# question for the SE Texas duck hunter



## specktackler (Mar 6, 2006)

Is it just me or is the duck hunting in the south east texas area getting a little worse every year? With the exception of a fairly good early teal season, big duck season just hasn't been that great. I'm looking for some feed back from other south east texas duck hunters. What's happened to the ducks? weather just not getting cold enough up north to push em down? The ever so dissapearing rice farm? Flyway shifted? Somebody put my mind at ease. Thank you.


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## Ducker Rich (Apr 19, 2010)

Speck, I think your correct on all of your opinions. We hunt on the priarie and it has been a tough season. No rain, no freeze up until late up north and the birds just past us up and went furthure south. Not near the rice production there used to be, urban sprawl has taken over a bunch of fields. I'm not sure what to do next year.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Yeah, I quit. No rice. No water. No lease. Birds hanging up north. Getting lazy too I guess.


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

*NOT SURE IF I AGREE OR DISAGREE*

I am still having good hunts. But am having to work more forw it which may signal a smaller smarter population. Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine?


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

I talked with a buddy of mine that has been hunting the Brousard property forever, although Ike had flushed the marsh, this past summer was exceptionally dry and killed all the remaining Water Hy?? >>this changed the PH level so bad when the rains came it killed all the widgeon grass. They will have a good hunt only on a new front with new birds, its not but a day or 2 they leave, they got to have FOOD. On another note just look at ALL the rice fields that have gone fallow in the last 10 yrs..WW


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## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

*All about the scouting*

I hunt public marsh in SE Tx and if your hunting on a regular basis and know where the birds are, then its been pretty good... I have only hunted twice w/out limiting this year out of about 20 hunts. My biggest problem is as stated in prior post about all the wideon grass that is pretty much none existant. Ususally the ponds that I hunt are full of grass, but the salt content since Ike has been rediculously bad... hopefully this spring and summer we will get enough rain to flush the marshes and the grass will return.

On another note, we had a dam good hunt on Sunday in the 30mph wind and rain...the gadwall finally showed up and were committing suicide! *See Pic below


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## specktackler (Mar 6, 2006)

Thanks for the replies fellas, I was loosing hope..swamp root looks like you had a good hunt Sunday. And W.W. I am currently hunting broussards property first year on that lease, I'm hunting off of south china road in rice field..as I stated early teal season was great limits everyday, big ducks have yet to make there impression upon me..I might just need to find me a place closer to the coast next year..or start hunting public marsh more.


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

As mentioned above, lack of food is your culprit.... Rice is a rare commodity and birds are going elsewhere..... 

If they shut down all the resturaunts in Beaumont, what would you do???? haha

Also, the weather hasnt been that cold, so the birds arent being forced down this far... NE Texas hasnt been producing that great compared to years passed.... 

NOTE: That is all fixing to change this week.... Ice up north is going to push them down....Dont be suprised if you have the best hunts of the year in the next 2 weeks.


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## Bull Minnow (May 28, 2004)

We have actually had our best season this year in Hockley/Waller area. Now, the birds haven't been "good" birds, but we are seeing a lot. Most straps have been bootlips, gadwall and pintail. The teal are scarce due to lack of rice farming in our area. We usually only kill around 150-200 birds per year on this tract. This year we are close to 300 and counting. Again, the Shovelers have accounted for most straps but they are thick! Hunted this morning and had wads coming from sky high. 

My place in Centerville has just filled up within the last 3 weeks since the creek is running. We are starting to see good numbers of Mallards showing. Hope the season ends well with lots of green.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

The ducks are already pretty much here, except for the mallards. There may be a handful more greenwing teal and a sprinkling of other ducks, but we are already seeing signs of birds returning from the south. They didn't short stop us, for the most part they have just passed us by except for a handful of areas that held suitable water and food.

Ducks need water and food. With a dry year, there is a shortage of both inland. No ducks is no surprise. The marsh, which always has water, started on fire. Some areas ran out of food, and no more ducks. A few areas still have food, one of them being where SR hunts. They still have ducks. 

Ducks are really pretty simple critters.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

it's all about feed, the rice prairies and holding ponds are all gone


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## BMTAngler (Aug 17, 2008)

Ive been every weekend on public land down here in SE and limited a majority of the time.
Mainly big ducks also, we did have one day where we almost shot all teal but hey who is complaining?
Whats weird is we have shot a lot of pintail hens, only one bull sprig and that was last weekend. We were absolutely covered up in black ducks in the beginning of the season, after the 5 day period we got our two a day all the way up to the split. Now we cant buy a black haha.
We got two red heads the third weekend, drake and a hen (weird). Only two Green Mallards this year, hope this weekend we get the stringer full of them.


