Thank you Citybuck for clarifying that.
Drakemaster your post unfortunately is just another example of people assuming one thing because they heard it through the grapevine.
Let me break down the 5-Oaks routine for you so you will know in the future how George Dunklin does it. I know George personally, know his family, have hunted many times at 5-Oaks. Jody Pagan his Chief Waterfowl Biologist is one of my best friends, and oversees the management of the entire farm. What Jody says goes.
George personally hunts his woods in Reydell or the Hardly Able club that he and Dr. John Lytle own just a little North of the Wrape Plantation. Unless he is out of town or on an invite somewhere else he is at one of those 2 spots. When you are a client at 5-Oaks you do not hunt these 2 places. These are for George and his guests only. These properties are in no way effected by the water in or out of BM WMA.
When you drive by the 5-Oaks lodge the majority of that ground you can see is rest area it is never hunted. Lots of the ground to the south is deer hunting ground. There at the lodge there are 2 180 acre GTR tracts that are "Lodge" or tracts. They are only hunted when the ducks are in the woods not because a client wants to hunt them.
The majority of the hunting that takes place at 5-Oaks when you are a client will be done on the Humphrey Farm or the Monsanto Farm. The Humphrey Farm is located North of Humphrey and the Monsanto Farm located just off of Hwy 13 to the North. These farms are all moist soil fields and the hunting is done on pits. These farms are in no way effected by the amount of water in BM WMA or the amount of water in the actual Big Bayou. I am assuming you do know that the actual Big Bayou Meto has nothing to do with the flooding of the WMA Bayou Meto otherwise known as the "Scatters" to some. The Scatters are flooded by Wabbaseka Bayou and Little Bayou primarily. Salt Bayou and Hurricane contribute some as well, but the Big Bayou Meto has nothing to do with the actual flooding. If you really did not know that then dismiss the rest of this post and I will dismiss yours.
Back to the subject. You cannot "book" a hunt at 5-Oaks you are asked to come. Clients are mostly coorporations George has developed a relationship with and they generally book a few days couple of times a season to come. 12 folks at a time clients that is (his sister Deborah is half owner of 5-Oaks and she lives in Memphis, so from time to time there is family hunting down there. The Family Lodge is to the left of the 5-Oaks Lodge, but I am sure you knew that since you are familiar with how he does his operation the family members get what the clients are not hunting I might add) are all that ever hunt at 5-Oaks well for the most part. Four groups of 3 plus a guide and You cannot pick up the phone and make a reservation at 5-Oaks.
The lodge did pick up the Benson Lake Tract this year. It has for the last 10 years been in a lease, but the lease was up and George decided not to renew it because the rotation for water on those woods is meant to be dry for a few years. They also absorbed the farm to the west of the 5-Oaks nursery on Hwy 11. Where I might add George has deticated his 5-Oaks Wildlife Services to growing and replanting hardwood trees all accross the Grand Prairie.
So if there is water released in BM WMA it does not go through the Big Bayou we have covered that. Yes, a lot of the moist soil rest areas you see from Hwy 152 there at the lodge are pumped from the Big Bayou, but so is everybody elses property that adjoins the Big Bayou. Remember and I want this to be clear when the boards are put in at the Scatters it does not effect the Big Bayou one way or the other that thing runs free and clear from Jacksonville till it hits the river.
The rest of the property under 5-Oaks control is pumped either by a well head or by a power unit. Weather it be Lodge property or personal property.
Well thats all I got if I missed anything feel free to add to it, but don't say that George benifits from the de-watering of Bayou Meto WMA. It does not hurt nor does it help him in any fashion. Making complaints about Commissioners is fine with me, but know the facts when you do it. Geroge is a good guy and a fine conservationist.
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