Coastal zone opening day..
 

Heard it was moved back a week. Is this true, and are we still going to have a 12 day split. I know the meeting was this AM, but I haven't seen anything official yet.

here ya go

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/d...on08072014.pdf

***! Billy knows that the end of the last season gonna suck for down here. Guess they relented to those who think them ducks migrate down that late. All we going to do is fight low water that late.

Thank The Lord. 100% for that week pushed back. Most ducks I have seen in 3-4 seasons was last week of last season.

Still 12 day for ducks but specks is only a week. Not a single weekend for specks to have a rest. I was fine with the proposed dates but it is what it is

They can't leave well enough alone.

I really don't care about the duck opener besides having to wait another week but not havin a weekend for specks is dumb

I think 5-day splits for anything is not very useful for the hunting or for the ducks. We are using them in both the East and West Zone for ducks to balance competing demands with the weird calendar (the framework ends early, Jan. 25, but Thanksgiving is late, Nov. 27). I still don't like them, and I strongly disagree (and so does the harvest data) that early-season hunting days are bad in the East and West Zones.

But to geese ..........

Because the goose season is 74 days instead of 60 for duck season, moving the duck season in the Coastal Zone back a week complicated setting the goose season.

The choices were 1) open it a week before the duck season, 2) let it run for the first 7 days of the split, 3) run it until February 8, or 4) take 7 days off the season. Clearly option 4) is out, and I wasn't comfortable with option 1) because of putting guns in the hands of adults during the youth hunt (which has been an issue in the East Zone) and the added disturbance before the duck opener. But I had no feelings about 2) and 3).

The only complaints I've received about goose seasons since I've been heading the Waterfowl Section, and there haven't been very many, were that some specklebelly hunters HATE the split. I've been told the speck hunting gets good and then it closes for 2 weeks. That's it in 8 years; that is the only complaint about the season dates.

So I called the few dedicated goose hunters I know in SW LA, and they were nearly unanimous that the week in the split was better for white-front hunting than the week in February. Not much to go on, I know, but that was the reason for the decision.

The Commission (or at least some Commissioners) had a problem on their hands. They proposed season dates in July for public comment prior to today's meeting. I received 263 comments on the Coastal Zone season dates: 48 wanted the proposed dates, 213 wanted later dates, 2 wanted earlier dates. Although this is probably the least objective way to collect hunter-opinion data, and 4 of the 5 people who spoke at the Commission meeting implored them to stick to the biological data and keep the traditional dates, there was no way they could ignore 213 to 50.

Ain't that he truth. Fact is, more ducks are killed early than late and people still want the season moved back when the north winds push all the water out of the marsh. You can't hunt over pure mud flat!!

Problem is the ones pushing for the later seasons prolly started huntin last year and saw a bunch of ducks piled up in a rice field after the season

I agree that most likely more Specks will be killed in the 7 days during the duck split than in 7 days in early Feb. To the average hunter, Specks are easier to kill during the first split. I am just glad we still have a 12 day split for the ducks.

Not everyone hunts tidal marshes, and it's not like the north winds during cold fronts are going to blow any harder than the previous 53 days.

I didn't care either way when the season started, just wanted to still have a 12 day split.

I'm sure we will still kill more birds in the first split, just like every other year.

If this was next year, and the season was opening Nov 14th,(2nd Sat of the month) I doubt anyone would be complaining asking for the season to open a week early.

Everybody knows the ducks don't get here til February DUH!

It's sad that people will read this line and think he is fo real. You can always tell a true duck commander when they say "man they need to push the season back, look all the ducks in them field they all just got here"

Them feets is bright bright

Thanks for the reply, that is good information.

Option 1 would have been what I would have chosen, but I understand why y'all didn't consider it much. My second choice would have been option 3. I would MUCH rather the season go more into February than a 5 day split but it is what it is I guess.

I guess it depends on where you hunt but I wouldn't say speck hunting is just getting good right when the split closes. We typically do well the first week, might have a slower second week due to culture shocked birds but once you get a little weather and freshen up the stock a little it is good again. I think the split helps calm things down a little, just my opinion but 5 days ain't doing much. I hope all the people who cried about duck season dates are happy. Can't wait to see what they propose next to you as the reason they ain't killing

Coastal zone opening day..
 

