New Poll Cat One WMA (please vote)

[Murray]

What makes you think I agree with bog.

He didn't say anything about increasing hunter #s

I question his plan will reduce the wait time, but I could see the potential of less people signing up due to a weekly draw you pay every week.

[NUTZ]

Nutz, do you apply for the draw hunts every year?

Yes.

[JBtflo]

The only way you increase number of hunters hunting these properties is to increase the number of hunters sent to the site. There seems to be a lot of gears moving in the weekly draw scenario. However,you are still only working with one site that can hold X number of hunters, whether that be for not having skybusters in a pond with you flaring all your birds, or it's the number of people the DNR can put out without everyone having to show up a 2:00 am. As far as I know they hunt all sites once a week and on a rotating basis on the large properties. They have to tote hunters to Cedar and Murphy by boat, that certainly complicates things a bit.

Why not just draw more for one site one year instead of a weekly drawing? Do you not accomplish the same thing, or is it all about maybe getting to go multiple times a year?

You know you get ALL levels of competency at these hunts, from experienced hunters to folks that can't tell a mallard from a heron. I'm not sure you can just say "y'all go hunt somewhere and come back here in 4 hours" without it feeling like a public dove shoot at the first few ponds.

Watch the politics grab the ball this one...there are likely very influential people adjacent to some of these properties and may bow up at hunting these places double or triple (or more) what it was in the past.

Let's also step back from comparing public hunting here to that in the Central & Miss flyway, we ain't them.

[BOGSTER]

When was the last time you got drawn?

[NUTZ]

It's been several years, but I have a firm grasp on the issue of supply and demand.

[BOGSTER]

You know you get ALL levels of competency at these hunts, from experienced hunters to folks that can't tell a mallard from a heron. I'm not sure you can just say "y'all go hunt somewhere and come back here in 4 hours" without it feeling like a public dove shoot at the first few ponds.
.

You would still be assigned to a blind through the morning of the hunt.

[Sparkleberry Ridge Runner]

The reason the show up and draw won't work is because it truly would be an absolute mad house on these properties the morning of.
Someone made a good point. Can you imagine 100 trucks with/without boat in tow trying to navigate SCR or Bear Island in the dark at 4am?

Other states are able to do it quite efficiently, why couldn't SC?

[BOGSTER]

Proposal aside for a moment, let's talk about increased usage of WMAs...

Let's look at BI West.

Last season the most number of hunters to hunt the west side was 10.

Impoundments:

Minkey -406ac
Big Hog - 70ac
Little Hog -67ac
Sara -190ac
Ashepoo -422ac

1,155 acres of managed habitat, all relatively similiar fresh/brackish, native SAV impounds.

The last week of the season, 7 hunters hunted BI West.
I don't have a way of looking up how hunters were grouped, but I do doubt they all were single hunters.

7 hunters on 1,155 acres.

Is it safe to say the birds on that property had plenty of rest area?

[BOGSTER]

Other states are able to do it quite efficiently, why couldn't SC?

I don't about other states, but most of our coastal WMA roads are long, one way dirt roads (many of them miles long) with marsh or impoundments on both sides.

It just wouldn't work man. Can you imagine people trying to turn around? With a boat? People getting lost and in some cases ending up on private land.

People would be strung all over those properties, stuck in the marsh, they would murder the roads....it wouldn't be good.

[willk]

They would murder the roads and it would become expensive to keep them up.

[swampknob]

Proposal aside for a moment, let's talk about increased usage of WMAs...

Let's look at BI West.

Last season the most number of hunters to hunt the west side was 10.

Impoundments:

Minkey -406ac
Big Hog - 70ac
Little Hog -67ac
Sara -190ac
Ashepoo -422ac

1,155 acres of managed habitat, all relatively similiar fresh/brackish, native SAV impounds.

The last week of the season, 7 hunters hunted BI West.
I don't have a way of looking up how hunters were grouped, but I do doubt they all were single hunters.

7 hunters on 1,155 acres.

Is it safe to say the birds on that property had plenty of rest area?

Bi west doesn't hold many birds...... Compared to springfield/cut. Your 1155 acres isn't completely managed moist soil either.

