Waterfowl Hunter Numbers Continue to Decline
Canada had 10% fewer waterfowlers last season, while the United States dropped 8%
By Paul Wait
Fewer people hunted ducks and geese last year in North America than during any season in the past 60 years.
After a one-year uptick in 2020 presumably because of COVID-19 closures restricted other recreational activities, the number of waterfowl hunters in both the United States and Canada has resumed a downward slide.
According to statistics from the Canadian Wildlife Service, 125,635 residents hunted waterfowl during the 2022-2023 season. That’s the lowest number since Canada began tracking in 1966, and represents a 75% decrease from the country’s high of 505,681 resident waterfowl hunters in 1978. For further context, Ontario—the province with the most resident duck and goose hunters—had 150,994 waterfowl hunters in 1978, compared to just 44,091 last season.
In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Hunter Activity and Harvest Report shows waterfowl hunter numbers slipped to 913,700, an 8% decrease from 2021-2022 season participation and the lowest tally since 1962. Together, 1.04 million waterfowl hunters were active in North America during the 2022-2023 season.
“More people are falling out the bottom—exiting hunting—than are coming in the top,” said Joel Brice, chief conservation officer for Delta Waterfowl. It’s people aging out, and a percentage of people losing interest.”
The Baby Boomer generation, people born from 1946 to 1964, have represented a high percentage of the waterfowl hunting population for the past half century. The oldest of the Boomers are now 77, while the youngest are 59. The median age of a Boomer is currently 68.
Studies have shown that hunters begin to drop out around age 70.
“There’s a huge time urgency to fixing this problem,” Brice said. “When that big mass of hunters that are in the system hit age 70, we’re going to see a noticeable decline.”
Hunters aging out would be less problematic if most Boomers who hunt successfully passed down the tradition to their children and grandchildren.
“Hunting has been a hand-me-down tradition for centuries—handed down from parent to child—and that’s a broken or nonexistent model in most households across the country today,” Brice said.
Urbanization, loss of access, less free time, and cost are frequently cited as reasons not to take up hunting. In addition, people who try waterfowl hunting but don’t stick with it often point to a lack of ducks/geese and complex regulations as factors.
Delta Waterfowl has prioritized R3—hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation—for the past 25 years, and remains a continental leader continually working to boost hunter numbers through mentorship programs and public policy advocacy to maintain and increase hunting opportunities.
By the late 1990s, Delta’s leaders had recognized that waterfowl hunter numbers were declining. The Duck Hunters Organization first jumped into the R3 movement in 2000, pushing for the adoption of Waterfowler Heritage Days in Canada, a special weekend hunting opportunity for youth to hunt with experienced mentors. The effort was successful, and spawned Delta’s First Hunt, a chapter volunteer-led hunter recruitment program that has mentored nearly 90,000 participants in the past 20 years across the continent.
Strong hunter participation is important to ensure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America.
“The number of hunters matters for political relevancy and conservation funding, but that’s not why individuals hunt,” Brice said. “The smaller the pool of hunters, the more easily we can be dismissed. As the population is growing, even if the number of hunters stays the same, we are a declining percentage and viewpoint of society.”
R3 programs have continued to grow and evolve, pushing for a balance between youth-focused and adult-focused hunter recruitment—specifically targeting more people ages 18 to 30, according to Brice.
“At that age, a lot of people don’t have a mortgage or the responsibility of kids yet,” he said. “They’re trying things, and if they are interested in waterfowl hunting, young adults can adopt hunting more quickly than younger people. A new recruit typically has to go duck hunting more than once with someone else before they feel comfortable enough to do it on their own.”
Delta’s First Hunt Program is growing. During 2022-2023, 46 percent of the organization’s chapters conducted a hunter recruitment event. Of those, 54 events were focused on adult recruits.
“We are heading in the right direction,” Brice said. “By mentoring young adults, we get an immediate hunter who can then teach their own children to hunt. The payoff is both immediate and long-term, restoring the hand-me-down tradition of hunting.”
Every year the prices go up, licences,stamps,shells,gas. Every year we lose access to go. Its amazing that there are as many hunters as we have.
Suspect most of these cost conscious commenters are like me, older, rembering when shogun shells were $2.50 a box (lead ) decoys were 12 for 24 and salaries were 25,000 or less per year.
