quote:
You take the ducks that sit on the Catahoula refuge, the ones that sit on the Ouachita WMA refuge on 15 East of Monroe, the ones that bounce between the no hunt zones on Upper Ouachita and D’Arbonne NWR’s, the mega shite ton that sit on the no hunt zone on Overflow NWR in Wilmot, AR and you are talking about a substantial amount of ducks nobody ever see since they sit there all day and only go out to feed at night.

Most of those are bone dry and aren’t ever planted Most aren’t even manipulated for moist soil plants anymore. All cockleburs. I may be mistaken but the only NWR I know that still plants for waterfowl is Tensas and Red River (if they even still do that). It was a crop share program where the farmer planted and left a percentage of the crop. That was a couple hundred acres

Back in the day Tensas planted a flooded what’s known as the Stutts field and it held over 100,000 ducks at times. The hunting was very good on the refuge and on nearby properties. It’s now back in trees and the refuge hunting and nearby hunting are poor compared to what they were. I bet if you asked anyone who hunted the area that they wished it was still there.

The refuge on Russell Sage hasn’t been flooded in a couple years due to low water. I would bet most people that hunt on 15 do much better when that place has water

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Posted by MWP

Kingwood, TX via Monroe, LA

Member since Jul 2013

10608 posts

Posted on 12/11/23 at 6:19 pm to Ron Cheramie

quote:
Most of those are bone dry and aren’t ever planted Most aren’t even manipulated for moist soil plants anymore.

I haven't been to the old Ouachita WMA refuge on 15 in a few years. I guess the entire complex is now Russell Sage. Truth be known, I have been going to that place with my camera for the better part of 30 years. Taken some outstanding shots. Typically I walk in from the tower a good ways and if there is any kind of recent rain there will typically be water where I go. Like you said, I don't think the place has been flooded conventionally in years, maybe decades, and there is zero management for food. The place is strictly a safety zone with water. With that being said, I have kinda patterned the ducks during duck season in that place. They pretty much sit there all day except for very early and very late. Now the Mallards do get up to work the woods at Sage around mid morning but they predominately sit there unless a hawk or eagle gets them up, but they rarely leave that side of 15. Some get up to go feed right before sunup but by 0900-1000 they are settled back in which kinda jives with success on the farms across the street. Around mid afternoon they start moving to feed again and then will return right at dark. Once the season gets well underway they start going nocturnal and do not leave at all during the day.

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