Corn clubbers

[FOWLER2671]

So we are going to make this a conversation about legality? I have no problem with anyone operating within the confines of the law. I applaud it.

The law is what I have a very problem with. Nobody whom I have ever had this conversation with has said with a straight face “growing corn within the boundaries of a flood control structure with zero intent to harvest, but to flood with the intent to lure waterfowl for sport hunting is a natural agriculture practice!”

Let’s wipe the lipstick off the hog and call it what it’s is. BAITING plan and simple.

It’s right up there with shooting a bear over a garbage can.

Poor birds just want to eat and they get shot.

There is zero sport in that. Zero effort in regards to understanding the lay of the land, scouting, and the pure chase that puts the sport in sportsman.

I won’t argue the legality. There is no argument to be had.

As far as criticism is concerned, it’s my opinion that corn clubbers are lesser hunters. Anyone can set over a feed trough and shoot some hungry animal.

I think it’s halarious when ones defense of their stance becomes debate over the legality of the topic at hand and even more so when hunters play the scrutiny card because another hunter disagrees.

To take this a step farther, from a ethical stand point explain the differiance between Joe corn clubber and Rickie corn sack? I understand the legality side but nobody can argue the ethical side because there is zero difference in the two methods.

KDT

I absolutely agree!!!

 

[hunt-4-life21]

And I wish someone would explain to me what a “heated pond” consist of.

KDT

They can be seen near factories that have a heated discharge pool. In no way does any wildlife agency(s) control them.

 

[xtrema2]

So you're saying you shouldn't be allowed to hunt a food source at all. What about a slough full of smart weed, or flooded timber full of acorns, how about dry feeding ducks and geese in a corn field. One could argue it's the same, hunting food sources in order to shoot the poor hungry little birds. From what you say, you disagree with anyone that hunts a food source. Where does it stop though? What about food plots for deer, salt or mineral blocks, feeding deer, do you disagree with all that as well?? It really doesn't matter to me what they do, sometimes I hunt corn and sometimes I don't. If they make it where you cant flood corn to hunt them they should also make it illegal to hunt backwater corn as well, also make it illegal to plant and hunt dove fields, after all it's just poor hungry little birds.
Also, could you explain to me how people flooding corn affects you and the way you hunt??

 

[DH13]

So you're saying you shouldn't be allowed to hunt a food source at all. What about a slough full of smart weed, or flooded timber full of acorns, how about dry feeding ducks and geese in a corn field. One could argue it's the same, hunting food sources in order to shoot the poor hungry little birds. From what you say, you disagree with anyone that hunts a food source. Where does it stop though? What about food plots for deer, salt or mineral blocks, feeding deer, do you disagree with all that as well?? It really doesn't matter to me what they do, sometimes I hunt corn and sometimes I don't. If they make it where you cant flood corn to hunt them they should also make it illegal to hunt backwater corn as well, also make it illegal to plant and hunt dove fields, after all it's just poor hungry little birds.
Also, could you explain to me how people flooding corn affects you and the way you hunt??

You are trying to fight by using wrong logic. As far as flooded corn I have hunted it. It is legal to do. Both private and public WMAs. But trying to use a flooded timber a picked corn field and natural growth in flooded slough isn't the same as corn left standing. I would drather hunt in natural practice fields and water any way. Being here in central KY. we don't get the birds like out west. I have been thru the ups and downs since 1974. This year has been as worst I have even seen it. BUT IM NO QUITER. I will hunt Ducks until im not able any more. Corn clubbers have been around for years and still will be for years to come. But when D.U. goes North and pays farmers to leave corn standing. It hurts the southern states. D.U. isn't our friend in Kentucky. But sure helps the hunters of the North. I can show you a slough D.U. built in Canada where we hunt. BUT IT IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. I bet there are several more built there to I haven't seen. As long as it is legal I have no problem with it and hunt in it.

 

[Bowfinger]

So you're saying you shouldn't be allowed to hunt a food source at all. What about a slough full of smart weed, or flooded timber full of acorns, how about dry feeding ducks and geese in a corn field. One could argue it's the same, hunting food sources in order to shoot the poor hungry little birds. From what you say, you disagree with anyone that hunts a food source. Where does it stop though? What about food plots for deer, salt or mineral blocks, feeding deer, do you disagree with all that as well?? It really doesn't matter to me what they do, sometimes I hunt corn and sometimes I don't. If they make it where you cant flood corn to hunt them they should also make it illegal to hunt backwater corn as well, also make it illegal to plant and hunt dove fields, after all it's just poor hungry little birds.
Also, could you explain to me how people flooding corn affects you and the way you hunt??

No. I am specifically referring to impoundments that fall outside the “natural agricultural practice”. You don’t flood a corn/bean field to aid in yield.

Flooding corn has impacted everyone. As evidence I present to you the great state of Missouri. MO duck parks have shifted the entire Mississippi flyway West. Now Kansas and Oklahoma have jumped on board pushing the flyway even farther west.

In regards to your natural food source comment, I have never shot a mallard with a crawl full of acorns. I have hunted one of the largest GTR’s in the nation almost exclusively the past 8 years. I’ve witnessed hundreds and hundreds of mallards die in the timber. There is 2 types of mallards that die in the woods. Migrators with empty crawls looking for friends and ducks so stuffed with rice they struggle to fly. That may sound absurd to you but I can tell by the way a mallard works the woods if it’s crawl is full. Mallards with a full crawl will drop straight down when finishing. Mallards with empty crawls will be harder to work and “sail” off to the side when finishing. Ducks do not use the woods to feed.

And to head you off, flooding rice is a natural ag practice. As is weeds found in moist soil units.