Things change, at 86, noticed most change was not good for us olders.
Newbies, well what the hell do they know anyway ?
What riles me today, is outfitters, set up in blinds on leased or owned land, with large blinds charging a couple hundred dollars a day per person to shoot waterfowl that don’t belong to them, but to all Americans. Specially when duck populations are way down.
Mallard have declined almost 50 percent from 2016, 11.1 million to 2023’s 6.3 million. That’s a large decline.
Kinda makes it hard on individuals heading out with a buddy at 6:00 in the morning.
And I know, here comes the outfitters, outraged.
Access is a major issue.
The reason the hunters are declining tell the truth it’s a rich man sport now !!!!period
Agreed, back in the early 2000’s a box of steel shot was anywhere from $15 to $20 a box, cheap pair of waders $40 and a dozen decoys $30-$40 now if you can find ammunition it’s priced outrageously, waders over $100 and there is no such thing as cheap decoys anymore. When you think about it to the average Hunter is blue collar and right now we’re just trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on our tables for us and our families. Hunting is a privilege and a luxury and right now we can’t afford it.
Paul. It’s funny you say that because when I was a kid my granddad, God rest his soul had been saying that back then when I was in my teens I’m now 49.
Brandon I have duck hunted for over 50 years on private and public land in arkansas.The area I hunted for the last 30 years we could pretty much go where we wanted simply asking but no more Richman have either bought or leased all the land up for big bucks and the state of Arkansas put many restrictions on non resident
Thats totally not true! Yes, top gear can be expensive, but it can be done on the cheap. Look around for deals go to swap meets. there are many ways to keep costs down.
If the usfws would have restrictions that made sense instead imposing more and more restrictive requirements that have no basis in science ie. No skin feathers on birds from Canada, when no bird flu is occurring, no airboats in areas only accessible by airboat, 6 bird limits when 4 is plenty, starting the season by Sept 21, it goes on and on.
How do you expect young people to like something where they sit for hours seeing nothing, swatting bugs, it just can’t compare to the video games
Loss of waterfowl hunters in my area of Florida, Volusia and Lake counties, is due to the US Army Corps of Engineers. They have absolutely wiped out the Reed’s, grass and water lilies in Lakes; George, Woodruff, Dexter, Bersford, Monroe and more South and all along the St. Johns River. All in the name of “pleasure boating””
This makes me so sad. I have hunted ducks for 50 plus years and all I read is negative. If hunting ducks was just about the harvest then so be it. But for me it’s a beautiful sunrise the owls and birds of prey its the field mice in my blind. But most importantly is the time I spend with this crazy Labrador who loves running thru the marsh. I don’t care if I even pull the trigger anymore it’s just not that important I know there will be one morning it will all come together and there will be a few ducks to eat. Get out there and enjoy youre time out there while you can. God Bless.
Well said. That is my favorite part as well!
Partly true. While it’s not about the bag limit. I’m not going duck hunting to look at empty skies. If there aren’t ducks in the air, you aren’t duck hunting. You are just a crazy dude hiding in a swamp making weird noises.
If it wasn’t so dam expensive now
Time u buy ur stamps lic, season or even 1 or 2 day pass to get into a refuge. Then u got gas
Shells, shells cost more now than it takes Gas
To get to the field
The reason waterfowling sucks in mobile is because the season miss the migrations.
Why kill beautiful living things? Why not mentor and be advocates for nurturing and caring for the animals with which we share this planet. Blasting these innocent birds out of the sky is just cruel and cowardly. So sad to treat them as fun targets with no feelings. Go to the target range to play with your guns and leave living sentinel beings to live their lives.
Hi Paula, I think you have some misconceptions about hunters. Why poison & kill off entire ecosystems. Why would you not protect the land and create a better habitat where animal populations can thrive and flourish. Vegans have lead to more destruction of animal populations and ecosystems then any hunter. Hunters learn to live sustainably with their natural resources while Vegas cause mass farming which destroys entire ecosystems. Hunters also provide money and assistance to national refuges and habitats all across north America. In my opinion hunters are the ultimate conservationists.
Don’t fight ignorance with straw men Andrew. This is why we’re losing so much ground. Argue the real points, because you have them to argue.
