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The Drought
#4982908
02/20/14 02:22 AM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 408
BULSPRG
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 408 |
After hunting several different locations this past winter and seeing first hand how low the area lakes are we could be in real trouble come the fall of 2014 if we don't get some rain. I could see the public lake I hunted last fall shut down to duck hunting if we lose much more water, not to mention the fact that the ducks will not stop here if things get much worse. Pray for rain guys, because north Texas duck hunting could be in real trouble if this drought continues.
Let em Work
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4982952
02/20/14 02:35 AM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,811
Trout-killer
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,811 |
The lakes I hunted were ok.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4983072
02/20/14 03:26 AM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 10,426
Ramball36
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 10,426 |
I have better luck during dry years
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4983112
02/20/14 03:46 AM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,913
Simple Searcher
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,913 |
Lakes? Where we are they are now called ponds or mud holes. No rain and the they will be completely dried up. Medina lake is almost gone. 3.3% full, might as well be dry. Excellent site for lake levels http://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/statewide
"Man is still a hunter, still a simple searcher after meat..." Robert C. Ruark
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Re: The Drought
[Re: Ramball36]
#4983128
02/20/14 03:52 AM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,850
Merican Duck Hunter
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,850 |
I have better luck during dry years find water, find ducks... pretty easy
Arise.Kill.Eat -Acts 10:13 I have read a bunch of stuff on the internet about Star Wars but that does not mean I can skin a deer with a light saber.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4983479
02/20/14 01:54 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415
jdk1985
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415 |
^
Works when it's freezing out as well... find open water...
Instagram @justinkingwoodworking
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4983588
02/20/14 02:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,574
Leonardo
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,574 |
Definitely in bad shape for many places. I understand when water is short birds can only be in so many places. However if we could get some serious rain the forage in the water where the grass has grown tall should make for an amazing year.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4983753
02/20/14 04:13 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 845
Txcatman1
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 845 |
Yah it's not good man, south texas has been hurtin pretty bad for a long time. Last year we got lucky right around October and got some good rain to hold a few good playa lakes throughout November but those had been dry the past 2 or 3 years. This season was nothing like it was then, we still have plenty of divers in the salt water but it was a sad season for the puddlers even though the honey holes had water the ducks just weren't here. We need to have 2 or 3 tropical storms to really saturate the ground again this year to keep it consistent again
Texas fur and skull buyer Greg Novak Gnovakswa@gmail.com 361-793-6706
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4983935
02/20/14 05:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 658
aggiegadwall
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 658 |
For anybody that think we have enough water please open your eyes. We are in a drought that's worse than the dust bowl era. The only reason we even have drinking water and any crops is because if the improved farming practices and technology. Water is becoming the new oil in Texas. Just this week Wichita Falls passed a bill to pay for cloud seeding. Look up the lake levels the vast majority in Texas is under 35% capacity and where I live there only 2 lake within 70 miles you can even launch a boat.
Water restrictions in many municipalities only have 4 stages and they are working hard to figure out what to do in a stage 5 drought.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: aggiegadwall]
#4983954
02/20/14 05:44 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,594
Featherduster
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,594 |
For anybody that think we have enough water please open your eyes. Very well said
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4984098
02/20/14 07:29 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 37
Goldenboy30
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 37 |
This past year I drew a spot and picked my blind, it had water in July then by September the spot was bone dry. the second weekend of teal season it rained like 6 inches and my spot filled with water and still has water today, but I will tell you I was getting kinda creeped out after the first weekend and having no water
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4984204
02/20/14 08:12 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 658
aggiegadwall
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 658 |
Sorry if I offend others in advance. I make a living off of waterfowl hunting but if anyone is only concerned about us having water to hunt over than you friend need to think again. Almost half the STATE of Texas that depends on lakes for drinking water has 18 months or less of water. Why do you think that all of these grants are getting approved for city wells and multi 100 million water treatment projects are being installed. At one point last yr we were below a yr for city water but done rains have us an additional 4 months
Farmers have quit irrigating crops because they don't have enough water to do it or they can sell water to oil companies for fracking and make more.
