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re: It’s not looking good for duck season in MS Flyway
Posted on 8/13/24 at 10:02 am to tigerfoot
Posted on 8/13/24 at 10:02 am to tigerfoot
This reminds me. I was in Wyoming in December and January and it was in the upper 60’s. Alberta had loads of birds on the ground in the mid 50’s.
There were a fraction of the birds as compared to the prior year. Hard to think it’s just the Mississippi flyway
There were a fraction of the birds as compared to the prior year. Hard to think it’s just the Mississippi flyway
2
Posted on 8/13/24 at 10:15 am to Redfish2010
Some will do good. Others wont. Just like every other year. I'll be in the blind regardless, so i don't really pay attention to the surveys.
Posted on 8/13/24 at 10:45 am to Redfish2010
quote:
This reminds me. I was in Wyoming in December and January and it was in the upper 60’s. Alberta had loads of birds on the ground in the mid 50’s.
I was in South Dakota last year in latest November into December. There were ducks and geese everywhere.
Posted on 8/13/24 at 12:50 pm to aTmTexas Dillo
Yea. I heard from an outfitter they were still killing tons of snow geese in late December in northern Canada. That’s outrageous, and the mild weather we had last year definitely played a part in the migration. I don’t think the ducks had to move.
I’ve also heard on a podcast from a waterfowl biologist that a lot of the migration truths that many of us grew up believing are not actually accurate. One of the takeaways is that a front, especially late in the season (late January or so) will not push ducks further south. They have to make a decision on when to migrate back north at that point, and it’s based on calories etc, some of them will just hunker down where they are, or they will just fly several miles east or west basically, instead of just flying south. Which was news to me
I’ve also heard on a podcast from a waterfowl biologist that a lot of the migration truths that many of us grew up believing are not actually accurate. One of the takeaways is that a front, especially late in the season (late January or so) will not push ducks further south. They have to make a decision on when to migrate back north at that point, and it’s based on calories etc, some of them will just hunker down where they are, or they will just fly several miles east or west basically, instead of just flying south. Which was news to me
This post was edited on 8/13/24 at 12:51 pm
Posted on 8/13/24 at 1:01 pm to DanielBooned
quote:
One of the takeaways is that a front, especially late in the season (late January or so) will not push ducks further south. They have to make a decision on when to migrate back north at that point, and it’s based on calories etc, some of them will just hunker down where they are, or they will just fly several miles east or west basically, instead of just flying south. Which was news to me
I think no till can have something to do with this also. Corn is a “hot” food and if it’s around they can just ride it out
Posted on 8/13/24 at 1:21 pm to Ron Cheramie
Definitely. Agricultural practices are changing rapidly not just in Louisiana, but all over the US. Another thing I didn’t think about, more people are hunting further north than they used to. Arkansas, Louisiana have always had a rich history of waterfowl hunting, but now places like Minnesota, Missouri, etc are getting involved. The ducks are being shot at all the way down, way more than they used to. Combined with the massive loss of habitat all over, increased pressure, better gear; it’s tough being a bird.
To your point, if they don’t Need To fly south based on availability of food and lack of harsh weather early in the season; they aren’t going to. I also think the release of pen raised game has affected the migration. Genetically, a lot of these birds are not fully 100% wild mallards. They don’t have the inherited trait to migrate based on length of days.
A lot of words to say it’s tough being a duck hunter, and getting tougher by the year.
To your point, if they don’t Need To fly south based on availability of food and lack of harsh weather early in the season; they aren’t going to. I also think the release of pen raised game has affected the migration. Genetically, a lot of these birds are not fully 100% wild mallards. They don’t have the inherited trait to migrate based on length of days.
A lot of words to say it’s tough being a duck hunter, and getting tougher by the year.
Posted on 8/13/24 at 2:04 pm to DanielBooned
quote:
One of the takeaways is that a front, especially late in the season (late January or so) will not push ducks further south.
We hunted a pretty popular hunting operation East of Monroe, LA the day that Polar front rolled through last January. It was insane cold. We actually caught the front day and was lucky to have at least some open water that morning before it locked up. I swear I witnessed the largest mass migration of ducks (and it was all ducks, not geese) in my life and I started duck hunting about 40 or so years ago. Flocks of 100+ in steady V waves in the stratosphere heading due South all morning riding the jet. It was impressive although very few broke down and worked.
My honest opinion is there are still birds. What I saw last January proves that. They just know how not to get killed now. They only fly as far as they need to and they also know exactly where the refuges are. You want to see ducks, go find a rest area.
Posted on 8/13/24 at 2:05 pm to DanielBooned
quote:I have been so excited watching the coverage of the polar vortex, incoming north winds and low temps only to walk to the blind and jump 7 ducks off the pond.
One of the takeaways is that a front, especially late in the season (late January or so) will not push ducks further south. They have to make a decision on when to migrate back north at that point, and it’s based on calories etc, some of them will just hunker down where they are, or they will just fly several miles east or west basically, instead of just flying south. Which was news to me
Posted on 8/13/24 at 2:46 pm to GREENHEAD22
quote:
The last bastion for wintering duck habitat in the state, rice, is being converted to cane more and more every year.
