Waterfowl Hunting
2016 season set
4/19/16 @ 9:34 AM
Displaying 1 to 15 of 16 posts
Duck Widow, I understand your concerns. Rest assured that if there were to be a complete failure on any nesting, the Feds are going to step in and make the necessary changes immediately. I have no doubts on that what so ever. A good example is back in the early 90's when goose season was closed quickly. The numbers were very low for geese and I don't think it was open for more than a couple of weeks and it was shut down.
My concerns are the same as yours. I'm not in agreement with the Can and Blue-Bill limits. They have struggled for a long time. Yes things are a little better but I sincerley hope that they keep a "watchful" eye on them. I do have enough faith in the Feds that they will make a good decision if needed. I havent been too dissapointed in the Season structure for the last 40 years. At this time I'm confident everything will be okay.
if you have a drought year things can change dramatically.
I am surprised you keep customers with your negativity. I would think you would of grown up by now.
No need for your degree as I have my own but thanks.
Please explain the difference however when a: the season used to be 3/30 and b: goose season was 1 bird for like 10 days. How are the numbers so different now? Or are they?
How can you have a season limit set before you know nesting success? Ok, you defend the opposite way but why are you so set on having limits set 5 months early if they could possibly change. Where are hunters benefiting? Vacation? We all know when the season dates are every year. Does the amount of birds you shoot affect anything? All serious questions.
I don't believe the concern over this is warranted.
The season length and bag limits change very little from year to year. That means that nesting success and exploitation (predator loss, hunting impact) are pretty well balanced.
Honestly, it never made a lot of sense to me to wait until July or August to set bag limits - one more good or poor hatch should have very little impact on setting harvest caps.
You can't find it because duck hunting has not had a devastating effect on a species under current season length and limits! AS I SAID FOR THE 3RD TIME THAT IF SOMETHING DRASTIC OCCURS THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME TO CHANGE THE SEASON DATES AND LIMITS. What part of that do you not understand? The feds have proven that they will change the limits and season lenthg on species such as Cansvasbacks or Pintails from year to year. They even will error on the side of caution like they did a few years ago when they dropped the limit on cans to 0 even though they knew that the spring counts were off! For that aspect nothing has changed!
Google: Temporal variation in survival and recovery rates of lesser scaup This is a study that just came out that I was sent but I see know that you can also read it on line. It will be way over your head but if you stick with the Abstract you should be able to understand enough of it but I'm not holding my breath.
Keep in mind scaup are still the 4th most populated duck in North America. They are doing fine unless you look at the peak numbers back 40-50 years ago. They are right at their historic averages.
Kent is managing the MVP population very well, I have no disagreements with him on that. I would like to see a 3 bird limit especially on the west side of the state since we shoot very few Interiors. Also, as long as IL sticks with the 2 bird limit, the population should rebound. This season however is unlike ducks which are set and can be changed from year to year. That isn't what the changes are about but I see that is what you are trying to make it be.
If my degree would burn in a fire, I still have the knowledge. You want to borrow my degree?
How can one show scientific proof if it hasn't happened yet. Like I said most ducks haven't even laid an egg yet.
Kent has said in numerous publications that he is concerned about the MVP goose population. Sure, giants are exploding but MVPs are hurting. Is Kent scientific enough for you or do you know more than him?
Where is your scientific proof that bluebill will return to 6? There population remains a fraction of what it once was. So if you kill more they will breed more Mr. Scientist?
It cracks me up that those that don't know as much out of jealousy throw around the scientific proof thing. Maybe if you didn't look at waterfowling as a job you could learn to appreciate and understand the sport more instead of it all being about money.
My two cents. Go ahead and fling mud as you so well know how to do instead of addressing the issues.
That piece of paper is far more than what you have on the wall or in your head. As far as the MVP population, I'm sure you were aware that the feds are allowing us to go to 3 Canada's but we will remain at 2 for that very concern. In the last 20 years our specie specific seasons and limits have changed many times and it has become apparent and very obvious that under current limits and season length that hunting will not hurt the duck populations. And yet you two are all worried about what? Especially when you two are not comprehending that there is a safety factor put in place in case something drastic should happen in between the season settings and the pond/breeding counts. With scientific proof show us your concerns. We all know that won't happen.
Makes a lot of sense to set the season,but you can go back and change it. Why didn't the season just get set on December 1st? I am glad your little piece of paper on the wall makes you an authority. They won't make any changes.They haven't made any changes in regard to MVP population. I suppose you are going to say their populations are booming as well!
Blaming the DNR does show how little you and your brother knows on how the seasons are set since the feds have the say in this 100%. This also just didn't happen overnight, why after the fact are you two making a deal of this if you are so informed? With your connections I'm sure you could've stopped it in its tracks. lol! Now for you Chicken Littles, if the Cans or Pintails have a major issue during the breeding season the feds can come back in and restrict the season. Did you not read that the first time I typed it? Bluebills are fine and we possibly will see a 6 bill limit in the next few years.
toye talks about how little duckmaster knows about how the season is set. Ummm, hello the season has been set in August during at least all of out lifetimes so what are you talking about? Don't we have to see how successful the ducks did with hatches (pond counts, etc)? I am not talking out the majority of ducks. The ducks in question that seem very sensitive to nesting are pintail, bluebill, and cans. Those 3 are why the season platform could change. The dates etc will always be the same as like Toye says the season has little affect on ducks with larger numbers.
I am sure Toye will have something to fight about as he is a guide hence he knows everything, right?
As far as vacation, well getting it "right" is more important than your vacation. Just the way it is. But I do not see the season structure ever changing with the 6/60 with the same Saturday being the opener ever year.
The old system of setting the season in August made it tough for me to take opening week for vacation. The place I work likes at least 4 months notice for fall vacation(Feb 1 for deer week), if you would like time off for the 2017 summer requests need to be in now. I can get the week off this year without kissing butt........... 
Why not wait until the fawn numbers are counted to set the deer season? What about the wabbit season? Is the DNR not worried about them as well?
Almost 20 straight years of liberal seasons. It's obvious under current structures hunting has little to do with the duck population. The change in procedure has been known for quite some time why is it now that you are complaining after the fact? But your right, let's wait until less than a moth before the season starts to set the seasons that we already know what we are going to get.
Displaying 1 to 15 of 16 posts
