Motion Decoy survey

[AllFowledUp]

Anyone receive a survey from the DNR regarding the Motion Decoys? A friend of mine did and he was asking about it. He doesnt waterfowl hunt so he was wondering what it was all about. Is this going to be used in determining whether or not they will still be legal to use here in Michigan? I had a mallard roto-duck last year, but it became a diver and never surfaced. What ya think? Should they still be legal?

[Firetiger]

Keep them legal, with the shorter seasons and bag limits, anything to get birds in the boat is "A good thing"

[Coldwater Charters]

I received the same survey post card,,,, I would have to think your friend must have bought a Michigan waterfowl license but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway I looked at it and put it down never to be seen again. They must keep a record of who got one because I got a reminder to send mine back in filled out. Couldn't find it,,,,,

Here is my observations from last year from my experiences with the roto ducks and the duck season in general. We hunt mostly puddlers,,,, 99.999999% of the time, so from that standpoint...... We hunt mostly small potholes that have been scouted and are actively being used by ducks,,,, we sometimes carry in the spinner and sometimes don't,,,, in my opinion it only enhanced our hunts a little if any. There were some hunts that we were drawing birds from way off and that is when they seem to do the best job. When the birds are using a given area, the spinners are not as important as good duck calling IMO.

There real dilemma is that the Southern states got little migration and are up in arms because there hunting overall sucked. On the other hand from opener till early to mid November we had some of the best early gunning ever or close to it...... a very mild November with little North winds and cold weather the calendar ducks moved through but the hearty ducks stayed right where they were. So from mid November through the end of the regular season was quite a bit off.

Now,,,, the January 2 day season was unbelievable for most waterfowlers that did there homework here in Southern Michigan. In 2 days of hunting we seen 10,000 ducks at least,,, mostly Mallards or Black ducks where we were hunting. The 2 hunts we did were 15 miles apart and were defiantly different ducks at both spots. It was the most duck I had ever seen in our parts while waterfowl season was in. I have seen that before consistently but it was always in Dec. after our season was over and our late Fall was normal and cold weather had pushed the ducks down to us.

If the ducks are down overall, I am not seeing it,,,, or Michigan is getting to be a bigger breeding state then it has been in the past.
Lesser days in the season or bag limits,,,, it's going to happen,,,,, should it??? **** no,,,, the southern boys whined so much that I could here them all the way up here,,,, why are they whining IMO,,, no ducks due to an extremely mild late fall and winter to the north..... Are the duck populations down that fly through Michigan where I hunt,,,,, no way,,,,, other places,,,, don't know.....

Spinning wings going to be outlawed??? probably,,,,do I care,,,,, nope,,,,,

What would I like to see if we have to take it in the *** on duck season??? Same days,, less bag limits,,,,Not many people shoot all 6 ducks at anytime of the season anyway,,,, maybe a 4 bird combination,,,,, with Mallards remaining the same,,,,,Michigan has a great wood duck population and teal production,,, so those should be left alone,,,,, the birds in question would be the ones that come from the drought stricken area of Mid North West Canada and the states that those birds affect,,,,,not us here in Michigan. here's a web address on the drought out in mid Western Canada
drought watch (http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/maps/drprec2.htm)

Anways these are just my opinions.....from what I see where I hunt....

[GoneFishin]

CC, great site, with great info on the drought, thanks for listing the URL.

[AllFowledUp]

CC, thanks for the "IMO's". I agree with the scouting tactics. If your gonna shoot birds or any other game, you have to go to them and be where they are at. The folks down south have been complaining for quite some time about their seasons being lower than normal. Changing anything here in Michigan is not gonna help them out a bit.

Reagrding the motion decoys, I had pretty good luck with mine. I had birds locking up in the spreads with out calling. Impressed me alot...but then I hunt where there is VERY little pressure. Some waterfowlers told me that the roto ducks would flair the incoming birds. I never experinced that. A motion decoy is a motion decoy. Whether string o wings, a flag, a kite or a swimming decoy. If one can be included in the un-fair chase thinking, then so should all of them, IMO.

Hunting the middle of the state last year , my 15 yo son and I had a great season. Blue bills, ruddies, buffleheads, goldeneyes, woodies and of course greenheads and teal were all over . I mention this simply because we have only shot mallards where we hunt in the past. That leads me to believe that you are right in the mention of Michigan becoming more of a breeding ground then it has in the past, at least inland from the big lakes.

As for changing the bag limit, I say leave it the way it is. The combination regulation is prudent. Some meet the bag limit, some dont. If the rules were to change, I would like to have a season that allowed more than two days to hunt geese and duck. The special hunt is a good one, just extend it.

Any openings for the late season?

[Coldwater Charters]

yes I do have openings in the late season....and most others at this time.....I try to not book allot and hold folks off till i have the season from the DNR,,,,, then I don't have to do a juggling act to keep folks happy. I keep a list of people wanting dates and who calls first get first dibbs on dates in order they called to book a hunt... the guiding has takin off 5 times faster then the charter business,,,, I think mainly because of the amount of charter boats to choose from,,,,, now if I can only clone myself so I can accomidate more hunters I'll be all set. But really I think one of me is enough and no nasty comments about anymore would be an over load on the earth.... LOL

[Dead Bird]

I purchased some last year, I would be a little mified if the state decides after three years to make electronic decoys illegal. Alot of folks spent alot of money.

