ex-duck hunters??????

[deerlawman]

just a show of hands- who knows someone, who has quit waterfowl hunting ONLY because the area they hunted in no longer winters waterfowl in huntable numbers, and how many people do you know like this?

i personally can count 19. what do you think has contributed to this?

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I'll raise my hand..... Growing up in West Tn on the river and Camden Bottoms.... we had great days and we had slow days....

A slow day in West Tn is like a good day on Woods Res.... based on the last 10 years I hunted it... Just got tired of spending all the time and effort to hunt for only a hand full of ducks all season...

I know some blinds are better than others and it's not all about the killing... I enjoy spending time away from the everyday grind and with buddies.... but I like to get a return out of my investments too....

I gave it up 3 years ago.... along with the early goose season...

Might get back into it if I get back to West Tn before I'm too old.... or if I get another duck boat... just makes things easier when you don't have to depend on others to hunt.

 

[BigBuckManiac]

I am almost to that point.Its not worth it to me to spend all the money on it and get up at 3 in the morning to kill a few ducks.It seems like every year the numbers get worse.

 

[SilverFox]

I hunted Santee Cooper when they had hydrilla. That was good hunting. Now days it's about like watching paint dry.

I've spent several days on the lakes here near my home in Kodak this fall. I saw over 1000 coots one day... and probably 500 or so on a couple of other days. They were probably the same ones. The number of desired waterfowl I have seen has been lest than 50 on the water. I did see a load of woodies and some mallards one morning but haven't seen them since. Probably over 200 in my area that morning. Still not the numbers I've saw 20 years ago.

As much time as I spend on the water, it hasn't been good enough to make a life long duck hunter want to go get his stamps and load up the boat for ducks. I'll spend my time fishing.

 

[KennyDale]

Duck hunted in late 90s until 2004 then got tired of all the effort just to see hardly any ducks. I love it but having to fool with blind drawings etc. just didn't seem worth it. I would probably duck hunt more if I had a private lease with some ducks.

 

[geezer]

I'll raise my hand..... Growing up in West Tn on the river and Camden Bottoms.... we had great days and we had slow days....

A slow day in West Tn is like a good day on Woods Res.... based on the last 10 years I hunted it... Just got tired of spending all the time and effort to hunt for only a hand full of ducks all season...

I know some blinds are better than others and it's not all about the killing... I enjoy spending time away from the everyday grind and with buddies.... but I like to get a return out of my investments too....

I gave it up 3 years ago.... along with the early goose season...

Might get back into it if I get back to West Tn before I'm too old.... or if I get another duck boat... just makes things easier when you don't have to depend on others to hunt.

Im right there with you, If im not on call I WILL go to the drawing but just dont enjoy it like I did. In 99 I killed pintails, mallards.....all the big ducks, in good numbers....on old hickory,seems like things have just changed. Even Camden aint that good any more. Also seems to me that a whole new breed of people started duck hunting and IMO most of em come across as know it all D!%k heads that ruin a good time by skybusting and if you have a draw blind, they jump it when your not there and trash it! Oh well, I got some good memories of duck hunting how it used to be.

 

[spitndrum]

I'm a rookie, we dont have great numbers around here but can find a few, If I ever go on a good hunt I'll be spoilt!

 

[SilverFox]

Rubberheads... I really dislike the kids who spend daddy's money on all the new stuff.

Duck hunting is an art that is all too often screwed up by the new guys that think it's cool.

All these guys that think if you don't have a SBE or Gold Hunter you're not a duck hunter... really ticks me off.

I shoot a pump... always have and always will. When I pull the trigger, I want it to go boom. If I need a boat paddle, I have one.

The days of sitting on the river or the lake and hearing real duck calling are over. Too many guys with $150 dollar calls that couldn't call a real duck but could win a contest that a real duck couldn't win.

Too many wantabe duck hunters that buy ducks and charge people to shoot.... and they breed with real ducks and screw up the wild ducks.