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## specktackler (Mar 6, 2006)

Going back to good old night shift tomorrow ill be heading out in the morning to see if I can't fill my strap..I will report back..


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

specktackler said:


> Thanks for the replies fellas, I was loosing hope..swamp root looks like you had a good hunt Sunday. And W.W. I am currently hunting broussards property first year on that lease, I'm hunting off of south china road in rice field..as I stated early teal season was great limits everyday, big ducks have yet to make there impression upon me..I might just need to find me a place closer to the coast next year..or start hunting public marsh more.


Actually the Brousard land I'm talking about is S of 73 with the Mcfaddin Refuge on the West and Murphries on the South, I'm would think the Murphrie area is holding lots of birds on the n end but the stuff south of Brousards is probably still dead from the storm. I would have thought any rice field WITH water would be wrapped up....WW


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

wet dreams said:


> Actually the Brousard land I'm talking about is S of 73 with the Mcfaddin Refuge on the West and Murphries on the South, I'm would think the Murphrie area is holding lots of birds on the n end but the stuff south of Brousards is probably still dead from the storm. *I would have thought any rice field WITH water would be wrapped up....WW*


I figured all the rice fields with water would be slap full with birds, but I havent seen not one single duck in the fields that I have passed..... which baffles me.... except for maybe that the birds moved on before the rain hit....


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## Hogsticker24 (Oct 7, 2008)

buddy of mine been hunting down south said there more birds there now then he has ever seen. My place in midfield has had water all season cause we been pumping. Past two weekends have been good. From the split till then it has been dead. We would hunt till noon and maybe see two ducks. Geese are there now by the thousands. Next two weeknds will be great shoots


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## marksmu (Dec 4, 2008)

I have been told by an old fart up in Arkansas - one who hunts non-stop everything that flies year round, that this year he knew it was going to be a poor season because of where the jet stream dipped.

He claims, and its just a claim, that the dip in the jet stream will dictate where the ducks end up. This year the dip is much farther east, and his claim is that the ducks will not fly against a westerly wind to migrate south....they will fly west to feed, but not during migration.

So since this year the jet stream has essentially settled east of Texas and Arkansas, both states are having below average years. It also accounts for all the cold weather east of us, and the dry summer.


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## Blue Water Roughneck (May 22, 2004)

The significant drop in rice production in SE Texas is your problem.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

Blue Water Roughneck said:


> The significant drop in rice production in SE Texas is your problem.


Yery true, but also include that rice production has skyrocketed in Arkansas. And their water is cheap, hence the increased rice production, so they can flood fields for rice, and for the ducks. So the birds are short stopping in Ar, Northern La., and E. Mizzou. Add to that they have figured out how to manage their properties, like we have for decades, for for waterfowl. They realized that they can keep the birds around if they keep their water open in their fields. And put in a few levees and terraces in the fields and they can keep the rain water for their ponds. Top it off with warmer winters, and there you go, less birds.


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## RedXCross (Aug 7, 2005)

I also hunt with Swamproot on public property and it has been solid for the most part, as his picture details. But I also hunt in La. not too far from some of the property on public and the general consensus has been equal or actually better. 

The south China Rd. area you describe I am familiar with I have hunted basically everywhere at one time or another over here and it is always been hot and then it goes South way to early. As stated it use to not be that way, but most groceries are getting reduced yearly. There is a big market for shipping seeds overseas comparably.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Surprised no one has mentioned 'shortstopping', I don't know about others BUT I havn't heard anywhere near the #s of geese this yr as in the past and I'm outdoors a lot.....WW


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## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

*Shortstopping*

My views on shortstopping are not factually supported, but a mere opinion:

I used to be a Lamar University Ducks Unlimited Committee member about 6 years ago and quite often was chastised about it by other hunters stating that Ducks Unlimited was SOLELY responsible for short stopping ducks! It was thought that they were heating rest ponds in N and S Dakota, Kansas, and Oklahoma so as to keep the birds from ever getting to the southern Tx. coast. I can neither negate nor confirm these accusations, but what I can tell you is that I believe the birds are being UNINTENTIONALLY stopped further North and/or passing us by for the lack of agriculture SE Texas can provide. The upper states (Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma) are major contributors to our nation's agricultural market and unless it freezes ALL feeding and rest ponds, the birds will not move. Let's face it; the birds aren't going to travel any further than necessary. I do believe that the birds that make it to us will stay for a reasonable amount of time, and if they cannot find enough food, or are pressured too much, then they migrate further south. As for DU heating ponds up north, I don't personally think that's true... do I believe that DU has done an enormous amount of work up North which may be inadvertently holding SOME birds from migrating... YES! 

