Not sure what I’m gonna do

[RUGER]

I'm at a very confusing spot in terms of duck hunting.
The thought of missing a single minute with man makes me very sad.

I am to the point that the work outweighs the benefits by a large margin.
It has become much larger the last two years.
Not really sure what I'm gonna do after this year.

I do know I don't have the equipment to hunt Missouri.
I don't have a four wheel drive truck or an atv.
Have to rely on others and that ain't right.

I do know I hate the mud more than I thought I would.
My body doesn't like it at all either.
I can really tell my age and reckless youth are catching up with me.
Walking in and out makes my hips hurt pretty bad. Even my new one.

Don't have the desire to fight public land bs for a mediocre, at best, blind plus now I don't have a hunting boat.

Very disappointed with our pit. Yeah things can change in January but with other obligations I only see maybe 2 free weekends this month.
Honestly the desire to even try is fading fast.
Dang sure ain't burning any PTO to chase them.

I have had the opportunity to hunt a few of the best private spots in west tn over the last 8 years and EVERY time they have gone from hammering limits to barely avoiding a skunk.
I swear I think I am cursed for some reason.

Maybe I can get man to fish more lol

Dunno.

 

[Specializedjon]

If there's air in your lungs, the ducks should be nervous.

Keep "choppin wood" brother. At least you have the option.

 

[Remington700]

It's hard to be a duck hunter in West TN. It is very hit or miss most of the time. Like you said sometimes the juice doesn't seem worth the squeeze. I've been there and barely duck hunt anymore.

 

[Mud Creek]

Maybe you and him could just book 1 or 2 hunts a year for 2-3 days each with a reputable guide at a good spot out of state? 1 or 2 memorable hunts a season would be better than a whole season of misery and trouble. If he still hunts and draws a blind(assuming he still puts in for them)or if there is somewhere you can join him then you take a day and hunt together then go back to fishing when its over.

 

[ImThere]

^^^ what he said.

 

[WilcoKen]

I'm at a very confusing spot in terms of duck hunting.
The thought of missing a single minute with man makes me very sad.

I am to the point that the work outweighs the benefits by a large margin.
It has become much larger the last two years.
Not really sure what I'm gonna do after this year.

I do know I don't have the equipment to hunt Missouri.
I don't have a four wheel drive truck or an atv.
Have to rely on others and that ain't right.

I do know I hate the mud more than I thought I would.
My body doesn't like it at all either.
I can really tell my age and reckless youth are catching up with me.
Walking in and out makes my hips hurt pretty bad. Even my new one.

Don't have the desire to fight public land bs for a mediocre, at best, blind plus now I don't have a hunting boat.

Very disappointed with our pit. Yeah things can change in January but with other obligations I only see maybe 2 free weekends this month.
Honestly the desire to even try is fading fast.
Dang sure ain't burning any PTO to chase them.

I have had the opportunity to hunt a few of the best private spots in west tn over the last 8 years and EVERY time they have gone from hammering limits to barely avoiding a skunk.
I swear I think I am cursed for some reason.

Maybe I can get man to fish more lol

Dunno.

I can certainly relate Ruger. Last year was my first to try Missouri. I was gung-ho thanks to the TWRA mess. Well Missouri was pretty much a trainwreck last year thanks to beavers clogging our field drain unbeknown to us until it was too late. Could not hunt the pit all of Jan last year--field would not drain and top of pit was under water.

Fast forward to this year--ducks do not want any part of our field. It is very obvious. It is a huge waste of time and money hunting that field.

Last week, I had a blast for 2 day's hunting Old Hickory with my son. We only killed 10, but the experience was 10x better than anything I've experienced this last 2 years in SEMO. Im sure there are good fields over there in SEMO, but I've decided its not worth all the hassles of driving nearly 4 hours for 1-2 ducks or worse yet getting skunked (happens alot). In a blind, we have a good breakfast, stay pretty dry and clean, and even kill a few ducks. Then drive 25 minutes to get home.

I guess I have to accept a terrible draw system plus frustration with TWRA--and just take what I can get. I do plan on trying to find a private place in WTN in the next 2 years with my son and 2 others we know. If nothing else, Ive learned alot. Bootheel hunting sounds good, but for me, it has not lived up to the hype. Not even close.

 

[WilcoKen]

Maybe you and him could just book 1 or 2 hunts a year for 2-3 days each with a reputable guide at a good spot out of state? 1 or 2 memorable hunts a season would be better than a whole season of misery and trouble. If he still hunts and draws a blind(assuming he still puts in for them)or if there is somewhere you can join him then you take a day and hunt together then go back to fishing when its over.

Yes. This.

 

[Hymie3]

I said before in another thread that I went from Arkansas to boot hill for two reasons. Money and closer to home. But It basically sucks. Oh I saw ducks and lots of them. But they just flew right by and a mile high going somewhere else. Also the crowds are unbearable to me. I have always been fired up to duck hunt, This year I have been zero times. Not sure what I'm going to do moving forward so I feel you on the lack of desire. A good duck hunt is as good as it gets to me but it's getting hard to achieve unless you are pretty well off financially, which is a shame….