We hunt, Paula, not because we’re starving, or because just like to kill things. We hunt because it is culturally significant to our way of life. I don’t expect you, Paula, to have an appreciation for that way of life, but I do expect you to respect that we have a culture that you don’t understand.
You’re appreciation for sentient beings, Paula, is understandable from someone who doesn’t have perspective – but it doesn’t trump my desire and need to participate in a cultural tradition that has gone on for generations.
Cost of steel shot reason everyone I know stopping. The other non toxic are joke in their prices.
I am 64 almost, I can believe everything you have mentioned. My dad passed it on to me . He hunted until he was shot by his younger brother at close range. He carved all his decoys and made his own wooden boat. I tried calling Ducks Unlimited to tell them his story. He is now 88 years old. My son hunts now and my grandson who is 12. 4 generations! I would not be here today if my dad would have died in that marsh. My son still hunts it today. What an incredible story of survival that day.We still hunt everything and have overcome many challenges. What a story to tell! But people answering phones don’t understand. My name is Norm Buyalos.Email me and we can talk!
Ammo is a big factor, at $18-$20 minimum per box. Might be my last year due to cost of ammo. It’s a shame
Hi Jim. How much shooting are you doing if $20 for 25 shells is so much money that you are quitting entirely? 20-25 birds per box is too much money?. Most people don’t even get half of that in a season. Sorry not trying to be a smart you know what here just not understanding how the cost of ammo is driving anyone out of waterfowl hunting,
My Dad passed it on to me, he hunted and guided part time on the Missouri River bottom around Peru Nebraska, hunted off and on until he lost the use of one arm, I grew up hunting waterfowl with him on the Missouri, then on my own on the Platte River and Loup River, and in the Rainwater basin marshes, passed it on to a few younger people, don’t really have access to decent ground anymore, plus the difficulty of hunting with a sore back, and alone, most of the time, makes it difficult to get out, I still purchase the stamps, in hopes that I can get out, once in awhile, drought has made it difficult also.
It’s a lot of the reasons above: access, cost, time. One that no one looks at is demographics. Each subsequent generation is smaller. Gen Z, my kids, are the smallest generation in US history. The military is already feeling the pinch because they are targeting Gen Z.
Also people are not getting outside like they used to. I work on a large team and manage large team at work. No one besides me hunts, fishes, hikes, or camps. Out of around 60 people, I’m the only one.
Glad to hear the decline in hunters. This generation of Duck Dynasty want- a- be’s has totally taken the art of duck hunting and made it cheap and superficial. They want instant gratification with out the knowledge or respect for the sport. Very sad and zero respect for other hunters and the sport.
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so true no place to go and the judge just ruined catahoula lake the cost to go on a trip is up to 100 dollars a duck
I haven’t duck hunted in a few years even though I buy a stamp every year. It is just too damn expensive, and ducks are too few and far between. It is not worth the fight. Y’all can claim Missouri’s short-stopping isn’t affecting anything but that’s bull crap. Historically great duck hunting areas in Louisiana are completely devoid of ducks today. It has been this way for many years now.
I am in my 60s. I have to hunt public land. It’s difficult for me to throw a bag full of decoys an my back hoist a shotgun and ammo. Put on a pair of heavy waders and march through 300 yards of waist high grass to get a couple of shots. I have bought stamps and licenses religiously since I have been 16. But now I can’t hunt any of these public places. All the land owners want money to hunt. So unless your wealthy or young and in shape…good luck!
I just got back from a hunt with my grandson in Drumheller Alberta. It was his first hunt and he adored it. He had to go through a mountain of paperwork to get his license and this is a big reason for the decline in hunters. I am 83 and still hunt a lot.
James
A part of my regiment is working out all year long. I am a waterfowl guide in Ohio and it is a grueling season on the big water of Lake Erie.
Hunters have historically avoided taking care of their bodies,
Eating terribly and avoided the gym and cardio. It’s hard work but at 57 it keeps me in the game and provides a retirement income for me and my family.
Get out there and throw some weights, hit the cardio machine and do yoga for a better life!
Keep Going strong brother!
It’s become an elitist sport because of outfitters and leases. The prices keep going up. Less access. I have to pay some outfitter to hunt the farm I grew up hunting for free. Outfitters like all hunting are killing the joy and tradition of it and making it all about money. I paid an outfitter a couple times and ended up shooting less ducks than I did when I could hunt it for free. Had to laugh cause the average cost of the duck was 600$.