This isn’t true, but yet you repeat it constantly
Rice acres are up this year to 475k, would’ve reached 500k for first time in a while if NELA wouldn’t have caught so much rain in April
Vermilion parish acres have been up lately. They have rice on farm bordering the intracoastal for first time in a while
There might be a few acres around abbeville or Maurice that get converted but it isn’t moving any further west and St Landry and Avoyelles haven’t been converting acres either
Posted on 8/13/24 at 2:51 pm to Midtiger farm
That is fair, I would assume what could be converted has been by now. Wasn't there a big boom of acres being converted some years back?
If irrc you are in AG or AG research. If they figure out the cold tolerance would you expect it to push further north pass the Avoyelles/Landry line?
If irrc you are in AG or AG research. If they figure out the cold tolerance would you expect it to push further north pass the Avoyelles/Landry line?
Posted on 8/13/24 at 3:01 pm to GREENHEAD22
Maybe but they would have to build a new mill north of I10 and increase harvest capacity
A good amount of acres got converted around abbeville 5-10 years ago and some around wright and north of Kaplan
A good amount of acres got converted around abbeville 5-10 years ago and some around wright and north of Kaplan
Posted on 8/13/24 at 4:01 pm to gumbeaux
The alternative is to quit duck/goose hunting period. Its gotten so bad in South LA that I did just that - this after many many years of enjoying the shite out of it. Wasnt worth the time or expense.
Posted on 8/13/24 at 4:05 pm to Midtiger farm
quote:
A good amount of acres got converted around abbeville 5-10 years ago
It was rice and beans originally, then went to sugarcane for 20 to 30 years - and now back to rice. It will take quite a few years to bring back the birds that were lost to sugarcane.
Posted on 8/13/24 at 4:16 pm to Midtiger farm
That makes sense, I was still hunting Klondike around that time so saw a lot of that conversion happen.
This post was edited on 8/13/24 at 6:45 pm
Posted on 8/13/24 at 7:36 pm to MWP
quote:
My honest opinion is there are still birds. What I saw last January proves that. They just know how not to get killed now. They only fly as far as they need to and they also know exactly where the refuges are. You want to see ducks, go find a rest area.
Agreed. They get smart, quick
Posted on 8/13/24 at 8:10 pm to DanielBooned
quote:
Yea. I heard from an outfitter they were still killing tons of snow geese in late December in northern Canada.
Can confirm this. One of the farmers in Canada whose ground we hunt on was sending us videos of fields punched with geese in December last year while we were taking a beating in the states. Last season was definitely one of the worst seasons I’ve had in over 40 years, mild weather just kept the birds from moving. Sure, we all still got our calendar birds, but all in all it was tough.
Posted on 8/14/24 at 7:31 am to CouldCareLess
quote:
then went to sugarcane for 20 to 30 years - and now back to rice
no it didn't
the ground that went to cane is still in cane around that area and now cane will still take over some every now and then
Some rice guys are putting just some of their ground in cane where it fits better and some cane guys still have some rice/crawfish ground where that fits better
Posted on 8/14/24 at 7:38 am to MWP
It was the MLK holiday earlier this year (Jan 15) when the good storm came through La. Shreveport was locked up that morning, interstate was closed all across much of north La. I did a hunt in Avoyelles Parish that morning and finally saw some huge numbers coming into the area after a season that was pretty poor overall. Had a big hunt and enjoyed the show.
Winter intensity was way off this past season across the flyway, that didn't help. Look up the stats on it.
High salinity from low MS river in SE La marshes killed off a ton of SAV other than in the new deltas being formed from crevasses, and at mouth of the river, so we had no grays to speak of (Delacroix area). I had no feed whatsoever, barren muddy pond bottom, in our best pond that even has plenty SAV after a strong hurricane....very few grays seen, and they didn't stick.
But I'm doing some pre-fab work for a new blind this weekend, yall do what ya want !
Winter intensity was way off this past season across the flyway, that didn't help. Look up the stats on it.
High salinity from low MS river in SE La marshes killed off a ton of SAV other than in the new deltas being formed from crevasses, and at mouth of the river, so we had no grays to speak of (Delacroix area). I had no feed whatsoever, barren muddy pond bottom, in our best pond that even has plenty SAV after a strong hurricane....very few grays seen, and they didn't stick.
But I'm doing some pre-fab work for a new blind this weekend, yall do what ya want !
Posted on 8/14/24 at 9:25 am to MWP
quote:
We hunted a pretty popular hunting operation East of Monroe, LA the day that Polar front rolled through last January. It was insane cold. We actually caught the front day and was lucky to have at least some open water that morning before it locked up. I swear I witnessed the largest mass migration of ducks (and it was all ducks, not geese) in my life and I started duck hunting about 40 or so years ago. Flocks of 100+ in steady V waves in the stratosphere heading due South all morning riding the jet. It was impressive although very few broke down and worked.
My honest opinion is there are still birds. What I saw last January proves that. They just know how not to get killed now. They only fly as far as they need to and they also know exactly where the refuges are. You want to see ducks, go find a rest area.
This all day and we smashed for a week. Could have been done everyday in a couple min if i didn't wait on other ducks. Teal were thick thick
Posted on 8/15/24 at 5:07 pm to Midtiger farm
Wrong, several hundred or more acres just south of Abbeville off of highway 330 was cane and is now rice. Hebert Brother farms. Post smarter.
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