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 Here at Outdoor Hunting Guides, we are very excited about carrying Mr. Charles Snapp's monthly manuscripts covering a wide range of topics about waterfowling. Mr Snapp is the owner/operator of Hammertime Guide Service in Walnut Ridge,Arkansas. The monthly manuscripts will be coming soon for your reading.
*New Article now listed for February 2010*
*New* KAIT8 TV in Jonesboro Arkansas has a weekly waterfowl tip from Charles "Hammertime" Snapp http://www.kait8.com/Hammertime
HammerTimeâ
“Buying A Pig In A Poke” Through the course of this column I’m going to focus on the ins and outs of leasing duck hunting ground in Arkansas, which probably applies in certain other areas as well. I don’t know all the answers, but this information should give those thinking about a lease, something to think about. This time of year Arkansas leases are a hot topic in sporting good stores, chat rooms and coffee shops throughout a multi-state area. To put things in perspective, in our small section of northeast Arkansas, I know of people who are involved with seasonal leases from many different states. Some of them make regular eight and ten hours drives, just to hunt the famous Arkansas rice fields. Or, in some cases … the not so famous ones!Now that duck season is over the emails will start piling in from people wanting to lease ground. The questions are usually similar; “If you don’t have anything to lease, can you tell me who does?” I really like it when someone asks; “Do you know of anything close to where you hunt?”, while I don’t mind the emails, this lead in brings me to my starting point. There are a lot of rice fields in Arkansas and you can rest assured, the farmers want those fields to produce as many bushels of rice per acre, as the ground can. More rice grown in the field, normally means more grain that’s knocked on the ground during harvest. Spillage is the duck food and more duck food means more ducks … WRONG! Just because you lease a rice field in Arkansas, it does not mean that you will have a good season, lots of spillage or not. For example, in one area we have hunted for many years, we control 3,500 or so acres. We don’t flood all the ground, but we do have seven pits in the area. We also flood several rest fields, with no pits. At one time we had nine pits, but we pulled two of them, near the center of all the hunting … because the ducks did not use those two fields on a regular basis. I can’t tell you what the difference is between locations, but there is a difference. One pit we pulled was ¾ of a mile west of one of the best scoring pits we control, yet the ducks just did not like that particular field. The other pit we pulled was no more than ¾ of a mile south of the pit that produces so well and about the same distance north of another great producer. We pulled it out of the field, smack in the middle of two excellent producers … because the ducks would not use that field. I can’t tell you why it’s that way, but it is. I wish I knew why the ducks make the decisions they do, but I don’t and no once else does. Based on what I don’t know or understand, I can tell you one thing for sure; “Leasing ground for ducks, without any previous knowledge of a particular field, or pit, is somewhat of a gamble, at best”Having made that statement, these questions might provide some insight for those who are interested in pursuing a seasonal lease:When should I look at a field? Looking at a field is not going to help you, unless it is when the season is open. If you look at a prospective field after season, do not expect to see the same thing during season and ask yourself why the farmer is still holding water on the field. Most farmers want to get the water off their fields ASAP, to prep it for spring planting and it needs to dry up to plant. Holding water on a field in February and March is good for the ducks and normally helps get ducks in a field. Most farmers have drained their fields, which pushes ducks to fields that normally don’t hold ducks on a regular basis and that’s not what you want.How important is location? Location, location, location are the three key words when considering any piece of real estate. A duck lease is a real estate deal between you and the landowner … with a migrating bird controlling the outcome. With that in mind, location is of the utmost importance. Even then, think about the story I mentioned previously, related to our own locations that didn’t produce, yet were right in the middle of other excellent locations.How many years has this field been flooded for ducks? No matter where it is, or what it’s close to, if a field has not been flooded for several years, it has no track record. Consider that high risk, but high risk can bring an exceptional value … if the ducks happen to like it.Who leased the field last year and why are they not leasing the field again? This question needs to be asked. If the field is good, why would the people who previously leased it, not be leasing it again. I have one field leased for nine or ten years to the same group. Some years they take more ducks than others, but they are realistic in what they expect. Someday their plans will change, with the addition of more kids and members of their group moving, all of which are good reasons for letting a field go. Whatever the case many be about a field, ask the question. If possible, why not get the name and number of the people who leased it before and give them a call?Does the pit go underwater in a flood? This is an important question and can be hard to answer. I had two pits go under this past season, which never had. It was from an eight-inch rain. The field drains could not shed the water fast enough. Had you been planning on hunting, you would have lost two days. On the other hand, if a pit is in the main flood area of a river and it’s a year like this past one, you could have a pit underwater for weeks at a time.Is water guaranteed to be on the field and if so, who pays for fuel cost? Since diesel prices skyrocketed a few years ago, a fuel surcharge is common. In fact, I would rather gamble on the amount of fuel used to pump a field, than have it included. At least in a wet year, you don’t use as much and the field ends up costing less, but ask. In a large field, during a dry year, it’s possible to use a thousand gallons, or more, of fuel. Even figuring off road diesel, which cost less, that’s a big chunk of money and no water, no ducks! The questions can go on and on. There are many things to consider when looking for a lease, but most importantly: “Don’t fool yourself!” If you think your going to lease a field and kill limits everyday, or even close, you’re probably wasting your time and not being fair to the landowner. I certainly don’t see anything wrong with leasing ground. The ground we hunt is leased. So what’s the big deal, you ask? To over simplify things, if I could provide my clients with the level of success they expect and only lease one field for each group to use, I would do that, but it doesn’t work that way. Duck leases range in price from to cheap, to be worth anything, to so expensive you could buy a house for a one-season lease. Nevertheless, any given field can beat another one, any day of season. Consistent bird numbers is what makes for a really good field and consistency normally comes at a price (location, location, location). Either you are going to lease a field with a proven track record, or your going to go try and lease multiple lower priced fields and jump from location to location, when they’re hot … if they ever get hot. Whichever avenue you consider, the next time you think; I want my own duck lease … back up, rethink the questions above and ask yourself, is this the right location for consistency, or I’m I … Buying A Pig In A Poke?Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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“Buying A Pig In A Poke” Through the course of this column I’m going to focus on the ins and outs of leasing duck hunting ground in Arkansas, which probably applies in certain other areas as well. I don’t know all the answers, but this information should give those thinking about a lease, something to think about. This time of year Arkansas leases are a hot topic in sporting good stores, chat rooms and coffee shops throughout a multi-state area. To put things in perspective, in our small section of northeast Arkansas, I know of people who are involved with seasonal leases from many different states. Some of them make regular eight and ten hours drives, just to hunt the famous Arkansas rice fields. Or, in some cases … the not so famous ones!Now that duck season is over the emails will start piling in from people wanting to lease ground. The questions are usually similar; “If you don’t have anything to lease, can you tell me who does?” I really like it when someone asks; “Do you know of anything close to where you hunt?”, while I don’t mind the emails, this lead in brings me to my starting point. There are a lot of rice fields in Arkansas and you can rest assured, the farmers want those fields to produce as many bushels of rice per acre, as the ground can. More rice grown in the field, normally means more grain that’s knocked on the ground during harvest. Spillage is the duck food and more duck food means more ducks … WRONG! Just because you lease a rice field in Arkansas, it does not mean that you will have a good season, lots of spillage or not. For example, in one area we have hunted for many years, we control 3,500 or so acres. We don’t flood all the ground, but we do have seven pits in the area. We also flood several rest fields, with no pits. At one time we had nine pits, but we pulled two of them, near the center of all the hunting … because the ducks did not use those two fields on a regular basis. I can’t tell you what the difference is between locations, but there is a difference. One pit we pulled was ¾ of a mile west of one of the best scoring pits we control, yet the ducks just did not like that particular field. The other pit we pulled was no more than ¾ of a mile south of the pit that produces so well and about the same distance north of another great producer. We pulled it out of the field, smack in the middle of two excellent producers … because the ducks would not use that field. I can’t tell you why it’s that way, but it is. I wish I knew why the ducks make the decisions they do, but I don’t and no once else does. Based on what I don’t know or understand, I can tell you one thing for sure; “Leasing ground for ducks, without any previous knowledge of a particular field, or pit, is somewhat of a gamble, at best”Having made that statement, these questions might provide some insight for those who are interested in pursuing a seasonal lease:When should I look at a field? Looking at a field is not going to help you, unless it is when the season is open. If you look at a prospective field after season, do not expect to see the same thing during season and ask yourself why the farmer is still holding water on the field. Most farmers want to get the water off their fields ASAP, to prep it for spring planting and it needs to dry up to plant. Holding water on a field in February and March is good for the ducks and normally helps get ducks in a field. Most farmers have drained their fields, which pushes ducks to fields that normally don’t hold ducks on a regular basis and that’s not what you want.How important is location? Location, location, location are the three key words when considering any piece of real estate. A duck lease is a real estate deal between you and the landowner … with a migrating bird controlling the outcome. With that in mind, location is of the utmost importance. Even then, think about the story I mentioned previously, related to our own locations that didn’t produce, yet were right in the middle of other excellent locations.How many years has this field been flooded for ducks? No matter where it is, or what it’s close to, if a field has not been flooded for several years, it has no track record. Consider that high risk, but high risk can bring an exceptional value … if the ducks happen to like it.Who leased the field last year and why are they not leasing the field again? This question needs to be asked. If the field is good, why would the people who previously leased it, not be leasing it again. I have one field leased for nine or ten years to the same group. Some years they take more ducks than others, but they are realistic in what they expect. Someday their plans will change, with the addition of more kids and members of their group moving, all of which are good reasons for letting a field go. Whatever the case many be about a field, ask the question. If possible, why not get the name and number of the people who leased it before and give them a call?Does the pit go underwater in a flood? This is an important question and can be hard to answer. I had two pits go under this past season, which never had. It was from an eight-inch rain. The field drains could not shed the water fast enough. Had you been planning on hunting, you would have lost two days. On the other hand, if a pit is in the main flood area of a river and it’s a year like this past one, you could have a pit underwater for weeks at a time.Is water guaranteed to be on the field and if so, who pays for fuel cost? Since diesel prices skyrocketed a few years ago, a fuel surcharge is common. In fact, I would rather gamble on the amount of fuel used to pump a field, than have it included. At least in a wet year, you don’t use as much and the field ends up costing less, but ask. In a large field, during a dry year, it’s possible to use a thousand gallons, or more, of fuel. Even figuring off road diesel, which cost less, that’s a big chunk of money and no water, no ducks! The questions can go on and on. There are many things to consider when looking for a lease, but most importantly: “Don’t fool yourself!” If you think your going to lease a field and kill limits everyday, or even close, you’re probably wasting your time and not being fair to the landowner. I certainly don’t see anything wrong with leasing ground. The ground we hunt is leased. So what’s the big deal, you ask? To over simplify things, if I could provide my clients with the level of success they expect and only lease one field for each group to use, I would do that, but it doesn’t work that way. Duck leases range in price from to cheap, to be worth anything, to so expensive you could buy a house for a one-season lease. Nevertheless, any given field can beat another one, any day of season. Consistent bird numbers is what makes for a really good field and consistency normally comes at a price (location, location, location). Either you are going to lease a field with a proven track record, or your going to go try and lease multiple lower priced fields and jump from location to location, when they’re hot … if they ever get hot. Whichever avenue you consider, the next time you think; I want my own duck lease … back up, rethink the questions above and ask yourself, is this the right location for consistency, or I’m I … Buying A Pig In A Poke?Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTimeâ “When Your Outfitter Calls” Let’s say you have a hunting trip booked and you get a last minute call telling you to change your plans, due to weather conditions. While weather can play havoc on almost any type of hunt, it can shut you out on a duck hunt. In fact, this just happened with our service and it wasn’t the first time we’ve run in to the problem. At best it would be an understatement to say; weather is un-predictable. I’m sure numerous meteorologists would disagree with that statement, but I feel certain a lot of people, especially the outdoors crowd, would agree me. It seems like no matter how hard the weather teams try, they miss on a lot of their extended forecast. With access to the Internet we all have the ability to monitor local weather stations, The Weather Channel and NOAA, but who’s forecast do you believe and for how long of a period do you want to trust it?This past week our local TV station was calling for single digits at night and low twenties for the daily highs. The Weather Channel (TWC), for the first part of the week, was calling for upper teens, with highs below freezing. That’s quite a difference in temperatures, for the same area, but either prediction would produce cold enough weather to freeze up a shallow rice field and that’s the point I want to focus on. For the past two weeks, we’ve cancelled all our hunts.Yes, we do have deeper water in our flooded timber and yes; we’ve even been holding reasonably good numbers of ducks in two of the deeper locations. Nevertheless, you have to be able to hunt them. Holding the birds doesn’t do our hunters any good, if they can’t get to the location where the birds are. Our recent problems hit us from two different areas, both the results of extremely low, possibly record-breaking temperatures. As mentioned, most flooded rice fields are shallow. Water depth will range from a couple of inches deep, to no more than a foot of water at the deepest point in most rice fields. While mid to lower twenties can create short-term problems with ice in the shallow fields. Add in a couple of days with lows in the teens and daytime highs only reaching the mid twenties and you can expect the fields to be frozen solid. I’m talking solid, as in no water … all ice! Those same temperatures will ice up the edges of the deeper water in our flooded timber. So much so that you cannot break through the ice with our boats, making the open water inaccessible. We’ve tried running boats up on the ice and breaking out a path to the deeper water. We’ve even tried using a sledgehammer, to break open a boat run, hoping for access to open water, but in our situation … it just doesn’t work. As far as the shallow rice fields go, we’ve stretched out miles and miles of rolled, flexible