I have never said that I feel that my hunting has up to this point been affected. I even said that it is hard for me to be mad at those that do re-flood fields. My whole point in all of this was my frustration with some of the ways DU has chosen to spend money. I have and will continue to support DU because, in large, most of their efforts are worthwhile. Just because I disagree with some actions taken by the political party I support does not make me want to jump ship and the same can be said regarding DU. If I owned land in a northern state I would not expect a national wildlife conservation group to help me improve my land for the purpose of having more successful waterfowl hunting. That is all I am going to say.

Marcstar- get off threecurl's junk

Threecurl- we, as in everyone on this site, arent as dumb as you think we are. You're not above us

Everyone- people used to be called stupid, and told to "prove it" when they said the world was flat. Stay open minded, in the end we are all on the same team and want the same thing. I healthy duck population, with the habitat to go with it, to give us an oppurtunity to harvest ducks and enjoy the sport that we all love.

We need to remember that
Dont forget that

I will say, without reservation or equivocation of any kind, that the belief in large scale shortstopping is dumb. There is not one scintilla of scientific evidence to support the theory. What there is is a ton of conjecture and anecdotes that, when compiled on the intertron, give the appearance of a large body of evidence to support the theory. I give that evidence about as much credibility as other things for which there are enormous bodies of anecdotal evidence, like Al Gore's global warming histrionics, alien abduction, Keynesian economics, the chupacabra and the existence of underpants gnomes. South Park did a whole episode on upderpants gnomes, so it must be true. I think they even mentioned shortstopping. It was something like:

1. Underpants.
2. ??????
3. Shortstopping.

Don't know if this has been posted here before, but a list of where DUs money is spent in Texas....

The Ducks Unlimited plates directly support wetland habitat conservation efforts in Texas. The plate is available to anyone, regardless of their affiliation with DU.


Get your Ducks Unlimited plate now!



Get your Blue Heron plate now! Completed Project Sites
Visit the Ducks Unlimited website for more information and to get your plate today!

La Gloria Wetlands – Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Cameron County
The La Gloria Wetland Unit is a 49-acre site that is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), which is owned and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS wished to restore the historic wetland function of the site, and increase habitat values for a host of wintering, migrant, and resident wildlife species with an emphasis on priority species such as migratory birds and sensitive species. More than 30 acres of the site will be managed for moist soil plant production. A three-acre excavated borrow area more than 4 feet deep will provide a semi-permanent to permanent wetland for brood-rearing, among other benefits. The project was completed in June 2009.

Wild Cow Bayou Water Control Structure – McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, Jefferson County
Over the past 50 years, the Texas Gulf Coast has experienced significant wetland loss due to encroaching development pressures, changes in local agricultural practices, degraded hydrology, and increased salt-water intrusion. The purpose of this project was to enhance approximately 850 acres of intermediate/brackish marsh by installing a new water control structure. The new water control structure will give refuge managers the ability to manipulate water levels, regulate marsh salinity, control noxious vegetation, and restore important wetland values and functions to a critical region of the Central Flyway. The project enhanced 850 acres of wetlands.


Laguna Atascosa NWR– Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Cameron County
With nearly 30,000 acres of protected coastal wetlands, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is home to ten endangered and threatened species, provides critical staging and wintering habitat for waterfowl, and is identified as a Western Shorebird Reserve Network site. In fact, this area supports over 400 different bird species throughout the year. Ducks Unlimited was a NAWCA grant recipient for funding to install a new control structure in the upper end of Laguna Atascosa Lake, enhancing management capabilities on approximately 1,200 acres. This Lake is a shallow (< 4 ft deep), freshwater impoundment located approx. 8-9 km west of the hypersaline Lower Laguna Madre. This area is a major staging and wintering area for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year. In fact, refuge managers surveyed over 100,000 Redhead ducks (Aythya americana) rafted on the Lake at one time during the winter of 2006.

Brazos Bend State Park, Fort Bend County
This project will involve the installation of a water control structure that will improve water level management capabilities within Pilant Lake.
A site topographical survey has been completed. Preliminary design plans have been completed. Permitting has been initiated. Construction should commence in late summer or early fall 2009.


