Feast or famine with duck, geese
Published 7:39 pm Sunday, January 28, 2018
<p class="p1">During the past hunting season in our area, some hunters had a little better luck with geese than with ducks.</p><p class="p1">Such was the case the past week with D.L. Benoit, Beau Barbe and Darren Youngblood.</p><p class="p1">“We’ve actually been killing a few ducks,” Benoit said, but added that the success rate has been a lot better with geese — namely specklebellies.</p><p class="p1">“The last few weeks ducks and geese moved into the area, but it has been strange. When we get a south wind, we get ducks. When that cold wind comes out of the north, no ducks, but we are getting geese.</p><p class="p1">“During that hard freeze we couldn’t kill a duck. It’s just been unbelievable.”</p><p class="p1">It’s been geese that Benoit and his hunting mates have been bagging limits each morning.</p><p class="p1">They hunt the rice fields in the Pine Island area.</p><p class="p1">“This has been a downer year as far as ducks,” he said. “And I think that everybody has been in the same boat. We are down at least 50 percent on the ducks and I really don’t know why.</p><p class="p1">“Goose hunting has helped us out. The last three mornings (he said early last week) I went to my pond and I know that there were at least 5,000 geese roosting there overnight.”</p><p class="p1">Late last week Benoit said he was going to take one last shot at bagging a few ducks.</p><p class="p1">He headed north to Arkansas where reports were that mallards and gadwalls covered the swamps.</p><p class="p2">l</p><p class="p1">The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is making it easier for hunters and fishermen to obtain licenses. It is going to the internet for sales via PCs, smartphones, mobile devices and computers.</p><p class="p1">Beginning Thursday licenses can be obtained over the internet by going to www.wlf.la.gov.</p><p class="p1">Also, licenses will not be available again at retail locations until April 2.</p><p class="p1">The department will have a 24-hour help line beginning Friday at 888-362-5393.</p><p class="p2">l</p><p class="p1">Officials at the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge announced that snipe hunting will be open there through Feb. 28. Hunting is permitted all days of the week from one half hour before sunrise to sunset. Hunters must follow state LDWF regulations and only approved non-toxic shot can be used. Refuge regulations are available at the visitor center and hunters must have a signed copy on their person while hunting.</p>