 

[WilcoKen]

It's hard to be a duck hunter in West TN. It is very hit or miss most of the time. Like you said sometimes the juice doesn't seem worth the squeeze. I've been there and barely duck hunt anymore.

Hit or miss is a good description of what Ive seen in the Bootheel. 25 misses for 1 hit has been my experience.

 

[RUGER]

Maybe you and him could just book 1 or 2 hunts a year for 2-3 days each with a reputable guide at a good spot out of state? 1 or 2 memorable hunts a season would be better than a whole season of misery and trouble. If he still hunts and draws a blind(assuming he still puts in for them)or if there is somewhere you can join him then you take a day and hunt together then go back to fishing when its over.

Funny you mention that.
Our group started going to reelfoot with Parker's every year.
Think we did it 5 years maybe??
I hunted exactly one Sunday morning. The rest of the time I got up Sunday and went home.
Best a group of 10 did was maybe 12 ducks our very first trip.
Rest of the Saturdays were in the 2-3 range.
Decided instead of spending $500 for 2 hunts throw in another $150 and have somewhere to go all year AND kill a crap ton more ducks.
Yeah great idea. Lol

Ironically they absolutely hammered the ducks on reelfoot early in the season this year.


I'm cursed I tell ya.

Sure had some good times at reelfoot though lol
Minus the year @biglefty20 kicked my arse.

 

[Mud Creek]

Lol I feel that. How's this for cursed. The year I decided I would start putting in for draws with my buddies, TWRA changed it to what it is now LOL. I was looking foward to in person draws one day and learning about online apications and tier 1-3 dumb $#!+ the next! Such a disaster imo.

 

[RUGER]

Lol I feel that. How's this for cursed. The year I decided I would start putting in for draws with my buddies, TWRA changed it to what it is now LOL. I was looking foward to in person draws one day and learning about online apications and tier 1-3 dumb $#!+ the next! Such a disaster imo.

Yep they sure did screw things up.
But look at all the opportunities!!!

 

[Spurhunter]

I'm at a very confusing spot in terms of duck hunting.
The thought of missing a single minute with man makes me very sad.
I am to the point that the work outweighs the benefits by a large margin.

I'm in the same boat. I got spoiled hunting the MS River in the late 90's. There were ducks then. In the early 2000s we stopped killing enough ducks to justify the amount of work so I quit and went back to deer hunting. My son is 23 now and loves to duck hunt. While I'm off deer hunting he's duck hunting. I'd like to spend more time hunting with him, but it's just not worth getting up at 2:30am, doing all the work, then killing a few woodies and a couple big ducks if you're lucky. Not to mention some dipshit is usually going to sleep in and show up at prime shooting time and start setting up 100 yards away. I'd be willing to pay whatever it cost to go on a couple really good hunts every year, but I don't know where that would be.

 

[chimneyman]

I gave up duck hunting about 10 years ago. I miss the good days but it's just not worth it anymore. Here in E Tn about a dozen of my old blinds are now in someone's front yard. I'd still like to go on one of those after season snow goose hunts

 

[cbhunter]

Funny you mention that.
Our group started going to reelfoot with Parker's every year.
Think we did it 5 years maybe??
I hunted exactly one Sunday morning. The rest of the time I got up Sunday and went home.
Best a group of 10 did was maybe 12 ducks our very first trip.
Rest of the Saturdays were in the 2-3 range.
Decided instead of spending $500 for 2 hunts throw in another $150 and have somewhere to go all year AND kill a crap ton more ducks.
Yeah great idea. Lol

Ironically they absolutely hammered the ducks on reelfoot early in the season this year.


I'm cursed I tell ya.

Sure had some good times at reelfoot though lol
Minus the year @biglefty20 kicked my arse.

I miss reelfoot!

Definitely a lot of good times/memories there. Too bad ducks didn't play much of a part in that

 

[CBU93]

I'd rather rabbit hunt over dogs now days.

 

[Omega]

Yea, get some dogs, attach them to a sled and way you go.

 

[Gravey]

I'd vote for booking a hunt or two with man every year and calling it good. Growing up in middle Tennessee coupled with the fact my family didn't do it ducks were never on my radar. I don't know squat about it except point and shoot when someone calls the shot. I'm more concerned with the food in the blind than how many ducks were killed. Went on my first hunt within the last 10 years as part of a work deal a vendor took us on. It's a social time and fun but nothing I'm going to put that much time and money into to get to do it. I did have a good time with y'all yahoos at reelfoot last year. My deer and turkey lease is an hour and a half away and I can't hardly get down there much.

 

[Mud Creek]

I'd rather rabbit hunt over dogs now days.

I spent basically my whole life rabbit hunting with beagles. My grandaddy, dad, uncles, cousins, all did it. If I could make a living being a houndsman I would make good money. It's in the blood! Always loved rabbit hunting and evaluating dogs. Field Trials and judging them were usually fun also. Sadly I have lost every single piece of private land I once had permission to hunt. Clean farming and deer leases killed it. There are no shortages of WMA's but getting to a spot and seeing it loaded with hunters then turning around and going home is no fun. I'm down to just 2 running dogs, they were born here and earned their spot so they will die here. After they go, as bad as I hate to say it I might just hang it up and never own another unless my daughter wants to be involved with them. Definitley a family tradition that I hate to see die, but I use to train dogs 7 days a week, and I dont even get them out that many times a month now. Sucks.