I have since quit waterfowl hunting. It’s too much work and cost for a tiny bird that doesn’t taste that great.
James
A part of my regiment is working out all year long. I am a waterfowl guide in Ohio and it is a grueling season on the big water of Lake Erie.
Hunters have historically avoided taking care of their bodies,
Eating terribly and avoided the gym and cardio. It’s hard work but at 57 it keeps me in the game and provides a retirement income for me and my family.
Get out there and throw some weights, hit the cardio machine and do yoga for a better life!
Keep Going strong brother!
My thoughts as a Senior Duck Hunter here in Minnesota are largely negative. I live and breathe waterfowl and always will, but duck hunting has been crippled here in Minnesota largely by a lack of ducks and I think most of that has happened by bad duck management here, drainage of wetlands in Western and Southern Mn and the remaining shallow wetlands are in horrible shape. The opening day experience is now a total joke with early teal seasons (teal are down 40% long term I think I heard recently), early goose season (local Canada Goose populations are down quite a bit) and youth openers. Local ducks are long gone before the real opening day happens. Diving ducks, especially bluebills are seemingly at an all-time low or almost completely avoid Minnesota. We have the most liberal bag limits and seasons ever and more opportunity than ever but no ducks over your decoys. That is the problem. Its sad.
The cost of ammo should hardly be the deterrent. Your $12 box in 2000 shakes out to $22 today. Gas, decoys and finding a spot to hunt are a major part of it. But the boats are really a huge part. The hardmen that rowed a 12′ aluminum boat a mile now would get swamped by the big boy boats out there today.
I would say access is the biggest issue. Nobody is going to let you hunt their slough without some $. The prairie pot hole region in MN is nothing like it once was. Even in a drought like we have been having, the bigger sloughs are filled with minnows and no vegetation. Drain tile has made a major impact on these areas, and without major reform on the draining of ephemeral wetlands the breeding populations will stay down.
We don’t need more places to hunt here, we need more places worth hunting. We aren’t losing public land to private owner ship, we are losing productive public land to the discharge of water from private land.
With the increased mowing frequency of CRP (1/3 every year) none of the 2.2 million acres of CRP in SD reach their duck/pheasant/deer/ etc nesting potential. In SD only about 300,000 is marginal (2 year old) nesting cover. In SD CRP is a $122 million annual cost to taxpayers. It takes 3 years for CRP grasses to mature. At the peak of CRP in ND & SD put 2 million ducks annually into the fall flight. Unless the mowing frequency goes back to pre 2018 levels (as recommended by PF, NWF, DU & TRCP) CRP is basically a “free government hay” program. If you hunt ducks you better let Congress know you are not happy with the existing Farm Bill!
As other’s have stated costs is a major factor, between that and the steady decrease in the bag limits it’s not worth the time and effort. I’m not going to pay for a guided hunt or go hunting on my own and out out the effort , time and money for 1 Canada Goose. Due to the crazy weather the last couple of years the Snows in my area offer very limited opportunities to hunt. Do I miss it, you bet I do, hopefully I can afford to get back into big time like I was once I retire in a couple of years.
How can you have a liberal season for over 20 years ??USFW has the numbers wrong. LTA is wrong!!! Science based is a bunch of crap !! I am sure there is political pressure for a long season including Delta and DU . Seems like it’s all about the $$$.
Money should have nothing to do with it !! Protect our resource for future generations to enjoy.
Delta and Ducks Unlimited in Iowa have not followed through with DNR to see What is happening with their projects. Our Missouri River
refuge areas are all dried up. How can you expect old and young people to get excited when there’s no place to go. All wondering where ducks and geese are expected to rest?
Since the commercialization of hunting all creatures it has ruined hunting for us regular guys with out fitters leasing up all the good land and all the restrictions AGand fish put on non resident is awful.Bass pro shop and DU and Delta are to blame for promoting commercial hunting and making a lot of people so called pros what a joke .I am 67 and taught all nephew and grand kids to duck hunt.Hunting will never be the same.
I am a disabled veteran who has a hard time getting access to land, public or private because of my disability, land access is going to kill hunting, then the politicians will kill it off the rest of the way.
