I didn't start chasing waterfowl until 1994. I didn't have to deal with the point system or any of that, but I heard it from the guys who did, guys who only got a couple birds a year and hunted them because it was much more than shooting a limit everytime out. We didn't have trash ducks, or brown ducks, just ducks. Thank the folks at Mossy Oak, Real Tree, DU and every outfit out there with decoys, calls, blinds, ammo, etc... to sell that turned waterfowling into something I don't think it was ever meant to be. Look at 99% of ads for gear, everybody has to look like a hardass, hardcore s.o.b. loaded down with whatever is being sold and if you don't have enough of the stuff being hawked, you are behind the times and a nusance to the rest of us doing it the right way. Nevermind we killed birds just as dead as anyone else over our cheap shells, no layouts, didn't have a grand in calls around our necks. Some years we killed over 70 geese each and Ohio was a 2 bird a day state.
I'm used to showing up at a state marsh to try and get drawn for a half day hunt where there are 20 spots and 50 guys. Or at a state park drawing for building a blind for the season, 12 blind stakes and 150 guys there. One of our farms we had permission on had 10 groups all with written permission, either ya made friends and hunted with all or you went away. I've hunted with a lot of guys who just could not enjoy waterfowling for what it is- a nice way to spend some time with friends and family and work some birds and maybe shoot a few. It sucks when you have to compete for birds and I want to shoot a limit as much as the next guy, I don't want every hunt a bust. At the same time I am not going to be the guy who bitches and moans about how he had a terrible hunt because everybody else is an effing idiot and if everyone else would do it his way there would be more birds to shoot.
I can understand how residents up here could be overwhelmed with the NR brigades but in 3 seasons up here it seems that there are plenty of places with birds and not alot of groups chasing them, just my feeble minded observastion from behind the wheel driving between Mandaree and Minot and now Watford City and Minot on several saturdays during the season. I am sure it can be quite different further east. It has to be one of the biggest drawbacks of living in a place that is likely in the top 10 for a lot of hunters and coming here to hunt is a dream come true for many. I can see both sides of the issue and other guys can for sure ruin a hunt but for a guy that has never squeezed a trigger here, if I get out this year I will be thrilled pretty much no matter what. Hope everyone has a good season!