg]

blue goose eaglehead? that's my guess. it may be way more exotic than that though.

[The Waterfowler]

Barrow's Golden-eye.

[gator]

man AWESOME!!! i have a feeling i'm gonna love it considering how excited you were talking about them at the shrimp boil. can't wait to see it. Trapper's headed to minnesota (or nodak) for the summer and i gotta get him to ronnie lee sometime this next week.

would love to come pick it up if it's ready/dry and if you're not too busy?

gator

[The Waterfowler]

I'm delivering a bunch birds to Minnesota this week. Gail is going and we're going to visit with Dave Maass for a couple of days. Should be back by the 11th. Got the bases in today for some of this stuff. Of course you know if I mount you one I have to mount RR one!

[gator]

I'm delivering a bunch birds to Minnesota this week. Gail is going and we're going to visit with Dave Maass for a couple of days. Should be back by the 11th. Got the bases in today for some of this stuff. Of course you know if I mount you one I have to mount RR one!

no problem, ya'll have fun and keep in b/t the ditches.............i was gonna suggest to you the above in bold anyway

gator

[The Waterfowler]

Will do. I might send you a picture or two along the way to tease you a little. The first Barrow's I skinned had a pretty bad wing. The next one was much better. When you see what I did with the bad one and one of my Common Goldeneyes, that's CGE from now on, you'll be impressed.

Here's the picture of the morning shoot to go along with the picture I last posted. A typical strap of Greys and Greenheads. Rad Andrews, who took over Doc's practice, and his wife Maureen are in the boat with me and Jake, my Chessy. Also in the picture is Stephen Andrews who is a minister at a church in michigan with over 10,000 members. We had just come out of the north end of the lake. That was December, 1975. Camo came in two colors then, green or brown!