Slowest Duck Season Ever, But Beautiful Scenery

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Every hunter I know who hunts North AL is claiming this is their worst season ever. I thought last year was slow, but this is amazing, in a bad way. There hasn't been a push of ducks since before the opener and I would wager the aerial surveys will show the lowest counts on record. Thomas and I have spent many hours on the lake, rivers, tribs, and swamps and have yet to find huntable numbers. In fact I spent yesterday and today scouting some historically very good gunning grounds and did not even see a wood duck. Unbelievable. Having said all that I've been enjoying my time running the rivers and searching for ducks and taking in the sites. So far I've discovered a pure stand of bald cypress that I never knew existed. I've also walked through some of the most beautiful tupelo swamps anywhere. North AL is in a bit of a void of cypress which is very common throughout the southeast. But we've got some amazing tupelo bottoms instead. I only had my iPhone on me and not my new 35mm SLR, but I hope you enjoy these pics just the same.

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Eric,

Glad you?re taking the time to smell the roses despite the lack of ducks. Being from the north east I?m extremely jealous of that flooded timber. I love my tidal marsh hunting but I would love to experience the sight of ducks filtering through the canopy of those massive trees
 
Will

My experience with tides is from 30 years ago gunning the Mobile Delta, which has tides and tupelos if you can believe that! I think I'm more comfortable today with rivers and floods than tides. I'd probably end up on a mud bar waiting for the tide to return.
 
Eric, the good thing about hunting the tide is if the water drops out, you know it will come back. The bad thing is it may be a while.......Two really bad seasons in a row here in Jersey. I hunt a good marsh, there is plenty of feed out there, and there are no ducks. The duck population in this part of the flyway is way down the last several years, it reminds me of the early 90's. The only thing I see around in better numbers than the last few years is Canada geese, which are supposedly down in numbers, go figure. I've shot one duck this year, and have fired at two.
 
Don;t let it get you down.. I know, no matter what one says it gets to you.. A few years ago I put the same 3 shells in my gun all year...
 
Eric Patterson said:
I'd probably end up on a mud bar waiting for the tide to return.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that!!

Eric, you are one step ahead of me, I haven't had the boat or a decoy in the water this season and may not for the first time since 1997.
 
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I've been hunting more than 60 years here in Minnesota and this years season was the worst I can remember since the 60's. If I recall correctly they dropped the limit to 2 a day back then. They didn't need to set a limit here this year as there weren't any ducks anyway!
 
Eric
It?s slow up here in WNY. Normally we are starting to get iced out by now. We?ve had days in the fifties in December. A week or so ago I shot a woodie, normally they?re gone by mid November. The cans, bills and reds you see once in awhile, but not like in years past. Lakes Erie and Ontario are wide open they can raft up anywhere they want.
I keep joking with everyone and say they?ve already started the back migration north.
 
Eric, pretty cool pictures. I like seeing other duck haunts! I did more scouting this year than any year in the past. Sat on dead holes I just knew would hold ducks. Several years of heavy flooding has ducks scattered all over the Midwest. I always brag that I typically get two ducks a year. This year it was one! Just picked up a new to me double ender skiff. Can't wait until next season.
 
Gorgeous woods. My turkey woods are mainly tupelo swamps. I love hunting turkeys in tupelo swamps that have dried up. Even when they are wet, there are usually pockets that are still high and dry. It's a little more challenging to get to the turkeys but they're usually lightly hunted turkeys.
 
Love seeing the scenery from other parts of the waterfowling world. Had a fun little swamp/timber shoot last week here in NJ but nothing like flooded tupelo...

I've been having one of my better seasons to date in terms of numbers, but it has turned into a grind as of late. Didn't hate going back to work today though for a little break.

Hopefully we all get a little weather and a push of birds to finish out our seasons.
 
Craig I?ve also been doing quite well in jersey especially compared to last year. A week with very heavy gunning pressure though due to the holidays and mild temps has made it difficult to decoys birds. More grey ducks than I?ve ever seen though and the teal are still around which is a bonus this time of year although it?s tough to get in front of them.
 
Seems like it is very slow for everyone, everywhere! The ducks have to be somewhere right? Someone has to be having a good season.
 
Not sure about others states but Alabama is now having two very poor seasons back-to-back. Yet 2017-18 was one for the record books. We are simply highly reliant on the right type of weather and warm/wet isn't it.

I hear of people saying this will cause folks to sell their gear and get out of the sport. I suppose that will happen in some cases but attrition has always been present. Guys I hunted with in HS dropped out before college ended. Guys I hunted with after college dropped out when they started families. Honestly, the group of used-to's to still-do's is many times greater now that I'm in my 50s with 37 seasons under my belt. So attrition is just part of the deal, but in my best estimation what seasons like this will do is cut hunter recruitment. We talked about this recently but my son is seeing very few peers, especially a few years behind him enter the sport. With so few birds around two season in a row that isn't surprising. I know there are brighter days ahead, but to a 16-18 year old they probably won't be enticed to become a duck hunter unless their peers are having success. Locally, our hunter numbers or demographics might just reflect these back-to-back low opportunity seasons for a few seasons to come.
 
