Season Date Survey

[Larry T]

Nebraska biologist emailed back today there will be a liberal season again next year. Answered survey seasons need to open a week earlier

 

[brentbullets]

Yea next year maybe but probably not the next couple of years. The feds can change whatever they want with a stroke of a pen. I hope you’re right about next year but if the PPR doesn’t get massive amounts of moisture all the way up into Canada shorter seasons are a coming with reduced bag limits.

 

[nebgoosehunter]

Yea next year maybe but probably not the next couple of years. The feds can change whatever they want with a stroke of a pen. I hope you’re right about next year but if the PPR doesn’t get massive amounts of moisture all the way up into Canada shorter seasons are a coming with reduced bag limits.

I agree. It is clear to me that the mallard population in my neck of the woods is on a steady decline from four or five years ago. It's harder to get a read on brown ducks because they are here one day and gone the next for the most part. I think pintails are up quite a bit the last few years around here though.

 

[FriedPotatoes]

I agree. It is clear to me that the mallard population in my neck of the woods is on a steady decline from four or five years ago. It's harder to get a read on brown ducks because they are here one day and gone the next for the most part. I think pintails are up quite a bit the last few years around here though.

I’m seeing the same thing in Oklahoma with pintails. We used to be happy to get 1 all season, but last year and this year we’ve gotten a lot more.

 

[nebgoosehunter]

The amount of pintails that have been around in September and early October the last two years out here has been astounding. I would presume they are locally raised birds in the sandhills. Something that I've never considered...do birds that migrate over the sandhills to nest in the PPR ever come back to the sandhills to nest if there isn't adequate water in the PPR? The Nebraska sandhills produces way more ducks than people to the south even realize or are aware of. Problem is nesting success is lower than the PPR. I think I read somewhere that the sandhills produces somewhere between 500-800k ducks a year (that may be wrong, can't remember). A drop in the bucket continent wide yes, but nothing to scoff at.

 

[ED Vanderbeck]

The whole season set up is being influenced by big money in my opinion the outfitters have lots of political friends in high places and the welfare of our ducks is bring put on the back burners what ever happened to putting the resource first

 

[negooseman]

The whole season set up is being influenced by big money in my opinion the outfitters have lots of political friends in high places and the welfare of our ducks is bring put on the back burners what ever happened to putting the resource first

As soon as those in power to make decisions money came into the equation. I’m sure it first started with a “ hey, come hunt my spot.” And now it’s…”I can donate this amount, and you can come hunt my spot but I need this.”

 

[Huntges11]

I've kept written records of our hunts for years. We're in Zone 3 or 4 whatever its called now, the Late Zone on the lower Platte river. LAST year when we opened the 3rd weekend in Oct, the usual starting date, we had two good fronts and killed half our ducks by the first week in Nov. Including a lot of gwt, spoon, gads, a few wigeon, and a handful of divers. THIS year when they pushed our Zone opening back, not having the extra week in Oct we killed about half our normal duck numbers total. And included ZERO gads, gwt, spoon, divers and only 2 pins, 2 bwt, and 4 gads. The rest of our ducks this year were mallards. We missed two good fronts in Oct this season and thus all the ducks that went thru on them. That Gentlemen is the cause and effect, and its what we all said would happen before the season when the season dates came out.

 

[jkern]

I would always love to see zone 4 a week earlier. The only time my area is ever worth a crap late season is on a warm year. I would always rather be hunting and ready for them to come. Than open a week after a snow storm just sent 3/4 of the PPR south.

When I started we had like a 45 day season, one year we didn't open until first week of November and had a late October blizzard. The blind shot about a dozen ducks that year and I think 8 came opening day. Pretty much gave me PTSD for life. Lol

 

[Aunt Betty]

Blind men make poor decisions and it appears that the authority in charge has been blind for two years . They better get some data to base their decisions on or it will just get worse because...
Science