KDT

 

[hunt-4-life21]

Actually, flooding corn/soybean ground can have benefits to cropland. Very similar to rice practices. They are trying to keep weeds down and use less chemicals by flooding. If farmers levee'd up and flooded their fields, they would no longer have to spray winter residuals. So, there is a use for flooding corn fields. Also, if it's flooded naturally (whether by a river or stream) sediment is deposited on the ground and makes for a great fertilize. I'm not sure how much you can benefit from being pumped, as far as fertilization.

I go back to my original statement. You don't want to go down this road. Legislators don't think like hunters do. They won't draw a line at corn. They will take all flooding away, unless it's completely natural (rivers/streams). You think Arkansas F&W floods all that timber to help the ground? Yeah, that could be cut out too. That's a flooded impoundment. Moist soil? Flooded impoundment. You start taking away good habitat and you will see many more years exactly like this one.

Flooded corn fields doesn't make up 1% of the acreage that ducks see from Canada south. Blame the weather, not the habitat.

 

[xtrema2]

No. I am specifically referring to impoundments that fall outside the “natural agricultural practice”. You don’t flood a corn/bean field to aid in yield.

Flooding corn has impacted everyone. As evidence I present to you the great state of Missouri. MO duck parks have shifted the entire Mississippi flyway West. Now Kansas and Oklahoma have jumped on board pushing the flyway even farther west.

In regards to your natural food source comment, I have never shot a mallard with a crawl full of acorns. I have hunted one of the largest GTR’s in the nation almost exclusively the past 8 years. I’ve witnessed hundreds and hundreds of mallards die in the timber. There is 2 types of mallards that die in the woods. Migrators with empty crawls looking for friends and ducks so stuffed with rice they struggle to fly. That may sound absurd to you but I can tell by the way a mallard works the woods if it’s crawl is full. Mallards with a full crawl will drop straight down when finishing. Mallards with empty crawls will be harder to work and “sail” off to the side when finishing. Ducks do not use the woods to feed.

And to head you off, flooding rice is a natural ag practice. As is weeds found in moist soil units.

KDT

Dh13 i'm not fighting with anyone, I'm truly trying to understand why people get mad about the way other people hunt when it has absolutely nothing to do with them.
So let's say they pass a law to where you can no longer flood a crop field unless that crop requires that much water to grow. Let's use rice as an example. You're saying you would be ok with hunting the flooded rice since that's a normal ag practice? If they make it illegal to flood corn then people will just plant something else like rice. Also can you prove to me that these duck parks are shifting the migration?

 

[Bowfinger]

Dh13 i'm not fighting with anyone, I'm truly trying to understand why people get mad about the way other people hunt when it has absolutely nothing to do with them.
So let's say they pass a law to where you can no longer flood a crop field unless that crop requires that much water to grow. Let's use rice as an example. You're saying you would be ok with hunting the flooded rice since that's a normal ag practice? If they make it illegal to flood corn then people will just plant something else like rice. Also can you prove to me that these duck parks are shifting the migration?

You really need proof the flyway has shifted????

 

[xtrema2]

You really need proof the flyway has shifted????

Yup, without proof it's all just speculation.

 

[Marsh CallUser]

@wprebeck studying flyway shifts might be something to look into.

 

[Bee]

Just out of curiosity, are not Green Tree Reservoirs (GTR) not "contrived artifices to manipulate and attract and hunt/kill waterfowl?"

Pumped and/or diked is the only way they generally exist, a la Bayou Meto etc. There is nothing natural about the impoundments or the pumping.

There is no agricultural or biological or botanical or public welfare purpose to GTR other than the attraction and killing of waterfowl ? It is not good forestry. Well, OK, there is the sport of boat races conducted in GTR.........

As to flyways "moving" consider the history of the chesapeake canada goose Mid-Atlantic coast population---bascially it is far removed from NC, Md and Va where it historically thrived--now is basically upstate NY and parts of Connecticut isn't it....things change..shortstopping etc...if you want to stay close to the X you change with it

 

[B.M. Barrelcooker]

It seems to me that the flyways shift in direct correlation with the whereabouts of wprebeck at any given time.
Therefore I really hope he finds a fantastic and glamorous second career position in somewhere like Toledo or Timbucktoo.

 

[Brown Dogs Matter]

It seems to me that the flyways shift in direct correlation with the whereabouts of wprebeck at any given time.
Therefore I really hope he finds a fantastic and glamorous second career position in somewhere like Toledo or Timbucktoo.

As long as there's no one within a mile or so of my house, the overall county population is less than 5000, and the state has fewer than a million people - I'm good.

Found some ducks, by the way. Figured out why they wouldn't work, too. Corrected the problem and had fun last week. Plan on having more fun this week.

 

[Marsh CallUser]

As long as there's no one within a mile or so of my house, the overall county population is less than 5000, and the state has fewer than a million people - I'm good.

Found some ducks, by the way. Figured out why they wouldn't work, too. Corrected the problem and had fun last week. Plan on having more fun this week.

Is flyway shift something you could study? I was serious as I have not seen anything on it.

Glad you got on some birds.

 

[Brown Dogs Matter]

@wprebeck studying flyway shifts might be something to look into.

Not gonna work for this term, but it is an interesting project. Would be a long term study, as well - need multiple years in all flyways. Setting up the study would be interesting, maybe go with a combination of harvest data and band reports...dunno for sure. Assuming I'm accepted into the master's program I want, I'll bring it up with my advisor. He's an avid duck hunter and published several articles that concern waterfowl. Runs dogs,too - Nova Scotia duck tolling thingys.

Anyway, that's a good idea and one with some possibility. Dunno if any studies have been done on it yet,though