plastic pipe, called Poly-Pipe. With the quarter to half-mile runs of Poly-Pipe in place, from our wellheads to the area near our buried pits, we’ve fired up the diesel engines. The water coming out of the ground will usually be around 56 degrees Fahrenheit. While 56 degrees doesn’t sound very warm, it will keep a big hole thawed in extreme icing conditions. In fact, depending on what speed you are pumping and the diameter of the well, it’s not uncommon to be able to keep open an acre or two around the pit, but does it work? The most honest answer would be, seldom. In fact, I remember one year, 12 to 15 years ago, when it worked and it worked well, but that was the exception. So what did we do? We called our clients that were scheduled to come in and talked them in to moving their hunts, rolling over their deposits to reserve hunt times for the next year, or canceling all together. Some had plane tickets booked and some had already purchased their license. In at least one case the state allowed a group to use new dates on their trip license, but those with plane tickets were forced to pay a penalty. Penalty or not, I think I’d rather pay the airlines an extra hundred bucks and use my ticket later, in lieu of flying in to a frozen tundra, where the odds of having a quality hunt were stacked against me. Over the years we’ve tied to make it our policy to offer clients an option to cancel hunts, if weather conditions here were that extreme. While such a last minute phone call shocks some of them, most do listen when we call. There’s been a few times when a client’s comments stuck in my mind, like the time a group of un-guided hunters had booked with us for their first time. The weather had slipped in on us. It was no more than a day or two before the group was scheduled to arrive and I called them. I told them what it looked like and how hard the freeze was going to be and recommended they push their hunt back to another available opening. After a brief discussion, the guy heading up the group said; “I’ll call the others and get back with you.” Later that afternoon he called back and asked Jackie (my wife/boss) why we were canceling their group. She explained the situation again and told them we would be more than willing to take their money, but honesty was a hard policy to beat. They moved their hunt dates and have been regular clients for six to eight years now.As corny as it might seem, the Golden Rule is hard to beat. As an outfitter, if we cancel hunts our lease prices don’t go down, the utility companies don’t give us a discount and even worse, those are days that cannot be sold at a later date. In fact, when you think about how short a duck season is, then factor in the cost of canceling hunts and you’ll start to understand why we try to get clients to move their hunts to another date. Nevertheless, if it means changing your schedule, loosing the cost of a trip license, or paying a cancellation fee for an airline ticket … When Your Outfitter Calls … listen to what they tell you and be thankful your dealing with folks who want to treat you, like they would want to be treated! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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 HammerTimeâ “Flocking Up The Mojo’s” What a year this has been for Northeastern Arkansas! Three to four weeks prior to the season opener, our rest fields started loading up. As usual for that time of year, we were seeing a wide variety of ducks. There was little doubt in my mind; this was going to be another fantastic season ….. then the rain started. Once it started raining, I didn’t think it would ever quit. People were trying to trade their big RVs in for arks! Well, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but it was a lot of rain. Rain we didn’t need. With the late planting season, also the result of an unusually wet spring, most of the area’s crops were in the fields. Nevertheless, Mother Nature decided it was time to flush out all the rivers and that’s what she did. It rained enough that all the major rivers were well above flood stage and most of you know … ducks like rising water. While I’m not sure why, I can’t remember a time when the rivers got out like they did, that the ducks don’t shift to them, but something was different this time. Many, if not most, of the crops were still in the field. Picture a 300-acre rice field that had not had a combine in it. It’s not uncommon for hybrid varieties of rice to produce 200 bushels of rice per acre. A 300-acre field, times 200 bushel per acre, equals 60,000 bushels of rice. A bushel of rice weighs approximately 45 pounds. Multiple 45 lbs. times 60,000 bushels and you should get a visual picture of what enticed the ducks. And we’re only talking about a single field, with 300 acres under water. Now envision miles and miles of farmland, along numerous rivers in the area, all under water and you should understand what we were facing. To put things in better perspective, I took my first clients hunting in the late 70s. To date I had never seen this happen, to this magnitude. One friend of mine lost a field of soybeans, to the ducks and geese that was 320 acres. Another fellow lost three fields of rice, totaling just over 800 acres. They were fully mature crops, with an entire growing season of labor and expenses put in to raising the crop. While some farmers had crop insurance, many did not and there’s little doubt, some operations may not recover from the loss. While agriculture is a driving force in our area, we’re here to discuss ducks and the unbelievable amount of food they had access to this fall! One afternoon my wife and I drove to the edge of the floodwaters, off the Black River. Our season was due to open in a week and our rest fields were holding no birds. I don’t mean a few birds … I mean ZERO birds, which was another first for me, at least for that time of year. I was in a panic and didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to see how many birds were in the area, hoping I could reassure myself things would be OK. What I saw reminded me of the stories I had heard, about the early years of rice farming in Arkansas. I’m a firm believer that the massive increase in rice acreage in the Grand Prairie Region of Arkansas, during the late 40s, changed the entire Mississippi Flyway and impacted other flyways as well. Some of the old timers would talk about the sky being black with ducks, as far as you could see … and that’s what I saw the week before our season opened. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of ducks in my life, but nothing like what we had along the river then. The ducks that loaded up the area and raped the farmers’ fields, had to have skipped over some of the states to our north, to get to all the grain. If nothing else, I know the floodwater had to have hurt the opening week in Louisiana and would imagine it did the same for central and southern Arkansas. The river areas looked like the entire flyway had decided to come to that area.As far as our opener went, I called all of the folks we had booked and explained what was happening and admitted to them; “I have no idea what to expect, we were holding no birds!” Since all were repeat customers, they all thought I was worrying over nothing and most made comments like; they’re always there and they will be this year, but they weren’t!With eyes glued to the Internet, watching the flood flow charts on the Black and White River basins, we counted down the days. As luck would have it, the Black River at Black Rock, fell below flood stage the day before we opened and the ducks congregated in smaller areas of the floodwater. When the hunters unleashed their opening day furry on the birds, the ducks scattered. The rivers falling back in their banks saved our opener, with all but one group taking full limits. What a relief it was.Then again, it’s always something. As I’m writing this piece, it’s the opening day, for our second session of season. With the cold weather blasting through the country, the highs in the Dakotas only reached the teens and we had another major push of birds earlier this week. If there’s any mallards left to our north, it would surprise me, there’s just that many still in our area. The fields have been full of birds, but I must have made the old lady mad! No, I would never call my wife an old lady; I’m talking about Mother Nature. First she cleanses us with torrential rains, now she gets Jack Frost on us, a month early.Last night we were near record lows for this time of year. 15 mile an hour winds and morning temperatures in the teens. Shallow water rice fields and lows in the teens are a recipe for disaster. From massive numbers of birds in our rice fields yesterday, to heavy ice today. It’s always something, but once again we managed to pull it off! Instead of breaking up the ice and attempting to keep a hole open, we slipped down the field levies, breaking as little ice as possible. Once to the pits, all the staff put out 6 Mojo spinning wind decoys and slid a few full body decoys out on the ice. When the ducks hit the air, looking for opening water, they sucked in to the Mojos like they had never seen one before. The results shocked us, to say the least!Who knows what Mother Nature will throw at us next, but I’m sure she’ll pull something else in a few days, or weeks. Until then, we’re just proud we’ve managed to hold our on with the birds, not to mention all the birds are staying in the area. As far as the problems with icing goes, I’m just glad we decided to try … Flocking Up The Mojo’s … another first for me! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTimeâ “Looking Back” I’ve heard it said many times; “History repeats itself.” While I hope it’s not true for this hunting season, we have had enough rain (23 inches above normal for the year) that a recent drive through some of the rice farms in our area, reminded me of one of the most unusual hunting opportunities I’ve ever experienced.Years ago, it was common for a farmer to expect a 120-day maturity period, from planting to harvest, for their rice crop. The farmers also contended with uneven fields and poor drainage. Poor drainage meant it took longer for the fields to dry in the spring, thus planting was delayed and the harvest ran later. This past spring, farmers were hit with an unusual amount of rain and flooding. Many only planted a portion of their rice crop, while others planted it late. Late planting still means a late harvest and when you factor in the flooding we’re experiencing, farmers are facing some of the flooding problems their fathers faced in the early 80s with their harvest, which sets the background for my story. It was the early 80s, when I received a phone call from a regional representative with Ducks Unlimited. An associate of D.U. was traveling the Mississippi Flyway, from Canada to Louisiana and needed a place to hunt in NE AR. They were quick to inform me; he was in the process of writing a book about his journey and they wanted him to see what our area offered. I jumped at the idea! As time for the hunt neared, I can remember worrying about the bird numbers and water levels. It was a year, much like we’re experiencing right now. Rain, after rain, after rain and the larger rivers were out of their banks. The birds were using places they normally didn’t use, but I had a huge advantage over other outfitters. Some of my friends owned a Cessna 172 airplane and since I had my pilot’s license, they rented it to me for $35 an hour. On average, I could fly most of the ducky areas, of the three counties we hunted, in three hours. While I considered that expense a major investment at the time, I felt I had no other choice. Not to mention it was a good excuse to log a few hours in the plane.The morning the group was to arrive, I took to the air. The flooded farmland looked like an ocean. The flood was so vast, I had trouble spotting the landmarks I normally used, while scouting by air. With that much water, finding the birds was like finding a needle in a haystack. I had made the entire three-hour circle, without locating any significant bird numbers. I was left with two choices; 1.) make another pass and look at areas I normally didn’t check. 2.) tell the hunters I couldn’t deliver. Once in the air again, I shifted off my normal course and that’s when I spotted them. Settled in no more than five or six miles from the airport, I had overlooked their hiding spot. From the air it looked as though every duck in the Flyway must have been flocked together. I dropped the plane down for a closer look and it was obvious why the birds had decided to gather at this location. The river had risen to the level that an entire, un-harvested, rice field was underwater. The field must have spanned 80 to 100 acres. In a few spots I could see the tops of the rice showing through, but the bulk of the crop was just under the surface and right in the middle of the rice field was a small patch of woods. The woods appeared to be thick enough to hide a boat in and the birds were on two sides of the woods.When our hunters arrived, we told them to unload their gear and get ready, while we hooked up the boat. I already knew were to launch the boat and I wanted to make an afternoon run, before trying to locate the wooded thicket the following morning. As we boated across the sea of floodwater, I spotted the thicket in the distance. I can remember idling the motor and telling the guys to get their cameras ready; “We’re going to jump more ducks than you’ve ever seen!” As we neared the thicket, the pressure intensified. Where were the ducks? I shut the motor off and started apologizing. I had seen the ducks! They were here; right here and there were thousands, upon thousands of them. But, they seemed to have vanished.Without a plan B to consider, we pulled the boat inside the thicket and tested the depth of the water. Just right for a pair of chest waders, but we needed to keep the boat close for the dog. We set our decoy spread and were ready to wait them out. An hour or two later, about 4 o’clock, the first duck made a pass. Before anyone could blow a call; he went for the blocks like a dive-bomber. When the shooting was over, the discussion focused on how fast he came in and we wondered if more birds would do the same thing. They did and they all worked like the first one had. Within the next thirty minutes or so, everyone had limits and the pressure was off. The next morning we arrived to a thick layer of fog, rolling off the warm floodwater. My old boat was 19 foot long and there were times I wondered if I could see past the front seat. I idled though the oxbow lake and found the can I had hung on the limb the afternoon before, marking the cut-through into the flooded rice field. Once in the field, I pointed the boat in the general direction of the thicket and headed out … only to find myself back on the edge of the oxbow lake, we had launched the boat in. It took me two or three more tries, but I finally found the thicket. After setting out a few decoys, we pulled the old boat in the woods and waited.I can remember hearing massive flocks of ducks flying in the fog and wondering if they were responding to the calling, but an occasional glimpse was all we could see. The fog was as thick as I can remember ever seeing, but it wasn’t long until the sun peaked over the horizon and the birds were recognizable. With an hour or so of good light, everyone had their limits. I’m sure you can understand why this particular hunt came to mind, this week, when I saw an un-harvested rice field, flooded by the rising waters of an overflowing river. And I was within a few miles of the very spot we hunted decades ago. While this year has already made the record books as the ninth wettest year in Arkansas history, the water was nowhere as deep today, as the day we hunted that thicket. Still, it’s no wonder I caught myself … Looking Back … at a page from my memory book of life! