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505 Posts
Prairie hunter:
I grew up in ND during my formative years and learned to hunt ducks on sloughs in the central part of the state. I became friends with a couple that lived in this area and have had the wonderful opportunity to have hunted there for 19 consecutive years.
All of my fondest memories of waterfowl hunting occurred in this general. However, last year the hunting pressure was unbelievable. On a scouting trip during the middle of the second week of duck hunting, we counted 58 trucks, 51 had out of state plates.
The problem with these areas that used to have good hunting, is that a particular group will hunt with most likely one very good day of hunting. That one particular shoot will get them to go back to their residence and brag to friends whom they bring the next year. They have one or two good hunts, go back tell another friend. And the cycle repeats. Boom, you have exponential hunting growth.
I don't know how many potholes, large sloughs, waterfowl rest areas, and refuges occur in this particular county, but there is no way that the amount finite amount of resources can handle that type of pressure. In past years, we basically remember barely seeing 10 to 15 trucks in an entire weekend.
If you are in area that really has not seen any increase in hunting pressure, I would keep that area all to myself and not let anyone know where I hunt.
If you are hu
I grew up in ND during my formative years and learned to hunt ducks on sloughs in the central part of the state. I became friends with a couple that lived in this area and have had the wonderful opportunity to have hunted there for 19 consecutive years.
All of my fondest memories of waterfowl hunting occurred in this general. However, last year the hunting pressure was unbelievable. On a scouting trip during the middle of the second week of duck hunting, we counted 58 trucks, 51 had out of state plates.
The problem with these areas that used to have good hunting, is that a particular group will hunt with most likely one very good day of hunting. That one particular shoot will get them to go back to their residence and brag to friends whom they bring the next year. They have one or two good hunts, go back tell another friend. And the cycle repeats. Boom, you have exponential hunting growth.
I don't know how many potholes, large sloughs, waterfowl rest areas, and refuges occur in this particular county, but there is no way that the amount finite amount of resources can handle that type of pressure. In past years, we basically remember barely seeing 10 to 15 trucks in an entire weekend.
If you are in area that really has not seen any increase in hunting pressure, I would keep that area all to myself and not let anyone know where I hunt.
If you are hu