I have been hunting ducks for close to 50 years and these past few years our duck season here in southern Indiana has been really bad, we use to get a lot of Ducks & geese come through our flyway but gotten worse every year. I totally believe that years ago when farmers picked corn quite a bit was left in the fields for wildlife to eat nowadays your lucky to find any corn in the fields & I realize that’s money in the farmers pocket . What don’t see anything being done in our part of the state to draw waterfowl back in our flyaway, you look at Missouri with all the thousands of acres of flooded rice & corn fields for habitat guess where the birds are heading. The other issue is all the retention ponds that are built in & around the Indianapolis area just drive around up there & look at all the ducks & geese you will see ! Indiana to me isn’t a big player in hunting & fishing habitat nothing like states around us , our DNR is poorly paid . Goose pond is about the only draw we have in our area even Hovey Lake which use to be the golden child in southern Indiana isn’t much of a hunting draw anymore. Indiana needs to step up in a bigger way to get out youth involved & outside. Indiana claims to have surplus money sometimes we’ll use it in wildlife habitat.
No kidding over the years I try to get involved into duck hunting but going to different marshes a not seeing anything or anyone is crazy. I mean you go out a your on top of turkey hunters dear hunters a then you go to what you think is a good duck area an it’s bone dry just mud holes. Fishing sucks in Indiana also. Really sad because I love the out doors but don’t have money to be driving from state to state looking for birds.
I am 65 years old and have been duck hunting for 46 years. There are several reasons why the numbers are declining, all of which have been discussed in many of the comments in this trail. One big issue not discussed is the continued negativity toward owning guns, a stigma that is being infused into the younger generation. Without guns there is no hunting All of the pro-hunting societies and magazines like Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, American Waterfowler, etc. need to have a publicity campaign to educate society that gun owners, who follow the laws, are good people, have a right to own a gun, and require a gun to hunt. The NRA seems to be standing alone defending gun ownership. Other pro-hunting societies and magazines need to also be vocal and in the public and with politicians so that the younger generation sees owning a gun to hunt is acceptable.
Crp being 100% hayed or grazed up every other year and sloughs being drained that are on the farm bill, increase lands being leased up by guides and lodges(this year SD increased non residents tags that lead to lodges leasing up more lands,lost 12 more landowners everyone had a chance to hunt, to guides) . The price of shells isn’t the reason, it’s states like sd closing off public waters to duck hunters and fishing enthusiasts, that started the downward trend. They are the main reasons in SD.
It’s been said a 100 times but I’ll say it again. Loss of land access has killed my drive to do it anymore. It’s so expensive I’m not going to pay out the rear to go fight with other hunters for what’s left of public access. I have hunted waterfowl for 30 years and when we lost our last lease to a horse rancher wannabe from Colorado we were pretty much done. Most of the guys I knew that did it are the same way. Young families having a hard enough time staying afloat in this economy and definitely don’t have the means to shell out a couple grand a year for a lease.
Here in Minnesota, as I get older, I continually look for the younger generation to take out!! I thoroughly enjoy sharing my knowledge and a little young gun decoy help. Lol.
It’s going to be a banner year I cannot wait!
Access and cost are 2 major contributing factors to the decline. Also the younger generation of kids were raised in broken home with little to no father figure in their life and they don’t want to work to pay for anything like that. It’s just easier for them to jump job to job and just get by rather than getting out there busting their butt getting their hands dirty to enjoy a life style of outdoors and hunting. Not all kids but a lot of the 25 to 30 year Olds.
Attribute the downward trends towards two main factors, at least here down South: affordability & access. While all States have public lands, there needs to be greater concentration of securing even more public lands for waterfowl and in the off season birdwatching within an hour’s drive of large metro areas where it makes sense. Easier said than done. As more folks move to larger cities for jobs the casual hunter lives too far away from duck properties to make it frequently enough to be worthwhile. The casual hunter is happy to make 5 or 6 hunts per season if its not too costly or too far. Another factor is over the past 25 years the rise and successful application of whitetail deer management has drawn many waterfowlers into deer hunting. Deer hunting is somewhat more affordable and accessible for families compared to paying a duck lease and all that goes into it. Recruit the casual waterfowl hunter back with more public access to managed moist soil units nearer metro areas.