I hunt mostly heavly hunted areas, it seems that the majority of hunters whom normally shot the majority of the birds are still doing so. I don't think that they have made it "to easy".

Actually if you hunt Geese and Duck together the robo style ducks can be a real pain in the xxx. From my experince Geese want nothing to do with a set up that has spinners in it....

[Firetiger]

AllFowledup,,, I agree,, I think a early woodie and teal season along with the early goose season is a good idea, and then the normal zone staggard Duck openner and a month long late season the end of January would be ideal,, I started fishing for walleyes in late Feduary so it would give me a few weeks to rest up for the spring run of walleyes and perch,,LOL... sound good to anyone else? oh yeah, The reason for the late season is to provide us in the lower a chance at the flights,, I say return the canvasbacks to the list of waterfowl we can take in the late season,,and match the bag limits to those across the river in Canada,,

[Dead Bird]

Firetiger,
How do we send you to Washington, you get my vote for my rep as understanding MI and how the seasons should be....

[goose hunter]

Carefull, He would talk them washington boy's ear's off. He can shot also. go get-em Tiger. You have 2 votes already. HEHE

[Big Frank 25]

Originally posted by Firetiger
AllFowledup,,, I agree,, I think a early woodie and teal season along with the early goose season is a good idea, and then the normal zone staggard Duck openner and a month long late season the end of January would be ideal,, I started fishing for walleyes in late Feduary so it would give me a few weeks to rest up for the spring run of walleyes and perch,,LOL... sound good to anyone else? oh yeah, The reason for the late season is to provide us in the lower a chance at the flights,, I say return the canvasbacks to the list of waterfowl we can take in the late season,,and match the bag limits to those across the river in Canada,,

All sounds good to me!
The early teal season was addressed several years back. Seems we can't tell the difference between the teal and mallards, some problems from years long past, so we pay! Another response handed to us was since we are a "production state" tis not likely we get an early teal season.

[Linda G.]

Another very interesting thread...sorry I've missed it up til now, been lost in the turkey woods.

Is Ohio considered a "production" state, does anyone know? I would think so, it's chuck FULL of wood ducks, and I was told by a number of serious waterfowlers there that those were local birds...and THEY have an early teal and wood duck season. But they don't have a lot of mallards, either, until later in October, from what I saw. But we were specifically targeting wood ducks in puddles.

Maybe they consider Michigan a "production" state for mallards, and that's why they don't want to give us an early wood duck season?...

I don't see a chance of an early teal and wood duck season here in Michigan, unfortunately...that would be a pretty radical change, and from what I'm seeing, the DNR's not into radical changes on anything right now...it costs money to make big changes.

Including changing their position on spinning wing decoys...at least not this year. Although I'm told the Feds can make them illegal whenever they like, but they're leaving it up to the individual states.

Canada-I think the Feds consider Canada's regs VERY liberal. I know their woodcock bag limits are. 8 birds compared to our 3. I've heard comments from some Americans who serve on various Flyway committees that Canada is no where near as "conservation minded" as we are, as they still have large numbers of wildlife. So, no chance that we'll ever match Canada's regs, unless they drop their bag limits to something like ours...not likely since I understand that Canada doesn't have anywhere near the waterfowlers we do, but then again, they don't have anywhere near the people we do, period. They also still have the habitat...

Too bad they can't get together and consider "international border" regs, or something like that.

Linda

[Canadian Hunter]

Linda I was just going to say that. We dont have anywhere near the numbers of waterfolwlers as Michigan does! And a good portion of the waterfowlers are from Mich/Ohio.

Firetiger about the hammering 4 Can's a day, yep its legal,, but you only have to eat 1 before you quit pulling the trigger on them!!
It does get tough mid december trying to figure out a Hen Can from a Hen mallard/redhead/black when the snow is flying and the wind is gusting at 30+. But thats why we get up at 4 a.m.!!

[Big Frank 25]

Linda, if memory serves me. I think it was MI, WI and MN that were mentioned as production states. Thebellman might be able to help me out. Like I said it has been a few years. I think the enforcement issue is the big one here! Just happy I have a couple of youth for the Sept hunt. Maybe they'll bag a blue wing or a cinnamon someday.;)

Canadian Hunter, as divers go cans make excellent table fair in my book!

[Dead Bird]

Maybe Coldwater can help me answer this, but Indiana had an early Teal season, dove hunt and early goose season. And if memory serves me a 5 day permit was less than $20.

[Linda G.]

$25 in Ohio buys you 3 days of the same, plus wood duck...Linda

[lwingwatcher]

Spinners--don't own one, only hunted over them on guided Arkansas timber hunt. Couldn't tell ya whether they worked "better" or not. Limits every day so who knows.

I don't really care cuz I primarily hunt divers and am not gonna spend the money on something that I don't need.


Early hunts for ducks, we are dreamin and I don't think enforcement has much to do with it. I hunt early teal in Indiana and it can be tough at times to differentiate between teal and woodies in the brief time span for decision making while gunning for them. Especially singles but, small flocks are much easier. How anybody could get either of them confused with a mallard is beyond me though. We are presently and gonna be for a long time, dealing with the production state issue and that is the main factor.

I would love a split season, more days afield, and would be willing to deal with reduced bag limits in order to be out there when the ducks are actually here. This really holds true for divers.