Jeff, you live in the mt region of NC right/ or close by? The birds just don't come that way? What about geese? why is it that the birds don't come there??? It's ashame you can't find a place to hunt ducks with the background you have in waterfowling.

Its all relative.

If you ask me... the ducks don't come to VA no more! Not like they used to anyway.

I don't mean to answer for you here Jeff, but I suspect that the reason he doesn't duck hunt much anymore is the same reason I slowed down when I lived in SC.... you can kill a few ducks (and I did) but its nothing like home and nothing like it used to be. The amount of effort, time and money involved in such an undertaking is overwhelming (that is learning a whole new state/area to duck hunt all by yourself). If you worked super super hard at public land hunting in SC.... you might shoot two wood ducks, a merganser, sometimes ateal or a wigeon, and if you are out in the bay some divers.... but its nothing like I'm used to in VA. Granted there are some great duck spots in SC.... but you gotta have $ or connections.... or just have lived there long enough to have found what few public spots aren't extremely well known and overhunted.

For me when I was down there... I would have just assumed deer hunted because I hated all the crazy a-holes who had no ettiquette setting up 200 yards downwind of me. The deer hunting was great anyway. I got my fill of ducks in Arkansas and VA.. just went and got it all out of my system (if thats possible).

Aint that the truth. I worked for a dog trainer for two summers in HS. I trained my lab Drake (3) for those two years, I never got paid, but I didn't care. I learned SO much, and got to train my dog, for free. He is an amazing upland dog.

Funny story about Drake. Last year In South Dakota rooster hunting, after the hunt Drake would not eat. He was so pumped, and strung up, excited, worn out etc. I COULD NOT get him to eat his food. I actually had to go to McDonalds and buy some double cheese burgers, chop themm up into his food to get him to eat. Anyone else ever had to do this?

Try having a coffee and eating a buttered roll while talking to your friends ina deer stand!Throw me in a goose blind any time! You can have them cold deer stands!