Too many people making duck ponds... that really screw up the migration... and shooting too many ducks. Ducks use to go South for a reason. Now it's like there is a McDonalds on every corner for them to stop off in.

I could go on and on... but what's the point. Some retard is always going to screw up a good thing.

 

[stik]

being cold,wet,muddy and miserable for maybe a chance at 2 or 3 shots at a duck is not my idea of fun. i quit when lead was outlawed.

 

[TurkeyBurd]

Well said....but tell us how you feel!!

Rubberheads... I really dislike the kids who spend daddy's money on all the new stuff.

Duck hunting is an art that is all too often screwed up by the new guys that think it's cool.

All these guys that think if you don't have a SBE or Gold Hunter you're not a duck hunter... really ticks me off.

I shoot a pump... always have and always will. When I pull the trigger, I want it to go boom. If I need a boat paddle, I have one.

The days of sitting on the river or the lake and hearing real duck calling are over. Too many guys with $150 dollar calls that couldn't call a real duck but could win a contest that a real duck couldn't win.

Too many wantabe duck hunters that buy ducks and charge people to shoot.... and they breed with real ducks and screw up the wild ducks.

Too many people making duck ponds... that really screw up the migration... and shooting too many ducks. Ducks use to go South for a reason. Now it's like there is a McDonalds on every corner for them to stop off in.

I could go on and on... but what's the point. Some retard is always going to screw up a good thing.

 

[rukiddin]

I have all but quit, compared to what it used to be. I still duck hunt and would rather have go duck hunting once a year than deer hunt every day of the season. Absolutely no comparison!! Just got back from a great 3 day hunt in West TN where did really well and it made me remember why I love it so much.

Me and a couple buddies still have sole permission on some beaver swamps in NC. We do pretty well, but we only hunt'em a couple or 3 times a year.

Living in East TN, its just not worth it dealing with the kazoo blowers and skybusters. Besides that, I don't have a single duck sticker on my back glass or a Benelli shotgun, so I'm not a real duck hunter anyway. lol.

 

[SilverFox]

I don't have a single duck sticker on my back glass or a Benelli shotgun, so I'm not a real duck hunter anyway. lol.

I do have some stickers on my boat... my daughter is sticker crazy. I'm a member of Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited so I have those stickers on my boat. I have the DU license plate on the back of the truck just because they do give some of the money to DU from the tag. I don't agree with DU on everything but we need some conservation. Nothing else on my truck except my company logo.

I also own a Benelli... NOVA. It's actually a pretty good duck gun. I use to shoot Remmington 870's but got a deal on the Benelli. 26 inch barrel was killer on the woodies in the swamps back home. Easy to handle.

If that disqualifies me then I guess I'm a real duck hunter.

 

[booche]

I quit duck hunting several years ago. I cut my teeth hunting reelfoot lake. I have hunted the outshirts of Lake Isom refuge, Camden Bottoms, and several places between Jackson and Halls. We used to lay on the sand bars of the Mississippi River and kill geese like nothing. However, waterfowling has gotten way to expensive for my blood. I can kill several deer a year, watch my family love every bite of those deer, and spend alot less money. I do have a SBE though, now it just goes boom at thunderchickens. I do miss duckhunting. If we hadn't moved to Chattanooga then I would probably still go a few times a year.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

If we hadn't moved to Chattanooga then I would probably still go a few times a year.

Hunt in Chattanooga.... I know guys that hunt the river/lake around there....

