Veterans hunt ?

[RUGER]

First I want to say I have the utmost respect for any and all veterans, this is more for my education than anything else. Not knocking or downing anyone.

Ok so my first question is, have they done these veteran hunts before or is it a new thing.
Secondly, ever since I started duck hunting I have heard you can't hunt them in February because they are paired up and it will mess up the nesting etc.
So there are two veteran hunts and, I believe, two juvenile hunts in February this year?

Are they not concerned with killing them in February because of the relatively low numbers that will be out there in terms of hunters?
If it's not a big deal, why can't we push the season two weeks later and hunt a couple weeks while there are actually birds here?

Just wondering.

 

[JagwalCrush]

First I want to say I have the utmost respect for any and all veterans, this is more for my education than anything else. Not knocking or downing anyone.

Ok so my first question is, have they done these veteran hunts before or is it a new thing.
Secondly, ever since I started duck hunting I have heard you can't hunt them in February because they are paired up and it will mess up the nesting etc.
So there are two veteran hunts and, I believe, two juvenile hunts in February this year?

Are they not concerned with killing them in February because of the relatively low numbers that will be out there in terms of hunters?
If it's not a big deal, why can't we push the season two weeks later and hunt a couple weeks while there are actually birds here?

Just wondering.

I grew up in a military town and have many friends that are either veterans or active. Have the most respect for all of our military. They help to give us the freedom to do these things we love.
I believe last year was the first year for the veterans hunt. I think it is a great opportunity.
I do wonder though, like yourself, how hunting is allowed in any form in February if you're supposedly not supposed to hunt the birds in February?

 

[JagwalCrush]

I grew up in a military town and have many friends that are either veterans or active. Have the most respect for all of our military. They help to give us the freedom to do these things we love.
I believe last year was the first year for the veterans hunt. I think it is a great opportunity.
I do wonder though, like yourself, how hunting is allowed in any form in February if you're supposedly not supposed to hunt the birds in February?

Just as a sidenote... Last year's youth and veterans hunts were the best days of the year for us. We had the weather and the birds as well.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

The Veterans hunt was a new thing added a couple of years ago. The youth hunts have been the first two Saturdays in Feb for as long as I remember. It's the feds that are the problem with extending the season into February, they are the ones giving the final end date of Jan 31 for regular season. Maybe with a week of no hunting between end of season and the youth hunt, and then another week of rest before the next one, what birds are around will get off the refuge more during daylight and give someone a chance at them.

 

[Displaced_Vol]

We're probably shooting ducks too late as it is. I'm guilty as anybody we've always taken our big hunting trip at the end of the year and I look forward to it all season. but year after year shooting them after they've paired up probably isn't doing them any favors. I don't know or remember it but I've heard it was a bit controversial when the feds finally allowed the season to close January 31. A senator from LA or somewhere pushed that through but again I don't know the details.
I totally agree that we always seem to get more ducks after season closes. Biologists tell us it's just the lack of hunting pressure and that if season closed Feb 15, we'd think the birds didn't migrate until Feb 16. So I dont know but I think the fact that guns are going off in places where ducks and geese live from September through March has had an impact of their sensitivity to pressure, along with a lot of other factors.

Go watch or listen to the State of Waterfowl on podcast or YouTube. The first one especially covers all these topics with some of the best minds in the duck world. There's tons of questions we'll likely never know the full answer to but it's a great listen for anybody that's serious about duck hunting.

 

[grosbec]

I grew up in a military town and have many friends that are either veterans or active. Have the most respect for all of our military. They help to give us the freedom to do these things we love.
I believe last year was the first year for the veterans hunt. I think it is a great opportunity.
I do wonder though, like yourself, how hunting is allowed in any form in February if you're supposedly not supposed to hunt the birds in February?

