Worst Duck Season in 20 Years

I have a friend who just got back from Stuttgart. 4 days of hunting yielded 1 Canada goose. And it was a resident goose


It’s been weird for sure. We’ve managed some decent hunts but not seeing what we usually see. The brake in my backyard ALWAYS loads up with Gads. We have killed them every year for the 11 years I’ve owned it. Last years was exceptionally good. There has not been a single duck on it all season this year. Not a single duck. It’s weird.

Hunted Saturday morning in the Ms Delta and finally saw some larger groups of ducks flying, (40-60), but we couldn't get them interested in landing. Had a number of pairs of mallards come in and flare off but not close enough to shoot, then the fog moved in and killed us agound 7:15.

Sunday morning it was a beautiful day and had a great set up with the decoys and concealment and there wasn't a duck to be found. So weird.

I posted a screen grab of Alberta, Canada last week showing a high of 53 Deg F and low of 42 for that day. It's just so warm up there, that the ducks don't need to move.

well since 1998 we have been on quite a freaking run

I hunted Stuttgart area last week. Terrible, paid thru Sat we left on Wed. Headed to S LA marsh thursday. Didn't get any better. Been hunting that marsh for better part of 2 decades and never seen it this bad. Don't think I saw 200 birds all day Friday. And I rode around to every little nook and cranny I know of, 3 teal here, pair of mottled ducks there, biggest was a group of 7 greys. Normally we are holding 10-12k ringnecks, nada. I'm sure the apple snails are partly to blame for that. Found a few on the coast, but they just moved a few ponds over and sat.

They've been there all season. I'm saving those for last weekend.

I've seen more Woodies than I have ever seen at my pond. so good for me.

I'll tell you one thing...I saw a shitload of birds on public land Sunday morning.

Pretty much all woodies though.

My in-laws live at Pickwick. They’re in TN but .25 mile is where MS/AL/TN all meet.

There is a duck blind across the river and I’ve never really heard on any one see much and my FIL said that in the past it was pretty rare to hear anyone shooting.

He said that this year they’ve been wearing them out.

These kind of seasons happen. What will be interesting to me is if this will reduce hunters and cause some of these yahoos to hang it up. Surely these newer hunters will get tired of slow days. Would love a return to 3/30 or 4/45 though I doubt that happens without a drought on the breeding grounds which nobody wants.