I have had multiple leases over the past 35 years and here is my experience.

* SWLA Marsh – 3/30 years. Some good hunts. Some hunts where you swatted mosquitos in January and few ducks moving around.

* SWLA Marsh 03/04 – Decent and consistent

* SWLA Marsh – the next 3 seasons after Rita were unbelievable. Lease prices skyrocketed so I checked out of that specific lease.

* Lease in Manchac (private lease/Ruddock Area in late 80’s early 90’s – decent and fairly consistent.

* LA Delta late 90’s thru early 2000’s – Some incredible hunts and always consistent. Started to decline in mid-2000’s.

* Got back in the LA Delta lease in 2009 and it sucked. Stayed for a couple years.

* Got into a lease around 2010 close to Morganza Spillway. The previous year was great (the year before I got in). Turned out the previous year was the only area that had decent water. That year was a bust so I got out.

* Had a couple of leases in the Rayne area 2008-2011 and it always sucked. I think the farmer was letting his kids/friends use it when we were not there plus they got greedy and started stacking blinds on top of each other.

* Got back into SWLA marsh lease around 2015. Spotty at best initially. Things consistently went downhill. Got out in 2019.

I gave up duck hunting after 2019.

In 35+ years, I have had good hunts sweating my arse off. I have had bad hunts when everything north of Alexandria was frozen.

I have heard the no till argument ad nauseum.

I have heard “when Arkansas freezes up then we will be loaded with ducks” ad nauseum.

I have heard the imprint argument ad nauseum.

I have heard the refuge argument ad nauseum.

I have heard the “DU is paying mega rich guys to hoard ducks” argument ad nauseum.

I have heard the mud motor/access argument ad nauseum.

I have heard the mechanical decoy argument ad nauseum.

Bottom line – I think it is a combination of several factors but I quit because the ducks don’t come here like they used to.

There is good news however. I didn’t buy into a very nice camp in Pecan Island back in 2006. When I was considering it, an old man told me “ducks move” and “land owners change”.