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 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.

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

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!

Somebody do a cold-front dance...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.