It's rough and I hope things change.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: aggiegadwall]
#4984937
02/21/14 03:56 AM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 856
940AC
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 856 |
Sorry if I offend others in advance. I make a living off of waterfowl hunting but if anyone is only concerned about us having water to hunt over than you friend need to think again. Almost half the STATE of Texas that depends on lakes for drinking water has 18 months or less of water. Why do you think that all of these grants are getting approved for city wells and multi 100 million water treatment projects are being installed. At one point last yr we were below a yr for city water but done rains have us an additional 4 months
Farmers have quit irrigating crops because they don't have enough water to do it or they can sell water to oil companies for fracking and make more.
It's rough and I hope things change. Couldn't have said it better myself. We need a hurricane across the whole state. We need much needed rain. Let it pour. Fill up the lakes, reservoirs, stock tanks, etc....
No bad days hunting
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4986018
02/21/14 09:32 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 408
BULSPRG
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 408 |
This water issue is going to be first and foremost a people issue if we don't get some real good rain soon. Look at the posts from Aggiegadwall. On the hunting side of this, if we lose much more water, the ducks will leave this area, I've seen it before. During the flood of 1993 in the Midwest all the food sources were gone or covered in flood water. This forced the ducks to alter their migration routes and seek food else where. The ducks were not overly dispersed due to the flood water, we killed our fair share but the following year there was a noticeable reduction in the ducks in the area in addition to reports of ducks showing up in places they hadn't been in before. Ducks must have two things, food & water. As the big safe waters continue to recede and the flooded vegetation the ducks rely on for food sources in this area dry up we will see a reduction in our duck numbers in north Texas.
No doubt there will always be ducks here but the vast majority will overfly us or adjust to other areas like La or Ak. Bottom line, we need rain bad!
Let em Work
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4986056
02/21/14 09:56 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 523
Tvilbig
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 523 |
Droughts are an inevitable natural weather cycle. We went through one in the 50s that was much worse than this. Droughts in Texas end with a flood so don't pray too hard for rain or you might get too much of what you're asking for. Start changing cities landscape ordinances and you will see municipal water usage decline. People have to water the landscapes they are forced to plant.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#4986111
02/21/14 10:31 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,175
txbowhunt7
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,175 |
Just like everything else in this world, there's a solution to help water shortages due to human consumption. Politically, it will never happen. I understand for some of y'all, human consumption has nothing to do with water on your property being dry, but these 2 things go hand in hand
,
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Re: The Drought
[Re: Tvilbig]
#5000832
03/02/14 05:38 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 340
WatersFowler
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 340 |
Droughts are an inevitable natural weather cycle. We went through one in the 50s that was much worse than this. Droughts in Texas end with a flood so don't pray too hard for rain or you might get too much of what you're asking for. Start changing cities landscape ordinances and you will see municipal water usage decline. People have to water the landscapes they are forced to plant. I'm not sure what you are suggesting, but as a registered Landscape Architect in Texas I deal with it everyday. I have been in the landscape industry my entire career and now work for the world's leader in drip irrigation manufacturing. I talk to people everyday in regards to saving water by using less. It is difficult to convince some contractors who have been using a conventional spray / rotor type system for their entire career that there is another way....but I am trying. One of my points of emphasis is that if we don't conserve the cities will pass ordinances that reduce the amount of landscape area (turf and ornamentals) allowed on a property and that will have a very negative impact on the landscape industry's economy. Many Texas cities have already implemented ordinances that limit the amount of outside watering with conventional systems, but allow the use of drip irrigation on a daily basis. Not to be a salesman here, but the reason is for efficiency. A standard spray irrigation system is only about 50% efficient. That means that nearly half the water that comes out of the nozzle ends up somewhere it wasn't intended to. With drip, it is 90% efficient. Bottom line is that we can ALL help reduce water consumption and keep our lake levels higher for drinking....and the ducks! If you want to know more about how drip can help save water, send me a PM.