The normal SE TX duck season can be summarized by these chronological events:
*Early Teal season*: Mostly phenomenal for those who have rice fields, or marsh tracts that have an abundance of natural food
*Opening of Big Duck Season*: Usually plenty of ducks around to fill limits for up to the first three weekends, but as the pressure hits them, they tend to either continue migrating south, or find areas where the average hunter cannot reach them... ie: Jenkins Reservoir, Lost Lake, and other rest areas. Areas like China, Nome, and Winnie usually see a few big ducks, but nothing spectacular... unless you have food! The coastal marshes are generally always full before the split.
*Duck Season Split*: Usually pretty good up to the split, and the weekend after it opens back up... BUT once they feel the pressure, they go South, so mid to end of December is usually tough hunting in SE TX. 
*Last Three weekends of Season*: Pending we don't have an Arctic Blast (like the one we've had the last few days) the birds will start to migrate back North into our area... the last two weekends of the season are usually lights out (If everything is not frozen)! I predict that this coming weekend will be tough for most hunters, but if it warms like it's supposed to Sunday and into the next week, it will be good. The last weekend (pending we don't get another COLD blast) should be full of teal, and gadwall for the marsh areas. 

The whole theory of late Dec. and Jan. cold fronts pushing more and more birds down is fiction in my opinion... the birds quit migrating around the end of Nov. and they are very few that will migrate into our area from the North late in the season. Just wait a week after duck season closes and drive from Port Arthur to Bridge City and look on either side of the road.

Geese are a whole other issue&#8230;


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## Txfirenfish (Jan 8, 2005)

WW, I have seen alot of geese in the Labelle area and South China Rd was holding a large flock until Sunday.


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## hounddog (Nov 12, 2006)

Tompkins has and article in todays chronicle about Arkansas saying they 10 times more rice than texas. Everyone has thier opinion ,but it has definitely changed in SE TX in last 5-10 yrs .


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## fatrat82 (Feb 27, 2006)

Unless you want to sleep in a little longer the private leases in setx for the most part are no good. I said, for the most part, because i do know of some very good ones but they are expensive and or have a waiting list to get on it because no one ever gets off. If you want to kill ducks around here you have to get in the public marsh. SR has had a great season it sounds like. I usually hunt or try to hunt 2 or 3 days a week and i have limited out all but maybe around 6 times this year. To be honest i got worn out in mid december. I took a break and went to try the lakes area and that proved to just be more frustrating. Ever since the holidays i've been only going 1 per week. This year was very difficult due to water levels and the birds behaviors. Thats the thing about the marsh as well, it changes on a yearly basis and the pond or ponds you did good in the year before don't always have the same results year after year. There are a few that are golden but for the most part there are only a couple areas i frequent every year that do good. The rest of the time i have to scout and find where the birds are going. You will have to get up early in the morning and do more work hunting public lands but the end result is normally great.
As far as the geese in texas, you can blame that on food. Just like someone said in the post earlier about the production of rice in arkansas. Texas used to be the place that had all the rice therefore we had the ducks and geese but ever since texas started planting less and less, ark started planting more and more. Overtime the migration pattern of geese just moved towards ark. Ask anyone that hunts in arkansas if their geese population has increased over the past 10 years or so and i promise you they will say it has exploded.


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## specktackler (Mar 6, 2006)

Wow this thread went way deeper than I thought it would..I hunted Wednesday morning and not a duck in the sky, pond was frozen over decoys were on ice so I didn't exspect much..firenfish is correct about the geese on south china roa..there was a very large concentration holding down a field right behind me (unfortunately that isn't part of my field) they ate it down and were bouncing across onto type 2 land as of wesnesday so if your a type 2 hunter in that area id go check it out..I'm gonna hit it hard these last couple of weeks and see if I can't fill a strap before season closes..but after the 24 we plan on pulling the plug on the rice field and draining it for some electronic calling action..I will post back if the duck action picks up..want to say thanks for all the great input.


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## Txfirenfish (Jan 8, 2005)

wish I had seen them hit the type 2 area. was out there a few times this past week or two and all the ones we saw were way too high to shoot and headed for that group in the field just north of there. gonna be doing the electronic calling out there too.


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