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re: What do you attribute the migration change to?
Posted on 10/14/16 at 10:26 am to Cowboyfan89
Posted on 10/14/16 at 10:26 am to Cowboyfan89
Yes, absolutely. It's striking the differences between not only take numbers, but also general numbers of resting birds in areas affected by pressure as compared to those with less pressure (in St. Bernard/Lake Borgne).
I agree that it's difficult to attribute migration patterns to localized hunting pressure on a small scale, but Louisiana has SO many duck hunters now. It's mind blowing. I also fully agree that the impact is small, but it's there. Factors 1 and 2 in OP are, IMO, the real "controlling" factors.
That said, I also believe repeated pressure like we get can change the migration pattern on a local level, and as the scale of the pressure increases, the scale of the change increases proportionately. The advent of the "top waters" (
) has put a remarkable amount of pressure on ducks as of late, so the scale of that pressure has increased dramatically. I don't mean specifically limited to hunting, either. I'm also referring to things like like running a surface drive through a pond with 1500 resting ducks just because a hunter can't tell what kind of birds they are, after those birds have been shot up all day. That happening a few times on a small scale won't change much, but like I said, as the scale increases, so does the scale of the change.
I have no empirical data whatsoever to support anything I'm saying. I've just hunted the same general area for the majority of my life, so my observations are just that - observations from hunting.
I agree that it's difficult to attribute migration patterns to localized hunting pressure on a small scale, but Louisiana has SO many duck hunters now. It's mind blowing. I also fully agree that the impact is small, but it's there. Factors 1 and 2 in OP are, IMO, the real "controlling" factors.
That said, I also believe repeated pressure like we get can change the migration pattern on a local level, and as the scale of the pressure increases, the scale of the change increases proportionately. The advent of the "top waters" (
) has put a remarkable amount of pressure on ducks as of late, so the scale of that pressure has increased dramatically. I don't mean specifically limited to hunting, either. I'm also referring to things like like running a surface drive through a pond with 1500 resting ducks just because a hunter can't tell what kind of birds they are, after those birds have been shot up all day. That happening a few times on a small scale won't change much, but like I said, as the scale increases, so does the scale of the change. I have no empirical data whatsoever to support anything I'm saying. I've just hunted the same general area for the majority of my life, so my observations are just that - observations from hunting.
This post was edited on 10/14/16 at 10:27 am
1
Posted on 10/14/16 at 10:57 am to bluemoons
No, I completely get what you are saying, and it makes perfect sense. A localized factor can grow towards becoming a landscape level factor. Makes sense. I don't know that we will ever run out of ducks down here because of it, but it does make sense that it could change the pattern enough to affect numbers.
I think last winter was a perfect example, however, of the enormous impact weather has. November 2015 was one of the largest counts on record in Louisiana, if I recall correctly, and it was exceptionally cold early.
I don't think it matters how much food is north of us, if it gets covered up by snow early enough, we will have birds. If it doesn't get covered, a large amount of food will definitely hold more birds than in years passed. I believe its the combination of milder winters and more waste grains that has allowed birds to stay further north longer. The hardiest birds, like mallards, have definitely decreased in abundance because of this.
However, Just based on those ideas and our current weather patterns, I don't know that a return to extensive tilling would result in a large increase in birds here. Would more migrate down? It's likely if the food supply runs out. But I don't mallards are stopping further north solely because more food is available. The food is available because of milder winters.
Likewise, if we get a string of exceptionally cold winters with heavy snowfall, we will see more birds because of lack of food available.
It all lies in how you look at the relationship between food availability and weather. To me, the food availability is dependent on the weather, making weather the #1 factor in the migration change.
I think last winter was a perfect example, however, of the enormous impact weather has. November 2015 was one of the largest counts on record in Louisiana, if I recall correctly, and it was exceptionally cold early.
I don't think it matters how much food is north of us, if it gets covered up by snow early enough, we will have birds. If it doesn't get covered, a large amount of food will definitely hold more birds than in years passed. I believe its the combination of milder winters and more waste grains that has allowed birds to stay further north longer. The hardiest birds, like mallards, have definitely decreased in abundance because of this.
However, Just based on those ideas and our current weather patterns, I don't know that a return to extensive tilling would result in a large increase in birds here. Would more migrate down? It's likely if the food supply runs out. But I don't mallards are stopping further north solely because more food is available. The food is available because of milder winters.
Likewise, if we get a string of exceptionally cold winters with heavy snowfall, we will see more birds because of lack of food available.
It all lies in how you look at the relationship between food availability and weather. To me, the food availability is dependent on the weather, making weather the #1 factor in the migration change.
This post was edited on 10/14/16 at 11:00 am
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