Land access is a killer. Commercial guides swallow up. Land even if they’re not hunting in the field. Cost of steel shot is ridiculous, decoy cost is thru the roof. It’d cost a fortune to get I the sport now a days 👎
Wow. This is a really sad commentary. First time in a while I have felt grateful to be a California duck hunter. Nobody has more of a financial burden then trying to live, work and still hunt in this once great state. What a travesty !!!! I tell you the duck hunting and the weather keep me here. We are so fortunate to have a great public waterfowl hunting program here . If the numbers of hunters are down here it’s not on the public lands . Lots of land , lots of hunters and lots of birds of all kinds . If I can’t hunt waterfowl anymore I might as well be done with everything. It must be really horrible to have to stop. I would quit everything else first and I have quit many things so I can continue to pay for gas and all the other things required to hunt. I quit eating out. I quit paying for cable. I quit going to bars or paying spoiled ass sports figures for less than entertainment, I quit paying Hollywood idiots for their lame ass movies , but I will not quit duck hunting. If you really love waterfowl hunting find a way! Otherwise it’s gone like so many other freedoms .
I have to say Karl. I agree. As someone who has duck hunted a lot of country, you guys out in Cali have it figured out. My buddy and I traveled from MN to Cali for the last 3 years after everything freezes up here just for a weekend duck hunt.
I think there are many more detrimental factors involved as opposed to “aging out”. Take this year for example: Not a lot of standing water, so the big water got hit HARD. Lack of access to private land is another. This MAY be part of “aging out”: When I was younger, permission was pretty much a given. You ask a landowner and most were happy to let you on. Now, the most common answer is, “Well, I lease that out now.” This applies to archery deer and pheasant as well. Another factor may be the need of a larger, hence more expensive, spread of decoys. Hard to bring a dozen styrofoam decoys and compete with someone who has a trailerload with motorized dekes all over as well. So many more reasons outside of age.
When I was young I knew an old man who told me stories of how duck hunting use to be. He was well to do and he preferred to live in his one room log cabin versus the house he had built near his wetlands where he hunted. I would take him a dressed duck to eat and he often spoke of how the ducks use to blacken the sky. I assume this was before the migratory bird act because he told me how they used live decoys and preferred to shoot hens because they tasted better. He would pick up friends in his wagon at the town train station and they would shoot a hundred hen mallards on a good day. He had a seen the the flyway move and was left with fond memories and a marsh without ducks in the fall. Like that old man I have also seen the flyway change and the marsh that doesn’t hold ducks anymore. Enjoy duck hunting while you can because it will end sooner than you would like.
I am in CA and at 63 I have only duck hunted for 3 years. I was taken on several blind and roaming hunts by 2 different friends. The cost is increasing and so is everything else, the cost of living and wages. I am retired and have minimal income, but I enjoy the outdoors; with the sunrise, the marshes, the birds, elk, raccoons, all of nature while hunting. If I get ducks to take home I consider that a bonus. I only got skunked a couple of times,, and seems like I could have limited most times if I was a better hunter.. I am not a true die-hard lifetime hunter like most of you here, but I enjoy it alone or with friends. It’s a priority for me and I will continue for as long as I am able. I may only go 5 to 10 times per season because I also enjoy snow skiing, tennis golf, fishing, Kayaking, etc…I agree with many of the comments about government regulation ruining many opportunities, lack of land, and we must somehow let people realize this part of the population is the most conservative, and compassionate minded about all of nature and the interaction with man. Gun owners are typically the most thoughtful people I meet. I will have to say it, because I haven’t heard it in a while; but gun restriction laws only keeps honest people from not having guns, the criminals will always be able to get anything they want to on the black market. So I agree with, there needs to be publicity about the positives, like someone said earlier. Tradition, Father to son, Grandfather to grandson, conservation of species; we are onlyi culling the overabundant animals that the environmental conservation management team deems appropriate to maintain a proper ecosystem. Furthermore we provide food on the table for our family that is organic, not full of preservatives, pesticides or processed. A true sport in the nature of sporting, it is not a game, it is hard work, dedication, knowledge with continuous learning. Hunting takes time, effort, patience, being in tune with nature and your specific surroundings.
It is wonderfully exciting and rewarding.
