[DuckWoods]

I know, I know, SOH 2015-16 has not yet concluded

Also, this isn't about # of birds killed

How has your experience been hunting the great public lands of Arkansas this year? AGFC shuffled some rules up this past offseason so how did they play out?

Also, I've noticed a trend- seems TO ME less social media attn to the sport with such oddities as 56k worth of gear to kill a flying liver on display and substantially less #beatdown #gotthedrake #gotgreen #ducklife

More topwaters? Less topwaters?

More crowded? Less crowded?

Is the duck hunting fad growing or waning?

Overall, was your EXPERIENCE

A) same as recent years
B) better than recent years
C) worse than recent years

??

 

[SwampCat]

Worse than recent years - based upon almost unhuntable high water and total unwillingness of ducks to work even a little bit. Where I hunt there has been a drastic decline in number of hunters - understandable due to greatly decreased number of ducks over the past few years and massive flooding of this year. Have not seen a single spinner on display with other hunting groups I have seen out and about. Probably heard more shooting after hours than recent years. Overall, probably the worst year I have had while living in AR - since 1980.

 

[WILDMAN44]

Pros: Never set my alarm before 4AM. Took way less people hunting this year. Made zero "new friends" Got in zero conflicts on public ground. Didn't have one person on any hunt suggest a spinner might help. Haven't tore anything up yet. Shot a little over a case of shells. Took dad 3 times. He hasn't been since the 90's. Never got skunked. Went on 4-5 jam up hunts.

Cons: Never consistently stayed in the ducks. I've never been in so many ducks that would literally not even look at a call. You might as well have had a kazoo.

I'd chalk it as par with last year but not even close to 12 or 13 to compare it to recent years.

 

[wooducksooie]

C.) More hunters, more topwaters, definitely more OOSER's. Too much water, too few ducks. It was a tougher year for sure. The ducks definitely didn't have normal feeding habits with all of the water. You had to go chase them pretty good. I can say I have never seen ducks so call/decoy/blind shy so early in a season.

 

[BIG DOG]

Pro...I got a new boat, I got to hunt with old friends and a new 1 or 2, got new decoys (why I don't know), got a new shotgun (again I don't know why lol)

Cons...more water than we need for the number of ducks we have had, more uneducated rude top waters out there,
Ducks seem to be harder to work in some areas even on private land.
New gun messed up

Worst season I've ever had in almost 20years of chasing these blasted birds

 

[JAYBO]

Worse than recent years - based upon almost unhuntable high water and total unwillingness of ducks to work even a little bit. Where I hunt there has been a drastic decline in number of hunters - understandable due to greatly decreased number of ducks over the past few years and massive flooding of this year. Have not seen a single spinner on display with other hunting groups I have seen out and about. Probably heard more shooting after hours than recent years. Overall, probably the worst year I have had while living in AR - since 1980.

Glad I'm not the only one feeling that way. You pretty much summed up my year as well. I spent more time in my boat scouting this year than I did hunting.

 

[Doublem]

C. I've stayed home more as a result. Less social media is good. Hopefully the mallard drought will run off some of the bbdh who are getting a good taste of a bad season. Seasons like this will break your will to get out of bed.

 

[BKoutdoorsman]

Had to do a ton of scouting to find ducks and it was pretty tough. I agree, they were shy almost all season. Right now, they won't even respond to a dang call whatsoever. Too much water, and as far as hunters go I would say slightly less than last year. I did notice a few more OOSERS this year. I talked to one ol boy from south Carolina that had been here like 5 days and killed 2 ducks

 

[BKoutdoorsman]

BUT I did learn a lot this season. It was my 6th duck season and it's been a learning process for sure. Made some new buddies, seen some old ones, and realized that it's not all about killing ducks

 

[JohnnyTheBo/y]

Woooo....I thought I was just a crappy duck hunter. Ours has been about the same. Water too high to get excited about hunting.

