Am I the only one?

[snake river rufus]

I am Not saying that we don't need refuges-we do. Have we gotten to the point that, in effect, we have bred tame waterfowl? I don't know about other parts of the country, but here on the plains we see huge flights of ducks and geese that fly refuge to refuge and training thier offspring to do the same. Should we move the refuges every 10 or so years? Close one and open another? I'm starting to think that we should.

 

[Moosie]

SRR, I think that the Refuge is a Good place for jsut that, a Refuge. There should be a place that the Bird can Fly and not get shot at.

Also, It gives me a Place to sit at the Borders as they fly off of them with a Low passing shot

 

[smalls]

Actually, I would love to see the refuge program expanded in ND. Birds gotta fly out to feed, hunt them in the field and let them rest in the refuges.

The hunting in North Dakota would be even better with more protected water. The best way to force birds out of an area is to bust the water they consider home. We've found you can pound the fields around a roost, but if the birds have safe water they will still stick around.

 

[snake river rufus]

Read the first sentance in post #1 s l o w l y. I'm just saying move the refuge every so often.

 

[Moosie]

How do you move lakes and Watersheds ?!?!

 

[snake river rufus]

ya don't, but you could move the fences and signs to OTHER WETLANDS every 10 years or so.

 

[smalls]

Snake, I understood your post.

I am saying that it does us no good to open up refuges so they can get pounded and force birds out of an area. If we didn't have refuges, there would be a boat-toteing Minnesotan running around EVERY one of them sum'bitches.

Nearly all refuges serve as roost waters for ducks and geese. Hunting them screws life up for everyone. But if you only hunt the surrounding fields and transition waters (which are rarely refuges), you can pound birds for much longer without them leaving the area.

If you can't tell, I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE HUNT ROOSTS!

 

[snake river rufus]

Originally posted by smalls:
Snake, I understood your post.

I am saying that it does us no good to open up refuges so they can get pounded and force birds out of an area. If we didn't have refuges, there would be a boat-toteing Minnesotan running around EVERY one of them sum'bitches.

Nearly all refuges serve as roost waters for ducks and geese. Hunting them screws life up for everyone. But if you only hunt the surrounding fields and transition waters (which are rarely refuges), you can pound birds for much longer without them leaving the area.

If you can't tell, I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE HUNT ROOSTS!

I think we are talking across-
lets say that a refuge is the west 1/2 of a marsh, we hunt the east for several years then CHANGE the refuge to the east side for several more years. I really think (but can't prove) that the problems facing the urban geese also apply to birds living on permanent refuges, they become tame and it limits the gene pool.

 

[MarvB]

they become tame and it limits the gene pool

...kinda like marriage

Actually out here we've got a "somewhat" similar problem when they banned the burning of the rice fields (pollution). Now the fields are flooded to break down the stalks and its dispersed the birds so much its hard to get on em' like we used to...plus they rarely fly in/out to feed and roost since its one stop shopping for em.'
Seems like half of our hunting zone is now a "refuge" of sorts.

 

[yoteler]

Smalls what are U trying to say about the Minnesotan's ????

 

[smalls]

Yoteler, they have a shitty hockey team

(Go Sioux!)

It is just a little frustration because waterfowl hunting is quite different in the two states, the habitat is not even close to similar. Our quality of our hunting is hurt badly by roost hunting, and I don't mean to bash, but 80% of the vehicles with boats behind them have minnesota plates and 15% more have wisconsin plates.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I don't like non-residents as individuals, but the consequences of the sheer volume of them has got be mitigated.