where did all the Ducks go??

[shallowminded14]

Folks in Louisiana turning flooded rice fields into crawfish ponds hut our numbers in east Texas. This year has been the best I have seen in 10 years. All we need is another nasty cold front up north and we are going to be cookin with peanut oil

[bloodtrail18]

There are more man-made ponds now that are off limits. For example, the 25 acre soil conservation site behind my house hold 1000's of birds every year and its surrounded by houses. No reason for the birds to leave. Just about every new subdivision has a water feature of some kind that holds ducks.

[bboswell]

Loss of habitat from urban sprawl.

Changes in agriculture that reduce food sources and change fly ways.


DU type project north of us that mean ducks no longer have to migrate as far.

The list goes on

[PoppinPiggies]

We still kill plenty, main factor on good or bad numbers for us is weather. We need it cold to push them down. Lots of birds here last weekend

[S-3 Ranch]

Most of the above ^^^^^ is a factor, don’t forget the Arctic circle is full of returning native Americans, who hunt , rob nest , trap ducks from spring to late fall on a industrial scale
Same thing gill netting the river’s 24-365 hurting the salmon in the PW & circle

[bowtechbandit]

there was lots of ducks and geese around in SE Kansas last weekend. reminded me of the mid to late 90s around here. every little ol puddle had ducks on it.

[DUKFVR]

Feds lying about how many ducks the counts really show. Basically, there aren't as many as we had in past, but feds keep saying higher than long term avg.

Pressure by hunters down here.
Habitat loss.
Changing wintering areas

[Flyway12]

Feds lying about how many ducks the counts really show. Basically, there aren't as many as we had in past, but feds keep saying higher than long term avg.

Pressure by hunters down here.
Habitat loss.
Changing wintering areas

Thanks for throwing that one in there too, I forgot it. When your budget depends on ducks, you're going to make sure on paper there are ducks.

I'm hoping for a return to the early 90's when Dad started me out. 3-4 bird limit and a 30 day season. Birds will be able to rest again, we'll get our fill but won't stick it to them to the point that we move them.

[Gclyde12]

I think there are a ton of factors that go into this but i personally think one of the main ones is Waterfowl Hunting has turned into big business. When i was a kid people were paying to hunt deer not ducks. Now everyone is a guide and usually stay booked up.

With that comes a bunch of money and people up North are now managing for ducks compared to what they did 10 years ago. Look at all the food planted up North specifically just for ducks. I know it happened 10 years ago but nearly at the level it is happening at today. Take Oklahoma as an example, i have never heard of Oklahoma being a hot bed for Waterfowl hunting until recent years, and now big time guides with big time money are managing specifically for ducks there.

I personally think our good years will be drought years. Its hard to keep water from freezing up north with ice eaters and the such if you dont have water.

I also think the coast will always produce decent hunts because i think that the ducks that make it all the way down to our coast are genetically programmed to come down regardless of weather. Does the weather help get them here earlier while duck season is still open, absolutely, but it always without fail seems to load up in February when it gets cold for long periods up north.

[Flyway12]

I also think the coast will always produce decent hunts because i think that the ducks that make it all the way down to our coast are genetically programmed to come down regardless of weather. Does the weather help get them here earlier while duck season is still open, absolutely, but it always without fail seems to load up in February when it gets cold for long periods up north.

A lot of your coastal birds are photoperiod migrators, they go by the calendar and not the weather. Same with the birds in Mexico...


And guides.... more pressure

[jwo]

Putin or Biden’s fault

[M16]

My South Texas ranch tanks are loaded with ducks. More than I’ve seen in the last ten years. Tanks are still out of their bowls and the shallow water with vegetation is chock full of ducks.

[Brute Killer]

They went to Mexico.

[tdwinklr]

Flyways for migratory birds change due to food sources along the way too.
There use to be a surplus of duck, geese and dove just north of Dallas. No more! All that farmland all the way up to the red river is mostly asphalt and houses. Corn, wheat, maise etc all gone now.

yep. I live right in the middle of all that area, lots of cropland has went the way of farmers retiring and selling it, then some knucklehead fills it up with houses and trailers where people will up and move from in a couple years. I used to see lots of Bluebills and Widgeon up in this area too, haven't seen any in a long time now.

[tdwinklr]

Feds lying about how many ducks the counts really show. Basically, there aren't as many as we had in past, but feds keep saying higher than long term avg.

Pressure by hunters down here.
Habitat loss.
Changing wintering areas

Agreed!