Just wanted to check base with the waterfowlers and see how this season has been so far.

This has been the worst first split I've ever seen since I started waterfowl hunting about 15 years ago.

Has not been very good for me, but I hunt a fraction of time that I used to. I used to burn all my vacation days hunting and scouting, now I burn them all snow skiing. I used to take a whole week off several times a season and scout/hunt every day, so I was always on the birds. Now I’m pretty much relegated to the weekends.

Seems like the last few years smart weed is not growing on area lakes like in years past, that’s not good.

Had a decent opener. After that it has slowly dropped off. Prolly my worse year in the last 10 years I'd say. There just not many birds down here yet.

I hunt in southeast Texas and this year has been a story of the haves and the have nots. Properties are either beating the brakes off of the ducks and have been the majority of the season or they are having the worst season in recent memory. I am between some guys that are hammering them and public hunting area and have had decent hunting. Definitely not as good as last year.

It’s been ok, I’ve guided for an outfitter a few times and that has been interesting.










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Its been one of the worst years I can remember. I hunt Private and have the habitat. Although we are droughty and not near the water we normally have, but we have the food. Its been really slow.

Horrible sums it up. I have killed birds ,but numbers I see are way down & if you aren't on the X , you probably won't fire a shot.

We have been fortunate on our leases the last few years in SE Louisiana. We shoot 80% teal where we are but a duck is a duck is a duck. I know that going in but the days of shooting gadwall, wigeons in the bunches are over for now. What is good to report many hunters near me have done well also for the first time in a decade. So, overall on the east bank of the Mississippi River it has been a good year so far. Numbers will begin to decline until the end of the season. We hunt on.

We got a bonus two weeks ago, a real nice marsh buck. 12 point

I'd say its been a good season so far. Public a couple days during the week and private on weekends, (really just a Saturday) But its been a lot of work. Scouting and getting up early to be on the hole. Mallards have been good to us so far this season. We think January is going to be a blast!

Hunting 40% less, but hunts for 2-3 guns has been very good. Wigeons and gadwall dominating harvest. Big groups of teal showing up now near Red. Got gadwalls in wetland finally in VanZandt Co- typical mid December it picks up here - limits or few ducks shy- not seeing many ringers this year but enough to juice numbers. We haven’t shot any divers except for 3 red head limits last week

Good to hear but not good to hear. Can echo the sentiment of worst season since….. I can’t even remember.

I really think that a large portion of Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma (central and western areas of these states) being dry for several years has shifted a number or ducks east into the Mississippi flyway. Obviously there are a ton of other variables but the most consistent hunting I have had in Kansas and Oklahoma has been on the eastern side of the states and when I see the maps of where GPS tracked birds are going the majority seem to be getting to Kansas City and then sliding east further and the most west they seem to get is about on line with Tulsa.

AWESOME DEER BY THE WAY!

Nice, all about habitat- if you have larger bodies of water with a desirable food or ability to flood, typically doing ok. Our numbers in my private, after record harvest last year, are about even in numbers, but with 5 less hunts, 35% more harvest per hunt and a handful of ringnecks, which made up 20% of harvest plus/ minus last year - no Canvasbacks yet, handful of red heads - only 5 total mallards and 3 pintails. Gadwalls wigeon dominant, with green wing showing up in better numbers last week

We are right there with you Rockie. Talked to buddies down on Trinity bottoms, and up by the river. Nobody’s killing much and saying about the same thing.

It is so bad I say if you dump a pile of rcorn in your spot, and Mr Green Jeans needs to understand. You're not hunting over corn, you're garding it. There simply no ducks from up north in the area.

On another forum, some guys are hunting pheasants in KS. Their guides told them, they are cancealing duck hunts as there are no birds. Just to warm up north and the birds have not come.

In North Texas it has been a 10 year drought. Another year of mild climate and birds holding up in Nebraska and South Dakota

They show up in North Texas in February after season has ended and I’m getting my Crappie situated and fishing for them Stripers and Blue Cats

What ducks ?
Haven’t even seen one this year.

I hunted Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday after Christmas and had good hunts each day shooting mixed bags. Moving around to different properties once we burn out a spot seems the way it will be until the end of the season.

Pictures of a few hunts from Thursday - Saturday - Sunday

Congrats Delta! Looks like yall have a great club!

Thank you. We all put in a lot of time and effort to get the results seen in the pictures. We hunt on.

Getting text thins are looking better at least in the norther part of the state. And saw January is going to be coldest on record. Sure hope that means some hard freezes up north to push the birds down.

Anyone know how to get some February tags, you know, like teal tags for Sept?

Limited on opening day but due to neck surgery, I haven't shot since. Hoping to get in another hunt or two before the season is over. But I have gone out a couple of times just to watch the birds come in. Been pretty spotty. 12 - 20 widgeons and 5-6 ringnecks been coming in to our place in North Texas - that's about it. Cold front today and colder front next week should bring them in.

I am not sure how some guys are killing ducks. I group of us has honestly scouted private lands along bordering counties from Vernon to Bonham and there just not much to speak of. We have water and food in 80% of our spots. Been awful. My chesapeake thinks he has retired.
I drove back from Stamford the other day through Haskell, Throckmorton....etc.....every tank was full and I saw three ducks in a 160 miles.

They are supplementing the water.