This is by far the most thought provoking thread on any subject I have ever read. I am an avid 53 yr young duck hunter, turned from domestic big game hunting once my son turned 7yrs old, he is now 18. There truly are high barriers to entry for this sacred sport, all mentioned in the thread. We duck hunters are a band of brothers like none other. If this thread doesnt motivate every one of us who can go out and make a positive impact as ambassadors for a better world way beyond hunting ducks I dont know what can. What is learned in the marsh experience can be applied to everything in life. We can stack excuses upon excuses to not do it, then see what happens with you. I never have had anything given to me, including the generational hand down of duck hunting tradition. I come from a pretty low rung on the ladder middle class divorced family, from 13 yrs old. Not a whole lot family unity. Hunting kept my head straight, 1st while sitting in trees bowhunting in suburban Detroit, public land. Might have shot 8 deer in my life, probbaly hunted 1000 hrs at least! At the anti’s, Its definitely not about shooting animals. I am self made, (no college) I am by no means money rich, but well off. I have realized richness in the marsh, field unlike anywhere else I could find it. I have had a lot of experiences in life, boating, skiing, mtn biking, traveling, travel sports for kids, hard working, death of son, raising 2 daughters and another son, a strong marriage… and the foundation of my life cant be seen more clear then in the habitat experience of duck hunting. I appreciate this forum to rant… ending in … I am so proud to have been able to raise my son (11 yrs duck hunting) as a duck hunter. The respect he has learned for himself, the environment, others, the love he has for the aforementioned and the tuning out of the noise of negativeness (written by few in this thread) could not have been without duck hunting. He is the finest of young men, he is an old soul, and bybway of this thread it is motivating me to somehow become active in mentoring or helping others less fortunate than us to reaize the blessing of this exceptional privilege. We must all work together to protect this blessing, its healthy for both the mind and the soul.
No the raising waterfowlers numbers have declined is because everything’s got so damn high gun shell making companies is went stupid when I first started hunting they were eight or nine dollars a box another 20-25 a box not including the greedy ass States of the United States every time you turn around or going up on the damn process stamps license management and they don’t need the money that is keep going up just like everybody else does that’s why people quit hunting hell you can’t afford to
Waterfowl Hunting IS getting more expensive. But so is everything else. I believe that the price is worth the benefit. Spending time with my kids, away from video games and indoctrination is priceless. The hunting experience is not just about shooting. Bonding, mentoring, nature etc. As far birds, we are bagging plenty, and the quality is fantastic. The equipment available is amazing compared to the crap we had to use years ago. It’s not always easy, but the challenge is a good thing in this world of Instagram, grub hub and everyone gets a trophy.
In my area the biggest issue is access. And when you do get access, you have self centered other hunters who also have access, not their land, but they act and think like it is and they bully anyone else who gets access. So hunters are doing it to themselves in my area
Kansas has turned into an absolute shitshow anymore. I started at age 10 and now have 29 seasons under my belt. My journal shows the constant decline since 2010. 5 of my worst seasons have been in the last 6 years. Pressure is off the charts on public, and deer hunting has killed off access to privale lands. This season will be my last. Going to turn my duck dogs into blood trailing dogs. I can hunt deer on my 35acres. My kids have been waterfowl hunting a few times, but I wont be pushing them to pursue it. Ive closed my DU and Delta memberships as well.
Really saddened by all these comments man I’m trying to get into hunting ducks an yeah I see it’s expensive. They going after younger hunters but heck none of them have money none of really do. Hunting property is a massive issue for me an getting knowledge for hunters that aren’t willing to give it up.
Im 62 years old & my Grandson & granddaughter both just received there licenses so im trying to do my part stay strong & hunt on
As many others have said, it’s mostly about dollar signs….my kids and I are still avid deer hunters, but gave up on the waterfowl because it costs THOUSANDS no matter how you do it. I used to be a part of a big club in Ark that was $2500 a year with lodging. Now a single pit might be $8000 or more for a crappy spot! ALL of the people I know who actually kill ducks put thousands in it every year. Not sure what the answer is from Delta’s point of view, but the sport is out of reach for most.
Bull**** there was more hunters in spots I’d never seen people before than ever. This is all Cap
One only need to look at Southeast Kansas deer and duck hunting for the answer. Access gone, excessive limits, outfitters using public lands for clients, and extreme pressure on birds leading to nocturnal behavior. But still, I will see Fred Zink and the boys pounding birds in Southeast Kansas suggesting my decoys aren’t set up correctly. Am I bitter..perhaps, just sad.