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTimeâ “Dry Feet” It always amazes me, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a duck season appear normal, as the preparation begins. To no surprise, this season is not lining up to be any different, at least in Northeast Arkansas. Reports show a record hatch is preparing to start the migration, which is fantastic news when you’re an guide/outfitter. All the hunters and clients I’ve visited with are excited as well. Tim Frantz, owner of Coteau Lodge in Goodrich, ND, said: “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a hatch better than this one. There are ducks everywhere.” However, in our area we face issues we’ve never faced before, at least to this magnitude. Late last Janaury this area was struck by a major ice storm. Tens of thousands of people were without power. Some had power in a few days. For others it took a month or longer, before power was restored. Convert the volume of ice it takes to tear down thousands and thousands of power poles and apply that ice to the tree limbs. Now you’re getting the picture. If a power pole can’t withstand the ice load, imagine what happened to all the trees growing in the water soaked ground around the flooded timber areas, river banks, marshes and sloughs? Well I can tell you first hand. This past weekend I started clearing one of the ATV runs we use to access a private timber hole. I was shocked. I’ve lived and hunted here all of my life and can honestly say, “I’ve never seen so many limbs, trees and tree tops on the ground.” While trying to get my four-wheeler across a swinging bridge, to access that particular timber hole, I spent two and a half hours with a chainsaw, cutting my way through treetops and debris. I only needed to clear a hundred and fifty yards or so and it was all I could take. By the time I cut through and piled everything to the side, no one had to rock me to sleep that night! To put things in perspective, the private timber we hunt is 50 to 60 miles south of the Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA (Wildlife Management Area) and we’re even further south of the Big Lake WMA/NWR. If we had this much damage, in a county where most had their power back on in a week or so, how bad was the damage north of us, or the boot hill of MO, where damage reports were much worse? As I worked my way through the woods, I paid close attention to the hangers. A “hanger” is a limb, series of limbs, or tree top that is stuck/hanging in the top of a tree. The right gust of wind, or a bump from a boat and they could come crashing down. Hangers are extremely dangerous and some of these were large enough to seriously injure a person, or possibly capsize a small boat, if they fell at the wrong time. Dangerous enough, I decided to cut down three different trees, just so the huge hangers in them wouldn’t be a safety hazard for our staff and clients this season. Out of all the damage I have seen the past few days, more of which I’ll certainly see in the coming weeks, I did find one bright spot. At least it’s a bright spot for our private ground. Since most of the food sources in our flooded timber are not from Pin Oaks, the ducks will continue to use our woods like they normally do. It’s the areas that rely on the acorn crop, for their bulk of their duck food, that may be in trouble. I’ve always thought we needed more Pin Oaks in our woods, but for once I’m glad we don’t rely on them. Think about it; if a Pin Oak tree lost, or received damage to, a significant number of its limbs it won’t produce a suitable acorn crop. Few, or no acorns = little, to no duck food. Duck hunters know, a poor food source is far from an idea situation for holding ducks! To confirm my suspensions about the public areas, I contacted JP Fairhead, area manager for Dave Donaldson WMA, with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. He supplied me with the follow information about this regions Wildlife Management Areas: The heaviest damage from the ice storm has occurred on Dave Donaldson/Black River and Big Lake WMA’s in Northeast Arkansas . Moderate damages were sustained on St. Francis Sunken Lands, Shirey Bay/Rainey Brake and Bayou DeView WMA’s. Most of the damage occurred to the tops of both red and white oak timber as well as other species. Overall acorn production will most likely be poor to fair with some local areas of moderate to good acorn production. On average, most of the timber damage occurred to the upper canopy and branches in close proximity, which will affect acorn production this fall. The estimates for acorn production are based on field observations during routine daily activities within the WMA. Hazardous conditions still exist within the WMA’s mentioned above as many limbs and damaged trees are still standing and hanging in the canopy. Access via boat lanes and sloughs will be limited due to the volume of debris. Hunters should exercise caution when boating within inundated areas as to not dislodge hanging limbs and reduce the potential for injury. Hunters should be urged to “look up” and avoid bumping into trees while traversing the areas via boat. Wading will be difficult due to the amount of debris on the forest floor which presents numerous tripping hazards as well as concealing deeper sloughs and other wading hazards. Anyway you look at it, the ice damage presents a series of problems. Now factor in the unusually wet spring we faced. Several farm operations didn’t get all their rice planted. Those operations either left the ground to lay out, or planted an alternate crop, less than idea for the duck food. Late crops also mean a later than normal harvest. While a late harvest may not be good for the farmers, it’s a bright spot for the duck hunters. At least for those in this region. An early, or normal, harvest means seed spillage (duck food) dropped during harvest has more time to germinate. Once a seed has spouted, it doesn’t have long before the food value to a duck is diminished. Not many ducks have a preference for the small green shoots, like you see on an Oriental salad bar. Thus, the later the harvest, the more grain the ducks will find in the areas that did get planted in rice and that is a tremendous benefit for this area.Trees and limbs down everywhere, late crops and unseasonably cool weather, will present new issues to be considered if you visit our area for a hunt, especially if you’re consideringsome of the WMA’s mentioned here. Even then, the news of an excellent bird harvest will override many of the obstacles I’ve mentioned and this will be a banner year for the duck hunters in our area. In fact, with all the limbs hiding under the water, the wader and boot drier companies may see a banner year as well! If you head to NE Arkansas this season, to hunt flooded timber, watch for the hangers and hidden trippers, try to stay dry and keep an extra tube of boot patch goo with you. And no matter where you hunt, may they all land at your feet … “Dry Feet” … that is! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTimeâ “Living The Dream” As I prepare to write this manuscript, my wife and I are enjoying a blast from the past. It’s the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, which may bring you to wonder … what does Woodstock have to do with duck hunting? Well, to be honest, that’s what I’m going to attempt to tie in to this column copy. At the very least, I hope to help you understand what Woodstock has to do with me, thus our hunting business. As most have heard, The Woodstock Music Festival was a turning point in history. One of those events that helped change a nation and millions of lives in a generation. That’s the generation I’m from … The Woodstock Generation! No, I did not attend and it may well be a good thing I didn’t, but I was keenly aware of when it took place and the events, or happings, that surrounded it. You see, I just happened to have a loving sister, who was an aspiring artist, sculptor and soon to be director, in college. With her creativity in place, she was keenly aware of how the world was changing and I firmly believe, she understood what was happening, better than I. In fact, to this day I’m proud of what I learned, as a result of such a time in my life and it’s a part of what I learned that brings me back to duck hunting. As a “child” of the Woodstock era my eyes were opened to believe anything was possible. If you could dream it, you could live it. People also learned to accept others for who they were and to appreciate the opportunity to share in another person’s life. Certainly there were a lot of people who may not have faired as well I did, at least through the experimental days, but I know for sure, it is possible to live a dream and it’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to share in the lives of others. I know, because I’ve been doing it for some time now, though our hunting business Think about it. I was a young man, with a wild side, growing up in a rural farm community of no more than 4,000 people. What in the world would give me, or anyone, any reason to think they could open up a guide service and be successful? Even my dad, who always tried to support my endeavors, had his doubts that it would work, but I believed in a dream and I enjoyed people. The funny part is, even my dream didn’t extend to the point, or level of operation our service has achieved, but my dream was the beginning of our business. That business, is the business of hunting ducks. Note, the way I worded the previous sentence, it’s important. Our business is not duck hunting, it is “the business of hunting ducks.” Believe me, there is a difference. Most people do not understand the difference, but when you are duck hunting, it is about the actual attempt to take the birds and success is based entirely on the number of birds you take on a given hunt. From the standpoint of our business, we attempt to bring in the full spectrum of the experience. Thus one of my favorite statements came to be: “It’s about the heartbeat, not the duck meat!” Certainly a part of that experience is duck hunting and believe me, it’s always more enjoyable when our clients and staff experience a successful take, but it’s also about the fellowship and the people associated with the hunt. It’s about time we’ve shared at the lodge, sitting around the fireplace and reliving the memories of the past, while we grin and dream about the next morning, or even the future. Simply put, our business is about building memories. We hope a large part of those memories will be in relationship to the number of birds you saw, took, or had a chance to take, but whatever the case may be, it’s the memories that count … much like the memories of the Woodstock era. It was during the Woodstock time period I first realized how interesting people really were. I learned to look past the surface to try and find out who a person really was and that’s one of the benefits I’ve experienced though our hunting lodge. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from, what you do, or what you may or may not have … when a client walks through the front door, they become themselves, they are duck hunters. Yes, there are occasions when a person may have trouble shedding their shield, or cover story, but that is only on occasions. Far and large, duck hunters are great folks, all of which have a story to tell and it’s up to us to help them feel comfortable enough to relax, enjoy the moment and share their stories. To become a part of the memories, we build for ourselves. In short, in the late 70’s, who in their right mind would have been bold enough to even dream about an opportunity to meet people from all over the world? It goes to show you, anything is possible in the good ole U.S.A. Who knows, your future may be based on tomorrow’s dreams. While it was nothing more than a dream, it became a way of life for me. A way of life that will be missed, but the only way I could get by with out missing that part of my life, would be to have never been is the position of …”Living the Dream!” While this season will be our last with the lodge portion of our business, my dream will continue to develop through the clients we meet and hunt with. Through the people I share a blind with and those people kind enough to open their life stories up to the rest of us. Here’s to the young folks who want to live their dreams and to the older ones who are. Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “A Life Changing Decision” If you have ever hunted with us, ever thought about doing so or wondered why others do, this will be one manuscript you will want to read. While the title says a lot, I’m using this column to share some personal news with you … but first we need to discuss the duck explosion of 2009! The word is out and thanks to the cooperation of Mother Nature, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited and the various state and federal organizations that work toward the common goal of making duck hunters dreams come true … it appears this coming hunting season will be one for the record books. In a recent Press Release Delta Waterfowl commented; “The 2009 duck breeding populations and habitat conditions are eye-popping.” It appears the total duck population is up 25% this year and for the first time ever, twice as many pintail nested in the United States than in the Canadian prairie. Any way you calculate the numbers, it looks to me like this coming season will be one for the record books. Young hunters should have a chance to craft their own tales about the duck explosion of 2009 and hand the tales down to their kids and/or grandkids. And that thought brings me back to the decisions my wife and I have made regarding our hunting business. In years past I have written about a hunt or two I was fortunate enough to experience with our oldest grandson, from Texas. One such manuscript related to his first duck and the memories created that morning. I think he was eight or nine at the time. The problem is, I’ve only hunted with him one other time and he is now a senior in high school. What happened? It’s simple; I’m in the hunting business. In fact, I have been involved with the hunting business, to some capacity, since I started taking my first paying clients in the late 70s and early 80s and I take my business obligations seriously. While I have lived a dream and gotten paid for it, this is … and will always be … a business. Since my business is hunting, I have always felt a special type of obligation to my clients to do all I could legally do to maintain the quality of their hunts. Client obligations come before the enjoyment of a family or buddy hunt. I like being able to look our clients in the eye and let them know that we felt we were doing all we could do to provide them with the experience they expected. For that matter, Jackie was not with me when I first started guiding for the first time, but we have been together somewhere around 16 to 18 years. In fact, Jackie is responsible for much of the success we have seen with our hunting operation in recent years. Better yet, she understands business obligations. Still yet, we have never spent a Thanksgiving or Christmas day together that we were not working with clients or at least scouting and preparing for their arrival. Another way to look at that goes back to grandchildren. Chase, the senior in high school, is not the only grand child. We now have four and we hope to have time to spend some quality time with them, both in the woods and over the holidays. Last week I received an email from a young man who won a youth hunt from Delta Waterfowl in 1999. The hunt was at our lodge and included 20 or more boys and girls, plus their guardians. I certainly did enjoy those events and when this particular young man informed me, he was now in the Air Force and had a young baby … he wanted to teach how to duck hunt, his memories touched my heart. In that young man’s eyes I made a difference and hopefully I’ll be able to do the same for some of my grandkids in the years to come. To accomplish this, there are going to be some changes in the way we do things … after this coming duck season.The Changes: We are not planning on getting out of the hunting business right now, but we are putting our main lodge building up for sale. Our plans call for this coming season to be the last season we offer guided hunts that included food and lodging. After this coming season (2009/10), our guided hunters will have an opportunity to book an Un-guided hunt with us and have a member of our guide staff guide for them, if they want them to. Our guides have agreed to stay on board and help with preparations and scouting. They know the ground as well as I do and even more importantly, they know the way the birds work our ground. If a group of hunters does not want to bring their on ATV and decoys with them, they will be able to hire one of the guides to furnish all the equipment and throw in their knowledge about the birds. It will be a money saver for clients, who have been doing guided hunts in past years. These changes will also open up additional ground for our regular Un-guided hunters. We are keeping the same ground and we will be scouting and managing the ground like we have in past years, but these changes will provide Jackie and I with a bit more time. We are also planning on doing a small membership program. The membership program will be for two, possibly three, different hunting groups, each day we hunt. A hunt group, under the membership program, will be for no more than four people per hunt. Individual membership groups will be controlled by the group themselves, as far as selecting who hunts in their individual group on a given day. Even though our obligations to business will continue to come first, these changes will free Jackie and I up enough to enjoy some extra time with our ever-growing number of grandchildren. We will also have more time to dedicate to and work with our sponsors, the product testing we do and the media opportunities we are considering. These changes will open up ground for unguided hunters that was only available to them on rare occasions and drastically reduce the cost for our current guided hunter clientele. For a business wanting to entertain clients, or four hunting buddies wanting to share a membership with family and friends, the opportunity to experience some of our state's flooded timber and rice field hunting will now exist … without the crowds associated with public ground, through our membership program. I’ll still be in the hunting business and I will still be living the dream, but business, like life, requires decisions be made. Some of those decisions come easy and on occasion one will be … “A Life Changing Decision”, but even then, the excitement of the hunt is ever so important and I’m looking forward to the duck explosion of 2009! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “Old School” This summer has been a summer of change in my life. Like any summer, business decisions are made and my wife and I set forth the actions to implement our decisions. As the early progress of those decisions start to change our future, I catch my self looking back … rethinking, or reliving, some of the different decisions I’ve made over the years and how they affected my life. Just last week, my wife and I were talking about our hunting service, the changes we have seen and how lucky we are to have met all the people we have. Since Jackie is my third wife, she was not around in 1978 when I opened the first phase of my life as a guide and/or outfitter and she asked about what prompted me to make that first decision about guiding. While I would have thought I had told her the story a hundred times, she acted like it was her first time to hear the details. From that story came another and another and yet another. Getting older does have advantages for sure, but no matter what anyone may or may not believe; “For most of the past 30 duck seasons, I’ve lived a life others only dream about!” When I think about the way we did things then and the way they are done now, it amazes me how simple techniques have changed, but how many of the “Old School” methods still have a place during today’s hunts. You can buy all sorts of gadgets to help move the water, most of which work, but the “Old School” method was to stand by a tree in the flooded timber and kick your old canvas waders in the water. The kicking provided water movement and sound and to this day, I love it when a group of birds turn on a dime, right after you kick the water. What’s even more enjoyable is to see a client’s eyes light up, when it works like it is supposed to … that’s a high you can’t get out of a hand rolled anything! What about those old stories of the sky turning black with ducks, did you ever hear the stories? I’ve not only heard the stories, I’ve lived them and while I have seen it a few times in recent years, it hasn’t happened very often. For that mater, I bet a lot of you can remember the Duck Explosion of the 1990’s. While most folks, who have been in this business as long as I have, won’t think about the 1990’s being considered “Old School”, to some extent it is. The greatest thing I can relate to about the 90’s duck numbers is a recent press release I received from Delta Waterfowl. I don’t know how many of you actually know John Devney, Delta’s Senior Vice President, but I do. Over the years I have known John as not only a close friend, but also as one of the most reserved and conservative people I have ever met. The funny thing about John is; that even though he posses the very traits I just mentioned, he is also a futuristic thinker … and a definite friend to the ducks and the people who hunt, which is exactly why his quote shocked me. Here is the press release I read, see what you think: Delta Senior Vice President John Devney surveyed parts of the U.S. and Canadian duck factory recently and found conditions on par with the duck explosion of the late 1990s. “The good news is we have water in all the right places this year,” he said. “We haven’t had conditions like this since the late 90s. My gut feeling right now is that we’re looking at something really special in the eastern Dakotas this year.” After I read that statement and accounted for how conservative John is, I told my wife: “Maybe some of the young hunters are going to get a taste of the “Old school” days.” Which is when she informed me that would be new school, if it were happening in the future. Nevertheless, it brought back those old memories. One of which was my old hunting gear. What about those old camo patterns? Man, oh man, I can remember when all I had to wear was a briar torn canvas hunting coat, with the game pocket in the back of it. The only thing that even resembled camo, was the discoloration from bloodstains and mud that would not come off. Of course I couldn’t wash it, out of fear it would wash off anything that might have help shed the rain. Then, shortly after I had started guiding, two fellows from Memphis fixed me up. Tommy Bronson Sporting Goods, on Union back in those days, but now near Poplar and Highland, fixed me up like a city boy. Mr. Bronson (Tommy) and his son Stewart had been introduced to me by a legend in the Memphis area of sports during those days, Henry Reynolds. Henry was the sport editor for The Memphis Press Scimitar and was one of the first people to put my name in print. Anyway, one day when I drop by Bronson’s Sporting Goods, to change out some Polaroid photos I kept on a corkboard in their store, they showed me a pair of Walls coveralls. Talking about impressing a country boy, you would have thought they had shown me a Rolls Royce. Those coveralls looked so good and felt like they would be a lot warmer than my long johns. And to think, I wouldn’t have to wear my old rabbit hunting coat, or the old Korean, or WWII army surplus stuff … I was going to be in style and uptown. The Bronsons gave me a choice of green or brown and since I spent more time in the woods after the leaves changed, I took the brown pattern. No, it wasn’t as fancy as a lot of the “Coffee Shop Camo” you see around today, but for the “Old School” days, it was the coolest thing on the market. Better yet, the pattern worked and it worked well. Much in the same sense as some of today’s best patterns, that old brown camo blended with anything from an old floating log, to the weeds and brush on the bank of a ditch. I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I was to the Bronsons, much less how many ducks I bagged in those coveralls. In fact, I have a framed copy of one of the first articles Henry Reynolds wrote about me hanging in the lodge. In the main photo, a much … MUCH, younger me is standing by an old-field blind we used and I’m wearing that very set of camo coveralls. When I think about those coveralls and look back at how effective they were, I’ve asked myself hundreds of times over: “Why do hunters need all the flash, when what they are looking for is nothing more than blending with their surroundings and being effective” and no doubt the answer always came up the same. No one sells the old brown pattern anymore, that is until now! Drake Waterfowl has just announced their newest camo pattern and you’ll never believe what they are calling it … Old School Camouflage! Who knows maybe the days of old were so appealing that the ducks are going to have a super year on the nest and give the younger hunters a chance to experience what so many of us only remember and they can even look like they’ve stepped out of an old photo on a lodge wall somewhere and visualize what so many of us refer to as, the … “Old School” … days! Charles “HammerTime” Snapp HammerTime “The Soggy Land Blues As I have said many times before: “When it comes to duck hunting, nothing can be considered normal”, and that’s what we’re facing again this year. Then again, maybe the abnormal, is becoming the norm, at least in the northeastern region of Arkansas’ portion of the Mississippi Flyway. The abnormal rainfall we faced during the spring planting season, a year ago, started in February and March. The subsequent flooding created many hardships for area farmers. Some ended up changing their plans for crops, since the fields were too wet to plant in a timely manner and some never did get a crop in a few of their low lying fields. Not only does that hurt the farmers and the local economy, it also alters some of the areas ducks normally use. Ducks love rice, at least when they get to this area and rice is one of those crops that has to be planted in a timely manner to get suitable, or profitable, yields. So what does the abnormal rainfall we experienced last year have to do with this year? Simply put, it’s happening again, but it didn’t start as early as last year. From late April, to Mother’s day, NE Arkansas and SE Missouri have seen a tremendous amount of rain. Some area counties have reported as much as 12 inches in a week to ten-day period. The Black, Cache, St. Francis and White Rivers are all out of their banks and rising at an alarming rate. The ground in the region is so saturated with water; it will take two to three weeks for it to dry up enough to take equipment in to plant. That’s two to three weeks drying time, after the water is off the fields. In some low lying areas, it could be several more weeks before the rivers recede enough to expose the fields to even start drying out. From a farmer’s perspective, lower yields means lower or no profit from their crop. From a duck’s perspective, lower yields mean less available food in the area. It’s all based on percentages and those percentages are fairly accurate. Under idea harvest conditions, using some of the more advanced combine and header combinations, a farmer might expect to lose as much as 3% to 5% percent of their rice crop to spillage. Spillage is the grain that is knocked off the stalk, or missed during the harvest. Under good conditions, with a rice crop that was planted in a timely manner, a lot of area farmers will harvest 200 bushels or more of rice per acre. 5% of 200 is 10 bushels. A bushel of rice weighs 45 pounds, which calculates out to be a lot of duck food. Figure that up for a 100 acre field and it will give you some perspective as to why ducks tend to like the rice fields in this area. On the other hand, some of the County Extension Agents in the state and a lot of the farmers I know say that Mother’s Day is the last day to plant rice and be assured of optimum yields. Our current situation may be better put in perspective when you realize that I am writing this manuscript the Monday … after Mother’s Day. It rained yesterday, but not hard. However, last Friday it poured. Some areas received an additional 3 to 4 inches of rain and by Mother’s Day, you could tell the Black River had risen another two feet or so and I have no idea when it will crest, or how high it will be when it does. To top it off, this morning’s forecast gives us a 30% to 80% chance of rain for the next seven days. If the rain doesn’t hold off and the sun pop out, it doesn’t look like we’ll be drying out any time soon, all of which brings us back to the duck food situation. Right now estimates show that Lawrence and Craighead counties have 50% to 60% of the rice already planted. That sounds pretty good, until you realize the optimum planting time passed yesterday. You also have to factor in how much of the planted crops are underwater. Rice is resilient and will stretch out to keep above the water, and then catch up to where it should be as the water recedes. That is “IF”, repeat “IF” the water recedes fast enough for the young plants to survive and even then, the farmer stands to lose some of his yield potential. When you think about the duck food situation, as it pertains to planted crops, you also need to consider the fact that most of the farmers believe the first of June, to mid June is the absolute cut off period to plant rice in the area. Even if they’re lucky enough to get their rice planted by early June this year, they can plan on a significant loss in yields. Some experts say a rice crop planted in early June might only generate 125 to 130 bushels, or less, per acre. From a farmer’s standpoint, 150-bushel harvest is considered a break-even point. From a duck’s standpoint, it’s just as crucial. If you figured a 5% loss to spillage on 125 bushels per acre harvest, you would be looking at approximately 6 bushels of duck food. Add in some germination to part of that spillage and the ducks will have little to eat in the fields that were planted late. While we’re on the subject of duck food, you also need to factor in the ice damage this area suffered this past February. I had not thought about what the damage might do, from a duck’s perspective, until last week when I went in to pick up supplies from an area lumber company. One of the ladies in the office always seems to have bags of picked pecans for sale. When I asked where they were, she said; “I only have a few bags left in freezer and the ice storm destroyed the limbs on my trees. It will be years before I have another good crop of pecans.” Obviously she was saving the pecans she had left for herself, but her comment made me realize, there won’t be much of an acorn crop this winter. With ice damage to many of the limbs and trees on the state owned Wildlife Management Areas, there won’t be many acorns for the ducks to count on when they fly south this winter. All of which brings me to one final point. This winter the ducks will find very few acorns on flooded public timber areas and lower yields on a lot of the areas rice crops. Fewer food sources will make the ducks work harder to find what they want to eat this fall, but at the same time it should keep them moving more than normal. Whatever the case may be, the ducks will make the journey south again and a lot of people will be chasing them when they do, but for the moment, our area farmers are suffering from … “The Soggy Land Blues”!Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTimeâ “Their Clock’s Off” For as long as I can remember, hunters have tied the timing of a ducks fall migration to weather. I can’t tell you the times I’ve heard people complain about the lack of cold weather, to push the ducks toward the southern end of their flyways. While I will admit one thing: “weather does help determine how far a duck will travel at a given time,” I still don’t believe timing, for the start of their migration, is initiated by cold weather. Certainly there could/would be exceptions to the rule. An early blizzard might lock up food sources and calm waters, which would send the birds on their way, but that’s not the norm. Instead, we normally experience mild fall seasons, leaving plenty of open water and their usual food supplies, which helped establish the basis for an alternative way of thinking about the timing of the fall migration. The alternative way of thinking goes back to moon phases and the amount of daylight hours. Better put … the calendar. Over the years this alternative line of thinking has gained more and more popularity. For the record, I’m not going to go so far as to say ducks will start their trip on a particular day, but I do believe the start can be determined, within a week of two, by watching the moon phases. For the purpose of this manuscript, let’s go so far as to say … I’m right. Maybe not on everything, but in so far as the aforementioned thoughts on when the fall migration begins, at least under normal conditions. Having been a believer in the calendar theory for a long time, this winter’s conditions set me up for a few new questions … or concerns. Questions related to what a person might call, a duck’s biological clock. They have to have one. Something tells them when they are of age to mate and when they should do so. Their clock would also be a contributing factor to know when to migrate, in either direction and if that’s the case … what affect would an unusually late winter have on them? I would even go so far to say; we’re having one of those unusual winters, this year. I can’t remember when the last time I saw significant numbers of mallards around here, in mid to late March. Yes, we had better water conditions, in some of our low-lying timber and marsh areas, but still … mallards in the month of March … in Arkansas? While the ducks are returning as fat as ever and in as good of condition as they could be, they are late getting back to the nesting areas. In search of the answers I sent out a few email. First I contacted Tim Frantz, from the Couteau Lodge, in Goodrich ND. Then I emailed Phil Cahoon, at Dean and Phil’s Outdoor Adventures, out of Edmonton Alberta. I explained to them what my concerns where and asked them about their conditions and bird numbers. As feared, both informed me that few ducks had arrived to the breeding grounds and both of them felt the birds were running much later than normal. On a more favorable note, both did tell me nesting conditions looked exceptional. There was plenty of rain and a lot of snow was still on the ground. In fact, both seemed to agree that late winter blizzards and the low temperatures were why the ducks had not made it back to the nesting grounds yet. Good conditions, in so much as what Mother Nature can do with water and snow, sounds great, but where are the ducks? Since they were late leaving the south and many of the northern states have experienced a cold and late winter, the ducks must be waiting for the right conditions … somewhere in between. Then again, where they are doesn’t really matter to me at this point. What matters is, when will they finally get on their nest and will issues related to a later than normal nesting cycle change the migration next fall? Think about it, a duck is a month late getting on their nest; will the fall migration start a month later? If the migration starts a month later, what would that do the northern areas of a given flyway. Would your area be locked up with ice by the time the birds start to move? The same would hold true for the southern portions of a flyway. If they nest late and head south later, what happens to the first part of our seasons and would the birds ever make it to the southern tip of a flyway, if it was a warm winter? I’m telling you, when I need something to worry about, my mind will usually find something … and that’s where all of this has come from. As an outfitter, a month’s delay in the migration would be devastating for my clients success. In fact, I would go so far as to say; “A month’s delay in the migration would be devastating to almost everyone’s business, who has a focus on waterfowl and waterfowl related products” and we certainly don’t need that in this economy. So where does one turn for answers? Delta Waterfowl first organized somewhere around 1911 to 1913, so I decided to give John Devney a call. When I talked with John, the week prior to writing this manuscript, it was 15 degrees in Bismarck, ND. He confirmed, very few ducks had made it back to the prairies and he had seen very few Canada Geese. When asked about issues involving late nesting years, John was quick to respond. He said; “Late and cold winters are not bad for ducks nesting on the prairies, but the same conditions were not favorable for Artic nesting geese.” What a relief! Conditions in many/most nesting areas look favorable and even though the ducks are later than normal getting there, it should not affect their hatch, or next fall’s migration. I guess one could say, even though … “Their Clock’s Off” … they know how to reset it themselves! Charles “HammerTime” Snapp www.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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| Location is the Key to Success | Once again we finished last season with outstanding bag numbers. It’s not to say we didn’t have a tough day every now and then, but with a duck limit of six and a per hunter/per day bag average between 4.3 and 4.4 ducks per day/per hunter … we are well pleased.