Sheldon Lake State Park, Harris County
Sheldon Lake Reservoir is a 1,100-acre impoundment constructed during World War II to supply water to war industries in Houston. It is now owned and managed as a State Park by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Sheldon Lake hosts a large colonial waterbird rookery and thousands of wintering geese and ducks utilize the area. Sheldon Lake State Park provides outdoor, recreational, and educational opportunities for thousands of people, many of whom seldom experience wildlife or natural processes.
This project will involve the excavation of wetland features within the prairie landscape to restore hydrology to conditions that existed prior to a rice farming operation that occurred in the site. The project will restore shallow depressional wetlands (35 total acres) through excavation. Depression depths will not exceed 18 inches below grade, and will average 4” for each unit. TPWD will delineate depression boundaries and depths. Through this project we will restore 44 acres of prairie wetlands in a matrix of restored prairie (prairie restoration not included in this project), that will provide excellent winter and migration habitat for migratory waterfowl and other waterbirds, year-round habitat for resident mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, and quality nesting habitat for mottled ducks.
A site topographical survey has been completed. Preliminary design plans have been completed. Permitting has been initiated. Construction should commence in late summer or early or fall 2009.

Now, if you'll pardon the preterition

Whats that? It's not on Dictionary.com

. Let's skip straight to the masturbatory selfishness of that sentiment.

Does this mean what I think it means?

I have no clue about the short stopping theory. Can it be tied into the historical ups and downs of ducks reprodution?

Hayraker maybe you need to sign up for one of our guided hunts we can put u on a pintail. I'll do some scouting maybe we can make it happen this weekend.

I kind of got this mess started so again I'll throw my two cents into it. Something has definitely changed the migratory pattern of the waterfowl in this area. I didn't think to much of it the first couple of years but for three years running we have been way short on birds in this area, especially in geese, ducks not so much. The drop in duck traffic can easily be explained by water consumption in DFW and the flood we had last year that spread them out real thin. I can't help but wonder with the geese not coming if what effected there migratory pattern didn't effect the ducks pattern as well. There's really no way to know for sure because of the aforementioned situations. The reason I'd like to see USFWS involved in this is I'd like to know what is really going on.....Yea I know its the government and you can't trust them any further than you can throw them but I couldn't help but think DU and Delta would try to twist things to there advantage as well. As Cable said the folks from the USFWS will be more likely to shoot from the hip....

Just ask any of the Houston area goose guides if they are seeing more or less Snow geese.

The answer is that fewer and fewer Snows are making it down to Texas. They are stopping somewhere North of Texas.

I don't know if they is short but they is stopping.

And to get back on topic, I will be listening to Cable's interview.

Cool, I talked with U.S. Fish And Wildlife's Jeff Haskins secretary today and plan on setting something up with him for Monday of next week. Jeff is the Regional Director to the Central FLyway Committee for the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahom and Texas.

I don't know if there is validity to the shortstopping claim, but I know that Jeff can clue us in on what is really going on down here.

Cable that is great, I'll be tuning in....Just let us know the time and date..
Something I left out was that I have friends at home in Louisiana that have seen the same thing with the mallard population. They have been asking me about our mallards in this area. They are seeing areas where for decade upon decade there has always been a steady and fairly heavy migration of mallards that has all but dried up....They've had to deal with the flooding and the dry years too recently but they should still be seeing some birds....

are you within 15 minutes of my house?

Aubrey north of Denton

Was this interview today?

If so, how did it go?

Jeff hasn't called me back. Have left him multiple messages Also, DU doesn't seem interested in commenting. They need to step up!

I'm not as concerned about hearing from DU. I think they are taking on to much of the blame for this theory IMO.

I'm more interested in what type of an affect does this have on normal migrations.

Has US Fish and Wildlife done any type of study on this, or would they consider doing a study?

It would seem they would have the resources to start pulling the data togehter and see what might be going on. It would be nice to see a game biologist make a professional judgement call on this.

If US Fish and Wildlife isn't looking into this, could cash strapped TPWD take a stab at this?

Doubt it

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...act#Post2052581

I would think DU would want someone to come on your show...guess you just need to know who to ask. Who was saying they are not interested? In a way I could maybe see that...I mean if you look at this thread it's like a witch hunt...would they be setting themselves up to have to be on the defensive. It seems like many have already bought into shortstopping is a real thing but the only problem with that is other than duck hunters compaining about not shooting as many ducks (subjective reasoning) there doesnt seem to be a study or any info proving that this is true. If it is true I would think farming and land manangement (including developement) practices would have the biggest impact. DU restoring wetlands would not make too big of an impact IMO...the seperate issues of duck clubs and the stuff they do and use like ice eaters wouldnt make too big of an impact either.

I am trying to get Tommy Dolle on the show, he is in the communications division. I am not saying one way or the other whether short stopping is legit because I honestly don't know. I have had a request in for two weeks for someone to comment on the Delta article written by President Rob Olson...not sure why the wouldn't want to comment on either.

I am a supporter of DU and am not out to make them look bad, but I do want some answers.