Sad day for me

[featherduster]

For the first time since I was about 14 years old I did not toss one decoy in the water, put my lips to a call or pull the trigger on any ducks this season.

Everything was ready to go at a moments notice there just wasn't that moment.

Even some from Ducks Unlimited are left wondering what has happened to our little share of the flyway.

I feel blessed that I hunted from the 60's thru the 2000's when there was fantastic hunting and I have those memories.

[jman46151]

Been a rough year for sure.

[hornzilla]

Been a very sad year.

[parrothead]

I live right by a major stop or rest and eat spot(National Refuge). I still see lots of geese and cranes but hardly any ducks anymore.

[sculver7]

Very unfortunate. I talked to the manager at the Kankakee FWA on Friday and he said that they are making some "huge changes" at that property to hopefully hold more ducks across the whole property. Specifically, they are reworking the southern point between where the Yellow and Kankakee Rivers converge. They have been draining it for the last few weeks. That being said, it's a shame that it took them this long to realize there was an issue and also, there aren't any ducks moving through anyway. 4 years ago, my brother-in-law and I sat in a blind down there for 4 hours and so no less than 5000 ducks (estimation) and killed a handful. There was never a time we didn't have birds everywhere in the sky. This past friday morning, we saw 11 ducks total. It's a shame.

[hps]

Cold in the morn with a wind advisory! Cant wait to have some coffee and good conversion in blind! Ducks will be the bonus!

[ms660]

I heard a lot of shooting this morning in the swamps near where I work for a solid 30 minutes right after daybreak. I guess they were shooting ducks.

[esshup]

Jan 4, 2022 5:26:28 GMT -5 featherduster said:

For the first time since I was about 14 years old I did not toss one decoy in the water, put my lips to a call or pull the trigger on any ducks this season.

Everything was ready to go at a moments notice there just wasn't that moment.

Even some from Ducks Unlimited are left wondering what has happened to our little share of the flyway.

I feel blessed that I hunted from the 60's thru the 2000's when there was fantastic hunting and I have those memories.

They probably said the same thing after the ban on market hunting.

Being in a drought year after year after year sure isn't helping any.

[duff]

Ducks and Canada geese have been on a gradual decline for many years. At least that has been my observations between Laporte Co, Madison Co, Parke Co and Lawrence co over the past 20ish yrs.

More snows and specklebellies showing up. Hunted near some incredible roosts over the years for those birds and to be honest they are just too hard for a part timer like me

[welder]

Notice:
I am not a duck hunter.
That being said, I hunted deer several times this past season (including last weekend) within earshot of the Goodepond FWA. I was shocked by the lack of shooting. I hunted deer on the FWA for the 3 days leading up to Thanksgiving and there were trucks parked everywhere. I heard less than 20 shots per day. I have several friends who hunt waterfowl and none of them had a good season.

[treetop]

I get ducks on my pond not a lot but one thing for sure this year I never seen big flocks of geese during deer season like I have

Been many years that I’d say 75 at a time and maybe 4 or 5 times almost every day fly over when I was out in the stand

[riverrat77]

Watched a feed this eve with over 1k ducks and probably 2k or more geese specks and snows

[freedomhunter]

I miss the day of a mixed bag of ducks on the white river at freedom. So close to getting some of the ones I wanted. Hooded merganser pin tails etc