Originally Posted by Spec
IMO SWD’s and hunting pressure are the 2 key factors affecting ducking hunting. Use to 1-2 blinds on 1000 acres that only were usually hunted by friend and family. Now that 1000 acres has 5-6 and some big wig is paying $65,000 for it and has 4-5 SWD’s in each blind. Can’t call? Just put a SWD out. Wanna be a guide and can’t call? Put a SWD out. When birds stop coming in to late in the year they blame it on birds getting smarter. Wrong, it’s the fact most of the young birds are dead by the end of season. It’s sad to see where duck hunting has ended up. Amazing I guided 10 yrs and rarely used a SWD, never grew a beard, painted my face, decorated my gun with starting stickers, carried 10 calls, had a shock collar on my lab or shot 3.5” shells.

Lots of truth here Spec! I carry one duck call and one speck call and since all we hunt is specks I could do without the duck call. Shoot a 870 that i have had for 46 years. Trained 2 HR dogs with no shock collar and quit that game and judging when they started handing out passes for participating. We shoot 2 3/4" BB's and kill em over the decoys.
Before this SOW, I had 3 things that in mind that made duck hunting what it is today. !. SWD's were the devil reincarnated. 2. Canadian hunting of waterfowl was a very bad influence for several reasons. and 3. Every parcel of habitat is hunted from Canada to Venice, LA and birds can't rest anywhere unless the season is closed.

When I see face paint, 3 1/2' guns with ultra-tight chokes HeviShot, see 40-11 calls on a stiff lanyard, backpacks with MOJOs, mud motors where they aren't needed, wearing waders in the truck, dog in the box wearing e-collar, $500 parka when its sunny and 50 degrees...I think back to a 15 ft aluminum boat with a 25 Johnson and pushpole,, a pump gun, 18 Flambeau or G and H decoys (which you couldn't beat the paint off of), a jerk string, sitting on my waders with the dog sitting at the front in the bottom of the boat to level out the ride and how simple it was and still can be.

Toys can never replace Know How and Google Earth can never replace boat in the water or boots on the ground...