[BOGSTER]

Bi west doesn't hold many birds...... Compared to springfield/cut. Your 1155 acres isn't completely managed moist soil either.

Where did I go wrong with acreage?

I can break down any property you like...doesn't have to be BI, I just pulled that one. I think you understand the point.

[BigBrother]

But he is, ironically, dead nutz right.

Take a look at what this is all about. It's about utilization of a resource that already exists and the fact of the matter is this resource that everyone wants a bigger part of takes that status because the resource that is the rest of the state is in such dismal shape. Yes, there are private properties that are getting it done, but there isn't a damn thing outside of a handful of the Cat I's has a shit to offer.

There was a time when these same hunts were offered and it was all they could do to fill them with applicants. The numbers of duck hunters was plenty high enough, but they had access to quality resources outside of draw hunts and they utilized them. Now, with the lack of a sizable migration, a useless refuge and overcrowding in the few places left that LOOK ducky, everyone wants to go to the Cat I's.

If you want to do something that has benefits to the resource then redirect your zeal away from "hey I want more hunts on this last public place that's worth a shit" and direct it to the Cat II's like I laid out in the thread from years ago. That idea wasn't about "let me hunt more" it was about "let's improve these areas so ducks actually WANT to be there and let us hunters pay for it".

Close the thread.

[swampknob]

The area across from brickyard JUST had it's first water on it in years. Not all areas are flooded and drawn down every year. Still irrelevant though. As long as pressure isn't increased I'm all for it.

[swampknob]

And I agree with tater

[BOGSTER]

There was a time when these same hunts were offered and it was all they could do to fill them with applicants. The numbers of duck hunters was plenty high enough, but they had access to quality resources outside of draw hunts and they utilized them. Now, with the lack of a sizable migration, a useless refuge and overcrowding in the few places left that LOOK ducky, everyone wants to go to the Cat I's.

True, but that was then...this is now.
And these properties hold thousands of ducks. Thousands. As do many of the bordering private lands around them. Harming the resource isn't the issue here. The ducks in the ACE and the ducks in the Delta have PaaaLENTY of areas to rest and feed.

If you want to do something that has benefits to the resource then redirect your zeal away from "hey I want more hunts on this last public place that's worth a shit" and direct it to the Cat II's like I laid out in the thread from years ago. That idea wasn't about "let me hunt more" it was about "let's improve these areas so ducks actually WANT to be there and let us hunters pay for it".

I want to do something that has benefits to the people of SC who fund these properties (that fact, in and of itself is in turn benefitting the resource) without harming the resource.
Your idea is great. I liked it back then, but after re-reading it I believe I thought we were talking about Cat1s then.
However, your idea takes properties that we can already hunt and limits our use.
I don't know about many of the other CatIIs but the ones around Marion and Moultrie are limited in pressure regulation due to the fact that they are owned by Santee Cooper and fishing, birdwatching, deer hunting, etc, are all open to the public except for waterfowl hunt days.
Most of these encompass some portion of lake property.
Food is the issue there. period. end of story.

Enoree....that place is tiny. How many would be considered to safely hunt it?
3-5?

I understand that there is a need for better management of CatIIs, but some are limited like the ones above.

My proposal expands hunter opportunities on under utilized (in many people's eyes) lands.

[Magic]

Bog it might be time to let it rest. You've made a valiant effort fighting your windmill but i dont think you'll change anyone's mind. I will give you credit for keeping it together and addressing everyone with an answer and for that I will shake your hand and be happy to meet you! Good job on getting me to think outside the box also!

[FBT]

I enjoyed the thread and agree that the system needs to be tweaked. A lot of people posted their opinion without really understanding what was proposed. Let her go bogster. Your gonna wear your fingertips out splainin' Yoself.

[Tater]

My proposal expands hunter opportunities on under utilized (in many people's eyes) lands.

That's my point exactly. This is all me me me and not about bettering the resource, therein lies my opposition.

[JABIII]

This whole argument sounds just like my partners kids wanting to go shoot our refuge because it is 70 degrees, the ducks aren't feeding, and they can't kill any.

It is my responsibility (and pleasure) as a waterfowl manager to say "tough titty". I expect you will hear the same from the managers at the state level...