Now here's two bills worth looking at ...

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Seems that most folks that have issue with the pressure on public waters...hunt on public waters...

I'm not saying...I'm just saying;)
 
Yep, 4 of the top harvest counties in NC have blind laws that limit pressure. Apparently limiting pressure has a positive effect on duck harvest....
NC kills about 3 times the Gadwalls, and about twice as many mallards as NY.....
IMO biology and hunting quality take a back of the bus seat to what truly drives these decisions- money.
Who cares if there are no ducks or the sound looks like a Wal Mart parking lot. Money is being made and lowering limits/shortening seasons hurts business. It's always a business decision. Not that I think the biologists feel that way-they just don't have much say in it, particularly when 'economic opportunity' is put on the other side of the scale.
Pressure doesn't necessarily hurt overall duck numbers but sure hurts duck hunting. People think these huge numbers of ducks migrate in as soon as the season goes out. You and I know those ducks have been here most of the season. They simply retreated to NWR impoundments, DEEP swamp, or mid sound and feeding at night, for the season. Once they aren't getting shot at everytime they venture within 100yds of shore they go back to traditional areas where folks see them and think they just migrated in last night.
Besides the pressure factor, I also don't think trading 8-9 full hunting days for 8-9 half mornings makes sense. Truth is we don't know what hours we'll be allowed to hunt on Suns. It could end up no hunting 8am-12, or only after 12. We don't even know which days will be removed to allow for Suns. Just ram it through and figure out the details later, subject to which special interest group has the most pull.
I'll adapt and probably manage to beat down a few ducks
either way but I can't see this as being a positive for public duck hunting.
I appreciate your perspective, good luck this season.

Last time I checked the harvest numbers, according to flyways.us had New York harvesting approximately 60,000 greenheads versus North Carolina's roughly 35,000. That is besides the point here though so I digress. I don't really have a dog in this fight because I don't hunt much in North Carolina and when I do I'm happy to shoot a couple woodies and maybe a green wing or two and call it a success. Also, Sundays are church days for me and my wife might divorce me if I hunted on Sunday instead so overall it doesn't really matter to me that much.

I will still hold to the fact that it is an antiquated law and also that if you want to get rid of junior then you either have to back to 30 day, 3 bird season framework or educate them. When I get around junior I invite them to hunt with me so we can both have a decent hunt. If they snub the offer I'll say good luck and set up so as to cut them off. For me it's about adapting and changing my perspective. You can't control how others will act, only how you will react to others. That is a whole tangent that we don't need to go down though. I appreciate the conversation, even if we don't see eye to eye and if you ever see a grey GMC Sierra with Florida tags feel free to track me down. We can :donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donk and have some coffee in the swamp.
 
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Gus

Six Pointer
I went back and checked the numbers and you are absolutely correct that NY kills more mallards than NC, although NC pretty much crushes NY on Gadwall, Widgeon, Sprigtail, Teal and Wood duck harvests.
My apologies.
 

Willie

Twelve Pointer
All this talk about running off Junior, we're gonna need Juniors in the future. Hunter #'s are down...there's really no disputing that.
 

Willie

Twelve Pointer
And how about that Sunday Brunch bill. Shoot some ducks on Sunday morning and celebrate after with a little vodka in your OJ.
 

Tipmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Seems that most folks that have issue with the pressure on public waters...hunt on public waters...

I'm not saying...I'm just saying;)

The biggest problem with public land/water has been and always will be....the public.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The biggest problem with public land/water has been and always will be....the public.
And that was probably the most informative post in the waterfowl forum in condensed version. That is what has put waterfowl hunting on the downhill slope.
 

ducknut

Eight Pointer
I'm not crazy about Sunday hunting. It has nothing to do with religion. I disagree with the idea that shortening the season and limit will get rid of the "junior commanders ". The ones I run into never let the ducks get close enough to worry about a limit, whether it's 3 or 6. They just want to shoot.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
,,,,l get rid of the "junior commanders ". The ones I run into never let the ducks get close enough to worry about a limit, whether it's 3 or 6. They just want to shoot.


new hunters, especially unmentored youth, have a propensity for wanting "to shoot",,,,,,whether it's ducks, deer, squirrels, or english sparrows,,,,,,,I also don't want to "get rid of the junior commanders",,,,,,as others mentioned, new young blood is the future of the sport,,,,,,,

if they don't hunt as you think they should, try to take them under your "wing" and teach them the "right way",,,,,,,some will be willing,,,some will continue to be arses,,,I know a few grown men who still have that attitude some,,,,,,,
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
July 26, 2017
1:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Commission Room
Centennial Campus, Raleigh
Welcome/Open Meeting Richards Edwards
• Discuss HB 559 (SB 624), Outdoor Heritage Enhanced, regarding hunting migratory game
birds on Sunday.
Additional Topics Richard Edwards
Adjourn

WRC to disciss HB 559
 

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
^Ding ding ding. winner winner

I really, really agree agree with this. Why do you think that the exclusive and expensive clubs in Hyde only allow an impoundment to be hunted once maybe twice a week and limit the amount of shells hunters may take to the blind.

Some are even limiting hunters to 20 gauges or suppressors (reduce noise) Limiting pressure improves duck hunting.
However we all have the right to hunt ducks on the sounds, bays and rivers of North Carolina. Limiting Sunday Hunting has saved us from ourselves.
 
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