2021-2022 Duck Hunting Thread

[Aggiechick]

I agree with the previous posts, I have not seen the big push of ducks that I would expect with these fronts.

Hunted Saturday had nine different species and 18 ducks with five guys (this includes a couple of buffleheads....one of the guys was looking for a trophy buffle). Did not hunt Sunday (which a first for me) because it was just wrong to hunt in 70 degrees with mosquitos.

Three guys did end up getting their limit on Sunday but it was bufflehead rich.

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[Sticks&Strings]

So I hunted mid December at Honeybrake in Louisiana. We got our hunt in Saturday morning and about 1 the rain came and pretty much confined us to the lodge. I walked upon another hunter from Louisiana talking to the head guide. After listening and asking some questions myself along with a few others who had joined in, my outlook on Texas duck hunting is not too good. He explained in detail the issues. He said it's not the cold, it's the lack of habitat is the primary issue. He said many former Rice fields have been converted to ranch land, neighborhoods, sugar cane, or Clearfield rice. Clearfield rice is "roundup ready" rice. He said the teal eat it before it is mature but once mature the ducks won't eat it as it has tiny fibers that they don't like. That couples with the equipment used to harvest rice today is so much more efficient it leaves very little food in the field compared to the equipment 20 years ago. Btw, he has been doing this his whole life, is part of several studies done by the Louisiana wildlife department, and quoted specific details.

I have steadily seen our duck numbers plummet at the places I used to hunt to the point I don't even waste my time now. Heck, look at the Delta Wildlife maps of migration and the ducks all stay up north and even reverse migrate during the winter. He wasn't saying this to discourage hunters, heck his livelihood depends on it. He was just having and open conversation and this is what I took from it. It was definitely food for thought

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[Rwc]

So I hunted mid December at Honeybrake in Louisiana. We got our hunt in Saturday morning and about 1 the rain came and pretty much confined us to the lodge. I walked upon another hunter from Louisiana talking to the head guide. After listening and asking some questions myself along with a few others who had joined in, my outlook on Texas duck hunting is not too good. He explained in detail the issues. He said it's not the cold, it's the lack of habitat is the primary issue. He said many former Rice fields have been converted to ranch land, neighborhoods, sugar cane, or Clearfield rice. Clearfield rice is "roundup ready" rice. He said the teal eat it before it is mature but once mature the ducks won't eat it as it has tiny fibers that they don't like. That couples with the equipment used to harvest rice today is so much more efficient it leaves very little food in the field compared to the equipment 20 years ago. Btw, he has been doing this his whole life, is part of several studies done by the Louisiana wildlife department, and quoted specific details.

I have steadily seen our duck numbers plummet at the places I used to hunt to the point I don't even waste my time now. Heck, look at the Delta Wildlife maps of migration and the ducks all stay up north and even reverse migrate during the winter. He wasn't saying this to discourage hunters, heck his livelihood depends on it. He was just having and open conversation and this is what I took from it. It was definitely food for thought

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I have been told similar thoughts from a couple of waterfowl biologist last year.

I did make a solo hunt Saturday morning on the river to work Brecks dog, was a fun sit and she did well. Should have limited easy but I rushed shot a couple and ended up just carrying four green heads out.

Rwc

[Wall_Hanger]

So I hunted mid December at Honeybrake in Louisiana. We got our hunt in Saturday morning and about 1 the rain came and pretty much confined us to the lodge. I walked upon another hunter from Louisiana talking to the head guide. After listening and asking some questions myself along with a few others who had joined in, my outlook on Texas duck hunting is not too good. He explained in detail the issues. He said it's not the cold, it's the lack of habitat is the primary issue. He said many former Rice fields have been converted to ranch land, neighborhoods, sugar cane, or Clearfield rice. Clearfield rice is "roundup ready" rice. He said the teal eat it before it is mature but once mature the ducks won't eat it as it has tiny fibers that they don't like. That couples with the equipment used to harvest rice today is so much more efficient it leaves very little food in the field compared to the equipment 20 years ago. Btw, he has been doing this his whole life, is part of several studies done by the Louisiana wildlife department, and quoted specific details.

