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1
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:10 am to TheGhostOfBigLee
quote:talked to a river pilot that basically said he is giving up on hunting down there now.... saw 200 boats run by him on saturday.... insane.. birds have already started moving on.....
I’ve hunted Venice my whole life and know that area like the back of my hand. The lack of birds down there right now is evident best reports I heard were a few limits of teal with an occasional gray, pintail, and some dosgris mixed in. It doesn’t help that there were 50000000 mud boats trying to launch at Cypress Cove on Saturday morning running all through the marsh jumping up birds every 5 minutes. Back in the glory days down there in the 80’s and 90’s we would could pick and choose which ducks we wanted to shoot and could shoot limits of all big ducks before 6:30. It’s a damn shame what has become of waterfowling and how the future generations will never experience how it used to be. In my opinion, it just ain’t worth hunting down there anymore and I’m going to pick up and move my whole operation to Arkansas where at least at the very minimum I’m coming home with a limit of specs and some snows even if the ducks aren’t there.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:11 am to tigerinthebueche
quote:
This. Now as to why that is happening is a really fun discussion.
I would like to hear other peoples opinions as to why its happening. I have my own theory but there are a lot of people on this board with more than just 10-15 years of duck hunting experience like me. The birds that do still fly the Mississippi flyway dont make it past missouri most of the time. Arkansas is surely not what it used to be.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:30 am to TunaTime
Everyone i know that hunted venice killed. They also scouted all day Friday to find the birds
Saw a couple beautiful and quality limits of widgeon,pins, teal, and grays.
Saw a couple beautiful and quality limits of widgeon,pins, teal, and grays.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:30 am to TunaTime
pressure/food/habitat,
they have wings and a crazy good gps/memory.
they have wings and a crazy good gps/memory.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:31 am to TunaTime
quote:increased grain production, suitable habitat, less human pressure(note not just hunting pressure).
This. Now as to why that is happening is a really fun discussion.
I would like to hear other peoples opinions as to why its happening. I have my own theory but there are a lot of people on this board with more than just 10-15 years of duck hunting experience like me. The birds that do still fly the Mississippi flyway dont make it past missouri most of the time. Arkansas is surely not what it used to be.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:34 am to TunaTime
My dad and I discussed this after youth weekend. At least down off Pass A Loutre, numbers have declined significantly since the tropical storm that brushed the mouth off the river 4 or 5 years ago. Killed all the food that year and the ducks have never returned.
Combination of mild winters, MS river flooding, lack of food, salinity changes due to the gulf getting closer and habitat loss. That has changed the imprinting of the younger ducks and they aren't making it this far south since they don't need to. Until we get a few bitterly cold dry winters, that won't change.
Combination of mild winters, MS river flooding, lack of food, salinity changes due to the gulf getting closer and habitat loss. That has changed the imprinting of the younger ducks and they aren't making it this far south since they don't need to. Until we get a few bitterly cold dry winters, that won't change.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:46 am to LSUengr
It's probably lots of things we can't control.
There are things we can control with the ducks that get here, but I doubt the bigger community would be willing to take drastic steps.
There are things we can control with the ducks that get here, but I doubt the bigger community would be willing to take drastic steps.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:47 am to TunaTime
quote:
I would like to hear other peoples opinions as to why its happening. I have my own theory but there are a lot of people on this board with more than just 10-15 years of duck hunting experience like me. The birds that do still fly the Mississippi flyway dont make it past missouri most of the time. Arkansas is surely not what it used to be.
Combination of multiple factors. Tons of new private habitat all up the flyway. Changes in agriculture. Modern rice harvests don't leave but a fraction of the waste grain from the 80's or 90's. No till corn harvest in northern states combined with the American push of Ethanol in the 2000's put a lot more food in the midwest. Weather in a bit of a warmer overall cycle. Too much pressure in ARK/LA/MS compared to places out west. Loss of coastal habitat where birds used to winter. Spinners killing tons of juvenile ducks up north. Salvinia has choked off a lot of previously accessible habitat for birds in Louisiana as well.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:56 am to TigerDog83
Agree with a lot of what has been said. I think the biggest issue is that once the ducks do make it down here, they are constantly pressured. This is supported by the limited access vs unrestricted birds/hunter numbers every year. The last few years i have almost solely hunted limited access, and not because i enjoy paddling pirogues thru lillies and over mud flats.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 10:59 am to TigerDog83
Add hyacinth to the invasive list
We got 10 teal Saturday and shot pretty well, doubling a few times and tripling once. Sunday was a scratch without even a shell being fired.
A couple groups scratched and said it was the first time in 35-36 years for opening wknd.
We got 10 teal Saturday and shot pretty well, doubling a few times and tripling once. Sunday was a scratch without even a shell being fired.
A couple groups scratched and said it was the first time in 35-36 years for opening wknd.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:07 am to Capt ST
What area are you hunting? I have several leases around Mechant and had a horrible weekend
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:10 am to xenon16
In my area we have 3 guys who have own leased whole town ships.
So that's 60k acres that little guys cant lease anymore. The areas that are avaiable and public land have been way over pressured.
Opening morning I dont think there was a time that I could not hear a boat run from 4am untill we left at 10.
Ducks aren't going to comeback for less food, less habitat, and more pressure.
So that's 60k acres that little guys cant lease anymore. The areas that are avaiable and public land have been way over pressured.
Opening morning I dont think there was a time that I could not hear a boat run from 4am untill we left at 10.
Ducks aren't going to comeback for less food, less habitat, and more pressure.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 11:13 am to jimbeam
quote:
Killed 5 limits of mallards in TOLEDO Sunday with ole baw
You and ole ball coach?
Posted on 11/12/19 at 12:36 pm to TheGhostOfBigLee
quote:
I’ve hunted Venice my whole life and know that area like the back of my hand. The lack of birds down there right now is evident best reports I heard were a few limits of teal with an occasional gray, pintail, and some dosgris mixed in. It doesn’t help that there were 50000000 mud boats trying to launch at Cypress Cove on Saturday morning running all through the marsh jumping up birds every 5 minutes.
If you know Venice as well as you say you do, wouldn’t you be down river away from everyone else? It was nice and quiet down there and full of birds. Didn’t see a surface drive until i got back to the jump
Posted on 11/12/19 at 12:43 pm to Redfish2010
If you were hungry, would you walk across the street to the grocery store or fly over 1000 miles to eat? Historical migration occurred bc of the lack of food north of here. Current acres planted in Canada and Northern US are at all time highs. Current farming practices leave a decent amount of that grain not harvested or tilled. They simply don’t have to migrate to eat any longer.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 12:47 pm to GeeOH
quote:toledo was open?
Killed 5 limits of mallards in TOLEDO Sunday with ole baw
Posted on 11/12/19 at 12:50 pm to michael corleone
quote:
If you were hungry, would you walk across the street to the grocery store or fly over 1000 miles to eat? Historical migration occurred bc of the lack of food north of here. Current acres planted in Canada and Northern US are at all time highs. Current farming practices leave a decent amount of that grain not harvested or tilled. They simply don’t have to migrate to eat any longer.
What does that have to do with anything he said?
Posted on 11/12/19 at 12:52 pm to Houdini
My buddies did exceptionally well in sw la sat-sun 12 mallards + greys & teal out of two blinds. Had 11 down in one hole and 5 in other this morning at 7ish. The historical spots will always have birds if they aren’t pressured day and night. Marginal spots will be hit or miss and more miss. JB did not have a great opening, spotty.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 1:22 pm to Redfish2010
quote:
wouldn’t you be down river away from everyone else?
Correct. We killed limits of mallards down there baw
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