 

[archeryman.501]

worst duck and deer season in 10+ years (if not more). Never killed a deer this year. So far have not shot a limit of ducks on a trip.

now for the PROS
Son killed his first buck
Got a new to me 7 mag
Got a new boat that is better and safer than that ol xpress tank


Oh well i just hope the crappie fishing and the trotlines will produce better than my hunting season did, but if not i will just enjoy being out in the bottoms and on the rivers!! Cant hardly complain bout that!

 

[JohnnyTheBo/y]

This season is/was so bad that I have switched to deer hunting full time.
This season is/was so bad that I never got up before 4AM. Usually I am up at 2:30-2:45 so we can make it the boat launch by 3:30.
This season is/was so bad that I am on the same 2-3 boxes of shell I started the season with.
This season is/was so bad that the leak in my waders didn't bother me. We didn't stay out long enough for the water to totally saturate me.

Pros
Got more sleep.
Wife more happy.
Didn't spend nearly as much as I usually do on gas/food/drinks.
Didn't have to buy new waders....see above.

 

[SwampCat]

Even though we had way too much water and way too few ducks - you could still find some and see enough while you were hunting - most of the time. It is the total lack of response by the ducks to decoys or calling that has contributed the most to my poor season. I made a quick hunt this morning - in the exact same spot I hunted yesterday - and did not put out a decoy or touch my call - and killed three. I hunted the exact same place yesterday and did not shoot. Saw a lot more ducks yesterday, also. Ducks are getting like the turkeys - having to deer hunt them. I know there are guys who did pretty good this year - but it wasn't me.

 

[matt_jones105]

Pros- since I didn't even shoot a case of shells I still have plenty for the beginning of next year. More time at the house and I slept in more. I finally got some Dakotas but I'm taking them back, they don't work!

Cons- I don't even have enough meat to cook supper with unless I'm by myself. Went this morning and killed 4. So call shy when you just barely blow it they act like you shot at them. They acted like that all season.

Better luck next year I guess

 

[trashduck]

More cons than pros this year, but the bad hunts make a man appreciate the good ones even more. I have slacked up a little this year but still trying to grind out limits with good friends is funner than killing 4 limits with 3 people I cant stand. Its hunting, not killing. There will be some tough seasons, but you cant kill ducks laying in the bed!

 

[shifty]

Will Report back feb 1st

 

[hawgsalot]

This season:down:, got a new dog, new boat, had to rewire the boat, had a bag of decoys stolen, had my trailer swiped taking out the light and trailer side bunk in parking lot, dealt with the typical idiot that parks in the middle of the ramp to get stuff together instead of getting ready to dump in the staging area (he got mad when we pulled up beside him and immediately dumped in the water):doh:, and met some new friends I pulled out when they broke down. All very very typical.

Duck hunting wise been a crazy disappointing year, hunted some unreal private woods in Stuttgart that had tons of working birds that wouldn't work, my private woods has been awful, the public timber pretty much has sucked due to non working birds, high water or no birds even on perfect days. Hunted several fields because of the crappy woods and it has been typical field hunting, kill them some days always mixed bags, get everything you have muddy and ofcourse tear up all your equipment. Overall had a few great mornings but they were few and far between, lit 6 nice groups on Monday so I'm going to get up and hope for the best starting sat. Way way to much work with way to little reward this year but at least I've had the pleasure of spending 20grand on boats dog shells and fixing crap.

 

[Bow87]

This has actually been one of the best duck seasons for me killing ducks. But the long lines at boat ramps just to launch has been outrageous. to me it seems like there has been less internet scouting on social media, facebook and mainly this website this year than years in the past. I like all of the water this year it is more beneficial to the timber i hunt and i dont hit as many cypress knees. had some hunt we only killed a few but the long boat rides in the morning bouncing off of trees in the dark and getting the boat wedged between trees because i have a war eagle and not a havoc, edge or ambush, and the good times with friends makes up for the ducks not wanting to work and the long lines at the ramps.

 

[JHAWK]

No water, no ducks!

 

[JohnnyTheBo/y]

No water, no ducks!

Actually cool when there is *some* water to no water.....but everybody knows its 20-30' in spots.....