Cold front

Y’all see any more birds this morning with the cold front pushing through the Midwest? I’m going to give it a go in the morning. Hopefully some birds got pushed down.

I saw a bunch flying and they were moving with the wind. I saw a couple of Teal also for the first time this year.

If I had a place, I’d absolutely be headed there in the morning.

Dr. B

Hunted flooded Paint rock river this AM saw a few flying the river. all were on a mission never checked up to look at us.. big ducks mallards/gadwalls????? Wood ducks are lost with all the flooded timber they will land anywhere they want

Jackson county is so flooded it’s hard to find more than a small group here or there right now, if you can even find anything. Today was terrible.

Hoping to find some this morning in FL. Hasn’t been anything on my favorite public land haunts. Hunted a week ago and killed 4. Scouted after The hunt and thought we found them. went back Wednesday, only killed one, and only saw maybe 15 ducks the whole day. Headed to a private spot this morning, that usually holds a few woodies and divers.

Nothing today. I saw a few geese flying, but didn’t see any ducks. I heard a little shooting further up the river from me.

Its flip-flop weather. Ducks are still way north. There are pockets having good days, but migration isn't happening unless you are talking about ducks flying back north. I drove 1600 miles this weekend all up and down the MS flyway. The ducks are no where near the SE right now.

Saturday morning after Christmas, on the north side of the TN River where I65 crosses it. Ducks every where! Ground and sky. The GF about freaked out.

There is a reason they are thick right there. It would blow her mind how few ducks there are at the nearest public/huntable properties to there and just how stupid the people are who are hunting those few. Just like turkey hunters who can never seem to figure out how to get their prey killed (though way more concentrated in given locales), duck hunters suffer from the similar insanity of doing the exact same things over and over and expecting different results.

Yup! those are there because they have figured out they won't get shot at right there, its refuge and illegal to hunt until you get west of 72. The public land around there doesn't hold but a fraction of the percentage of birds on the refuge even in the parts that is closed Tues-Thurs!

Nor will they get high-balled at non-stop, loud as hell, when they are cupped up and diving into their chosen location, by 15 different idiots in every direction for hundreds and hundreds of yards. To which the ducks' response is to get back to flapping the hell out of them wings and getting the hell out of there, most likely to never be seen again. Repeat when the next ones enter visible airspace (or maybe just some frustration sky-busting at a few about 200 yards in the air to go along with the chitty calling), never learning a damn thing from what just happened, nor do they care a lick about their fellow hunter they just screwed. I. HATE. THAT. FRIGGIN. PLACE!!!!!

Saturday afternoon on the Alabama River just north of Miller's Ferry was covered up. Too far away to tell what kind but more than I have seen in ages.

You got that right. Just got in from AR and it may have been fewest birds I’ve ever seen as a whole. We killed a few birds and seemed to be the only area that had birds around.

I wonder how much longer hunters are gonna pay those lease prices.

Forever

We are staring down the barrel of 10 days of high 50's, low 60's. There ain't gonna be migration with that weather.

Talked to a buddy in southern WI the other day. They had some small backwater start to ice up around Christmas and he got out and ice fished twice, then it warmed up and the ice got too thin. The big water has not iced up yet. They were going to have one day this week with a high of 50. In January. In Wisconsin. He said the marshes have more waterfowl than he sees when the season is open.

I know there are some good holes in historic places that are going to kill ducks regardless of a strong migration but those days of 100K waterfowl up high and coming south ain't happening this year. It didn't happen last year either.

Those rare days when the ducks are where you are and you can blaze them....you better be there, cause it ain't gonna last there are so few around.

We might get some weather come the week of 1/20. I hope so.

I was by there on Thursday last week. Looked like maybe 8K ducks, maybe. They were keying in on that new water.

Somebody do a cold-front dance...

Please.

Naw. I’ve seen it bust twice. I’m wondering if we’re seeing the beginning of the next bust.
I almost joined a club this year and decided against.

I had my A/C on in my truck today.

My buddy in Green Bay says the same thing

I’m not holding my breath on a cold front getting them here this year. I have surpassed my kill total from last year by 1 duck. I killed more when I quit duck hunting and took up deer hunting during the 90s.

Coldish front this weekend. Overnight lows going from 50's to 30's.

I don't know. I was up near the black river a few weeks ago and there are brand new clubhouses everywhere up there. Brand new Denali and F250's pulling crew cab rangers and havoc boats stacked 6 deep at every club. I couldn't believe after last year how much money was dumped into Clay and Greene counties for duck hunting.

Yep, then right back to 60.

Oh I’ve seen it too. Big money being spent, some places are spending serious amounts and are killing ducks.

What I’m getting at is folks with some disposable income. It’s to the point that it is not worth it. I’ve seen post here saying that but I’ve really heard by guys that’s been in clubs and lease for 20 plus years. Even young guys only hunting for a few years are saying it.

I’ve been hunting AR since the early 90s and I’ve seen the cycles. It usually correlates with poor hunting and then a downturn in the economy. The hunting is very similar to the late 90s and the economics are like 05-06.

I've seen it too. We are in a down cycle in regards to migration, it'll be back. I hate to wish economic hardship on anyone, but a down turn in the economy will help duck hunting. No doubt about it.

There's some high rollers who are gonna be there regardless. I'll be there too, good times or bad. I will admit I'm doing more big game hunting than duck hunting lately, but will still get my bird hunting days. Love it too much.

Agreed, I enjoy the company and there will be great days again for which I'm oping to be around for it.

My post are more of a discussion that I feel we are pressuring birds way too much.
We've been having a discussion about how the Wood Ducks just are not around like they once were. They were very consistent year to year around these parts. Never thought about it in a way that one of the guys mentioned. He basically stated that he noticed the numbers fall off a year or 2 after the limit was raised to 3. He stated that hunters used to not specifically target woodies. They were a bonus duck if you hunted swamps and or timber. When the other ducks did;t show, hunters specifically targeted woodies. They'd take their friends and hit them agains and again. Usually roost shooting them. He hunts in MS in the Delta and swamps around Tunica and so forth.

I think it is a valid statement.

The economics of duck hunting don't make sense. That is a simple fact. I hope my wife never discovers exactly how much a duck breast costs!!!

I expected a major washout percentage last year but the number of hunters is still very high. I am still paying club dues and killing a few when they show up. The kill numbers this year are bad but look awesome when compared to last year. I get more and more tempted every year to say to hell with hunting in the Southeast and take one trip to Canada instead. Cost would be the same and I would probably kill more ducks in Canada.

One hunt a year? No way that would be enough for me. Especially if you didn’t hunt other species.

I'm hearing that conversation more and more. We kind of checked on Mexico for week, price wise would come out ahead best we could tell.

I have some holes here so there's that.

The time one pays to get in a club, travel etc.. thruout the season, 5-7K I'd guess would be an average expense per season.