I see y'all have adjusted the early light goose conservation also now that y'all added those 7 days for specs. No complaints here. The specs work so much better when the duck hunters aren't sky blasting at em. We turn the ecaller off and worked specs into rag spreads last year just to watch em.



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LIKE!!!!!


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

Still amazes me that they think the ducks just got here after the season closes. Don't they realize that due to the pressure and sky busting the ducks have found areas that have no pressure and after all the shooting and mud motor noise stops they come begin to come out of the reserves and safe places. For the most part, they aren't migrating to south Louisiana the last week of January.

That is total nonsense and you need to stop with that BS before the Phil fans learn somethin

Not to mention all the fields and timber that are drained after season is closed. But the face painters don't understand this.

I agree, our hunting got bad the last week of last year, we made a couple of hunts and didn't fire a shot. Two weeks later the ducks were all over the pond. They didn't just arrive, they were avoiding the pressure. There is a big commercial operation just south of us that hunts every day.

Yea, we usually struggle the last week and last year was no exception. I wonder how many of the 213 that Mr Reynolds said wanted a later date have hunted more than a couple of years. Face painters indeed!!!

Get ready....DU opening up more flooded fields in mid west! Global warming! USWF are lying about the population of ducks. Unfair use of heaters to keep ponds open in Kansas and Missouri (DU). Opening the season too late!

No doubt I have always killed more ducks during the first split and usually by the end of the season I'm struggling to consistently kill birds. I didn't mind how the season was in the first place but really and trully idk if 7 days will actually make a big enough difference to notice. Like someone might have stated in a previous post, next years 2nd Saturday of the month is on the 14. It just depends on how the days fall I guess. And for the 5 day split for specks I think it will hurt the ones that hunt heavily pressured areas.

Season Dates
 

I agree there should be a longer split (At least one weekend) for the speck hunters and more than likley opening one week later than normal propably won't make much difference one way or another, I personally am just happy that we all still have the opportunity to enjoy our sport. Maybe we can't all agree which date the season should start and end, but I think we all can agree that we are indeen fortunate to have 60 days & 6 birds for ducks no matter when the season starts and ends (Even longer for Geese). Believe me when I tell you, we just may see a day when we will no longer be allowed to participate in this pleasure. Things are a changin' and it's not for the better. It's Ok to debate and argue and I understand both points, the bottom line is we do still have a season to enjoy, so let's do so while we still are able to. Suport every orginization that supports waterfowling and the right to bear arms. Continue ethical hunting practices, intorduce someone new to the sport, and do not give any of the bureaucrats any ammunition to use against us. The government does not give a rats @$$ if we have a waterfowl season or not. They have another agenda. It is (ALWAYS) going to be up to us to ensure we still have this simple pleasure we call waterfowl hunting. Keep in mind, there are bigger fish to fry here. Ok, I'm off my soap box, Next!!!

when the end of the season rolls around, thats when I head to N LA. Its stupid good there the last two weeks of the season. At least where I hunt

It is amazing how soon the ducks hit the rice fields in the area I hunt, after the season closes. They learn fast that it is safe now.

This is the coming future of Game & Fish regulations. Instead of using sound facts, leave it up to Social Media to decide!
Of course you are going to get more comments for change when you ask the question. Folks who are not fixiated on "CHANGE" just want it left alone and do no feel the need to comment.
So next year, let's remember to get a movement going to move it back up a week!

Also, you would think LDWF would give some consideration to the hunting clubs who have already booked hunts, people who have made vacation plans for work, etc, etc.

Season dates
 

We hunt the coastal zone. My main concern with running the speck season through the first week of the twelve day split is there are a lot more speck "hunters" now. There will be people, alot of people out in the field shooting and disturbing birds. These are some of the same areas where we are trying to let the ducks rest. Nothing drives ducks back to refuges like gun pressure and traffic in and out of farms. The ducks really won't get much of a break other than in the marshes. So the rice fields in the coastal zone will essential have a 5 day split. I would always much rather have the extra speck days after duck season. Our harvest records show great success rates. (Near 100%) the last two weeks of specks after duck season. I realize it is what it is this year. Just my 2 cents for the future dates.