I agree with Mike. In Arkansas, It is a rodeo on public land. Way to many hunters on Public Land. The private land is not that much better. Duck number are off. How can you have a 60 day season for over 20 years?? Nothing changes the variables?? Just try a shorter season and see if it improves hunting.
There are several variables to lower number of duck hunters , such as cost of
Shells , decoys , clothing , etc.. have all gone up in price. I think the main reason is lower duck numbers in Arkansas and La, these are the 2 states I hunt. The ducks are being held up North from several reasons water note freezing up due to ice eaters , etc…. Ya can’t tell me that’s not altering the natural flight / migration. I can continue, but not enough space allowed for this comment
I’m not seeing the decreasing numbers. More inconsiderate “hunters” ruining habitat and hunts than ever before. I have plenty of money and the cost of supplies doesn’t affect my hunting. But, the limited access sure does. I refuse to pay an outfitter, just because they poached all the access from the real hunters, I’ll just work harder for public lands. But lack of access and running into clowns out in the field are the top two factors I’d consider quitting.
Not sure why so many existing hunters are claiming that the cost of waterfowl hunting is driving them out of it.
A shotgun lasts a lifetime, decoys and most of the gear was a one time purchase, waders last years. Sure good steel shot can easily run you $20-$30 a box here in Canada but you get 25 shells a box and the daily bag limit for duck is 6 IF you can even get that many. Most hunters I know don’t ever go through more than 1-2 boxes of steel shells a season and that’s going out numerous weekends. How much duck and goose can you really eat? A waterfowl license here in Canada is only $17.
Ok gas is expensive but maybe if you live so far from hunting opportunities that you are spending thousands to fly to another province or state to do a guided hunt or are spending hundreds in gas and hotels a weekend to drive hundreds of kilometres just go out and bag a few ducks then maybe it’s time to reconsider things but nowhere in Canada and much of the USA is that far from waterfowl hunting. Not really understanding where all the costs are they are so severe that would make an existing waterfowl hunter quit.
Lets face the facts, hunting is and has been a white mans sport for years. How many black or brown people do you see in the field? Not many if any at all. You want more people, start recruiting kids that are black or brown. There is untapped potential out there but no one ever suggests getting more minorities involved. You may have to take a couple kids under your wing and outfit them with equipment to get them started. Then once started, you just can’t abandon them to their own devices. They will need support until, like anything, they can stand on their own. Once they do then they in turn can help some other kids out and maybe we can stem the tide of people leaving the sport. How about it Delta, YOU should take the lead in minority development to get inner city youth out there. I’m sure there are plenty of kids that would love the opportunity to give it a go.
I was hoping to be a 60 year hunter someday but looking like I’m gonna be 30 years shy of that goal mainly nobody to hunt with. Any mentor programs for our type?
Craig, if you contact your local Delta Waterfowl chapter, there are usually a number of ways to get connected with some other hunters in your area.
https://deltawaterfowl.org/find-your-chapter/
Thank you, how does the chapters work? Looks like the same person for all chapters in Washington and Oregon?
We have the point contact set to be our Regional Director for the area for ease of contact/use. That regional director can put you in touch with a local person for each chapter.
Here in Minnesota we just don’t have the ducks anymore. Even compared to 20 years ago there’s hardly any ducks nesting here or migrating through here unless you get right on the border with the Dakotas.
A lot of the decline is due to the change in demographics of the US and the decline of the family farm. Back before WWII the vast majority of Americans lived on small farms. Even 30-40 years ago the number of Americans living on farms was much larger. I grew up on a farm back in the 70s and 80s and used to hunt all the time back then when I was a teen and could walk out of the back door of our farmhouse and go hunting. I continued to hunt when I was home on winter breaks from college and grad-school. I miss those days but unfortunately after graduating college in the mid 90s I couldn’t figure out how to make a living farming so like the vast majority of Americans I now live in the suburbs so I can commute to a job in the city. My parents still own the farm, now leased to a big-time farmer since dad retired, but it is a nearly two hour drive from where I live and I just don’t have time to get out there much anymore. Maybe when I retire I will get back to hunting if I can somehow manage to hang onto the place, and am not too feeble.