Have corn pond complexes affected your 2018 duck season?

[hunterednate]

In case you missed it, Eagle Lakes ranch posted on their facebook page that they killed 152 limits of ducks this last week (1064 birds dead - not counting cripples). They also claim on their ad on the back page of the regs that they now have "over 40 flooded corn ponds for the '18-'19 season." If you use google earth, you can see that the term "pond" is a bit too quaint for these duck magnets: they're huge, and water levels are manipulated to keep new feed available all season long. Also, as hunters keep paying $350 per day for their seven birds, big operations like Eagle Lakes are able to keep adding more corn ponds every year - exponentially increasing the number of birds they hold.

There are many factors that influence a hunter's success on public land: weather, competition, scouting, etc. And yes, you can still kill birds on public land in 2018. My question is this: are these corn ponds becoming an inordinately large factor on a season like this one?

And if the practice of adding water to corn is banned (ironically, adding corn to water is already considered illegal baiting), would that increase opportunity for public land hunters in WA state?

Just curious to see if any of you other public hunters in the Basin have noticed the decline in the sheer numbers of birds they see in the air or on the water over public ground over the last several years....and whether you think the massive tornadoes of birds roosting, feeding, and loafing on private corn complexes has anything to with it.

[vandeman17]

It has been a slow year for me/us in the basin this year but I am curious if it is the warm weather and amount of open water or not.

[cougforester]

This again? Come on man. 

[Mfowl]

I hadn't attributed my lack of success this year to the private flooded corn complexes. More to the odd weather and seemingly lower numbers of birds in general in the basin. I suppose it is entirely possible that with fewer birds around the corn complexes are attracting and holding a larger percentage of birds and leaving less available to the public land hunters.

[BD1]

Had a buddy hunt at Eagle this year and never saw a bird or shot the gun  hasn't affected my season, I only have gotten out once.

[shorthair-on-point]

I will be honest I never gave much credence to this in the past. I have had a very slow year so far. I live here and have a lot of private land I can hunt. I wanted to know what was up so I had a buddy fly me around the basin in his plane. I'm sure the weather had an impact but the fact of the matter was that I was shocked to see how many birds were hanging out on the corn pond complexes.

[head hunter]

Been killing good amounts of green in my flooded corn. Life is good

[hunterednate]

I will be honest I never gave much credence to this in the past. I have had a very slow year so far. I live here and have a lot of private land I can hunt. I wanted to know what was up so I had a buddy fly me around the basin in his plane. I'm sure the weather had an impact but the fact of the matter was that I was shocked to see how many birds were hanging out on the corn pond complexes.

Exactly. There's nothing like seeing it with your own eyes. They are magnets and getting bigger every year. Simple math says more birds concentrated in one (very small) area....fewer birds elsewhere.

[hunterednate]

It has been a slow year for me/us in the basin this year but I am curious if it is the warm weather and amount of open water or not.

I think those are huge factors, too. Maybe the biggest factors. But corn ponds will also have a bigger impact on years like this.

The question is: are weather years like this the new normal? As corn ponds continue to increase in size and effectiveness (via ice eaters, more irrigation investment/infrastructure, will they continue to have a bigger impact?

[Timberstalker]

Are these complexes illegal?

[hunterednate]

Had a buddy hunt at Eagle this year and never saw a bird or shot the gun  hasn't affected my season, I only have gotten out once.

To quote Eagle Lake's own ad in the reg's: "Limit shooting is the rule - not the exception." Your buddy's experience was unusual! Especially never to see a bird or shoot his gun...are we talking bout the same Eagle Lakes??? I can't even drive past their driveway without seeing birds!

[hunterednate]

Are these complexes illegal?

No. Adding corn to water is illegal - but adding water to corn is not. Very legal. Just like live decoys used to be legal!

[hunterednate]

I hadn't attributed my lack of success this year to the private flooded corn complexes. More to the odd weather and seemingly lower numbers of birds in general in the basin. I suppose it is entirely possible that with fewer birds around the corn complexes are attracting and holding a larger percentage of birds and leaving less available to the public land hunters.

I think you're right on those being the biggest factors. I think the corn ponds have an impact though. When you see the number of birds on them, it's hard to imagine that they CAN'T have an impact.

Wonder what it will be like for hunter recruitment/retention when we have a really tough year....

[jackelope]

Sounds like some of the same sort of issues that some say caused the WDFW to change the law regarding baiting of deer and elk.Specifically some folks up in North Central WA dumping big enough piles(dump truck loads) of apples to change the migration routes of the mule deer to their winter ranges if I remember correctly.

[hunterednate]

Sounds like some of the same sort of issues that some say caused the WDFW to change the law regarding baiting of deer and elk.Specifically some folks up in North Central WA dumping big enough piles(dump truck loads) of apples to change the migration routes of the mule deer to their winter ranges if I remember correctly.

Great comparison.