Have corn pond complexes affected your 2018 duck season?

[hunterednate]

For what it is worth, WDFW plants a ton of crops and I don't believe they own a combine.  If the law was changed to not allow hunting over standing crops, a bunch of public land hunters would suffer as would those hunting around those crops on private and the waterfowl in general as there would be less feed.

Yes, they might have to change those practices.

As for losing waterfowl in the area, I don't buy it. There's plenty of dry corn and other cereal crops to hold birds in the region. The primary difference is that the ducks would have to find their food and water in two different places - thereby increasing bird movement, local distribution, and opportunity for public land hunters.

[skidynastar33]

Since we can’t use battery power anything to hunt waterfowl. Why not make the law geared toward manually manipulating water levels in the effort to expose feed and hunt ducks. If things naturally flood it’s ok. Then you can still plant feed for the ducks.. But can’t be changing water levels or flooding it on purpose. You have to rely on Mother Nature, ect.

I believe these big places all have water control so they are constantly changing the water level and exposing new feed. Birds will eat through feed fast.

[hunterednate]

Since we can’t use battery power anything to hunt waterfowl. Why not make the law geared toward manually manipulating water levels in the effort to expose feed and hunt ducks. If things naturally flood it’s ok. Then you can still plant feed for the ducks.. But can’t be changing water levels or flooding it on purpose. You have to rely on Mother Nature, ect.

I believe these big places all have water control so they are constantly changing the water level and exposing new feed. Birds will eat through feed fast.

This is an excellent solution, I think. Private clubs would still be able to hunt some flooded crops, but it would dramatically reduce the effect of the largest corn pond complexes.

[greenhead_killer]

I was under the impression with pub land hunters not being allowed to use anything electronic, including ice eaters, that neither could private. Is there something I’m missing on that too?

[full choke]

I was under the impression with pub land hunters not being allowed to use anything electronic, including ice eaters, that neither could private. Is there something I’m missing on that too?

You can use ice eaters all day long to keep water open.HOWEVER, if the decoys are moving at all, due to the effect of the ice eater moving the water, than you would be in violation of the electronic/battery decoy rule. Better yet, you run the ice eater all night, turn it off for your hunt, then turn it back on.
I think a lot of private pond guys get away with the ice eater running and moving decoys though. Pretty hard thing for a GW to catch them at I would suppose.

[Stein]

For what it is worth, WDFW plants a ton of crops and I don't believe they own a combine.  If the law was changed to not allow hunting over standing crops, a bunch of public land hunters would suffer as would those hunting around those crops on private and the waterfowl in general as there would be less feed.

Yes, they might have to change those practices.

As for losing waterfowl in the area, I don't buy it. There's plenty of dry corn and other cereal crops to hold birds in the region. The primary difference is that the ducks would have to find their food and water in two different places - thereby increasing bird movement, local distribution, and opportunity for public land hunters.

If WDFW stopped planting public sites, ducks absolutely would leave.  How many do you see in natural weed fields?

You have to look beyond your neighborhood.  In Puget Sound, thousands of hunters rely on crops to hunt public land.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mfowl]

For what it is worth, WDFW plants a ton of crops and I don't believe they own a combine.  If the law was changed to not allow hunting over standing crops, a bunch of public land hunters would suffer as would those hunting around those crops on private and the waterfowl in general as there would be less feed.

Yes, they might have to change those practices.

As for losing waterfowl in the area, I don't buy it. There's plenty of dry corn and other cereal crops to hold birds in the region. The primary difference is that the ducks would have to find their food and water in two different places - thereby increasing bird movement, local distribution, and opportunity for public land hunters.

If WDFW stopped planting public sites, ducks absolutely would leave.  How many do you see in natural weed fields?

You have to look beyond your neighborhood.  In Puget Sound, thousands of hunters rely on crops to hunt public land.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Relying on standard agricultural practices is one thing. Artificially manufacturing superior habitat for profit is another.

[hhack]

I got the invite to my buddies hunt club and we got our limits of green heads and a couple drake pintails. Flooded corn rules!!!!

[lokidog]

For what it is worth, WDFW plants a ton of crops and I don't believe they own a combine.  If the law was changed to not allow hunting over standing crops, a bunch of public land hunters would suffer as would those hunting around those crops on private and the waterfowl in general as there would be less feed.

Yes, they might have to change those practices.