Maintaining a per-day bag average between four and five ducks per hunter, for the past five or six years is a new record. Jackie and I, along with our staff, are proud of this accomplishment. Certainly a part of that success comes from a professional staff, who knows how to read and work the birds.  Another factor in our continued success is our voluntary “Rest Days Program”, described in more detail below. Rest days and resting locations have long been used by various state and federal agencies and we’re proud to have been able to implement such a program on our private hunting ground. 
In addition to our voluntary “Rest Days Program”, we added numerous rest fields for last season. Since the beginning of last season was relatively dry in this area, having plenty of rest fields for the birds to use during hunting times helped keep more birds in our immediate area. Since several of the rest fields are adjacent to or less than a mile from our flooded timber, I feel confidant the rest fields helped increase the number of flooded timber hunts we conducted last season, not to mention the high success rate on those timber hunts. In fact, the improvement in our timber hunting has resulted in the addition of a rest area within the largest tract of timber, for this coming season.
Hunting in the south provides different opportunities than many of the northern states and provinces. I know when I have an opportunity to travel north for a film shoot, I always try to work in a dry field hunt while I’m there. However, once those ducks make it to the wintering grounds, they seek out water. Be it a dietary change the ducks go through or the fact they have grains available in the south that aren’t available to them in the north, seldom do we ever have an opportunity to hunt dry fields for ducks in Arkansas. In fact, water is crucial to a successful duck season in the south and with the high price of diesel fuel, needed to power the deep well pumps; you can count on there being less surface water than ever before.
Certainly there’s a chance Mother Nature will have it rain and create a massive flood. However, the season before last saw flood after flood, after flood. Late this past winter, after the last season was over, much of the south flooded again. These floods lasted through early spring and were so severe that some farm operations were forced to change the crops planted in some fields that normally hold rice. Having seen the past two years with heavy flooding, I would think the odds are in favor of an extremely dry hunting season. 
 A dry hunting season, with diesel fuel hitting record high prices, means less surface water. Less surface water throughout the south means increased opportunities for those of us that do have plenty of water. Last season, even with a couple of some timely rains, we used just under 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel to pump our ground. Do the math. That’s expensive water and it’s going to cost even more this coming season … but we do plan on pumping the water we need to provide the best possible opportunities for our clients.
As mentioned before, water is crucial to a successful duck season in the south and we’re going to pump what we need to. Add adequate surface water to our voluntary “Rest Days Program” described below, then top off the “Rest Days Program” with the addition of our rest fields and a rest area that we never hunt and I feel confident we can continue to provide quality hunting opportunities, even when faced with higher and higher pumping cost for water.
| | Rest Days Program | So what is our “Rest Days Program” and why is it so important? It's really simple to understand. Ducks migrate south looking for different food sources and open water. When a duck makes the migration flight they burn up a lot of calories and body fat, similar to a person that runs everyday or works out in the gym. Once the migrating ducks arrive at a given location, they need time to rest and  eat, to take in the calories needed to replenish the 
body fat they used in flight. If every time the ducks try to land someone shoots at them, they don't have a chance to relax or rest and they will keep moving until they find a place where they can rest. State and Federal agencies have used rest areas for years and their success in helping and holding ducks has been well documented. With our "Rest Days Program" we take things a step further. Instead of having one area the ducks can sit and never have to leave, we try to let all of our ground rest, without hunting, for three days a week. Then we select the best locations for our arriving hunters. This program cost us a lot in available days we can book, but as a hunter would you rather try your luck and hunt in a location where the ducks have had a chance to rest or a location where they have been shot at, day in and day out? NOAA and the Farmers Almanac both show possible indications of a drier than normal year for the wintering grounds of the Mississippi Flyway. If they are correct and with fuel prices still on the rise, we feel like there will be a severe shortage of surface water for the ducks to use. Thus hunting pressure becomes a tremendous problem. Based on the overwhelming success we experienced with our “Rest Days Program” and in preparation for the real possibility of a much drier season than normal, we are working hard to complete a major expansion for the “Rest Days Program” for this (07/08) season. Our expansion is focused on a substantial increase in the number of rest fields we will pump up. Like the rest field or two we’ve used in the past, these fields do not have pits or blinds in them. They will be designated for resting purposes. We will have water on part of these fields by mid October, allowing early migratory birds a chance to feed up and get fat and happy. Our current plans call for all of the rest fields to be pumped before the end of October, providing ample time to establish our pre-season bird numbers, without stressing available food sources in the fields we do hunt. Additionally, since six of the nine rest area fields, planned for this season, will be within one to two miles of a large portion of our timber ground and no more than four or five miles from the remainder of our flooded timber, we expect the rest areas to provide additional benefits for our timber hunting as well. In fact, current plans call for a minimum of one rest field for every field we have pits in for this season. To say the least, we are very excited about the benefits this expansion will provide to our current “Rest Days Program” and to our clients as well. Thanks to all that consider Arkansas as their waterfowl hunting destination and wherever you hunt this season, “May all the birds land at your feet!" For the 2007-2008 season we expanded our voluntary “Rest Days Program”, by including several Rest Fields and a Rest Area that we never hunted. The Rest Days Program has provided our clients with increased hunting opportunities for several years and the rest fields/area help provide even more opportunities last season. For the 2008-2009 season, we plan to continue the use of rest fields and the rest area and with expectations of less surface water in the south, we hope the benefits or the rest fields/area will be obvious to those of you hunting with us. | | Why do Guide Service Rates Vary so Widely? | | There can be many different factors, but often times price is based on three main items. Services provided, the amount of land available to hunt, and how much hunting pressure is placed on the available land. We do provide quality services through our lodging, food, guides and hunting. Be it flooded timber or world famous flooded rice fields, we maintain some of the top hunting ground in northeast Arkansas. Last and definitely not least, the addition of as many as three "Rest Days" each week will reduce our client capacity by more than 40%, but we are excited about the increased potential for quality hunting opportunities for our clients. |
HammerTimeâ “The Migration Is Underway” Normally we think about the migration starting in the fall, but when you think about it, migration routes are like two-way streets. After the birds come down, they will eventually head back at some point and it’s that time of year here in northeast Arkansas. When most hunters finish their duck season they put their gear away and start thinking about other sports and activities, only to miss what might be one of the more interesting and educational periods of the migration process. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to beat a flight of mallards coming down in the fall and wanting to work the very spot where you have set your decoys, but the birds return trip is equally impressive as well. From the standpoint of interesting, several things come to mind. For instance: the birds aren’t nearly as wary as they are during hunting season. Since there’s no one shooting at them, they’re more relaxed and easier to slip up to. This past week I walked in to check on one of our boats and see what it would take to get it out of the woods, after the big ice storm broke limbs and toppled several trees in the area. I had noticed the ducks dropping in the woods from the distance and managed to get within twenty-five or thirty yards of the opening where they were landing. As I sat on a log and watched the birds, I thought about how simple their lives seem, but how complex they must really be. After the birds would land, I could pick out the ones I thought had paired. It was interesting to watch some drakes react, when another drake would come to close to the hen they were with, but it was even more interesting to watch some of the hens … when they appeared to be flirting. The drakes were talking and the hens were calling like I had never heard before. I wish I had thought to carry a video camera with me. It would have made the ultimate calling tape. Think about it, drop in a DVD and there are the wild ducks, both drakes and hens doing their own thing. Play a segment, stop and talk about what they were doing and why, then go to the next lesson … all with the birds doing the teaching. It was definitely worth watching and it provided me with some additional insight, which may help out next season. After watching the birds, for the biggest part of an hour and determining just what it would take to get enough trees out of the way to pull the boat, my thoughts turned to how complex the ducks have to be. Something in their bird brains had triggered and told them it was time to start pairing up or to be paired. I really feel like that is probably tied to the length of the daylight hours, much like what triggers a deer to go in the rut or a turkey to start gobbling. The same would be true of how the birds know it’s time to start heading back to the breeding grounds or head down in the fall. Then come their dietary changes. There’s quite a bit of information available regarding research that has been conducted on ducks dietary needs. For example: as the birds start to pair, the hens seek out foods that will help make their egg shells harder. The birds also have to build up their calories to survive the return flights. Their trip home is just as far going back as it was coming down and it takes just as much strength for them to make the trip. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons some of the southern states started building moist soil impoundments several years ago. They, along with Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl, recognized the need to provide the ducks with sources where they could get the nutrients they need for a healthy return flight. After all, most of the farm operations have already drained or started draining their agricultural fields. The gates have also been opened on all of the hardwood timber tracts, which further reduced the available surface water, restricting the areas available for the ducks to feed and build up strength. With the amount of ice that melted after the winter blast that hit a couple of weeks ago and heavy rains the past day or so, the ducks will have more areas to choose from than normal. With so many choices available, they might stick around a bit longer before they continue on their trip, but as it always happens … they will go home and that’s when they start the process all over. Last year the birds returned to dryer than normal conditions for much of the breeding grounds, but this year they’ll find out things are different. After talking with friends in the Dakotas and a couple of Canadian provinces, it sounds as though the birds will arrive to plenty of water this spring. Mother Nature blessed some of those areas with record snowfall this winter and with a couple of timely spring rains, they should have plenty of ponds to pick from for nesting areas. All in all, with plenty of food to fatten up on in the south and an abundant amount of water around the breeding grounds, the returning ducks should be healthy. Healthy ducks make for happy ducks and hopefully happy ducks will use the wet conditions to build more nests and lay more eggs! More eggs could mean more ducks for next year and more ducks will add to the excitement for all of us next fall, when some one says … “The Migration Is Underway”! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTimeâ “Nocturnal Nuisance” When the sun goes down there are a variety of animals on the prowl, along with a few birds. Be it a raccoon, opossum, coyote or an owl, they all have their place in the dark. However, there are times when other game takes to the night skies and it’s unexpected. I’m talking about ducks. I am a firm believer a full moon triggers ducks to feed throughout the night. I also believe the full moon can start a migration. Additionally I believe a duck’s reaction to the full moon is in part due to a lower UV count (ultraviolet light), but I won’t go so far as to explain the details involved with a duck’s ability to see in the UV light spectrum in this piece. Instead, I want to talk about a duck’s ability to adapt. For years I’ve heard people comment on ducks going nocturnal and for just as many years I’ve heard people claim it was from hunting pressure, but I never really believed the hunting pressure issue. Instead, I always did my best to convince people they were mistaken and such actions were the result of a full moon, but that just goes to show; “No matter how long you’ve been hunting, or studying the ducks, you’ll never completely understand them.” That’s right, I’ve changed my mind … ducks can, and do, go nocturnal as a result of hunting pressure. Arkansas has been experiencing one of the driest duck seasons I can remember. Last night we finally got a couple of inches of rain in northeast Arkansas and that’s sure to help, but we have been extremely dry. Not only have we not had enough rain to soak the ditches, wetlands and sloughs, there were a lot of farmers who decided not to pump up their fields this season. With massive spring rains, it was to wet to prepare some of the fields for planting, by the time conditions were favorable for planting it was so late in the season many farmers decided not to plant rice and take on the additional risk of low yields. Instead, they opted for other crops or laid the ground aside for this year. Some of the farm operations did get other crops in the ground, but decided to prepare their ground for next spring instead of flooding it for ducks, further reducing the availability of surface water. We are one of only a hand full of hunting operations I know of that actually flood rest fields. Certainly there are a lot of operations that don’t hunt all their ground everyday, but that’s still not the same as flooding rest fields. With such a reduction in surface water, what have the ducks done … they’ve adapted, like they’ve done with so many issues in the past. They went nocturnal. I’m not talking about flying into a flooded rice field an hour before dark and staying for an hour or two after first light … I’m talking nocturnal. To prove to myself that nocturnal feeding was possible, on moonless nights, or better yet to find out where the birds had gone, I set forth a plan of action. Two or three hours after dark, my wife and I drove to one of the main hunting areas with numerous flooded hunting fields and several rest fields. The minute we rolled down the