A pheasant hunters perspective on duck hunting

[Frank Lopez]

Bill,
Yeah, it's pretty tough. We do have a good bit of acreage that is state owned. Mostly the old RCA properties. The release some 3300 pheasants over the course of the season. Getting on the property can get to be a bit of an issue, sometimes, but we seem to do alright. Sadly, the wild bird populations are all but gone. There are no quail left and there's only a small pocket of wild pheasant way out east. Part of it is over gunning, but the big thing is all the pesticides that are being used. It kills off all the insect life and the birds have nothing to feed on in the spring. That's especially important for the broods.
As far as diver hunting on the North Shore, that's about all but over, too. We used to get rafts of broadbill hugging the beaches. No more. Basically, everything is confined to the harbors. About the only things out in the sound are old squaw. The good news is that we get some decent puddle duck shooting in the harbors. It kind of dries up around the Christmas break, but picks up again in January.
Frank[/QUOTE]

 

[Bill Clark]

Frank,
Strange to see how things readjust when i lived there puddle ducks were there but usually found in areas that could not be hunted. Broadbill was king.
Pheasants,rabbits and quail had good numbers but again you had to have an "in" to hunt them, i have fond memories of field and duck hunting with my first lab "beau" he is buried here on the farm.

Moving to Ohio we had more opportunities to go afield,deer and turkey were building. Weather killed off our quail in 1978 they are trying to make a comeback. Grouse once numerous are all but a memory. Squirrel hunters have become deer bow hunters. Pheasants will not nest in the unglaciated southern counties.
The duck hunting is usually controlled by late season freeze up if the birds are pushed to moving water you stand a chance IF the rivers are not running too hard to hunt.

I guess if you live long enough you will experience changes both good and bad

Bill.