Go ------------>
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Re: The Drought
[Re: WatersFowler]
#5000969
03/02/14 06:55 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,124
WhiskeyandMe
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,124 |
To touch on what Justin is saying, if you haven't been out towards Haskell and that area, take a road trip...
A large area of that landscape is almost void of water...
Ponds and lakes are less than 50% if not 30%, 20% or completely dry.
Several ponds on a property I just leased are less than 25% and the landowner has wells to put water in troughs just so the deer and wildlife have some water to drink.
It is BAD!
Even North Texas, I went and looked at some sloughs to lease and they were completely dry! Landowner said he hasn't seen them dry in over 20 years. (since he had had it)
We need Rain, and unfortunately it will take a major hurricane type system to help us!
J.J.
Looking for a Deer, Dove, Duck, Crow, Goose, Hog, or Turkey Hunt? Check us out! www.kentoutdoors.com
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#5001006
03/02/14 07:22 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,038
Greekangler
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,038 |
My properties, even van zandt are 80% to full flood level. If u have an area of good water shed- you should be in real good shape.
More concentration of birds 12-13 season
Bad for fishing and use of lake house- but BETTER for waterfowl hunting
Take a kid Huntin
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Re: The Drought
[Re: Merican Duck Hunter]
#5001342
03/02/14 11:35 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,045
David Maas
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,045 |
I have better luck during dry years find water food, find ducks... pretty easy fify
NRA Endowed Patriot Life Benefactor GOA Life Member TSRA Life Member NSCA Life Member
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#5010430
03/07/14 10:37 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 516
Jobst
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 516 |
Just mentioning that I saw on the weather channel they think there will be another El Nino this year like the 90's one. For our benefit they said the central pacific has to warm up. Said it is hard to predict which area will warm but said they think it will be this year.
Heres to hoping.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: Jobst]
#5010489
03/07/14 11:26 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,935
unclebubba
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,935 |
Just mentioning that I saw on the weather channel they think there will be another El Nino this year like the 90's one. For our benefit they said the central pacific has to warm up. Said it is hard to predict which area will warm but said they think it will be this year.
Heres to hoping. The Central Pacific has to warm up? I figured Global Warming would have already caused it to warm up.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: Merican Duck Hunter]
#5011781
03/08/14 10:22 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,498
Guy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,498 |
I have better luck during dry years find water, find ducks... pretty easy Water alone won't do it, need food or ducks won't stick around, mud holes they are here one day, gone the next. I for one would love to see all lakes full again. It is nice to have more places to hunt, you have to scout harder, but when you find them they should stick around and also hopefully not as crowded with more places to hunt.
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Re: The Drought
[Re: Ramball36]
#5016753
03/12/14 01:06 AM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 595
maturner05
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 595 |
I have better luck during dry years this
Is it duck season yet?
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Re: The Drought
[Re: BULSPRG]
#5018131
03/12/14 08:35 PM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 494
817cd
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 494 |
All of these issues seem to be ignored by the general public. I was out in lubbock last summer and half the TT campus was being watered in the middle of the day with spray nozzles. Embarrassing! It goes back on people just being selfish. Drive around DFW or any other big Texas metro area and look at all the green yards in the middle of the summer. Sure their are restriction in place in some of them but they are not strict and people break the rules all the time. All the offseason light moisture in the fall, winter, and now spring has me worried about fire. This type of moisture is perfect to let the tall bunch grass and such stay thick but still dry just waiting for a lightning build up to start more fires like we have had in recent years but worse. Anyway drought is bad but brush fires are nutz. With the right winds in the right parts of this state who knows what could happen.
Never used photoshop and never will. Photoshop is for liberals.
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