How About This

laduck · Postby **laduck** » Sun Apr 14, 2002 7:16 am

The Times Picayune, New Orleans, La.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed offering all states extended frame-
works for duck hunting that allow gunning opportunities from the Saturday closest to Sept. 24 until the last Sunday in January. This year those dates would be Sept. 21 through Jan. 26. For years, the framework had been Nov. l-Jan.20 for the Mississippi Flyway. For three years Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee have pushed for the seasons to extend through the end of January.
States must fit their season dates inside the framework established by the USFWS. The number of hunting days also is set by the federal agency. And while Mississippi Flyway has enjoyed 60 day season for five years, many waterfowl managers say dry conditions on the breeding grounds this spring will result in a 45-day season this fall.

Shoot them sprigs on their first pass

Postby **judge jb** » Sun Apr 14, 2002 10:29 am

after last season, i can live with anything they decide on.. i guarantee they will get alot of hunter input on this one... lowering the limit is OK with me.. as long as it is hens..

judge jb

crow · Postby **crow** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 6:19 am

I still like the points system which places a premium on identification of gender of duck as well as what kind. Shoot a hen...you're done! Learn the game or get out! It's just been too easy to be a shooter these past seasons.

MSDuckmen · Postby **MSDuckmen** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 7:22 am

I like you boys more and more when I read post like this.

shorter season, lower bag limit, that is right on.

Die hards will remain and the weekend warriors will become deer hunters. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

RedEyed Duck · Postby **RedEyed Duck** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 8:01 am

I am all for them lowering the bag limit or going back to the point system and possibly limiting the # of shells allowed on all public land. I wish that the season lenght would stay somewhere near what it is now. The length of the season as it is gives me the ability to both hunt and work quite a bit during the season. If we only had say 30 days, it might be 30 days of 60 degree weather. Just my .02 cents.

BAuchly · Postby **BAuchly** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 8:33 am

I agree with you, especially on the lower limits. I'd be happy with a 3 duck limit but i'd sure like to keep the 60 days. And do away with the robos.

Lacuna · Postby **Lacuna** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 8:55 am

The 30 days is kind of ouchie but it's ouchie enough to make a lot of deer hunters [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I expect they will go to 45 unless the news is VERY bad.

Commercial interests would rather have the DAYS, and even ONE duck per day.

You still have to have all the junk, and pay the guide, to shoot one duck.

With so much money being poured into servicing the new hunters, commercial interests now have a real stake in it.

That is how things always get messed up IMHO.

First somebody borrows a million dollars to build a store and a lot of it's revenue is drawn from duck hunters. Now they are going to try and influence the season lengths to get their money.

Guide operations the same way.

We shouldn't foget that the hunters that will join best of the best come from this stock as well.

Most of them give it up, but we got a few new real hunters on that run and we need them.

Let me see now, if they give us 45 days and 3 ducks, I can shoot around 160 ducks if I just double dip a few times. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Jeff · Postby **Jeff** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 9:19 am

Just because you can't shoot as many ducks don't mean you can't kill the heck out of some geese! I like the shorter seasons in some respect becuase the geese are less pressured and decoy better. I like to shoot ducks, but a few geese doesn't hurt my feelings any either.

Lacuna · Postby **Lacuna** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 9:30 am

You are so right Jeff, and we DO have a healthy number of them using the Ms. Delta at this time.

We also have the new dove and it is spreading quickly, and they are quite a lot of fun to shoot, mixed in with the morning doves.

When THEY come in you know it.

I have several fields that the snows and speckle bellies use heavily, Jeff would you care to come up and instruct an old dog on how to make them land when you want them to?

I hear that speckle belly eats very good, but I just don't care much for a snow goose.

mississippi_duc_htr · Postby **mississippi_duc_htr** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 3:44 pm

I have just one Question for you guys on this issue. Why would they consider changing the season days and limits when. Ill.,MO., KY. and alot of other states up north of here had a record year in duck harvest. I was told by someone in the MDWFP that I think would know after they compiled all the harvest data looked like a lot of those states had banner years. So why would they think about changing everthing now?

Haymaker · Postby **Haymaker** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 4:11 pm

I hunted Southern IL this past year several times and I didn't kill but 3 ducks up there this year. I know that in Southern IL, both the duck and geese numbers were WAY down. I don't know that the final numbers were, but I know half way through the season the number of ducks taken was about 1/4 the average for the previous seasons. Northern IL, ie Chicago area, I would think had an excelent season since the weather was never there to push the ducks to Southern IL much less down to the Delta. I could be all wrong in what I have said, but from talking to some die hard hunters where I come from, they didn't kill much this year.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Darrell

Wingman · Postby **Wingman** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 5:14 pm

Lacuna, don't generalize guides. I'd rather see lower limits, 1 mallard hen. Number of days doesn't matter to me. Most people don't book in December; they know the better hunting is later in the year. So if we had 30 days of QUALITY hunting....say from mid-december to mid-january, or even all of January...then I think that would be much better than 60 days across the board.
Now for those that just like time spent in the field, as I do, 60 days is nice. I will take whatever they give us.
And yes, specks are quite tasty. I like the way the come searching for you when you yodel real sexy-like to them [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Wingman
ISAIAH 40:31

mississippi_duc_htr · Postby **mississippi_duc_htr** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 8:04 pm

Thanks for the info haymaker I hate you had such a bad year like alot of us did. Maybe things will be better next time around.

Jeff · Postby **Jeff** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 8:10 pm

Lacuna, any time those geese get in the fields, you just call me or e-mail me. I'll show up w/ a call, full body dekes, sillyettes, and floaters plus if I can get some better plastic for making reeds, I'll bring you a home made call and try and teach you how to use it. Hunting specks is awesome, sometimes better than mallards.

BrianB · Postby **BrianB** » Tue Apr 16, 2002 9:08 am

That framework is ok. I am not too excited about the early shooting on the breeding grounds, but you know, if we argue that 10 days past jan 20 isn't going to effect pairing, than we cna't get upset about 10 days before nov 1 effecting breeding ground harvest too much. seems like you are shooting yourself in the foot if you go out ans shoot a breeding hole up the first weekend, ducks leave and find another spot and don't come back, but that's just me. But 45 days starting Dec. 15th would make me quite happy. Whoat would really be nice is if miss is open while ark and la are closed during their splits. that way those of us that have the time/ability to hunt multiple states can still get plenty of time in the field. IT seems that you can always have shootable ducks sooner in La than MS. I just ennoy the days afield more than a full strap and

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