[KO]

The thing I ask my fellow hunters to south keep in mind is this; You're at the end of the flyway, what you see is the rest of the continents population. I live in the prarrie region of western MN. Traditionally prime nesting....the birds weren't here, even during the nesting season....I drove thousands of miles covering my area. The overwhelming majority of the wetlands were bare......So I would ask that you keep in mind where you sit in the flyway....and guage the population by what it was 10-15 years ago. If the Northern tier ie the nesting portion of the continent has fewer and fewer birds....something is drastically wrong

 

[duckbuster]

i live in the northeast corner of south dakota and have land that we own and hunt between bath up to columbia and all the way over to britton and i have thousands of ducks and geese that come and nest next to my house out by bath i never noticed declining numbers but that might just be cuz there is no way to hunt the area that there nesting in.

 

[Cobra]

You're right KO, local duck nesting is basically gone in my area. All the little 1/2 acre potholes that at one time hosted a variety of puddlers are now taken over by Canadians, if they even exist at all. A 12oz BW Teal has no chance against a 12lb honker in a fight over a nest sight. Mallards still breed but are in the marginal areas where many are lost (predation or roadkill) or in town parks. We used to shoot alot of Teal, Ringnecks and some Redheads until the flight birds arrive. Don't even see these birds during the summer anymore. Woodies and Buffies are struggling mainly due some wicked windstorms over the past few years that have wasted many trees in prime habitat. Honkers everywhere but not allowed to shoot them.

 

[mccree79]

Our local state politicians are asking for state money to start resident flocks. Tax money well spent. It will help hunting which well help hunting clubs, hotels, sporting good stores, and many others.

Improving the economy, one duck at a time.