Why Ducks Need More Duck Hunters
See how your membership can help reverse declining duck hunter numbers.
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I think it’s tough for avg person to introduce a person, adult or child..or start on their own due to the huge upswing in the cost of quality clothing, decoys,boots, guns, etc..and we both know most good hunting takes place in foul weather …I recently reintroduced a friend of mine to waterfowl hunting and if I hadn’t given him a vast majority of the above mentioned equipment there was no way he could afford to hunt..children’s clothes cost the same as adults..figure that out ?..decoys are priced at 1/2 doz. that not long ago were closer to full Doz.. you and other organizations have done wonderful job of helping with duck populations but the equipment makers are going to price themselves and the sport out of existence
I can tell you exactly why duck hunters have stopped hunting. Due to the warmer climate we’ve had over the past 10 to 15 years, during the months of Nov and Dec. The ducks did not migrate no further south than they have too; therefore, they are still in the northern states thru the end of the year. I ve duck hunted over 30 years, if I have a year, this year like last year, I too will quit. Last year my partner and I hunted most of the 60 day season (i’d say at least 50 of the 60 days). At the end of the season, we had taken 18 ducks and 1 goose. Pitiful, is not the word for last season. North Carolina has a split season, during the Nov (3 week season) we took 17 ducks, and hunted every day except Sundays. Most days we didn’t see any ducks on our Lake James. We have been known as hard core duck hunters. Now tell me why duck hunters in the south have quit. Now, during the month of February, when the season is closed, our lake has plenty of ducks. I’ve been telling state officials this for years. No one hears me. THE SEASON NEEDS TO OPEN IN DECEMBER AND RUN THROUGH FEBRUARY. If the ducks are here the hunters will come…
Sorry, Troy, I disagree with the cost of clothing, guns and decoys. You can still kill ducks with a cheaper pump gun, a $20.00 call, wearing military surplus clothes and with decoys from garage sales/online sources.
There are two big impediments to the modern hunter…access and other distractions. First, access. I’ve been hunting for almost 60 years. In my home state, Illinois, the best spots were leased for big $$$, we had numerous farms with ponds, creeks or small wetlands that we could hunt for no more than a handshake. We’d kill a few ducks off each every year. Those spots rarely exist, as they have either been drained or leased to deer hunters, who don’t want any access that might disturb ‘their’ deer. This has forced more and more average Joes to the public areas, causing overcrowding, conflicts and general unsportsmanlike behaviors.
Now for the “other distractions.” Lets just assume that the average Joe mentioned above has a couple of kids that he’d like to get into the outdoors. He has to compete with 900 channel TV, computers and the ever increasing extra-curricular activities at school. Joe, Jr., may be playing sports year around, which really didn’t happen that much in my youth. Or can he even get the kid off the couch? Why go sit in a cold blind and maybe not see anything when Jr. can lay on the couch and shoot hundreds of birds on his computer game?
Joe, being a good father, attends all the extra-curricular events, maybe even volunteering as a coach. He no longer has as much time to hunt, and when he does, gets frustrated with the overcrowding and lack of sportsmanship at the local public hunting area. No, he wouldn’t want to subject his kids to that spectacle, either. He looks into private club but they won’t allow guests, especially on the weekends when most of the members can hunt…also the only time his kids could go.
Joe changes from being an avid hunter, buying all the licenses, stamps and various permits, to an occasional hunter, only participating if someone else asks him…and he has time. In a few years, he’s off the radar completely. He no longer buys licenses or stamps, nor does he belong to any of the sportsmen’s groups that he belonged to. Joe and his kids are now lost from the sportsmen’s roll call.
I’m not smart enough to combat this. I hope the professionals at Delta and state and federal agencies have better luck combating this than I’ve had in my own family.
I agree with acess being a common denominator for reduced numbers of hunters.. I’ve lost count of all the great duck sloughs that are now closed to me and my kids and grand kids. My boys used to ride their bicycles to the creek after school, no more of that. But I remain passionate and have just taken my 10 year old granddaughter on her first hunt.
We all need to find some birds and take a Kid hunting!
I agree with Troy Freeman, I have 6 children who all want to hunt like Daddy. I’m also a Delta committee member and bring my family with me to our banquets. It appears to me it’s only affordable for the doctors and auto dealership owners to purchase anything involving the raffles we have just for a CHANCE. As a member I love to contribute my time for the focus of Delta. Due to hunting costs time is all I can contribute. Many people are giving up because of what manufacturing is charging us to wear their name brand to advertise for them. It’s like a high school fashion show. Let’s get back to the basics folks. Stay warm stay dry staying still don’t educate the fowl by sky blasting. Another thing, if we don’t buy expensive items they Mark them down to gain sales. There’s lots of competition in the market which is in our favor. Impulse buying is our worst enemy, my advice is hold out for the price cuts. Especially after Christmas and off season. We the Hunter’s will overcome in unity! For example the farmers in Stuttgart can’t afford to pay for the water they have to pump to flood= no water to hold ducks forcing the ducks to use public refugees and ecosystems that are FREE.