When financial numbers hit the bottom, it’s called a depression. Well, that’s kind of what duck hunters in this region are facing with duck numbers. It’s a duck depression. It’s getting kind of discouraging with the trend we are seeing. There are some birds being killed, but no fantastic hunting anywhere that we know of. Hunters are killing five, six birds and some not even that many. I’ve talked to folks from our area in Mer Rouge and around the region plus Arkansas and over in Mississippi. It’s pretty much the same.
There are some ducks, but they are real spooky and won’t work. It’s almost like hunting in the middle of January. The weather continues to be a major factor. Several tornadoes were spotted from Mississippi and Alabama through southern Indiana Wednesday. Tornado Watches were posted for parts of Illinois and Iowa. So wherever the ducks are they are getting pounded. We are looking at a lot of thunderstorms and continued warm temperatures here through the weekend. In fact, it is unseasonably warm all the way up the Mississippi Flyway. In Iowa, temperatures aren’t getting down close to freezing until the middle of the night. Ducks don’t have any reason to come on south. In addition to that, their season has already ended, so there is no pressure on them. I hear there are a good many ducks in Missouri, but there again, it’s not even getting down to freezing.
Things will change in the second split. I’m counting on it, anyway. Maybe we’ll get some more birds the next week when temperatures drop again. After the busy Christmas shopping season is over, we’ll get after them somewhere!
NOTE: Simmons’ Sporting Goods will close at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
If you have any last minute outdoor shopping needs, come see us. We’ll be glad to help.