 

[JohnnyBond]

not me, i'm persistent

ask my wife

Yup I am glad keep going brother

 

[turk870]

havent really quit persay but have quit going unless ive got a good place to go.i didnt go last year,and havent been this year yet.the bad thing is me and my wife both have dogs we run in hunt test so ive got two great duck dogs that dont get to go hunting but my wife loves the hunt test

 

[booche]

I will start fishing the lake again next month. I haven't seen awhole lot of ducks here. Definitley not as many as I used to see. I may get get back into it one day. I do know that every time I see a duck hunting show on t.v. and they are pounding the birds in timber or over corn or bean fields I get the urge to go. I may just start going back home and hunting with some of my buddy's.
However there are a ton of geese here. I think most of them are residents though.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I do know that every time I see a duck hunting show on t.v. and they are pounding the birds in timber or over corn or bean fields I get the urge to go.

x2 :grin:

 

[JThuntsalot]

Rubberheads... I really dislike the kids who spend daddy's money on all the new stuff.

Duck hunting is an art that is all too often screwed up by the new guys that think it's cool.

All these guys that think if you don't have a SBE or Gold Hunter you're not a duck hunter... really ticks me off.

I shoot a pump... always have and always will. When I pull the trigger, I want it to go boom. If I need a boat paddle, I have one.

The days of sitting on the river or the lake and hearing real duck calling are over. Too many guys with $150 dollar calls that couldn't call a real duck but could win a contest that a real duck couldn't win.

Too many wantabe duck hunters that buy ducks and charge people to shoot.... and they breed with real ducks and screw up the wild ducks.

Too many people making duck ponds... that really screw up the migration... and shooting too many ducks. Ducks use to go South for a reason. Now it's like there is a McDonalds on every corner for them to stop off in.

I could go on and on... but what's the point. Some retard is always going to screw up a good thing.

I have a Drake Waterfowl sticker in my Back window. I wear Drake clothing, I blow 150 dollar calls, I shoot a 1187 super, and an 835 ulti mag. We have standing corn in our hole. Call me what you want but I kill ducks always have and always will. I have a few secret spots I can go and kill a limit in an hour. There is a few on here than can vouch for my duck killing ways also. Just because someone like to by some of the finer things doesn't mean they aren't hunters. But I also know the type you are talking about also.

 

[SilverFox]

If you know the kind of guys I'm talking about then there's no use comparing yourself to them. Over the years I have hunted it gets worse every year. I've never paid $150 for a duck call... never will. I guess I'll never have a SBE or Gold Hunter... I have had a Browning 10 gauge Stalker along with the 12 gauge 3.5 stalker. Not my guns of choice. The 12 did make a heck of a deer gun for buckshot. I'm not an auto guy when it comes to anything but 22's or pistols.

One of the biggest clusters I have ever seen is Santee Cooper opening morning of duck season at Pack's launch. Guys that can't back a truck down a ramp and clog it up for everyone. If there's ice on the ramp that's even worse. You pull up to your hole 2 hours ahead of time and set up. 15 minutes before shooting time 3 teenagers in a 18 foot aluminum boat with a mudmotor roar up 50 yards from you and start throwing out decoys. 5 minutes before shooting time they are on the calls blowing something this is suppose to be a feeder call. 3 minutes before time they start blasting at woodies. Right time the mallards should be starting to fly they try to pack up and head to another hole. That's the kind of people I am talking about.

Too many times I've seen kids shoot and drop ducks and not look for them for over 2 minutes... or shoot and drop ducks and the current take them down river. Dogs that are gun shy... dogs that don't listen... people that can't stay still or be quiet.

Now days if you hunt Santee, you're going to see people who camp out a day or two in advance to get the hole they want. It's crazy and not my cup of tea.

It use to be if you set up and someone rode in on you, you could shine them off. Now days they think that since you're there, it's a great hole or at least they will not be sitting in the dark alone.

If East Tennessee duck hunting isn't any better than I have seen, I will not be going. I've spent hours on the water this year fishing the fall. I've only heard a few shots and only seen a few ducks. While I did get my waders out and buy a new jacket, I haven't yet bought a stamp or got my other stuff ready. There's nothing here. I bet I haven't seen over 100 big ducks on the water... and a couple hundred one morning down river. Haven't seen those ducks again and I have looked several times. There is no cold weather to push them this way. Today it was 65 degrees... that's not duck hunting weather.