I've been reading Zack Taylor's book Succesfull Waterfowling for like the 10th time. This book was written in 1973 when we all had a point system and the year I graded from high school. It was reported in his book the nesting population was 400 million ducks. In the past 25 years I can't remember the FWS reporting anymore than 50 million ducks. Nobody wants to hear it but maybe we should have reinstated the point system a long time ago. I also see young guys ecstatic that 4 guys shot 6 ducks or less. Ever year here there are young guys taking up the slack from us old guys giving up. I hunt alone because my generation threw in the towel. Heavy flooding for the past 3 years on the Mississippi River and the Rock River in my area has scattered the ducks and geese to flooded farm fields of corporate farms with no access because the river systems have no food sources. I'm to old to give up yet. I still love to see the sunrise and my breathe on a cold morning. This year was 52 seasons. One day sooner than later I won't be able to go.
 
[size 4] Eric,
Looks like you've been getting some ice in those tupelo bottoms, but still have plenty of open water.
It was interesting shooting in Florida last month, as most of what we did was gun at daybreak from blinds positioned between roosting and resting areas. No decoys in use that I ever saw.

I was told that guys are paying $6000 per year to buy the opportunity to gun 2 days a week on the large privately owned tracts while the season is in [huh] [huh] [huh]. Think I'll take the Ohio River and whatever hot & cold opportunities it affords over the span of a season.

Still lots of season left here, and I'm enjoying every time out. Our water levels are holding with some heavy rains late this week and no hard freeze in sight, so the coming week should be provide some good conditions.
Haven't seen any young hunters out and about, and that is troubling. When I look at my own kids who certainly grew up hunting, I see them at the stage where they're deep into career and family with little time to hunt unless I call to set it up. I can see them getting back to it when their kids are older (I'm waiting for that too [;)] )
 
Ed

Those numbers are probably an apple to oranges comparison, which is okay. As a stats guy I've come to accept the fed numbers as a barometer of the breeding pop, not a true population census. More important (or rather cost effective) is to have a consistent estimator that correlates to the true pop number than to get the actual duck count. I believe the sampling techniques are very well established and conducted nearly identically annually thus removing sampling strategy from the error sources. This is important and allows the current pop to be compared to the historical pop timeline. Bottom line is you don't need nor can you afford an exact estimate. You want consistent metric to draw inference from. I'm pretty sure you know this, but I'm pontificating because most waterfowlers I run across have no idea. BTW, the points system was an enforcement nightmare. I like the new system better, even given the fact it doesn't strengthen wing identification or personal restraint. Those aspects were lost, for some, and that is a shame.

Bob

I've yet to hear ice crunch under my boots all season. Looking at the 15 day forecast with less than 30 days to go I might not hear that crunch at all this season. I'm with you on the cost vs. opportunity I can come up with on my own. That kind of money isn't something I'd consider sinking into a club (unless I was purchasing land) when I can still run the rivers and hunt public. I do have access to private but tend to leave it alone until we build numbers and can have a really good shoot, and that' just hasn't happened much, so I keep going public. I know one reason you are still able to, and that is you are the picture of good health. Not many men make it to your age and are in the physical shape you are. Congrats on taking such good care of yourself and reaping the benefits. I bet you are more physically fit than most of your former players :)

Craig & Greg

Those NJ marshes sure do look gorgeous to me. Maybe one day I'll make it up there to see for myself. If I do I'll gladly swap a hunt in tupelo bottoms to someone willing to show me around.



Eric
 
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Always welcome up here Eric.

The largest change I've seen in recent years in regards to hunter recruitment is the popularity of sea duck hunting. That too is also changing with reduced seasons and seems to be where most of the pressure is going these days. Lots of younger folks involved there, I assume because of the success rate.
 
Eric,

I'm sure the counting methods have gotten much more accurate. I was talking to a FWS biologist back in the summer. He spent a year doing field counts back in the early 80's. He told me he was instructed to count 10 ducks for every duck they reported. The point system wasn't perfect for sure. You could easily game the system. I guess I was thinking along the lines maybe limiting a duck or two in the daily bag in hopes of repopulation. Of course with the lower counts I'm hearing from so many maybe that's happening naturally.
 
Photos haven't been showing up, but I see them now on the desktop. Wow, those are near areas. I bet pretty mystical with a little fog predawn.

Sorry to hear your season is sucking for bird numbers. That is how mine all are pretty much :).
 
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