ncduckhunter

Here in North Carolina they are restocking mallards every year because the mallard hunting has gone south i think this is a great thing for hunters it means they will have birds to shoot at when they go to the lakes and creeks and such tell me what you guys think.
The ducks they release have Bands on them (NCWaterfowl.org) bands they have been doing it for the past 4 years and i have only killed 2 with the bands one (call SCWA band) and one(NCWaterfowl.org)

And before you say anything about the bands they mean just as much to me as the Federal Bands you guys have i just havent had the luck to get one yet

GordonGekko

So these are pen raised, non-migratory birds? That's interesting, so they are basically just putting out tamies and letting the hunters shoot 'em right? Well, whatever floats your boat I guess...it kinda seems like a band-aid though, not addressing the real problem such as why has the mallard hunting declined? I don't think anyone expects NC to be a great duck hunting state, but I reckon if they'd figure out why the mallard hunting has declined and then fix it other migratory birds would benefit too.... Just my 2 cents.

Carpmaster

Why would the restoration program be like shooting tame birds???? It is just like what pheasants forever does and I dont feel that they are tame. I think that is a great program and props to the states that do so!!!

GordonGekko

I guess I should have said "local birds" instead of "tamies"...I'm just saying this because it would seem like they are park ducks if you know what I mean, i.e. not "flight ducks", that is I don't believe these birds will ever migrate...therefore would help the local population only...basically just mallard versions of the "Resident" Canada Goose...not tame but not flight ducks either.

One potential huge negative to restocking is spread of disease's such as Avian Influenza resulting from these released birds...Delta Waterfowl attempted a restocking program but ended up calling it a "failed experiment"...it just doesn't work.

GordonGekko

Oh, additionally this is a private group (North Carolina Waterfowl Association and South Carolina Waterfowl Association), similar to DU or Delta Waterfowl on a smaller scale, that is releasing these pen raised ducks, not the states.

Carpmaster

Still excludidng sickness, I feel strongly it is nothing but benificial. My 2 cents.