Interesting perspective on where are the ducks. Good facts and a perspective perhpas hunters will not be so keen on.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...g-dave-rave/id1702195856?i=1000638545911

BTW - there are a list of additional podcasts under More Episodes around this subject that could be equally interesting. I have not listened to them yet.

Yep good listen. If you believe the counts we are 10million ducks light over the last 5 or so years with many ducks now below long term averages. Mallards have gone from about 10mill to 6.1mill on the 23 counts. If the trend continues mallards will be in the 4mill range during the 24 counts.

I think the framework dictates a restrictive season If mallards ever drop below 5mill. A restrictive season is 30 days and 3 ducks. But it won't take effect till the 25/26 season based on how they structure the seasons. The 24/25 season is already set off the 2023 numbers.

I agree with everything talked aboutnin that podcast, the framework needs to be reworked as waterfowling has changed significantly over the last 25 years. Primarily the amount of pressure on the birds.

I would hate to see a 30 day season because it would be over in a flash. A 45 day season with a 3 or 4 day duck limit would suit me just fine. I'd also say something needs to be implemented to protect hens, maybe no more than 2 hens in your aggregate limit. You shoot a gadwall hen and a gwt hen, the rest of your daily bag can only be drakes.

Don’t pay too much attn to overall numbers- drought, fronts and pressure/ property management ( no shooting into large groups,etc, limiting pressure) much more important- if your hunting right water. Been keeping numbers for 20 years- typically hunt 2-3 guns per hunt, 100% private- had a record year on properties despite a poor early BWT season

Um, Eugene, says this UO grad/smartass ...

Was a weird season for sure. We had mallards during the big freeze in Jan....then we didn't. Prior to that it was mostly gaddys, gwt, and wigeon.
Too warm up north for too long in to the season is my best guess.

Thanks for sharing, will listen tomorrow on the way to work.

How many if yall hunt different areas every year?

It just seems every year is different. In 22/23 I hunted a lake and limited out 8 of the 11 times i hunted it. In 23/24 i shot 9 birds in 5 hunts on that same lake. For what ever reason that lake just didn't hold birds like it did the year before. I can go through my records and it's the same story. Some areas that I killed birds in the last 5 years are bone dry, some just don't hold birds like they have in prior years. This year I shot most my birds in a completely new area to me. Just went in blind and figured it out.

When it comes to public land, you have to get out and find birds and be willing to go to completely new areas.

Yep,birds are always looking for better feed , less pressure etc. If you aren't always scouting you are missing out. Places change from year to year.

I will change lakes/areas up to 3 times a day until I find what I am looking for. When I get mad at them, it is nothing for me to scout from sun up to sundown. I would rather scout two days and have one good/great hunt than scout one day and have two marginal hunts.