Blake et. al.
I am glad you have a means to hunt and have a guide you like that can set you and your family up on quality hunts. That's a valuable service. But what is rubbing me the wrong way is the permits are highly restricted (your seven days are up so GTF out of here) and either lottery or through an outfitter. Why should outfitters control significant access to the resource?
I've read the comments from Manitoba residents, and they clearly don't want us there and take a very dim view of Americans. They think we only come because we trashed our environment and don't have any ducks of our own to hunt. They are calling for us to only have the opportunity once the ducks are gone from Canada and in the US. I'll post a few comments from them further below.
Look, the more officials set up restrictions, get territorial, and try and block out anyone who isn't "one of us" all they do eliminate opportunity and enjoyment of the resource. I think it's incredibly shortsighted as the range of these magnificent creatures is far greater than any one province or state. Take away the opportunities to pursue something and the hunter numbers needed to fund management and protection will dwindle to the point of not being able to do the job. Manitoba gets A LOT of habitat funding from DU and Delta and the hunting tourists pump millions of dollars into their tiny little communities. I can see it now, outfitters scarfing up all the land and advertising like crazy in the US promising hunters the Manitoba world class experience that they can only get through them. No thank you.
One other thing, thank you DU for fighting Manitoba's self-serving agenda. Their comments to the Manitoba officials are linked below.
Eric Patterson
https://www.ducks.org/...ba%20Comment%201.pdf
"I certainly don't wat them slaughtering my wildlife, Do, you. For wealthy American brats? For a couples bucks"
"Who cares what Americans care or say, the train left the statin"
"I don't understand the reason that hunters from the upper midwestern states would come running to Manitoba for duck hunting. Aren't there enough good waterfowl hunting sites in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan?"
"As a Canadian, have you ever tried getting a hunting license and tags in the U.S. or any other country for that matter. Just about every hunting tag in the U,S, is by lottery now. The Americans are still getting a pretty good deal up here."
"Manitoba's new slogan to the Americans ....'duck off'"
"Let 'em get healthy in their own country. They'll be here soon enough coming after our fresh water."
