They will still migrate. It's what they do.

Yeah,they might just migrate much later.
I believe its gonna be a short season, and in february we will be loaded with patos

You've brought this up before. If you're that bothered, just sit at home, leaves more for everyone else.

Either water closes up or it doesn't. In North Texas Ducks will do what they always do bounce back and forth from Oklahoma, chasing open water

mucho more

I normally don't say much, but your posts just show how much of a Barney topwater you are.

Like someone else mentioned...ducks will still migrate. My best years have been years like this. Just have to spend more time scouting to find them.

I know that is hard for a 'hardcore' pond popper, such as yourself, that simply waits and hopes ducks show up on the ponds you have leased. Or you could just hope that JJ can fit you in his schedule sometime.

Man that's a lot of hate in one post. Somebody is jealous of the beaver.

Some guys get jealous when a guy has a longer barrel than them.

Not when they're only using it on trashy birds

Is this a private vs public thread?

Everyone loves pounding the beaver. That's for sure

Well, its actually a lil more complicated this time, we have finally reached the PHD level of Duck University:

Private non guided vs private guided vs public guided vs public non guided, that is the question.

I was pointing out the fact that the big migration, imo, will be delayed this year due to warming conditions up north combined with a super el nino. Last year, with the multiple cold fronts early in November, I was killing limits around November 7, steady. We were blessed with a weekly arctic cold front to top that. We only have one week left till first split ends, and I have seen way less ducks in North Texas compared to last year. Even the reports on this forum are much weaker. Also the reports from a dozen of North Texas outfitters are poor. (But they all know the season really kicks in second split anyway). Sure the ducks will migrate, but you cant buy time, the clock is ticking, every duck killed in November in North Texas is a bonus (last year it was jackpot).
I personally would rather have a season from December 1st till February 15th with no split.

Fascinating how a de facto weather forecast by a reputable third party escalates to a much sought after and never ending beaver pounding again - truely invigorating. I'm impressed and overly amused. And to add on to your amusing assumptions, I do not lease any small body of waters that you poetically describe, and that It was only my third guided duckhunt with above mentioned outfitter since his inception (2009, I believe). Yes, I know, I apologize if I hunt with a guide 5-6 times a season. It becomes an absolute crime to the real duckhunter's pure soul. I apologize if I ever offended you. Outfitters should be held accountable with their promise of millions of migrating duck posts, I take the bait year after year after year Having said that, most of the guides I personally hand selected in Texas since 1998 became true friends over the years and have operations or connections out of state such as Arkansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Kansas., and I truely enjoy these yearly road trips.

So after all these years of hunting I finally had the courage to ask the ducks what they really thought about all this public, private, camo, decoy placement, pond poppers, barneys, topwaters, above 50 acres lake hunters, after market chokes, ammo, facepaint, facemask, breathable waders, el nino, metrogun bla bla bla nonsense. So I drove to their headquarters, the famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN. I waited patiently for my meeting. They listened to me talking for 6 hours and they never said one word, when I was finished and out of voice, every single duck gave me the finger followed by a unanimous F you.

Have a wonderfull weekend, stay warm and thank you for making me laugh.

I liked the first response better. lol

Dang riverrunner you were kind of brutal on the beaver last night.

Maybe one day you'll realize that discussing a delayed waterfowl migration in southeast Texas versus being able to find and shoot ducks are completely different topics. The people that feel the need to post in these migration threads with straps of birds like everything is fine, are the real topwaters who don't understand what's going on, at all.

Most of the reponses here is why I don't post much on here.

I guess I was feeling a little froggy last night. All of the doom and gloom from someone who has a myopic view gets old.

Beaversnipe, just because you don't lease those ponds doesn't mean you aren't hunting ponds. Your overall views of hunting ducks in N. TX lends itself to someone who only hunts smaller water or ponds...there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I will even agree with your assessment of any ducks in November being bonus ducks, but I only agree when looking through the lenses of a pond hunter or small water body hunter. I would exclude playa lakes and flooded fields from flood waters from this list.

Smaller water, rivers, and ponds in N. TX don't usually become consistent until December, but that is no way indicative of the population of birds in the State.

I have hunted 3 different areas of the state to begin the season and have seen good populations at all of them. I have a pretty extensive network as well and the guys I know are killing plenty of birds.

Now, the Mallards will be a little behind schedule due to weather but the main migration (most ducks that come to TX are OTMs) will migrate as usual. They just may not be where you would expect them, but there are plenty to limit 3-4 guys most days.

Bottom line....get out, find ducks, shoot ducks, and have fun doing it.

Majority of ducks in north texas are being shot over ponds smaller than 10 acres. Its just the way it is here.
I dont see anything unethical about that. Plus i do not have a retriever, which makes it hard to hunt large body of waters.
Im also a member of the NTIBPPA (north texas itty bitty pond poppers association)
Great people with lil man complex, you ought to join.

Baaaaahaha

I'm not one to jump on a beaver bash. But that took the cake right there. Dude knows it all.

I cant stand know it alls, i tried to keep my composure

By the way i had a guide calling me last nite if i wanted to hunt today over 1500 ducks.
I asked him the size of the pond. He said about 15 acres. I told him i am not a pond popper and that he should take his business somewhere else and not to embarass my any more.

Yup ducks aren't here yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyJwtxcGfPA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn8jyF-92Pg

Pond is 45+ acres FYI

You are dense...never did I say there was anything wrong with shooting small water or ponds.

You just think that because you aren't shooting limits or seeing as many birds as last year in your little corner of TX means the migration isn't going to happen until January or even February.

I am sure you know, but the Federal Framework doesn't allow for a season later than Jan 31. If you want to lobby the feds to extend the dates into February, be my guest.

Again, I have no issue with anyone shooting small water, but please quit with the doom and gloom BS. Most of the fowl that we winter are photoperiod migrators and will migrate whether it is an above average winter or not. Mallards are a different story and it does take a good, snowy winter to get the mass of Mallards to migrate below Kansas.

Anyway, have fun watching the empty sunrises until January-February when the ducks migrate down.