lanyard wrote:[quote="Quack"]Lanyard- I believe we are in agreement all the way around. My statement about ducks/hunter/year is not in conflict with any of your main points.
Cool.
The thing is re: paper ducks vs real ducks~ if there's less hunters and more/same ducks, would think harvest per hunter would go up.......
So, it would seem, that there is a decline in ducks commensurate with the decline in hunters.
OR
The migration has always been an "balance". It always strikes me when reading the MacQuarrie Trilogy, how often he and Mr. President are trying to figure out birds after the locals get shot and before the migrating flights arrive. Read, "The Little Push".... or how they are always seeking that period when the blue bills show up.... read "Canvasback Comeback".... or those odd days where the weather was "...a bit too fine for duck shooting...." read Blue Bill Day.
There's typically two types of duck hunters: 1) the group that thinks what they experienced is THE BEST, the good old days were always good, and "things ain't like they used to be"; 2) the other group things that what their are experiencing now is the first time anyone anywhere has EVER experienced something so unique and special (see the Minnesota Waterfolwers Facebook group)
In actuality: maybe the "good ol' days" were better, but I doubt for most they were that much better.... just easier. Hunting Minnetonka and Prior Lake back in the day was likely a pretty decent deal for some metro-fied types to lug the boat, motor out, see birds, shoot a couple, etc. But guessing it was still 20% of the peeps killing 60% of the birds.
In actuality: the Noobs think e-calling, mechanical decoys, trailers and hoodies were produced for their shot at superhero status, kind of like they are all Tony Stark's with their Iron Man suit on going duck hunting. Since the first phonograph, since the first repeating arms, since waxed canvas and ghillie suits, since live decoys, etc. some choad has been putting on his version of the Iron Man suit and going duck hunting. He likely didn't have as many stickers, but JFC you didn't invent the tail gate shot or shooting limits or being a DB.
.........
I say all of that to make this point: the conservative MN Watefowl "voice" lies in the "good ol' days" group and for some reason are scared chitless of the "Noobs" and their wanton waste tendencies.
It reminds a lot of my grandmother when it comes to fishing: you keep everything damn it, when I grew up in the depression you never knew when you were going to eat next or catch another fish..... Well, I get the Good Ol' Days crowd saw a ton of empty skies, but defending today's population from tomorrow's bogey man doesn't follow any sort of population cycle.[/quote]
The good old days crowd is starting to die off. Alot of those supposed concerned hunters an in their 70's and 80's. We are going to be losing alot more hunters over the next 15 years as its an aging group. You'd think they would open their minds to the future but I guess as they say people don't change.
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