Call It What You Want

[bill cooksey]

Fact is that type of frosty weather ain't moving anything more than the early migrators and those are becoming fewer and fewer because ducks simply don't have to come to La. anymore Bill. It's a habitat based dilemma. On one hand everyone wants what is best for the ducks and habitat provides that and on the other hand hunters want to see ducks when they hunt and if a larger and larger percentage are locked up tight on quality diversified habitat designed specifically to meet their needs for an entire migration then they ain't coming unless the weather is extreme and longer in duration than ever before. We can agree to disagree until the cows come home but AHM and the habitat that it will spawn will be the worst thing to ever happen to the deep south duck hunter. I said that in 1998 and it rings louder and louder each year!

Guess there's not much point in talking about it. We haven't been getting the numbers we did either, but I look at temps and snow cover to my north and think "no wonder." I know how often I broke ice most years, and that it usually began the first half of December. I also know that we always wintered a lot of mallards.

Again, the study I've been discussing is taking place where the refuges and hunting clubs around them have been in place for an average of over 50 years. Duck behavior is changing in a lot of areas, and certainly some of that is habitat related...by both improving and declining habitat. The difference between where I am and many other areas is we've been primarily ag in the bottoms since the 60s. In the prime areas it's the same fields being flooded as in the 70s...and that's both refuges and clubs.

 

[ducaholic]

There is more of what the ducks need and want on a consistent and annual basis and it's impacting the migration. Those old clubs and refuges along with the new since the creation of AHM have all adapted their habitat and harvest strategies to hold ducks longer than ever before and it's working! So while weather will always be a factor what you describe as needed has rarely ever happened but when it does we kill a few so I'll keep hoping for the best.

 

[bill cooksey]

There is more of what the ducks need and want on a consistent and annual basis and it's impacting the migration. Those old clubs and refuges along with the new since the creation of AHM have all adapted their habitat and harvest strategies to hold ducks longer than ever before and it's working! So while weather will always be a factor what you describe as needed has rarely ever happened but when it does we kill a few so I'll keep hoping for the best.

Ah, so I didn't see the ice and snow I saw? Cool. You are refusing to even try to grasp what I've said. And your knowledge of past and present conditions to your north is very lacking.

 

[ducaholic]

Ah, so I didn't see the ice and snow I saw? Cool. You are refusing to even try to grasp what I've said. And your knowledge of past and present conditions to your north is very lacking.

I believe your view and recollection is skewed by your intense desire to be correct.

I have access to the same information you do ole boy. I have followed it intensely knowing then and now what weather it takes to kill ducks consistently in my neck of the woods.

 

[LADucks]

Ah, so I didn't see the ice and snow I saw? Cool. You are refusing to even try to grasp what I've said. And your knowledge of past and present conditions to your north is very lacking.

I believe your view and recollection is skewed by your intense desire to be correct.

I have access to the same information you do ole boy. I have followed it intensely knowing then and now what weather it takes to kill ducks consistently in my neck of the woods.

For as many industry folks that have made this claim, why do we have to rely on "I remember" and "I saw"? It seems like step 1 would have been to put together a study/presentation of snow cover data for 5 +/- dates a year over last 30yrs. Everybody talks about it, but I still haven't seen anything of the sort.

 

[ducaholic]

For as many industry folks that have made this claim, why do we have to rely on "I remember" and "I saw"? It seems like step 1 would have been to put together a study/presentation of snow cover data for 5 +/- dates a year over last 30yrs. Everybody talks about it, but I still haven't seen anything of the sort.

Snow data is available and there were some years of intense snow blankets some years all the way to the state line but most were average in coverage and duration. Bill believes we used to get arctic blast in early December like clock work. I don't have any doubt that we need more weather events than we have gotten of late but that alone will not get La. to long term averages of 20 years ago with regularity because the ducks have been imprinted upon to seek the ideal settings that exist from habitat increases and improvements of the last 25 years. They will however give us a few good days of hunting before they move back north. Pressure management on these habitats also plays a large part in ducks holding on sometimes for an entire migration. I-40 is the new line in the sand! This year that was very evident!

 

[bill cooksey]

For as many industry folks that have made this claim, why do we have to rely on "I remember" and "I saw"? It seems like step 1 would have been to put together a study/presentation of snow cover data for 5 +/- dates a year over last 30yrs. Everybody talks about it, but I still haven't seen anything of the sort.

They are out there. I've seen several in the past.

I believe your view and recollection is skewed by your intense desire to be correct.

I have access to the same information you do ole boy. I have followed it intensely knowing then and now what weather it takes to kill ducks consistently in my neck of the woods.

You have my journals and memories of the last 50 years? Your believing that my having to scrape my windshield exactly twice before December 23 is a normal November and December at my latitude is laughable. The change in weather patterns isn't even arguable. Cause though certainly is.

I just had the worst season of my life, and it has been trending that way for years. I'd love it if the answer to that problem was as simple as outlawing habitat management.

 

[bill cooksey]

Bill believes we used to get arctic blast in early December like clock work.

No way for me to answer that other than to say it's a damn lie.

 

[ducaholic]

I just had the worst season of my life, and it has been trending that way for years. I'd love it if the answer to that problem was as simple as outlawing habitat management.

No one is advocating anything. Just talking about reasons for inconsistencies in the migration. Your weather is not the only weather that matters Bill. I told you this 5 pages ago.

 

[JHerr]

For as many industry folks that have made this claim, why do we have to rely on "I remember" and "I saw"? It seems like step 1 would have been to put together a study/presentation of snow cover data for 5 +/- dates a year over last 30yrs. Everybody talks about it, but I still haven't seen anything of the sort.

State of Waterfowl Videos

I agree with you by in large but you should also understand that hunter satisfaction and hunter retention is a big component of waterfowl management. I would start by removing all flooded unharvested crops from Federal Refuge Property and offer more access to said properties for waterfowl...

www.refugeforums.com

I did a half-***** attempt of snow cover vs. my hunting success a few years back. Thought i'd pulled more maps together but maybe not.

My good year in jan 2010 correlated with snow as i recall.

The snow maps are fairly recent maybe 2006 and newer based on memory?????