I have steadily seen our duck numbers plummet at the places I used to hunt to the point I don't even waste my time now. Heck, look at the Delta Wildlife maps of migration and the ducks all stay up north and even reverse migrate during the winter. He wasn't saying this to discourage hunters, heck his livelihood depends on it. He was just having and open conversation and this is what I took from it. It was definitely food for thought

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First things first, how was Honeybrake and where are the pics?!

We have had that exact conversation with DU and their biologist regarding the lack of habitat. It is the same story now as it was with geese before. I think this is going to come down to working with clubs/landowners to plant more "duck food" and to leave/create more habitat for ducks on their northern return flights. Our club and others nearby have been working with DU and other conservation programs to get new landowners more involved and try to create an approach that has a little more critical mass to it. It takes money and effort though. I would like to see some of the legacy ranches (pierce ranch) in the area allow private leasing of certain areas similar to the King Ranch and use that to create more habitat. There are several others but they are a big land owner and first that came to mind.

[150class]

Well I am back in the ****ty hunt camp.

Not a single duck shot this AM. Saw 8 total (4 mottle and 4 teal) which 4 of those came in before shooting light and the teal where absolute screamers coming in with the wind about 18" off the top of the cane. We flung a handful of shots at a pair of mottle ducks but knew it was a borderline sky blast scenario.

Can see a long long ways from this blind and I saw 1 group of pintails about 1/4-1/3 a mile away that I had binos for and that was it.

[DUKFVR]

Well I am back in the ****ty hunt camp.

Not a single duck shot this AM. Saw 8 total (4 mottle and 4 teal) which 4 of those came in before shooting light and the teal where absolute screamers coming in with the wind about 18" off the top of the cane. We flung a handful of shots at a pair of mottle ducks but knew it was a borderline sky blast scenario.

Can see a long long ways from this blind and I saw 1 group of pintails about 1/4-1/3 a mile away that I had binos for and that was it.

Just amazing ain't it. Really sad to see that happening in that area.

[Sticks&Strings]

First things first, how was Honeybrake and where are the pics?!



We have had that exact conversation with DU and their biologist regarding the lack of habitat. It is the same story now as it was with geese before. I think this is going to come down to working with clubs/landowners to plant more "duck food" and to leave/create more habitat for ducks on their northern return flights. Our club and others nearby have been working with DU and other conservation programs to get new landowners more involved and try to create an approach that has a little more critical mass to it. It takes money and effort though. I would like to see some of the legacy ranches (pierce ranch) in the area allow private leasing of certain areas similar to the King Ranch and use that to create more habitat. There are several others but they are a big land owner and first that came to mind.

Man to he honest I didn't take many. This is my second time to go in as many years as a guest. No way I'd pay what they want for a hunt. That being said, the guys that paid for the trip had 2 good shoots. My blind killed 20 the first morning and we should have had a limit. The second morning we killed 6 at our blind, and moved to the best blind after the group that paid left. We killed 3 more before we had to leave to get back to camp to checkout. Hunted til about 11.

That being said. The place is top notch first class. But I feel like it has one great blind that consistently produces. The rest are average at best. And the ducks they kill are very mixed bag. Spoons, teal, ring neck, with a few pintails and mallards mixed in.

If you ever get an invite, go! If not, I would think some place up north would be better.

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[Fmjag64]

Been a rough last couple seasons for sure!

[Slew]

I'm headed back to Oklahoma this weekend and then to SW Ark the last weekend of season. Not expecting much either place but we will have a good time! I'm on the lake several days a week and don't hear much if any shooting at all nor do I see ducks flying around! I'm glad I'm a grumpy old slab slinger anymore.

[marshhunter]

Had a great duck hunt on Saturday. My new pup is coming along nicely. He will be going back to the trainer after season to finish up his training. Excited to see his progression into a duck machine.

Sunday brought us an awesome goose and duck hunt. Ended up with 63 birds. Was great to see good numbers of ducks finally starting to show up.

[Flex]

I have been told similar thoughts from a couple of waterfowl biologist last year.