I will say this, I would trade every single rabbit hunting memory I have, & every bit of knowledge on the subject I learned along the way in exchange for being raised in a duck hunting environment by real deal duck hunters.





Thread derailment is over, sorry. It's not often I hear a person say they'd rather rabbit hunt with dogs lol

 

[drake799]

I battle this mentality ever year Amount I can hunt dwindles annually on top of the sham that public land hunting has become I own ENTIRELY TOO MUCH duck hunting equipment for my situation. I wanna be one these guys that shows up at the ramp with a gun and some shells and hops in someones boat lol.

 

[TnKen]

I've had a lease in Arkansas for about 12 years, and it is definitely work. Some years more than others, but always work. The really good days are not as often as they used to be. Life was a lot easier when I just deer and turkey hunted.

 

[poorhunter]

I'm telling ya @RUGER sell everything you got and spend that money on a few good trips to North Dakota. Not sure how easy the freelance is anymore (or if you'd want to do it) but even getting a guide up there once a year would create a ton of memories for you and man.

 

[X-Tennessean]

Faced this 16 years ago now after moving to Missouri from Martin thinking I was moving to the next "Stugartt Ark". Growing up hunting at Terrell exit (primarily) along with Crockett and so forth and get to Missouri to which no one I work with is a fowler and I tackle Ten Mile pond, Otter Slough it didn't take long for me to get a belly full of all the headache and decide I was not as mad at ducks as I once was! I guess you can say I was spoiled and I will be the first to admit that I was and it was NICE!!
I have since decided to do a guided snow goose trip once/twice a year to get my fill but after some bad trips I just gave it all up......hence the reason I sold yall the decoys a few years back!
Do I have friends here that have some bang up spots....you betcha! Most are established with members to which I could probably get in but I just don't have the desire and have not opened that door, not to mention the $$$ it takes here.
I replaced duck with crappie and feel it fits me better, if I wanna go....I go and if I don't I sit and tell myself I shudda fished today! No hastle of trying to get guys together to prep and brush blinds or get decoys rigged or anything else that goes with the territory.
I am honestly getting that away with deer as I have not hunted the past two seasons but feel that will change with my son coming into the picture now days!
I agree as suggested as far as guides but I would pay the extra for a sure enough reputable guide even if it meant a 3-4 day trip outta state.

 

[m_allison71]

I just go fishing. It's less work. No decoys to set and pick up. If you are not where the fish want to be, it's easier to move.

 

[spoonie]

i'm an addict, I can't give up the addiction of waterfowling, it's been single digit kill days for the last 10 plus days, today the blind killed 40+ birds. I'll just keep on keeping on

 

[Bgoodman30]

i'm an addict, I can't give up the addiction of waterfowling, it's been single digit kill days for the last 10 plus days, today the blind killed 40+ birds. I'll just keep on keeping on

That's right you can't be right in the head to keep chasing ducks your whole life...

 

[RUGER]

i'm an addict, I can't give up the addiction of waterfowling, it's been single digit kill days for the last 10 plus days, today the blind killed 40+ birds. I'll just keep on keeping on

I guess that's my problem, I am definitely not a duck hunting addict.
The ONLY reason I ever started was because my son did. All his life if he was interested in it I was too.
Just getting old I guess.
:D

 

[RUGER]

A good duck hunt is as good as it gets to me but it's getting hard to achieve unless you are pretty well off financially, which is a shame….

I have a good friend who has a buddy that owns one of the best duck holes in West TN.
It is a pit that's history goes back for over 50 years.
Long story short he reclaims use of it this coming year.
I'm sure I will be able to go there and hunt a couple times.
I mentioned getting "in" on it.
He said his buddy is talking about leasing "holes" in the pit.
He said they would be "around" $15,000.00 per hole.
My friends brother told him, sign me up for 2 holes.
I just had to shake my head.

 

[TheLBLman]

This waterfowl Bootheel Saga of Many
sure sounds similar to the deer-hunting Illinois Saga of Many.

How did just going hunting ever get so complicated (and costly)?

 

[Hymie3]

I have a good friend who has a buddy that owns one of the best duck holes in West TN.
It is a pit that's history goes back for over 50 years.
Long story short he reclaims use of it this coming year.
I'm sure I will be able to go there and hunt a couple times.
I mentioned getting "in" on it.
He said his buddy is talking about leasing "holes" in the pit.
He said they would be "around" $15,000.00 per hole.
My friends brother told him, sign me up for 2 holes.
I just had to shake my head.

Yea. That's what I mean.. every good lease I've been on the "guy in charge has at worst paid for his own part of the lease through charging other members enough to cover himself and at best made extra money off of it. I definitely liken duck hunting now to, say pike county Illinois or similar for deer hunting. Unless you have relatives or friends with good property a duck membership is going to run minimum 3500 a head in Arkansas. That's tough to swallow for the average man.