As for losing waterfowl in the area, I don't buy it. There's plenty of dry corn and other cereal crops to hold birds in the region. The primary difference is that the ducks would have to find their food and water in two different places - thereby increasing bird movement, local distribution, and opportunity for public land hunters.

If WDFW stopped planting public sites, ducks absolutely would leave.  How many do you see in natural weed fields?

You have to look beyond your neighborhood.  In Puget Sound, thousands of hunters rely on crops to hunt public land.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Relying on standard agricultural practices is one thing. Artificially manufacturing superior habitat for profit is another.

WDFW gets to do all kinds of things us poor folk can't, this would not be an issue if it was banned on private land.

[hhack]

Why restrict what people can do on their private property. Sounds like some liberal hippy BS. Especially since it’s helping ducks survive and thrive.  It’s kinda like the feeding programs for elk in the winter time. Last time I check your average joe could plant corn in their local hunting spot but most people are too lazy. Hunters are there own worst enemy.

[hunterednate]

For what it is worth, WDFW plants a ton of crops and I don't believe they own a combine.  If the law was changed to not allow hunting over standing crops, a bunch of public land hunters would suffer as would those hunting around those crops on private and the waterfowl in general as there would be less feed.

Yes, they might have to change those practices.

As for losing waterfowl in the area, I don't buy it. There's plenty of dry corn and other cereal crops to hold birds in the region. The primary difference is that the ducks would have to find their food and water in two different places - thereby increasing bird movement, local distribution, and opportunity for public land hunters.

If WDFW stopped planting public sites, ducks absolutely would leave.  How many do you see in natural weed fields?

You have to look beyond your neighborhood.  In Puget Sound, thousands of hunters rely on crops to hunt public land.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you're missing the idea. Everyone could still plant as many crops as they want - they just wouldn't be allowed to artificially flood them. So the ducks would still feast on private land corn all they want...they would just need to find water on public land to digest it.

[hunterednate]

Why restrict what people can do on their private property. Sounds like some liberal hippy BS. Especially since it’s helping ducks survive and thrive.  It’s kinda like the feeding programs for elk in the winter time. Last time I check your average joe could plant corn in their local hunting spot but most people are too lazy. Hunters are there own worst enemy.

For the same reason many other waterfowl activities are restricted on private property - such as electronic decoys, baiting, etc.

Conservation is founded on restricting some activities for the good of the public resource. If that resource becomes increasingly private...it ceases to be enjoyed as a public resource.

[castie2504]

Quite the discussion. It sucks that the average hunter is being shorted. It reminds me of the ma & pa grocery stores getting walloped by the mega chain stores. The truth is people pay for convenience. Not many hunters left that are willing to put in the hard work for their hunt. How many people do you see road hunting a season? Drive around til they see something and then go from there. I’m not saying it’s necessarily wrong but we live in an age of convenience. I don’t know if there is an amicable solution for all parties in this debate but you can’t fault a man for creating a product that people want to buy. It sounds like they must be doing things according to the law otherwise they would have been closed down by now or so you would think.

[h2ofowlr]

This corn complex debate goes on forever on all the waterfowl chat sites.  It's a hard pill to swallow if your not all playing the same game.  These big money corn complexes definitely dominate over everything unfortunately.  Corporate or big money duck hunting at it's finest.  I don't see it changing when these outfits make sure they take care of, invite out or have those that pull the strings as part of their establishment or invite them out frequently.  You have some very influential folks that rub elbows at these locations, so I don't see these going away anytime soon.  Well greased machines!

I even bought $20 worth Powerball tickets on the last large payout.  If I won, I would be building one of these complexes as well.  I would probably shooting 104 limits of greenheads per season.

[hhack]

Why restrict what people can do on their private property. Sounds like some liberal hippy BS. Especially since it’s helping ducks survive and thrive.  It’s kinda like the feeding programs for elk in the winter time. Last time I check your average joe could plant corn in their local hunting spot but most people are too lazy. Hunters are there own worst enemy.

For the same reason many other waterfowl activities are restricted on private property - such as electronic decoys, baiting, etc.

Conservation is founded on restricting some activities for the good of the public resource. If that resource becomes increasingly private...it ceases to be enjoyed as a public resource.

I dunno how they do it one the east side but on the west side hunt clubs use bulldozers and plant barely and smartweed in the lowest places. Have some slope and plant corn around the lowest places the water is natural.