I did make a solo hunt Saturday morning on the river to work Brecks dog, was a fun sit and she did well. Should have limited easy but I rushed shot a couple and ended up just carrying four green heads out.

Rwc

What would a fellow have to do to get to hunt that part of the river with ya? I have not hunted the river this year. Last few years have been no good for me on it.

[OTL91]

So I hunted mid December at Honeybrake in Louisiana. We got our hunt in Saturday morning and about 1 the rain came and pretty much confined us to the lodge. I walked upon another hunter from Louisiana talking to the head guide. After listening and asking some questions myself along with a few others who had joined in, my outlook on Texas duck hunting is not too good. He explained in detail the issues. He said it's not the cold, it's the lack of habitat is the primary issue. He said many former Rice fields have been converted to ranch land, neighborhoods, sugar cane, or Clearfield rice. Clearfield rice is "roundup ready" rice. He said the teal eat it before it is mature but once mature the ducks won't eat it as it has tiny fibers that they don't like. That couples with the equipment used to harvest rice today is so much more efficient it leaves very little food in the field compared to the equipment 20 years ago. Btw, he has been doing this his whole life, is part of several studies done by the Louisiana wildlife department, and quoted specific details.

I have steadily seen our duck numbers plummet at the places I used to hunt to the point I don't even waste my time now. Heck, look at the Delta Wildlife maps of migration and the ducks all stay up north and even reverse migrate during the winter. He wasn't saying this to discourage hunters, heck his livelihood depends on it. He was just having and open conversation and this is what I took from it. It was definitely food for thought

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I agree with habitat being a major contributor to the decrease in bird numbers along the coast.... but it isn't just about rice. We have lost a bunch of coastal prairie grassland type areas which used to hold a lot of waterfowl. The landscape of the upper central flyway has changed tremendously in the past 50-60 years. A lot more water on the landscape with reservoirs and artificial flooding, it takes a lot to freeze these reservoirs and if there isn't snow on the ground and waterfowl can field feed many are not going to head south. Pressure and refuges (formal and informal). While we have lost a lot of costal prairie and rice there are a lot more ponds/tanks than ever before in Texas. As birds get pressured off certain areas they can spread out across the landscape. Eight birds on this cattle pond, ten birds on this river, a thousand ducks/geese sitting on a neighborhood pond kept open by a fountain not being pressured adds up to a lot of birds spread out across informal refuges. Formal refuges are the horse that has been beaten to death... nothing we can do and are good for the future of hunting.

The bottom line is habitat across the continent has changed and the birds have adapted. Everyone wants to find the one significant thing in their area to blame it on (tiling of wetlands in SD/ND, lack of snow in Nebraska/Kansas, loss of millet program in Oklahoma, loss of peanuts in north Texas, loss of rice/costal prairie along the gulf coast) but it is really a combination of hundreds if not thousands of things that the birds have adjusted to.

[gander]

Hunted yesterday morning with my brother and 3 other friends on some of their property in Hankamer. Hunted an old oxbow. Before shooting time had thousands of Greenwing flying overhead but they were on a mission to elsewhere. Killed some wood ducks and a couple green heads and mottled ducks earlier in the morning. We were sitting at about 12-14 birds at 9:45 and it's like a switch turned on and the mallards started to dump in. By 10:30 we were done with our 30 birds. Our last two groups we killed 3 greenheads and the final group we dropped 8 green heads out of it.

[Rwc]

Hunted yesterday morning with my brother and 3 other friends on some of their property in Hankamer. Hunted an old oxbow. Before shooting time had thousands of Greenwing flying overhead but they were on a mission to elsewhere. Killed some wood ducks and a couple green heads and mottled ducks earlier in the morning. We were sitting at about 12-14 birds at 9:45 and it's like a switch turned on and the mallards started to dump in. By 10:30 we were done with our 30 birds. Our last two groups we killed 3 greenheads and the final group we dropped 8 green heads out of it.

Great stringer and picture.

Rwc

[MooseontheLoose]

Some excellent shoots gander and marshhunter! Congrats!