Atlantic Flyway Blues

[Gman12]

Today is the last day of our waterfowl season and it was uneventful to say the least. I have only taken up duck hunting for about 10 years and it seems each year is worse than the previous year. Many of my friends tell me about the good ole days where big ducks were so plentiful that if you didn't kill a limit within the first 30 minutes of daylight it was considered a slow day. The majority of the guys who were hardcore duck hunters in our area have stopped duck hunting altogether. It just isn't worth the effort anymore. Now it is the young guys mostly hunting who don't put much effort into scouting and just show up to a hole on Saturday morning and are glad to kill two wood ducks so they can post pics on Instagram. We watch the weather and pray for bad weather up north to push some ducks our way but it seems it doesn't happen the way you would think it would and we see very little change.

I might just have to accept the fact that I will have to go west to another flyway once a year on a trip and be happy with that. I know many things with nature are cyclical but is there any chance that things will improve for us on the east coast? BTW, located in SE Virginia.

 

[Wheels]

Warmest December on record in the Midwest contributed to a poor duck season. There were still birds in Canada until January. Can’t control the weather.
The ducks we had were seasoned and mainly flew at night.

 

[KurtR]

Warmest December on record in the Midwest contributed to a poor duck season. There were still birds in Canada until January. Can’t control the weather.
The ducks we had were seasoned and mainly flew at night.

Poorest for southern people even though I seen them piling birds up in Arkansas. It was one of the best in many years up here.

 

[willfrye027]

Absolutely terrible duck season in central CA. The worst I can ever remember. I was glad to get it over with today.

 

[Eastcoasthunter94]

My group did okay on the south shore coast in NY. Early season we have a pond that gets a ton of birds. As the season went on and the water started to freeze over it got tougher and we mainly had to pass shoot birds over the marsh. Besides 2 really good days we haven’t had a ton of action. Afternoon hunts have been a waste of time compared to mornings this year

 

[Oregon]

The central part of the Atlantic flyway will never see the good old days ever again. The flights have shifted, urban development, increase in pressure, increase in private impoundments, milder winters, ag practices, states spraying lakes for weeds to promote boating not birds, etc etc.
My advice to the average waterfowler who lives in Ga, SC, NC, VA and wants to feel optimistic when they leave the house each morning is to lower expectations and to be happy with the summer duck. That's what you have to look forward to.

 

[Gman12]

The central part of the Atlantic flyway will never see the good old days ever again. The flights have shifted, urban development, increase in pressure, increase in private impoundments, milder winters, ag practices, states spraying lakes for weeds to promote boating not birds, etc etc.
My advice to the average waterfowler who lives in Ga, SC, NC, VA and wants to feel optimistic when they leave the house each morning is to lower expectations and to be happy with the summer duck. That's what you have to look forward to.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I guess I will just go on a 3 day hunt somewhere west of here once a year and be happy. I'm certainly not going to continue put much effort into it with diminishing returns around home.