This year....last year

[sadie1]

We hunt just north of Indianola. Last year we had a moderate amount of birds and very little food. This year we have a ton of food and very few ducks. We are killing less birds than last year, and have not seen, at any point this season, a fraction of the ducks we saw last year, which wasnt an exceptional amount. Is this common for the rest of the delta. We are within a few miles of Mallard Manor and Fighting Bayou. We are not even seeing many high ducks. Do we need a different lease or is this what most are experiencing? Are the duck numbers inaccurate.... Are there very few migrating....or are they just holding in small areas... or is it a combination of different reasons?

[Tedl10]

Hit and miss man.. Saw 200 yesterday in one hole, came back today and waited all afternoon. Nada one!

[Skeeter]

i started duck hunting back in 96, and it seems year after year the ducks get fewer and fewer.....who knows....i am slowly starting to deer hunt more...

D

[Blackduck]

Not as many birds period. Weather and now we will have bunches of water by the weekends end to spread what few birds we have out even further.

[Click]

We hunt just north of Indianola. Last year we had a moderate amount of birds and very little food. This year we have a ton of food and very few ducks. We are killing less birds than last year, and have not seen, at any point this season, a fraction of the ducks we saw last year, which wasnt an exceptional amount. Is this common for the rest of the delta. We are within a few miles of Mallard Manor and Fighting Bayou. We are not even seeing many high ducks. Do we need a different lease or is this what most are experiencing? Are the duck numbers inaccurate.... Are there very few migrating....or are they just holding in small areas... or is it a combination of different reasons?

I live in Indianola and have hunted this area for 5 years. I have had a good season until the last week. I have not seen lots of birds though. I try to lay off my holes for at least a week and this has helped some. Last year I saw more birds but had less success. Strangely, I had more ducks in October of this year than I do now.

[Duck$$$]

I usually only shoot my holes twice per week at most. With the short amt. of ducks I waited a full week last week and some idiot hunted while I was gone. The idiots even built a blind in the middle of the hole.

[rustypjr]

Last year was good and this year is better. I have been extemely lucky with seeing birds everytime I go except twice. I consider that a good year.

[Bama Duck]

Weather, just no weather.

[Wildfowler]

Strangely, I had more ducks in October of this year than I do now.

I saw a handful of really big groups of "big" ducks in that area during that time period too. Maybe they all migrated early this year?

[pntailhntr]

The duck hunting has been pitiful since 98. I've had ONE good hunt and that was 01/01/01. Hunted on the Reservoir in Jackson and limited out in less than 2 hours with a friend of mine. I'v heard from lots of people that they think the MS flyway is gradually moving westward for some reason. Don't know if it's true, but it sure does seem like something is going on.

If it is the cycle that someone posted on my Sattelite Ducks post, then I wish the darn thing would hurry up and cycle so we can have some fun again!!!!

Also, if you ask me, we need to go back to the 3 duck limit!! For one, that would make the leases MUCH cheaper and allow some of us broke hunters to get our good hunting spots back that the lawyers and doctors took from us when they uped the limit to 6 birds!!!!!!

[TODO]

The duck hunting has been pitiful since 98. I've had ONE good hunt and that was 01/01/01. Hunted on the Reservoir in Jackson and limited out in less than 2 hours with a friend of mine. I'v heard from lots of people that they think the MS flyway is gradually moving westward for some reason. Don't know if it's true, but it sure does seem like something is going on.

If it is the cycle that someone posted on my Sattelite Ducks post, then I wish the darn thing would hurry up and cycle so we can have some fun again!!!!

Also, if you ask me, we need to go back to the 3 duck limit!! For one, that would make the leases MUCH cheaper and allow some of us broke hunters to get our good hunting spots back that the lawyers and doctors took from us when they uped the limit to 6 birds!!!!!!

If you havent shot a two man limit in less than two hours in the last six years, thats your own fault. Dont blame it on the ducks.

[dwgrenle]

I hunt a lot of public land and have killed a lot of limits this year. I agree that it isnt like it used to be and I dont know that you are wrong about lowering the limit but killin ducks in my opinion is all about priority. Hunting is very important to me so I have spent money on a boat and a lease. I dont make a lot of money but I can afford $1,500 a year for a share of a lease and I dont need a law degree or medical degree to afford that. Scout hard and save money and you can kill ducks even in the bad years. If duck hunting isnt a priority than dont complain about not killin limits.

[1deadduck]

dwgrenle makes a point. Adopt KFC'S philosophy-- do one thing and do it right. I quit deer hunting after someone took me on a true duck hunt and I commited myself to duck hunting exclusively. Granted, it takes time and money to accumulate all the right gear and to learn to call adequately, but if you approach duck hunting with a half-hearted attitude, then your results will also probably be half-a$$ed. We had a VERY GOOD season last year and according to my hunting journal, were on track to repeat again this year. You get out of it what you put into it.

[pntailhntr]

I truly agree, but I refuse to pay 1500 to 2000 dollars for a hole I used to pay 500 dollars for! I'm tired of fighting the crowds on public land and can't go during the week because of work. I love duck hunting and have been doing it for over 20 years, I actually owned a guide service with a friend for a couple years in Rolling Fork in the late 90's. I'm just saying, the hunting is not what it used to be. Maybe the private land I used to hunt spoiled me or something, but I refuse to fork out that much money for one field to hunt. I think it's rediculous and it's highway robbery. Now, if the Duck limit were to go back to 3 ducks/day, I can guarantee you the hunting would be much better, the TRUE duck hunter would get Mahanna back and other private lands. I've been told by WAY too many Bandwagon duck hunters that they won't waste their time over 3 ducks. My 2 cents on that is, "GOOD, then keep your arss at home where it belongs because your not a duck hunter anyway!!"

[1deadduck]

Pin-
You nailed it on the head. Used to hunt Mr Mabus's field along Ms. River just south of Mayersville from '81 till '95. He sold the property and Richard McRae bought it and reportedly wants to lease it for $20,000 per year, no guaranteed water! And some doctors fell for it.