The traditional season dates were changed due to public comment of 200 or so people that basically don't know much about duck hunting in the Coastal Zone!! Keeping the season open later into January accomplishes nothing!! All the ducks that are here that time of year are all WELL educated to blinds, & decoys!!!
If you want to kill any of those late January ducks, you are going to have to work extremely hard just to bag a few!!
Good luck to the 200 or so people that have ruined the tradition for the rest of us!!!

totally agree..

why change it?

Yea, I can't believe they changed dates based on 200+ comments when Mr Reynolds has data to support the fact that more ducks are killed early than late in the year. Come on LDWF, you guys know better than that. Set the dates based on fact and not the comments people that don't know what they don't know!!

They did it for specks in BL and triple tail.. Why not ducks too right? It's a week. I think we will be fine. Wasn't it like this when it was just east/west zone?


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

No

I blame the internet, duck dynasty, mud motors, and the Clintons.

no coastal and west used to be the same

dont forget face paint and black cloud

and barrel stickers

Attachment 73002

Yea it sure was


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

That was when it fell on the second weekend in November. Now it's the third weekend in November.

Yep

Next year it might open on the 14th but 2016 is a leap year and it won't open till the 19th of November

They got tired of hearing everybody complain.


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Everybody? 200+ complaints doesn't seem like that many. But regardless, I think they should base it on the data that Mr Reynolds has collected. He said his data showed more ducks were killed early than late in the year so I think they should base it on fact and let them complain.

This year it is a calendar problem. Next year the dates can go back to a traditional format and everyone will be happy...

I would have liked for our specklebellies to get a little rest and allow for the late migrating birds get here and settle before the shooting started back.

Here's the real issue. There's no logical reason that my blind in Grand Chenier should be in the same zone as a blind in Mamou. Fix the zones and fix the problem. Until that happens we will always be working against each other rather than working together. Let's face it. Hunters in the rice belt have different priorities than hunters in the marsh as far as desired season dates. Although my brackish water marsh actually gets better as the season progresses I realize that that isn't the case for most hunters that hunt the marsh. For most earlier is better. At the same time in many rice fields the amount or quality of ducks gets better toward the end of the season.

Finally, how many of you actually hunted the last weekend of speck season last year? It was February 1 and 2. I saw the biggest push of ducks headed south that I had seen all season long. Granted since all the migrations were late last year this may only be a one time thing. However, in my 32 years of hunting in Louisiana and keeping some pretty detailed logs I can tell you that ducks showing up in mass the last week of the season happens about 1 out of every 5 or 6 years. Maybe the folks commenting to LDWF saw the same thing I saw and didn't understand the cyclic nature of the event???

Thanks
Robbie aka Big Hutch

People are going to kill more birds the first week or two of the season regardless of when it starts.

Everybody as in everybody that was for the change. Mr. Larry had to listen to more than 213 complaints there's no doubt. You are a strong believer that the birds are here and just stack up away from the pressure. You made that point in the past.

My feelings about it have gone back and forth. I am in favor of the change, but not for the same reasons as most people. "Most" guys who are upset about the change are from the west side of the state.

My numbers here in the central show better harvest rates in the second split. I agree the majority of birds do find a way to survive and raft up on the bay along with the refuges just to the west of us. However when we have strong fronts pushing fresh birds we get good shoots in before they do that.

I spend more days out on the marsh and fields than then the average hunter. We find ways to kill birds just like they find ways to survive. The average hunter can't adapt to late season tactics. They hunt the sane old decoys half sunk and the same old half brushed blinds.

If people knew how to adapt to late season birds I "think" Mr. Reynolds data would reflect better harvest rates later on. The west always had more birds than us early. I've heard both sides of the argument over and over. Most guys who wanted change are dumbarses and wanted it for the wrong reasons.

There's nothing we can do about it now. Let's see how it goes and take it from there.


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Great point MarshRat! Get out of that same ol blind and hunt where the birds are going. Takes a little work but well worth it. My partner and I always limit the last weekend of the season but we scout them along with using a handful of dekes. Give them something different or start pulling dekes after every hunt the second split. Give blinds plenty of rest between hunts.
I always liked the early opening just because of the milder weather and abundant teal. However, I don't get to hunt much the first season because of the business I'm in. The later dates in Jan. will give me more hunting days so it just might be a good thing.