Of all the supposed benefits I'm supposed to have I appreciate 2 extra days to blast more than anything. More concerned w rich folks hunting their wetlands easements while gov pay for 50% of land value and 50% of dirt work with OUR tax dollars. Not suppppposed to hunt it

 

[tickweed]

Trent Lott from Mississippi was the person who pushed feds to Jan. 31. A great senator

 

[Mud Creek]

One in our group got deployed before dove season started, he's missed it all this year. New house built for his family over the summer he hasn't even stepped foot in it, new waders haven't been out of the box, new browning maxus hasn't been fired. We got a blind for him on Woods, expectations aren't high because it's Woods but I know he is ready to be home and I hope he kills a limit!! Hope all the vets do!

 

[Don'tDrinkTinks]

I'm all for it. If anyone gets the chance to hunt the best day migration wise, it should be kids and the people that make the ultimate sacrifice for us.

 

[MickThompson]

Of all the supposed benefits I'm supposed to have I appreciate 2 extra days to blast more than anything. More concerned w rich folks hunting their wetlands easements while gov pay for 50% of land value and 50% of dirt work with OUR tax dollars. Not suppppposed to hunt it

"no hunting" has never been part of the WRP program that I know of. The landowner explicitly retains that right.

 

[MickThompson]

Just as a sidenote... Last year's youth and veterans hunts were the best days of the year for us. We had the weather and the birds as well.

And the bottoms were quiet for nearly a week leading up to those hunts. That can't be ignored.

 

[tickweed]

Wish l had a group of vets for tomorrow

 

[grosbec]

"no hunting" has never been part of the WRP program that I know of. The landowner explicitly retains that right.

Two different programs Sir

 

[MickThompson]

Two different programs Sir

What easement program are you talking about?

 

[ChaplainMann]

First I want to say I have the utmost respect for any and all veterans, this is more for my education than anything else. Not knocking or downing anyone.
lf
Ok so my first question is, have they done these veteran hunts before or is it a new thing.
Secondly, ever since I started duck hunting I have heard you can't hunt them in February because they are paired up and it will mess up the nesting etc.
So there are two veteran hunts and, I believe, two juvenile hunts in February this year?

Are they not concerned with killing them in February because of the relatively low numbers that will be out there in terms of hunters?
If it's not a big deal, why can't we push the season two weeks later and hunt a couple weeks while there are actually birds here?

Just wondering.

never heard of this before. chaplain marsha jill mann 100 percent disabled army gulf war veteran. i am a mann in name only, lol. thanks for info...

 

[OffHand85]

Hunted the youth hunt both days last year with ice everywhere, 2 kids first ducks ever, 14 total in those 2 days only hunting for about 5 hrs total,

they got cold even with heaters, but man were the ducks doing what we wanted them to do!

Barely called ,let them work in themselves, 15-25 yard shots on the bank of a flooded field with the only thawed ice other than the river, snows had been sitting on the hole night before the weather hit, I haven't had 2 days hunting like that since 2008. Granted I haven't hunted as much since then.
I say let the kids and Veterans have at it! It's a great opportunity for the young ones and the Veterans who sacrifice more than everyone that may not be able to hunt as much as us. I know of 3 vets heading to reelfoot, they scheduled it together , wish I could go and get some video.

 

[JagwalCrush]

I hope no one misunderstood my post as it was meant. I'm most definitely in favor of the youth and veterans hunt both. I think they are both great. My question was more about the hunting/shooting of the birds after the Jan 31 cutoff date.

 

[younggun308]

Trent Lott from Mississippi was the person who pushed feds to Jan. 31. A great senator

I'll hunt till the end of January every year because we can.
But I cannot escape the fact that particular decision wasn't based on what's good for the resource.

The mallard study presentation at the last commission meeting suggests that getting those birds off refuges during legal shooting hours is an issue anytime past the first week of the season.

I'm looking forward to a couple seasons from now, when TN will be able to have two splits to freshen them up. Hunt the early fall ducks near November 15th; hunt Thanksgiving weekend; hunt from December through the end of January.

 

[RUGER]

I hope no one misunderstood my post as it was meant. I'm most definitely in favor of the youth and veterans hunt both. I think they are both great. My question was more about the hunting/shooting of the birds after the Jan 31 cutoff date.

Same here.