Was at swancreek this past weekend and 40 mins before shooting light the sky filled up with ducks. There were so many that people started calling. But once shooting light came nothing but the usual waste of time Alabama hunt. Has anyone here every seen this?

Yep. Happens every day at swine creek. Another reason I quit duck hunting. Reason number 5,043 actually

It was really disappointing after the sun came up.

Been that way for many years.

Use a 22 short and kill a limit. You could be back at Hardee's eating a biscuit before others even pull the trigger.

Swan Creek and Crow Creek get hunted so hard them birds in them areas get smart fast. Both of these areas are so close to the refuges them ducks figure out they can sit on the refuge all day long then basically do like deer and go nocturnal, they will fly into the management areas and even the surrounding private lands well after shooting time in the evenings and eat all night long then fly out of there well before shooting time to head to the refuge to rest all day where they know they wont get shot at! Swan and Crow are both closed tuesday - thursday (except the last two weeks) so they get hunted so hard Fri-Monday that I think it makes it even worse than it used to be! The ONLY thing that will ever change this is if they start a draw system and let people hunt certain parts of the refuge. Even if its only every other Saturday it would help all of North Alabama public and private waterfowl lands!

Oh, pshaw. Those ducks need their rest. It HELPS them to have a break for three days. Your weekend "experiences" will be greater.

That's what everyone says, y'know, because "conservation" and helping wildlife by banning hunting on public lands for almost half the season.

Wrong answer.

You have more duck hunters than you have ducks. It has always been this way. So the logical thing to do is have the place on a draw hunt system and do away with the permanent blinds. That's what other States do. Like TN, MS and Arkiesaw.

They don't just turn people loose and let them run wild. That's the direct opposite of what should happen. That's not how you manage a resource so that everyone can enjoy it. If you let people run wild.... a couple groups of guys will enjoy it and that's where it will end. That group of hunters might work shifts at the old Saginaw plant there by Calhoun. They might be riding around out there every single morning of the season until about 8:30AM blasting everything they can jump up with their boat on the way to and from their blind, high ball non-stop for 7 days straight each week and blast everything that floats past them including coots and song birds.

Ask me how I know. They hunted it every single day. Now that's been 30 years ago but there were many groups like that then. AND - I'm betting there still are. This is the way Swine Creek has always been. And the hunting has always totally sucked in there.


The reason this has never changed.... the "me" mentality. I want ____. Not what's best for everyone. How dare someone take away the permanent blinds "I" don't want to have draw hunt. "I" don't want to have to deal with it because "I" deserve to run around acting like an ass hat if I want. It's a free country.

The other main reason... lazy DCNR. Easier to run it crappy and less work for them.