Ducks Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Louisiana Sportsman

Extreme amounts of winter rainfall, snow melt and spring rains and flooding will provide waterfowl with plenty of breeding habitat but put farmers in a jam.

Mississippi Flyway flooding wrecks crop production

A winter and spring that was a boon for waterfowl habitat has turned out to be a bane for farmers, as flooded fields continue to hamper planting efforts. […]

Louisiana’s attorney general has appealed a lower court decision that could restrict public access to Lake Catahoula and its waterfowl.

Catahoula Lake appeal heads to Supreme Court

Kinny Haddox

Jeff Landry officially filed an appeal with the state supreme court to overturn a previous judicial decision that denies public access to Catahoula Lake. […]

Fried Wild Duck recipe

louisianasportsman

Humberto Fontova shares step-by-step instructions on how to turn wild ducks into fried duck fingers or strips in his Parmesan-Dusted Duck Fingers recipe. […]

Josh Goins founded the Flyway Federation in 2018 to bring about change in the flyways and get more birds down to Louisiana.

Flyway Federation: ‘Hot-cropping’ a big reason for poor Louisiana duck seasons

Patrick Bonin

Most Louisiana duck hunters didn’t exactly have a banner season in 2018-19, and according to Josh Goins, at least part of the reason is a change in agricultural practices in the northern part of the flyways that concentrate birds and keep ducks from migrating south until after the season is over. […]

During a mild, wet winter, many species of waterfowl stay as far north as habitat conditions allow.

What happened to all the ducks?

Patrick Bonin

For duck hunters wondering about specifics as to why the duck season was poor, Larry Reynolds, the waterfowl study leader for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, shared his thoughts. […]

January's aerial waterfowl survey conducted by the LDWF was a fitting end to a weak migration year, according to waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds.

January duck numbers 31 percent below long-term average

Patrick Bonin

Larry Reynolds with the LDWF discusses the relatively poor January 2019 aerial waterfowl survey results, saying this season’s poor migration was influenced by a relatively warm, wet winter. […]

Here come the ducks

Keith LaCaze

Louisiana’s 2018-19 duck season begins on Nov. 10 in both the West and Coastal Zones. The first segment runs through Dec. 2, and reopens on Dec. 15 for the second split, which ends on Jan. 20. […]

Roland Cortez holds up a stringer of mallards harvested late in the season. As winter progresses and Louisiana gets colder and rainier, more mallards make their way south.

Hunting flooded timber for ducks in Louisiana

Jonathan Olivier

Although it’s not as prevalent as it once was, flooded timber still provides Louisiana’s hunters with plenty of opportunities to fill their straps. […]

Painstaking attention to detail with decoys result in more limit hunts for Creighton Ward and his son Collin.

How to set up your duck decoys

Jerald Horst

Dekes are probably the most important controllable factor for the average hunter. Here’s how to set ‘em up — so you can shoot ‘em down. […]

Matching the hatch is the first decoy rule for Creighton Ward. In the coastal waters of Plaquemines Parish, where mallards are almost nonexistent, he uses a mixture of species, including the pintails, gadwalls and wigeon shown here.

Seven keys to duck hunting success

Jerald Horst

Decoy rules from Creighton Ward. […]

A redhead captured in flight by Kevin Hynes

How to prepare trophy ducks

John Manion

The reasons duck hunters choose for mounting a particular bird are as varied as the waterfowl family itself. Regardless of why a bird is chosen for a trip to the taxidermist, duck hunters generally agree they want a finished product worthy for display. […]