Getting Good Rain

Fieldview shows about 1.7" on all our stuff yesterday and so far today. Happily cancelled plans to hunt today, but I'll be out on Sunday. Our stuff is pretty sandy so it shouldn't be too muddy.
 
Statewide our waterfowl areas are getting so much pressure that our waterfowl are often blown off ahead of when they would normally have moved further south. We need to limit some of how that pressure is applied and that will ultimately increase our harvest by keeping those birds in state. This may require some restrictions in time for hunters and will also be approached by increasing our wetland acres. As hunters, we can help accomplish these goals by shooting responsibly, giving the birds some time to rest, and accepting some limitations. When I can go to my 140 acre lake and count less than 100 ducks, then go by the smaller lakes to the southeast and northwest and count thousands, something is up. All of the flooded food is in my marshes and should be holding those birds. They are using me in the dark and leaving before light. Can't pound on them every day, all day and keep them coming. Time to do things smarter.
 
Prairie Drifter said:
Statewide our waterfowl areas are getting so much pressure that our waterfowl are often blown off ahead of when they would normally have moved further south. We need to limit some of how that pressure is applied and that will ultimately increase our harvest by keeping those birds in state. This may require some restrictions in time for hunters and will also be approached by increasing our wetland acres. As hunters, we can help accomplish these goals by shooting responsibly, giving the birds some time to rest, and accepting some limitations. When I can go to my 140 acre lake and count less than 100 ducks, then go by the smaller lakes to the southeast and northwest and count thousands, something is up. All of the flooded food is in my marshes and should be holding those birds. They are using me in the dark and leaving before light. Can't pound on them every day, all day and keep them coming. Time to do things smarter.
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At St. Paul, there are just as many NR trucks parked along the pools as there are residents. You aren't going to get someone driving down from Michigan or up from Arkansas to give birds time to rest. Nor are you going to get the resident working all week to limit his time on Saturday, the only day he has to hunt. Unless you simply have a lottery drawing each morning. Sounds like you are feeling the frustration I have been expressing for the last 20 years. One of the problems around St. Paul is the private leases and outfitters flooding milo and timber and drawing in all the birds off the refuge. Those guys are now charging $2000 and up per person for a 3 day hunt.
 
It won't be a matter of them making the decision to give the birds some rest. We will have to pass regulations modifying when our areas are open so that rest is part of the season structure. Folks will buck initially, but in the long run our harvest will be increased by having those birds stay in state and on our areas longer and in greater numbers. We can't depend upon thousands of people to make the same decision of how to give the birds some rest. We know that pounding them all day, every day is not working Plenty of ways to make this more beneficial for the resource and the hunters.
 
Prairie Drifter said:
It won't be a matter of them making the decision to give the birds some rest. We will have to pass regulations modifying when our areas are open so that rest is part of the season structure. Folks will buck initially, but in the long run our harvest will be increased by having those birds stay in state and on our areas longer and in greater numbers. We can't depend upon thousands of people to make the same decision of how to give the birds some rest. We know that pounding them all day, every day is not working Plenty of ways to make this more beneficial for the resource and the hunters.
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That is why I said lottery drawings each morning. Don't know if you saw that or not. Needs to happen on all public land regardless of what game is being hunted. There needs to be a required stamp or window sticker on every vehicle entering public lands for hunting, fishing, and trapping purposes just like we have for fishing the reservoirs. There needs to be a check in app or have a drop box to sign in each hunt for every piece of public land including WIHA. Many of the IHAP lands in Iowa have this, which is why I like hunting up there so much. Not new information at all, and I have been calling for it for years. It probably won't happen though, Kansas governs wildlife with money in mind first not conservation. If they are truly about conservation, the first thing that will happen will be the ban on baiting on all Kansas lands. That will speak volumes.
 
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