Guides I know of do their best to inform clients of duck numbers or whether its worth clients coming. There was numerous cancelations last few seasons in AR.
Just over 20 years of 60 day 6 duck limit seasons has taken it's toll. All the ducks that migrate have been shot and shot and shot some more for years and years now.
There have always been the group of ducks that live just on the edge of the snow line. Those are still around. Short stopping has always been a problem. The long seasons have justified more impoundments to our North, more farms getting into duck hunting and guiding, etc.
Back in the good ole days the farmers up North would not go to all the trouble to make massive food sources for waterfowl because they had a 30 day season. It was a gamble and they might get iced out of their hole. One year it was good the next iced out and bad.
That's why all the guiding and big operations were in Arkansas. They had the food and typically were far enough South they had open water most of the season. That season was shorter.
Now.... 60 days. You can do it if you have that length season in North Dakota.
I miss the good old days, hunters are their own worst enemies.
I'd like to see duck hunting return to a 45 day, 4 duck a day season.
Ducks are heavily pressured and shows by the time they get here. AR is nothing compared to what it once was.
Huge money makes a difference too, the amount being spent on some locals is absolutely astonishing. Then again that's happening across the board with popular hunting pursuits.
