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Post by ogbohica on Nov 20, 2023 11:45:47 GMT -5
It's become consistently worse over the years but this yr in particular was awful.
Just the other day the spray boats were at it again, even though high water is naturally killing any of the SAV left on Okeechobee, they still were spraying chemicals.
Although I didn't duck hunt because the numbers were just not there, and where some birds existed history told me 100 boats would attempt to hunt the 100 or so birds in the ole reliable spots so I decided to hunt other animals.
At the annual raft up of approx 14 or so groups of hunters the high man boat had 6 with 3 hunters. Most had on e or 2 mallards, and the others skunked.
I feel bad for the youth because its not ever going to get better with the current management system in place.
Across the pond to the East, more boats than ever were at the ramp piled in on each other according to a reliable source.
I know someone will say we limited out and good for ya, I happy. You may have scouted a dozen times, took time off from work to find the X......... but we NEVER had to do that, nor should we have to do that if things were managed better.
Bring back a GFC who gives a shit about the huntable lands, start burning the marshes again like we used to back in the day.
We should be allowed to BAIT since the birds have next to nothing left to forage on.. Our FWCC should be ashamed! Not the wardens BTW, but the ones at the top.
Rant over...
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Post by pinman on Nov 20, 2023 15:17:31 GMT -5
One of the worst openers I can remember at a spot I had a permit for. Historically always had birds opening morning even if few were seen scouting. Managed 3-4 birds apiece even down 1 firearm cause friend left the forearm of his O/U at home due to glue repair. Gun shot twice then firing pins wouldnt reset afterwards. A group of 10-15 Pins dropped in and circled twice over our spread, my forearmless friend on the call and me on the whistle. They were setting up downwind and should be coming in range when shots 1/2 mile away flared them. "sigh". Was a good show though. High water was a factor even so much that a hundred Teal were sitting in an area typically dry....of course its outside the ever shrinking hunting boundary. Only 40% of the permit holders showed in our area, probably due to seeing high water and no birds while scouting. Duck hunting FLA is a shell of what it used to be. Glad got to experience it in the 80's...but I think we were a bit spoiled...
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Post by One Man Gang on Nov 21, 2023 8:01:20 GMT -5
This is not normal.
It has progressively worsened since the 40s. I got to see amazing public duck hunting throughout the 70s and 80s, but I remember some of the old timers hanging up their shotguns and waders by the 80s because there weren't enough ducks to fool with anymore. Those guys are long gone now, and I'm the old guy who is about ready to hang up his waders and shotgun.
It sure seems the more heavily regulated and managed a resource becomes, the worse it all gets.
Having said that, winters are warmer, fewer ice covered bodies of water, destroyed public habitat, commercial operations sewing up land and creating false "refuges" with plantings and ice breaking equipment, and locked gates that effectively remove the pesky hunting public. Hell, the state even refuses to fix boat ramps, and literally posts up closed to public access signs rather than fix the problems. The later has been occurring for years now in south FL and has either completely shut down access or so severely restricted access that I had to run almost 20 miles by boat to hunt where I wanted. These issues have been brought up and pushed against by a few of us and the result is one excuse after another from WMDs, EPA, and FWC; usually all three.
The future is bleak. We get a bastardized youth hunt on each end of the season with all the prizes, bright lights, and marquee signs on a few specific places that habitat is not utterly destroyed, but nothing else notable. I am ready to give it up, and if it wasn't for my 14 year old, I probably would. At this point, I'm glad I built a ride boat rather than a hunt boat because unless you're willing to pay $200 to shoot 6 teal, there's no longer a viable need to own a pile of equipment to do it yourself.
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Post by ogbohica on Nov 21, 2023 8:52:56 GMT -5
Heard its more like 300 to shoot 6 teal... I'll also add that some particular lawyers have ruined the good ole days of farmers I used to know allowing us to hunt their property.
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Post by One Man Gang on Nov 21, 2023 9:16:48 GMT -5
Heard its more like 300 to shoot 6 teal... I'll also add that some particular lawyers have ruined the good ole days of farmers I used to know allowing us to hunt their property. Very true, son. |
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Post by meateater on Nov 21, 2023 12:03:16 GMT -5
bunch of nancy,s i had my limit by 8 am. including 2 doubles
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Post by ogbohica on Nov 21, 2023 12:23:28 GMT -5
There's one on every bunch... good job
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Post by meateater on Nov 21, 2023 12:48:30 GMT -5
There's one on every bunch... good job thanks , yea i put a whooping on them snipe. ducks never seen one but did run into a few duck hunters leaving the wma empty handed. |
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Post by One Man Gang on Nov 21, 2023 13:19:30 GMT -5
Snipe will be the new duck and dove for me.
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Post by 4ward on Nov 21, 2023 13:32:52 GMT -5
I went solo Sunday morning. I missed 8 times and I definitely feel quite pathetic.
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Post by cyclist on Nov 21, 2023 14:35:56 GMT -5
I went solo Sunday morning. I missed 8 times and I definitely feel quite pathetic. No big deal, you have time to redeem yourself!
So far this year I have shot 2 time at woodies and got 2 ducks, and once at a quail and got one quail.
I am now prepared to hang it up for the season...or start missing a bunch.
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Post by 4ward on Nov 21, 2023 14:43:28 GMT -5
The sunrise is always outstanding!
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Post by richm on Nov 21, 2023 16:08:18 GMT -5
My dad didn't want to go duck hunting. He asked me if we had a permit - nope, didn't get a single permit this year. He said, let's go fishing... Asked him why he didn't want to duck hunt - answer was aint no ducks. Think this is the 2nd opener I have missed in 45 years.
Ron - sorry to hear about the pins.
The state has really effed stuff up.
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Post by ogbohica on Nov 21, 2023 17:33:27 GMT -5
Our FWCC should all resign in top management. All they care about is the golden parachute, even SOME of the commissioners should walk... bring back a GFC
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