windows, you could hear the chatter over the engine noise. As we turned down a levy road, the headlights scanned the field and wave after wave of ducks started leaving. We drove another half mile or so, stopped the truck again and the minute we rolled down the windows, there was no doubt in our minds … the next field was full of ducks as well. Instead of driving the edge of the second field, we checked three other fields in a different county. All three were full of feeding ducks. The next move was an obvious one. Just prior to a.m. shooting hours the next day, I stopped by the first field. With the wind in my favor I rolled down the window, all I heard was the engine. After shutting off the truck, I walked a few feet away and cupped my ears toward the field that held the ducks eight or nine hours prior and heard nothing. Not a single bird was left in the field. Hastily I jumped in the truck and drove to the next closest field. Once again, nothing. After checking two more fields, both of which were empty, I made it to the last field in time to see a large group of ducks taking flight. It was like someone had turned on a switch and the entire group took flight at the same time. At this point there was no doubt in my mind, these birds were going to the fields, well after dark, even though there was no moon. I also knew the birds were leaving prior to shooting hours or right at shooting hours, which left one question to be answered; where were they going? My first assumption was the large tracts of public timber, since our private timber had not been holding numbers like I had heard in our fields the night before. But the people I talked with, who were hunting public ground, had not been seeing enough birds to account for the numbers leaving our fields in the wee hours of the a.m. and that’s when it hit me, reservoirs or lakes must be the answer. Most of the hunting clubs I know and all the outfitters, hunt their reservoirs and oxbow lakes if the ducks are using them, which helps keep the ducks moving. While the world famous Claypool’s Reservoir (location where the million duck photo was taken in the 1950s) isn’t but fifteen or so duck miles from the last field I had visited, I knew they weren’t going there, since I saw them flying out in the opposite direction, but I thought I might know where they were headed. With my binoculars beside me, I took a five or six mile drive north. Looking about a mile, to a mile and a half across a field, I saw a massive tornado of ducks circling a large reservoir. When I say massive, I mean massive. Peering through the field glasses, I would guess the spiral was a half-mile in the sky, all spiraling into a friend’s reservoir. I grabbed the cell phone and called. Sure enough, after us talking about it all these years, he had decided to designate his largest reservoir as a rest area. When he took me back for a look, it reminded me of the old photo of Claypool’s, without the dead trees! While it was hindering some of our hunts, his rest area was working and the ducks were staying in our area! It goes to show; an old outfitter can still learn a few lessons from the ducks. It was something, to see that many ducks spiraling down, but it was also reassuring. Reassuring, in the sense that ducks are very good at adapting. Think about all the subdivisions, industrial expansions and other such developments that have been built over their habitat and they’ve always managed to survive. Why would too much hunting pressure be any different? While I’ve never really thought about a duck being classified as a … Nocturnal Nuisance … I guess they could be, when they switch to night feeding under pressure! At the very least, night feeding accounts for the term nocturnal and the darn things sure are a nuisance, when they make it so tough to out smart them! Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “Open Up Your Eyes” Earlier this fall I had the opportunity to visit the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. I was there to film a hunt for Waterfowler TV with two of my guides, Rick Cox and Bill Nailling and fellow Elite Team members, Rod Haydel and Barnie Calef. Needless to say, the trip was fun, the fellowship was unbelievable and even though I had been there several times before, I was thankful for being able to hunt the area again, but things were different this year! The bird counts had been out for some time prior to our trip and we were aware the area had seen near drought conditions, but in no way was I prepared for what I saw. In short, I would say the term “near drought conditions” was an understatement. The smaller potholes were so dry you could stick your hand in the cracks in the bottom of them. The larger water areas, they called sloughs, were nearly dry and the larger lakes we saw would have yards and yards of bare land between the water’s edge and where the water would normally be. The conditions were shocking, but it did put things in perspective, as to when I talk and write about how we need Mother Nature’s blessings, for a good bird hatch. As alarming as the low water/drought conditions were, that was only the beginning of the problems I saw. Yes, it appears the economy is going to take a bite out of next year’s duck population and if you had witnessed what I did, I think you would understand the point I’m trying to make. So how do economic conditions impact the ducks? I can think of a couple of different ways, but the one I am focusing on right now is a direct result of fuel cost and the high cost of fertilizer and seed. Combine those factors with higher than usual prices for grain and low water conditions and you have what could be the start of a disaster, for future duck populations. During the few days we were in North Dakota, we pretty well stayed within a twenty square mile area and I can’t begin to tell you how much of the nesting habitat had been, or was being, disked under. There were some locations where entire potholes had been disked up. While low water conditions hit this year’s duck population hard, I’ll predict; good water conditions, with little or no nesting areas, will hit us just as hard. Can you imagine how bad the nesting numbers will suffer, if Mother Nature hands us another dry spring, to go along with the loss of so much habitat? Yes, I read some of the articles in Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited magazines, focusing on the issues of habitat and the Farm Bill, but I would never have imagined what a difference the loss of habitat could, or would make, much less what it actually looked like. In the twenty or so square mile area we hunted and scouted, I would venture to guess there may have been a thousand acres of habitat disked under and even if water conditions were perfect, it will take years for the cover to grow back to like it was. So what’s the answer to the problem? Should we as duck hunters expect the farmers to give up their land rights and a part of their income potential, just so we have ducks to hunt? Of course not, to make the farmers give up there land would be Un-American, to say the least. Then again, we (duck hunters) can work together and urge Congress to work more with the farmers in the future. Farm families have every right to keep as much of their land productive as they possibly can, thus we need to push for more programs that make it financially beneficial for the farmers to let small tracts of their land grow back as habitat, which brings up the other way economic conditions are having, or will have, an impact on future duck populations. I watched a TV ad the other day, asking people to open their hearts and their wallets in support of a regional food bank. According to the report, donations were down by close to 50%. If donations to a regional food bank are way down, doesn’t it make sense that organizations like Delta Waterfowl and DU have seen a reduction in donations as well? If Delta and DU are experiencing such a reduction and have to make changes accordingly, who’s going to work with congressional leaders on behalf of the ducks and the people who hunt them? I doubt any of the politicians would take my phone call, but I bet there are a lot of them who recognize the impact both of those organizations have and the number of members they represent. While I didn’t intend for this to sound like a membership recruitment column and I certainly didn’t want it to come across like I was asking everyone to open up their wallets, I do hope this column may … Open Up Yours Eyes … so you can see a few problems I’m think we’re facing in the near future. Habitat is crucial and having qualified support, to work on our behalf with Congress, is as well. Support the ducks and save the habitat, the future of duck hunting may depend on it! Charles “HammerTime” Snapp www.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “The Dandelion Effect” Imagine sitting in a rice field pit, as the sun first peaks out in the horizon. You hear a strange noise, only to realize it’s the roar of wings from a huge flock of ducks circling your decoys, wanting to get their chance to eat the rice. What a vision that is, but let’s take it a step further. Ducks sure do like to eat rice and through the natural harvest process, there is normally quite a bit of grain on the ground, but this year is going to be different. Imagine what would happen if strong winds rattled the heads of a rice crop, ready for harvest. It could have a similar affect, as when a child blows on a dandelion. Some, or a lot, of the grains of rice would fall off the heads … and that’s exactly what has happened, to some area fields this year.Last month I focused on flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Gustav and how it might affect waterfowl hunting. My concerns were related to the crop damage/loss farm operations in south Arkansas, Louisiana and parts of Mississippi had taken. The crop-loss estimates were drastic enough that many farm operations, in hard hit areas, will lose money on their crops this year. I also mentioned damage NE AR might get from Hurricane Ike, which was swarming in the Gulf of Mexico at the time. While a person may not think about hurricanes hitting Arkansas, the tropical storms sometimes do and Ike spawned such a storm. NE AR didn’t flood, but the wind damage was unbelievable. Trees were down, roofs blown off and minor damage all around the area, but the rice crop took a major hit. Many fields had rice scattered all over the field. While farmers are again taking a hard, financial hit on crop losses, the extra food supply may not be good for the duck hunters either. Take a look at these figures: When dealing with long grain, hybrid rice, some fields will average 200 bushels of rice per acre. Under ideal conditions, it would be reasonable to think a farmer might experience a 3% loss of crop. That loss is the duck food that falls on the ground. 3% of 200 bushels would be 6 bushels per acre. Rice weighs 45 lbs. per bushel, 6 times 45= 270 … that’s 270 pounds of duck food per acre, at a 3% loss on a 200 BpA field. A 100-acre field, with that average, would result in just over 27,000 lbs. of rice spillage and that’s considered normal.NOW, let’s look at some harvest figures from this year. A lot of the modern combines have computers that calculate the harvest, in bushels, as it goes in the hopper. An area implement dealer and I were talking yesterday and he relayed a sad story to me. One of his clients was harvesting the day before Ike’s windstorm hit. His computer was showing an average 170 to 175 bushel to the acre. Once the storm passed, he was only averaging 80 to 85 bushel per acre, from the same field. What happened? Exceptionally strong winds blew his seeds off the heads and that grain is laying on the ground, in the form of duck food.I also talked with another farm manager, who had just met with their crop insurance adjuster. The two of them were checking fields that had not been harvested, which brought up the question … how can they determine the loss? The manager and adjuster walked through several random areas of the fields they were checking. After a close check of the ground, they determined an area both men felt showed a good average amount of grain that had fallen to the ground. There, the adjuster placed a 12-inch square on the ground and they counted the number of kernels of the rice inside the square. 23 kernels of long grain rice, in a one square foot area, is calculated to be a loss of one bushel per acre. The fields they were checking had loss averages of 20 to 30 bushels per acre. To put things in perspective, take a sheet of standard notebook paper, which isn’t a square foot, but will give you an idea of the area inside the adjuster’s frame. Now place 23 beans on the sheet. If 23 kernels equal one bushel per acre, imagine what that notebook paper would look like with 690 kernels on it! 690 kernels would be the equivalent loss of 30 bushels per acre.These figures should give you an idea, as to the financial beating many of the farm operations are taking this year. Looking at these figures may also make you think the extra grain on the ground would be great for the duck hunters, who hunt rice fields, but that may not be the case either. Since none of the fields mentioned in this article have pits in them, I doubt they will ever be hunted. But what if they catch rainwater? In the case of the farmer who monitored his combine computer, before and after the wind; he indicated his loss was 80 or more bushels per acre. 80 times 45 pounds of rice per bushel = 3,600 pounds of scattered grain, per acre. If that figure held true on a 100 acre field, that would be 360,000 pounds of rice on the ground. When that field catches rain, the ducks will find it. To top off the duck/grain problem, not all fields had this type of damage. Damage depended on the variety of rice and what stage of growth the crop was in, when the wind hit. That’s a tremendous difference, when you think about 360,000 pounds of grain in a field with no hunting, or tons less grain on the ground, in a field with hunting pressure! My point is … if you were a duck and you had this huge buffet at your disposal, with no hunting pressure on it … why would you leave?The term “Short-Stopping” is commonly used when hunters feel an area to their north is catching and holding birds before they get to them. It’s not uncommon for NE Arkansas and SE Missouri to short-stop birds, at least for a while, from southern AR, LA and MS … but we normally don’t consider it a local issue. With the crop loss, some farmers have experienced, short-stopping could be a serious issue for the southern part of the Mississippi Flyway, as well as the local area. An abundance of food, in areas where birds won’t be hunted, will more than likely create new issues for the hunters. Will it change the outcome of the season? Who knows. Ducks are creatures of habit and I think they will return to the areas they use on a regular basis, but as hunting pressure is applied, they will look for safe haven, like they do when they load up in state and federal rest areas and refuges. The farmers can already calculate some of their losses, but the hunters won’t know how the crop loss affected them, until the end of the season. But, there is one thing I do know and understand … The Dandelion Effect … has been a financial disaster for area farmers and I hope it doesn’t end up the same way for the duck hunters!Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “Trying To Understand” To some extent ducks are a predictable species. While they are highly mobile, which presents a challenge in itself; they do have rather small brains. Small, when compared to the larger mammals that have the passion to pursue them. However, we do know ducks are going to migrate and we even have a good idea when they will start. How far they go, when they start the migration, can be determined by factors, such as the moon, temperatures, available habitat and even food supply.Being one of those larger mammals (duck hunters) myself, it always amazes me what can change from one season to the next, providing different challenges in the pursuit. Earlier reports indicate bird numbers for several species are down some this season, but hunters in the lower part of the Mississippi Flyway have other issues to be concerned about. Issues that have changed dramatically since the last season, issues that may change even more before the season opens in the southern part of the flyway.Yes, the ducks will migrate and yes they will do it about the same time as always. How far they will go and how long they will stay is a much harder call to make, but those aren’t the changes I’m talking about. Instead, I’m talking about the changes in habitat and conditions!Many of the southern states in the MS Flyway experienced a much wetter spring than normal. Rivers overflowed, with record water levels reported. Lakes and reservoirs were full to capacity, some of which had all the floodgates on their dams open for the first time ever. The high waters kept many farm operations from planting the crops of choice and some operations didn’t even get to plant all their fields, because of the floods and field damage from the rushing waters.To add to the nightmare farm operations faced this past spring, many of the same farmers have reportedly lost large portions of their crops … as a result of the recent visit from hurricane Gustav. I’ve been told that some farmers in Louisiana had finished their rice harvest and others were well under way before the torrential rains and high winds hit, but that’s only in the southern part of the state. Along with Louisiana, portions of Mississippi and Arkansas got an unusual amount of rain, as a result of the hurricane. Reports from southeastern Arkansas indicate as much as 12 inches of rain fell in some areas. That’s a lot of rain, on crops that were ready to harvest and the rain and wind took its toll on some of the farm operations in those areas. A news report I saw yesterday said that as much as 30% to 40% of the rice crop, in the hardest hit counties in Arkansas, may have been knocked down. I’ve also heard tell of one large farm operation, in the Grand Prairie Region of Arkansas, that had both their rice and corn crop beat to the ground by the driving rains.Anyway you look at it, this is not good situation. Hopefully the farmers will salvage part of the downed crops, allowing them to recoup some of the thousands, upon thousands of dollars they had invested in it, but there’s a chance some will loose more than they will harvest. From a duck hunter’s standpoint, the downed grain may not be of any benefit either. With another month or so of warm weather predicted, the water soaked grain will more than likely sprout, eliminating much of its food value for ducks.With hurricane Ike predicted to make landfall within a few days of this writing, it looks as though we may not be through with the weather yet. Forecasts are calling for rain again this weekend and into next week. Hopefully conditions won’t be as severe as the problems Gustav caused, since Ike appears to be heading for Texas, but Ike’s weather is still going to be a factor in the rest of the south.The heavy rains have filled many of the oxbow lakes, sloughs and rivers in the south, which can be an advantage for hunters. While these states have not started trapping water on the public hunting ground, the amount of available surface water should help hold the early birds as they arrive. Then again, with the possibilities of additional rain from Ike and other such storms and weather patterns that are sure to hit, we may find the southern part of the MS Flyway facing a really wet year.When you think about it, using the term “wet year” may be putting it lightly. We could be looking at another year with major floods. Then again, wet or flooded, when you factor in the additional amount of surface water, with what appears to be somewhat of a change, or elimination, in the food supply the ducks are used to finding, we may all find ourselves … “Trying To Understand” … what those elusive birds, with the small brains, are thinking … or where they’re hiding!Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “Travel Tips” Waterfowl season is just around the corner. The USF&WS has confirmed the liberal framework and a majority of states have set their dates. The ones that haven’t have proposed dates and that means it’s the time of year when hunters plan their road trips. Having been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hunt waterfowl in numerous states and some of the Canadian Providences, I’ve learned a few travel lessons the hard way. I’ve also picked up ideas from clients, who have been driving or flying to hunt with us for years. With rising fuel cost and a tough economy, I thought a few of these tips might save you some cash and/or help make your journey more enjoyable Customs checks, Canada: Most questions I hear about Canada are focused on getting a gun(s) in. Truth is, customs and guns is not a problem, if you are prepared. Check with your outfitter for a Non-Resident Firearms Declaration Form, or print one off the Internet. Fill out the form in triplicate. List guns, by serial number, But Do Not Sign The Form At That Time. The form must be signed in front of Canadian officials, when they check your guns. Be sure the form is filled out, prior to reaching customs. There is a gun declaration charge of $25.00. I believe two guns check for the one fee, if in the same case. What type of lock do I need on the gun case? Any lock will work, but keep the key handy. Now, knowing that any lock is OK, I recommend you purchase a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) approved lock. These locks are available in airports or online. The locks are slightly higher, but may eliminate problems down the road. While returning from Alberta last year, my aluminum gun case arrived in baggage claim with the lock, lock bar and two hinges missing, It was secured with TSA tape. I was shocked, but my guns were intact and the missing parts tucked away inside … what was left of the case. TSA wanted to check my case a second time and instead of paging me in the waiting area, they cut the lock. Had the case been locked with a TSA approved lock, they would have used their master key to unlock it. Air Travel: Short of dealing with customs, air travel is pretty much the same at every airport, but this year will be different. Most airlines charge for checked baggage and those charges add up fast. Rod Haydel and I are flying to Alberta this September. Rod emailed yesterday, after determining the bags he needed for the trip. He was shocked, when his estimated baggage cost was near the $200 mark. Packing Tips: Have you thought about shipping your gear ahead? Every season several of my clients ship gear via UPS. It’s a money saver and permits travel with nothing more than a gun case and carry on bag. You’re not supposed to ship gun or shells this way, but it is an excellent method for getting gear to your destination. Shipping ahead might even make room so your hunting party can ride together, or drive a smaller, mileage friendly, vehicle. When clients ship gear to us, the package(s) is there when they arrive. They divide the gear between party members and save the box. The afternoon of their departure, they repack and take the box to the UPS sight, or call for pickup. More people will ship gear this year, as it is cost effective, but shipping to Canada is another story. Customs, customs charges and paperwork all but eliminate that option. If you’re flying and don’t (or can’t) ship your gear ahead, this might help. Waders are heavy, bulky and are a pain to fly with and that will cost you more cash than ever before. While trying to figure out how and where to pack my waders for last year’s trip, my wife asked: “Why not take your summer waders?” After explaining the need for warm insulation and my preference in camo patterns, not to mention those waders are fishing waders, Jackie suggested I toss in some of the high tech cold weather underwear and pack light. It worked, while solving a couple of other problems. I packed my fishing waders (Henry Forks, by Columbia) and tossed in my MST underwear (Mid Season Technology, by Drake). The Henry Forks pack in a mesh bag the size as a shoebox and weigh less than one leg of my 3mm waders. The MST underwear, from Drake Waterfowl, uses the latest technology in undergarments. While I can’t explain how, it works and works well. To top it off, this line of underwear is lightweight, rolls up in a small bundle and the tops can be worn as a shirt around camp. Thus, I eliminated bulk and my heavy weight waders and was more comfortable than I would have been, if Jackie had not intervened in my packing.What about a heavy coat or rain gear? Unless you’re expecting a blizzard, why pack the bulky, heavy weight coat liner? That’s half a suitcase, by itself? Think layers and think about the technological advances, previously mentioned, in underwear. These new under garments “ain’t like the long handles your grandpappy used to wear.” Use the money you save on baggage fees and get you a pair of new underwear. Now, pack your raincoat or outer shell, which helps with rain or snow and will break the wind. Add a hooded sweatshirt, a neoprene facemask and a neck gator and you’re ready to go. You’ll also find your movements aren’t as restricted, which may help your shooting, and you can add and remove the layers as needed … while reducing luggage space/fees.Do you fly with a backpack? Backpacks don’t even count as carry-on luggage. They’re one of the few freebies still available … as of this writing. Double check, since airlines change their rules regularly, but for now … backpacks are freebies! I took my camo backpack with me last year and was amazed. It was easy to shoulder through the airport and held more than I could imagine. Once on location, I emptied it and used it for all those necessary items I carry on a hunt, which were in my checked baggage. Since I have arrived on hunts with no luggage, I packed what I would need (except my gun) for the first morning,s hunt and carried it with me in the backpack … waders/MST underwear and all! The trip home: If you ship ahead, be sure you save the box. If you’re flying, remember where things were packed when you left. It will all fit when you head home. You might also want to throw in a couple of heavy trash bags when you pack. They’re handy for the wet and dirty hunting gear you head home with. Then again, if your wife isn’t traveling with you, one of the best … Travel Tips … might be to allow room for the special gift you’ll bring her, along with all your dirty clothes! Charles “HammerTime” Snapp www.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “Influences” This past weekend my wife and I attended a Hank Williams Jr. and Lynard Skynard concert. As expected, the concert was over the top. Since it was on a Friday night and Jackie keeps the office open later on Fridays, we had to rush to make the opening act, an hour and a half away. The drive to Memphis meant skipping supper and by the time the concert was over, I could have eaten the rear end off a water buffalo. Heading for a nearby restaurant, Jackie and I got a table an ordered up … and that’s the basis for this duck hunting story! The restaurant we chose didn’t have rear end of water buffalo on the menu, but while we were finishing up our meal, a man walks up to our table and proceeded to introduce himself. Not only was he the Chief of Police from one of the municipalities in northeast Arkansas, he had also attended the concert and happened to be O.T. Swindle’s grandson. The name, O.T. Swindle, might not mean much to most people reading this manuscript, but it does to me. My dad was the youngest of seven siblings, five of which were male. Being from the south, with a streak of country in their blood, my uncles and my dad were avid hunters. It didn’t matter what season was in, they hunted it and hunted their game like their next meal depended on it. Which at some point in their life, it probably did. The knowledge of the outdoors, provided to me by my dad and uncles was overwhelming at times, but they definitely knew their stuff. In fact, I would go so far to say I felt like they knew everything there was to know about the outdoors and the game that lived there … except when it came to duck hunting. That’s right, as much as they loved the outdoors, these men spent their youngest years in the Ozarks Foothills and there aren’t many ducks in the hills. Still yet, dad and Uncle C.R. had both been bitten by the duck-hunting bug and especially enjoyed the fellowship that went along with the hunt. However, there was one problem. No one in my family could call ducks and being able to call has always been an important part of duck hunting. Since dad and C.R. couldn’t blow a call and the shaker call dad hung from his hip boot strap didn’t seem to count, they waited for someone to ask them to go along. Getting an invitation wasn’t a problem for those two, but add in the extra baggage of an overweight and clumsy kid, invitations weren’t as easy to come by. That’s when O.T. Swindle came into my life. O.T had a regular crew he hunted with, known to my family as The Vaughn Boys. I never knew why dad and C.R. called them The Vaughn Boys, being they appeared grown to me, but boys or men … these guys knew how to call. I can remember seeing them convince groups of mallards to come through the trees in holes so tight they knocked limbs off on their way to the water. These guys had story, after story to tell and they enjoyed sharing them with anyone who would listen. Those were the days, standing by a tree, or on a ditch bank, listening and enjoying life … without having to be quite and still, like on a deer hunt! When dad saw how quickly I fell in love with duck hunting, he decided I needed a call. Coming home from work one afternoon, dad presented me with an Olt call and a 45-RPM record. I listened to that record and practiced and practiced, but could get not my confidence up enough to blow the call in front of anyone. Use it or not … I always had the call with me when I went duck hunting and that’s when it happened.It was one of those early morning hunts and we were where the ducks wanted to be. Dad or Uncle C.R. mentioned I had my call with me and with encouragement from O.T. and the guys; I pulled it out and let go with a few notes. They seemed pleasantly surprised and asked me to join in on the next group of birds. Looking back, I have no idea how I sounded, but they convinced me I sounded good enough to call. Standing in the woods that day was a life changing experience for me. Had dad not bought me the call and record and had my uncle, O.T. and The Vaughn Boys not encouraged me to blow my call that day, there’s no doubt … my life would have been a lot different. Now, I guess you can understand how excited I was when O.T.’s grandson, the police chief, came up and introduced himself after the concert. No doubt, until he made his introduction, duck hunting was a world away from my mind.Looking back to that time in my life, those early hunting trips formed the basis for how we run our lodge today. Good hunting, good people and great fellowship. But no matter how you slice the pie, it goes back to that one day in the woods with my dad, Uncle C.R., O.T. Swindle and The Vaughn Boys. It’s amazing to me how such a simple event, can be traced throughout a person’s life and how those early … Influences … changed my future. Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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www.waterfowler.tv HammerTimeâ “Duck Dividends” If you watch TV, listen to the radio or read the paper you must be aware of what’s going on with our economy. If not, you need to pull your head out of the sand and get caught up on the news. For the rest of you, who are in touch, you may find this month’s column of some interest. Whether it’s an IRA, 401K or outright investing, throughout the past several months the stock market has been shaky … to say the least. Several companies have issued more stock to raise capital and others have cut their dividends or eliminated them completely, in an effort to make ends meet and turn the company margins around. If drastic change is needed for the economy, could it not be true for some of our resources, like ducks? Don’t get me wrong, I realize ducks don’t trade like the stock market, but they are a commodity of sorts. Think about it, numerous catalogs; both in print and online rely in part on duck numbers for their bottom line profits. What about the retail stores? It doesn’t matter if it’s a mom and pop operation across town or one of the mega stores, almost all of them have waterfowl departments or waterfowl gear, guns and shells and without reasonably good duck numbers, sales will go down in those departments. So how are our duck numbers doing? Early pond counts aren’t due out for another several weeks or a month or so, but from emails I have received from friends in the breeding areas, they could use more water. Water is a crucial factor for the annual hatch and no matter what Delta Waterfowl or Ducks Unlimited do for, or contribute to, the ducks they cannot control Mother Nature. