The "big push" and tail end of the duck & Goose season for 2016

[h2ofwlr]

The Great Plains lost more grassland to agriculture in 2014 than the Brazilian Amazon lost to deforestation

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ene ... 27cbc33eaf

[Bailey]

[quote="Bailey"]Of course the DNR knows that and that's why they finally offered more liberal regs and an earlier open and shooting time. They knew to keep lhunters they had to at least on opener give people maximum chances. Lots of duck hunters only hunt the first few weekends so they keyed in on that. The shallow lakes program does not seem to make any difference. They restore all these shallow lakes and than you never hear a peep about them again. If they were holding ducks in the fall somebody would talk.

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I know a lake that is being managed for that program. It's gotten better every year since it started except this year. Pumps couldn't keep up.

But I'm not talking about it to anyone.

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Sure but I know what these DNR types are like and if places like Christina and Maria really improved that much it would be all over the newspaper. These guys like to pat themselves on the back. Plus they are not secrets and people have big mouths. I'm just saying.

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[gimpfinger]

[quote="gimpfinger"][quote="Bailey"]Of course the DNR knows that and that's why they finally offered more liberal regs and an earlier open and shooting time. They knew to keep lhunters they had to at least on opener give people maximum chances. Lots of duck hunters only hunt the first few weekends so they keyed in on that. The shallow lakes program does not seem to make any difference. They restore all these shallow lakes and than you never hear a peep about them again. If they were holding ducks in the fall somebody would talk.

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I know a lake that is being managed for that program. It's gotten better every year since it started except this year. Pumps couldn't keep up.

But I'm not talking about it to anyone.

Sent from my SM-S902L using Tapatalk[/quote]
Sure but I know what these DNR types are like and if places like Christina and Maria really improved that much it would be all over the newspaper. These guys like to pat themselves on the back. Plus they are not secrets and people have big mouths. I'm just saying.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk[/quote]
Christia is to big they need to work on smaller stuff that will turn good quick. Once you got a good base on smaller waters manged then try to fish some big ones. But oh know let's go balls deep right away.

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[Bailey]

[quote="Bailey"][quote="gimpfinger"][quote="Bailey"]Of course the DNR knows that and that's why they finally offered more liberal regs and an earlier open and shooting time. They knew to keep lhunters they had to at least on opener give people maximum chances. Lots of duck hunters only hunt the first few weekends so they keyed in on that. The shallow lakes program does not seem to make any difference. They restore all these shallow lakes and than you never hear a peep about them again. If they were holding ducks in the fall somebody would talk.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

I know a lake that is being managed for that program. It's gotten better every year since it started except this year. Pumps couldn't keep up.

But I'm not talking about it to anyone.

Sent from my SM-S902L using Tapatalk[/quote]
Sure but I know what these DNR types are like and if places like Christina and Maria really improved that much it would be all over the newspaper. These guys like to pat themselves on the back. Plus they are not secrets and people have big mouths. I'm just saying.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk[/quote]
Christia is to big they need to work on smaller stuff that will turn good quick. Once you got a good base on smaller waters manged then try to fish some big ones. But oh know let's go balls deep right away.

Sent from my SM-S902L using Tapatalk[/quote]
I could not agree more I've never understood the constant money push into Christina other than some duck clubs have big influence. It will never be the same. It usually works for about two years and that's it.I have always been about restoring smaller wetlands. I know some incredible former wetlands in the Morris area that used to be great late season in the 90's but now stink. That's a prime area and if they worked on in some of those the ducks would come back imo.

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[tornadochaser]

.

Bailey, i've hunted SD quite a few years now, and I concur, lower numbers. But I mostly blame that on degrading habitat caused by increasing water levels. If we run through a drought cycle and habitat increases, I expect a fast recovery.

Habitat won't increase as we dry out here in SD. Ever since water levels started receding in 2014 farmers have been tiling. I've got tons of spots we used to hunt waist deep water that are now pattern tiled in lake and Kingsbury county. Even with low prices these guys are putting tile in where they can. An now there is renewed interest in tile in a whole new area of the state from Parker southwest to Wagner as that area got pounded with rain this summer and had/has lots of flooded spots in fields. Our only hope out here is a new cycle of wet times and adding acres to crp in the next farm bill. Lots of guys would put grass back in right now if they could get it in the program.

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[tornadochaser]

Oh and we have been getting excellent pushes of mallards Canada's and snows since last week. Leaving work right now to go watch an afternoon feed.

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[gimpfinger]

I've seen three flocks of geese but no one duck where I'm sitting. Even scouted a bit before setting up and nothing.

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[Bailey]

[quote="Bullet21XD"].

Bailey, i've hunted SD quite a few years now, and I concur, lower numbers. But I mostly blame that on degrading habitat caused by increasing water levels. If we run through a drought cycle and habitat increases, I expect a fast recovery.

Habitat won't increase as we dry out here in SD. Ever since water levels started receding in 2014 farmers have been tiling. I've got tons of spots we used to hunt waist deep water that are now pattern tiled in lake and Kingsbury county. Even with low prices these guys are putting tile in where they can. An now there is renewed interest in tile in a whole new area of the state from Parker southwest to Wagner as that area got pounded with rain this summer and had/has lots of flooded spots in fields. Our only hope out here is a new cycle of wet times and adding acres to crp in the next farm bill. Lots of guys would put grass back in right now if they could get it in the program.

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I don't think crp will ever come back like it once was.

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[Bullet21XD]

.

Bailey, i've hunted SD quite a few years now, and I concur, lower numbers. But I mostly blame that on degrading habitat caused by increasing water levels. If we run through a drought cycle and habitat increases, I expect a fast recovery.

Habitat won't increase as we dry out here in SD. Ever since water levels started receding in 2014 farmers have been tiling. I've got tons of spots we used to hunt waist deep water that are now pattern tiled in lake and Kingsbury county. Even with low prices these guys are putting tile in where they can. An now there is renewed interest in tile in a whole new area of the state from Parker southwest to Wagner as that area got pounded with rain this summer and had/has lots of flooded spots in fields. Our only hope out here is a new cycle of wet times and adding acres to crp in the next farm bill. Lots of guys would put grass back in right now if they could get it in the program.

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I don't know how long you've been out there, but maybe not long enough. There's many wetland complexes that are completely inundated now, that were once very good duck holes.

The landscape has changed drastically. But I do agree, another severe wet cycle would be beneficial as well. Newly flooded ground is always good. I'd prefer more flooding!

[tornadochaser]

There is a chance we can get more acres, even SD corn growers has said they would be for adding more acres to be used for waterways and buffers. They just won't back entire sectioned enrolled like years ago.

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