I’ve seen pics of lots a good strap lately. If you got open water the ducks are working in easily.

Glad I hunter them hard when we still had the ducks. We wore them out the first few years after the tombigbee was flooded by dams. Think that was early 80,s. And we were about the only boat on the river hunting ducks back then. It was like hunting lower La those first few years when it was flooded around Gainesville. Good memories. Back then the big numbers showed up as they were pushed south by the freeze line. I would think this cold snap would have pushed some south sounds like that’s not the case now days ?

No til planting has changed the patterns. Birds don’t need to move. Food staying on the ground not getting turned under. It takes snow to cover the food in most cases.

The folks i worked for in texas are billionaires(oil)..besides owning about a 150k acres of just places to deer and quail hunt..they own a property in arkansas and south Louisiana..Arky was around 2k acre..and the LA was a little over 4k acres both properties are engineered for duck hunting…and they have unlimited money to spend..duck hunting is their primary outdoor sport..and they spend more time doin that than any other…compete with that…i know for a fact the Louisiana property..they leased it from a company for a little while..an they got out bid by somebody one year an that pissedem off so they just found the land owner an wroteem a check for it…F U money

I think better vehicles play into it and a higher standard of living. How many people could affird to drive hundreds of miles and miss work in the 1980s? A very select few. Waterfowl hunting was mostly done by 2 groups. Locals and the rich (doctors, lawyers, etc). Now, blue collar workers have nice trucks and time off. It is a great thing, except for the resource. I know a bunch of people in their 30-40s hunting 4-5 days a week. I only knew a handful of men doing that in the 80s.

technology has helped too. My buddy works while.we hunt and can mute his conference calls while he is calling and go back and forth like that and the people on the other end have no clue what is happening. Amazing to watch, but would have been impossible in years past.

Lots of added pressure.

Talking to a guy the other day about the draw on the public. He has been 16 times and they only drew 1 time and had a reservation another time. Something like 120 parties and 20ish spots. Crazy, back in the 90s I hunted that place and got turned away only a few times and that was only on school breaks or weekends.

That and now the BIG money is locking down the best spots. The field south of where I was friday is being leased for $40k. And they have to pay extra for water. Crazy. But my buddy said his electric bill was $500 last month to keep the ice out and water up in the fields. Some expensive duck/goose meat.

It’s a combination of Mojo decoys, social media, OnX, 180 month financing at 6% on boats, $1000 waders, and Boykin Spaniels

Honestly I setting to see something happening to the Specks. There getting targeted hard for lack of ducks. I don’t blame anyone. They’re fun and taste good. But there really fixin to get hammered hard.

Kind alike gadwalls and how they were the stupidest duck we felt bad shooting them. If you killed one or two the rat kept coming back looking and talking trying to find their buddy. These days them jokers are tough if you our not in the X. They like skirting and putting down outside of the decoys. And if you hit hard with that duck call they gone. Only light quacks work.

Folks that are 20-30 years old only know what they’ve experienced and are oblivious to what things were like.