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going so far to say we’re facing lower hatch numbers at this point, but I do believe additional water will provide better results and I am worried about what the early pond counts will tell us. Grain prices are higher than they have been in years, if not higher than ever. Rice has already seen rationing of sorts in a few of the larger food stores and some foreign countries are facing serious food shortages. The Bio-fuel industry has also seen a tremendous push; further reducing the amount of grain available for human consumption and animal feed. It’s no wonder farm owners and operators want to take advantage of every inch of available ground, in an effort to increase their crop yield. Farmers throughout the U.S. and Canada are entitled to make a profit just like everyone else, but should they do so at the risk of waterfowl habitat? As a business owner, I understand farmers pushing their ground to its maximum potential, trying to increase profits, or at least make a profit. From a waterfowl hunter’s perspective, I also understand the need for good habitat, especially in nesting areas. Even if Mother Nature blesses the hatch with plenty of water, the ducks still need suitable places to nest and much of that nesting area comes from farmland. Farmland, more of which has been tilled under to expand fields for planting, drastically reduces the nesting acreage. So what’s a fair solution for both farmers and hunters? ALUS may be the solution, or at least one giant step in the right direction. ALUS stands for Alternative Land Use Services and is often called “The Farmer’s Conservation Plan.” In short, ALUS is a CRP-type program, designed to protect grasslands and wetlands at the landscape level across Canada. According to Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson, “Without CRP-type programs like ALUS, the future of waterfowl hunting in America as we know it is unsustainable.” Olson went on to say; “That may sound like a harsh analysis, but it’s the truth.” The ALUS concept, endorsed by farm groups across Canada, was originally designed by Delta Waterfowl and Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), one of Canada’s primary farm organizations. Currently there are ongoing ALUS demonstration projects in Manitoba and Ontario, but ALUS has not been adopted as a national farm policy across Canada. I would venture to say, Canada must be somewhat like the U.S. when it comes to governmental programs … it’s hard to get the necessary people to agree on implementation, much less a time frame for such implementation. Even though national implementation of ALUS is an ongoing effort in Canada, progress has been made and a lot of it. In late April Delta Waterfowl announced, “Prince Edward Island is the First Province to Adopt ‘ALUS’ as a Program”, which could be a huge step toward nationalization of the program. Delta’s President Olson said; “The ALUS announcement in Prince Edward Island offers hope for the future, but it’s not the end of the story.” “We still have a lot of work to do before we reach our ultimate goal of having ALUS adopted as a national farm policy across Canada.” “When that happens—and I believe it will—American hunters will be among its chief beneficiaries.” While the U.S. economy continues to struggle with rising fuel cost, outrageous grocery prices and an unstable stock market, I see a small light at the end of the tunnel. That light may not affect everyone, but from a duck hunter’s standpoint the ALUS announcement, from the Prince Edward Island providence, has the potential of paying big … Duck Dividends … for the American waterfowl hunter in years to come.Charles “HammerTime” Snappwww.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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HammerTime® “Wait and See” Last month’s column, Fat and Happy, focused on the benefits spring floods were providing for waterfowl staging in our area at the time. Those benefits were related to extra food sources available for the ducks, as the result of floodwater. The extra food provided additional sources for nutrients the ducks need to help build calories for a safe and healthy return flight to their nesting grounds. Now, thirty days and numerous heavy rains later, we’re still at flood stage and the effects of continued flooding are something many are concerned with. Flooding is always a serious issue, but flood, after flood, after flood, does present other problems. With rivers and lakes continuing to overflow and the ground having been thoroughly saturated with water for well over a month, the past three or four periods of heavy rain did nothing but aggravate area problems. This past week many of the large dams in northern Arkansas and the southern portion of Missouri have been forced to open their floodgates. In more than one instance, some of these floodgates had never been opened before, testifying to the overwhelming amount of water area farmers and residents are being forced to deal with. The increased water flow set new water level records in many areas, creating problems not associated with past floods. Major levies have been severely eroded and in several cases levies have washed out completely. Roads have also been damaged or destroyed and there are untold acres of farmland still underwater. Much of the farmland will be inaccessible by road, even after the water recedes. While some of the damaged or destroyed levies were designed to help control the flow of area rivers, others played an important part for farming operations. With levies missing, fields damaged and planting season for rice at a critical point right now, it appears some farmers may miss their rice crop this year. Even though many higher ground farmers have started planting, several of the rice farmers I talked with this week voiced concerns over planting a rice crop past the middle of May. In past years most experienced a noticeable decrease in yields associated with late planting, along with an increased risk of damage from an early frost next fall. Still yet, many of the fields located in the main floodway of area rivers are experiencing strong currents and some have as much as eight to ten feet of flood water still standing on them. If these farms don’t get planted in rice, they will probably be planted in late beans. While a bean crop should be beneficial to the farmer, soybeans do not produce the yield rice does. Lower yields means less duck food is spilt during harvest, not to mention that ducks prefer rice to beans. Beans also deteriorate much faster than rice, when flooded for ducks, which can affect food distribution for waterfowl this winter. With several of Arkansas’ Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) being located in low lying areas, near or on river systems, I contacted Richard Johnson, Wetlands Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, for a damage report on state hunting ground. Richard informed me that he was not aware of any major damage to levy systems on WMAs to date, but went on to say; “It is possible that some of the WMAs, located closest to river systems, could experience some damage as a result of excessive river currents.” When asked, Richard also expressed concern over the effects prolonged periods of high water would have on the acorn crop, since many of the hardwoods are already budding throughout the state. “High water levels, this time of year, are not good for the hardwood trees and could have a negative effect on the acorn crop in low-lying areas,” he said. Obviously a poor or non-existent acorn crop in low-lying areas would further reduce available food sources for wintering ducks. When asked what effect he thought the extended period of high water would have on the moist soil areas and wild grasses, Richard replied with what seemed to be a more positive outlook. With spring running well behind schedule, he felt the wild grasses and smartweed plants would maintain good production this summer. That is, if the floodwater will drain off and we don’t have anymore flooding for a while. Moist soil units (impoundments) and wild grasses provide an excellent food source for wintering waterfowl and if Richard is correct in his line of thinking, which I do agree with, then we should maintain an abundant crop of wild grass seed and smartweed, despite the extended period of flooding we’ve experienced. If water levels continue to recede there is also a chance rice farmers, farming in the lowest areas, could still get a rice crop planted. They may be forced to use aerial applications, but rice being planted in these low areas would go a long way toward maintaining traditional food sources for our state’s wintering waterfowl. Late planting times for rice do mean a later than normal harvest, which may eliminate part of the germination problems associated with rice dropped on the ground during early harvest. Once on the ground, warm rains and heavy dew take their toll as the grain germinates and sprouts, leaving little or no food for the ducks. The reduction in the germination of seed spillage, resulting from a late harvest, could be enough to offset food sources that may be lost or not planted as a result of the massive floods, but until the flood water recedes and the ground dries up, no one will know the true extent of the damage. For that matter, it may be years before any of the problem areas fully understand what effects the prolonged floodwater has caused to croplands, hardwood bottoms and hunting ground. From a duck hunter’s standpoint it’s safe to say, you can rest assured the ducks will find and use what food sources are available. Then again, until the migration starts, it looks like the duck hunters will have to …Wait and See … if the floods had an effect on the areas they like to hunt! Charles “HammerTime” Snapp www.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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“Fat and Happy” Late winter and early spring are a very important, but often overlooked, period in the life cycle of a duck. Even in the southern most portion of the flyways, most of us have put away our decoys, cleaned our guns and thinking about going fishing or getting out the turkey loads. These series of events usually put the duck population on the back burner, even though the next few months will have a dramatic impact on the season(s) to come. A couple of three years or so ago I attended a conference, hosted by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF). The focus of the event was on ducks and the duck populations, as they relate to the wintering grounds in Arkansas. I feel like the event was more informative than most would have ever expected, even though I doubt many of the AWF members heard what they were hoping for. Either way, I felt the event was well presented and contained a wealth of knowledge. The wealth of knowledge I referenced came from Leigh Fredrickson and Mickey Heitmeyer from the Gaylord Institute research station in Puxico, MO. These gentlemen had spent as much of their life studying the ducks, as I have spent hunting them and to top that off, they were also avid waterfowl hunters. They referenced a vast amount of information during the presentation, but I don’t feel like any was as important to this time of year as their discussion on dietary changes within the ducks seasonal life cycle. Specifically they pointed out how important it was for the hens to feed up on wild grass seeds, acorns and smartweed seed, and/or a few other wild seed varieties. According to their information, these types of seed contain important nutrients that help the hens produce harder eggshells and build up badly needed calories. So where do the ducks get these types of seeds? Many of these seeds are natural to wetland environments and for several years state agencies have been working with Ducks Unlimited and other non-profit groups, developing moist soil units or moist soil types of environments for the ducks. This time of year, the moist soil units are especially beneficial for the ducks. A large part goes back to the calories a duck uses in their migration. The migration is the same basic distant back that it was coming south. Ducks burn a tremendous amount of calories trying to make it back to their breeding grounds and weak, unhealthy ducks simply don’t produce as many eggs as the healthy ones should. In fact, ducks that have not had the time or the resources to build up their strength, may not survive the return flight. Most farmers, who flood their fields for waterfowl, want to get the water off the fields as soon as the season is over so they can start farming. No one can blame them for that, but the practice of early field draining does reduce after season feeding areas. Since moist soil units don’t interfere with farming operations, the state agencies and individual organizations who control moist soil units can leave the water on those areas for a longer period of time. This helps provide the returning birds with extra areas to get the nutrients they need before heading back north. Then again, when the birds do make it back to the breeding grounds, they’re faced with a multitude of other problems. Problems so severe the ducks might be lucky they can’t read some of the headlines. Waterfowl nesting acres are being plowed under at an alarming rate. Again, we can’t blame the farmers for wanting to make the most of their land, but no matter how healthy the ducks are when they return to the breeding grounds, they have to have a place to nest. Without adequate nesting areas, population numbers will drop and they can drop fast! In a recent budget proposal, President Bush proposed raising the $15 Federal Duck Stamp fee to $25. The $15 fee was established in 1991 and has not been adjusted since. It’s estimated that the additional revenue, from the proposed price increase, would raise approximately 14 million dollars a year. Delta Waterfowl has come out in support of the rate increase, but also recommended a higher percentage of the additional revenue be allocated to the Prairie Pothole Region. Or, as I’ve always heard it called, The Duck Factory! The additional funds would allow for the acquisition of approximately 6,800 acres of migratory bird habitat and secure easements for 10,000 additional acres of wetlands. Anyway you slice that pie; the $10 addition to the stamp’s cost has the potential to impact close to 17,000 acres of prime breeding grounds. That’s room for a lot more nests than we have right now! Then again, if the cost for a Federal Duck Stamp is increased, it will take time to see the change implemented. Then we have to wait until the revenue comes in and is distributed to proper agencies or organizations to handle the acquisitions. That’s another reason why it’s so important for the private organizations, that are supposed to represent us, to endorse the increase and get things rolling in the proper political direction. After all, it is an election year. In the meantime, the reports I hear on water conditions in the Dakotas and Saskatchewan aren’t the best. Water reports and nesting conditions from other regions sound more favorable, but it appears we need a late snow or spring rains in the Prairie Pothole Region. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the rain or snow they need, so the ducks can make the most out of the breeding grounds that are available. Here in Arkansas we’ve had a really wet February and the ducks have had plenty of places to feed and rest up. With warmer temperatures on their way, the water will be drying up soon and it looks like this flight of ducks will be … Fat and Happy … when they head home to the nesting grounds! Charles “HammerTime” Snapp
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