WaterfowlForum.Net

For those that haven't seen these videos. This is 1 and 2 with more to follow.

The effectiveness of spinners early on when they did the studies is staggering.

Think it's still "staggering" on the breeding grounds, but just how meaningful is another question. The fellow doing most of the talking so far is also the father of the "Super Hen" theory suggesting that the really important hens, are the old gals least susceptible to predation, including human. I'd argue that they also encourage crippling sky-busting by drawing birds tantalizingly closer to but still out of sure range of the doyos inclined to "try 'em". Interesting discussion, in any event.

Would have been best, in my view, if they'd drawn the line at anything electronic. But I'm old.

Rick wrote:
Would have been best, in my view, if they'd drawn the line at anything electronic. But I'm old.

Agree and I’m a technically a millennial, though I’ve been told I was born 30 years too late.

#5

Really enjoyed that one. Larry is a wealth of knowledge. Some alarming statistics shared as far as food availability.


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Nothing so far that should surprise anyone living in our part of the country - and it gets worse if they look at the pressure on what's left.

Rick wrote:Nothing so far that should surprise anyone living in our part of the country - and it gets worse if they look at the pressure on what's left.

This non-Louisianan had raised eyebrows more than once.

Rick wrote:Nothing so far that should surprise anyone living in our part of the country - and it gets worse if they look at the pressure on what's left.

Was up early so was able to watch this morning. The crawfish demand will do nothing but continue to increase....not good. The pressure on what's not in crawfish will thus continue to rise.......to a point, and you'd have to figure eventually plateau and fall off if and when hunting production falls off.

The "have's" will continue to cordon off their little slice of heaven, managing pressure, habitat, etc. and will hold them there a la LPI Club, for example. The bright spots, however, are these marsh restoration sites where prime habitat is being built. Unfortunately the avg. Joe public hunter is becoming hip to that game, and thus it'll lead to focused pressure as well.

I ain't never shot a starving duck in La. They ain't coming and it ain't because they would starve if they did. It because they ain't starving in areas that they used to starve in.

Ducaholic wrote:I ain't never shot a starving duck in La. They ain't coming and it ain't because they would starve if they did. It because they ain't starving in areas that they used to starve in.

EXACTLY!....... This is what I wrote on another forum.

"So Louisiana is said to have no more food and bad habitat so we start planting food to it's north to make up for the loss. Make sense to me."

So blue-wings have been in the habit of flying to Belize because they'd starve in the States?

Rick wrote:So blue-wings have been in the habit of flying to Belize because they'd starve in the States?

Some of them do some don’t. Based on our declining survey numbers and the fact that they hang around longer than ever before I’d surmise that the ever increasing moist soil management tool is having an impact. From reading various publications it appears that more and more hunters to our north are targeting BWT both commercially and for sport.

Point was that there's more than food involved. And we should remember that all sorts of migratory birds are changing their patterns worldwide.

Been at least 10 years, if not 15 since I've shot a bluewing in regular season here. Don't see many after mid Oct. I can say for the last 2-3 years, everything but the hardiest of mallards has been pushed to the south of us in NE Kansas.

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Rick wrote:Point was that there's more than food involved. And we should remember that all sorts of migratory birds are changing their patterns worldwide.

This^

There's a reason squealers are more prevalent than ever at our latitude of S. Louisiana (and don't appear to be starving based on my observations this teal season).

Darren wrote:There's a reason squealers are more prevalent than ever at our latitude of S. Louisiana (and don't appear to be starving based on my observations this teal season).

You saying the squealers you shot had plenty of fat?

Rick wrote:Point was that there's more than food involved. And we should remember that all sorts of migratory birds are changing their patterns worldwide.

I got your point and don’t deny weather has to be factored in to any conclusion.

Rick wrote:

Darren wrote:There's a reason squealers are more prevalent than ever at our latitude of S. Louisiana (and don't appear to be starving based on my observations this teal season).

You saying the squealers you shot had plenty of fat?

I chuckled at that one.

Rick wrote:

Darren wrote:There's a reason squealers are more prevalent than ever at our latitude of S. Louisiana (and don't appear to be starving based on my observations this teal season).

You saying the squealers you shot had plenty of fat?

I mean, so I hear.

I can't remember seeing a squealer in our marsh before this year - and I think I could have killed 100 during teal season.

"Why are Louisiana waterfowl hunters seeing and killing fewer ducks every season? There’s no single reason, but there is one that can be addressed".



https://www.louisianasportsman.com/hunting/waterfowl-duck-hunting/ducks/ending-louisianas-duck-detour/?utm_source=Sportsman&utm_campaign=2008d8d932-RSS-LAS-Newsletters-Post-with-Pics&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_99a223f26a-2008d8d932-32297329&goal=0_99a223f26a-2008d8d932-32297329&mc_cid=2008d8d932&mc_eid=995bb43c23&fbclid=IwAR3ULL6SkKGMrOrX9jYXZizZ7iT2HvRBucwNlIzTOQtbkMv8_7OxdFOTbCY

#6

jarbo03 wrote:Been at least 10 years, if not 15 since I've shot a bluewing in regular season here. Don't see many after mid Oct. I can say for the last 2-3 years, everything but the hardiest of mallards has been pushed to the south of us in NE Kansas.

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Jarbo, good to see you back on the board!

Deltaman wrote:

jarbo03 wrote:Been at least 10 years, if not 15 since I've shot a bluewing in regular season here. Don't see many after mid Oct. I can say for the last 2-3 years, everything but the hardiest of mallards has been pushed to the south of us in NE Kansas.

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Jarbo, good to see you back on the board!

Had something to keep me busy for a few years. While Taz is smitten, I know he also misses the days of hunting nonstop.

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Congrats on your family addition Jerry!!!!!!!!

Gotta love that.

#7