What I don't understand is if the duck hunting sucks so bad.....why the high number of duck hunters?

Makes good instagram pics

People won’t believe it, but I think you’re right. “Do it for the ‘Gram” is how nearly everyone behaves now. It’s incredibly sad.

Yup. It’s ima form of status symbol and or coolness. Never forget when my buddy called and said we were gonna have to stickler up so as to be a part of the movement. 😝

But the original I quoted. Today’s me Hunter can only relate to their experiences. If you only knew how it once was.

From what I’ve seen the duck hunters at the ramps are just there for the pics with all the “ toys” of duck hunting and think skybusting a few groups and picking up some grey ducks and woodies is what it’s about. Don’t think they know what it’s like to break ducks down and work em.

There are definitely groups like this. But don’t be fooled, there are still groups of young guys out there doing it right and working decoying ducks. I’m friends with a few of them. There’s also a surprisingly large amount of private duck “clubs” in N. Alabama that people not from that area probably don’t know exist or how many ducks they kill a year.

Most start out hunting public land or going with a friend to a club/lease. Migrate to strictly hunting public because duck hunting is an expensive sport. I can remember talking to my wife before I bought my first spinning wing decoy. At the time it was a significant expense. As we mature the clown show on public ground becomes less and less appealing and finances improve. So the expense of a club is added to the budget. Nowadays it seems it gets more and more expensive to kill less ducks every year.

The latest counts in Arkansas show the least amount of mallards since they begin counting. I will wager we will get a 6 duck 60 day season next year.

I feel the population of many species is definitely down. However, due to mild weather far to the North.....the Mallards just haven't migrated to the Southern states in any large flights.

Pressure pressure pressure. I’m 58 and been blessed to see the good and bad from North Alabama to Arkansas to Manitoba and Alberta. I can talk and preach with anyone and have been seeing this downfall trend for 7 years. It’s all about the money for the big players who control the lobbies and have to keep saying the duck counts are great and hunter harvest has no effect so they just keep on going 60 6 or 120 6. Let’s go to 3 days a week nationwide and stop the nonsense, I’m afraid it just won’t happen.

This is true to but they’re not killing the numbers nor seeing the numbers that once were here. There’s no comparison to today what I saw during the 80s on Pickwick. I’ve seen horizons filled with ducks during the late season. Thicker than black birds. I’ve seen them flying over the bridge in Decatur like that too. Maybe been the 90s there. Public land other kill because they have a rest hole not far away. One of the keys to having ducks. There are no rest holes around Pickwick and the ducks are harassed relentlessly.

Those are just facts.

You can find ducks here and there if you put the time in. It used to not be near that difficult