Looking for ducks this time of year can be scary. Not because of the ducks, of course, but because of the orangemen and I am not talking about Syracuse. While I was home, my sister and I wanted to go see what was shakin’ at Killdeer Plains and Big Island WMAs. As we discussed our plans, with an eye out the window at the pouring rain, a few of the men in the family raised the hunting issue. Apparently it is Goose and Duck hunting season in Ohio and depending on what zone you are in, the season can last until late January. We promised to stay close to the car.
We opted to go birding on Friday thinking there would be more hunters out on Saturday. But as we drove into Killdeer Plains in the morning, there were already lots of trucks pulled off the road and dots of orange moving across the open fields and marsh. Holy Cow. The guys were not kidding. I saw more blaze orange there than I have seen in all my years of living in NJ. We did not end up staying long at Killdeer Plains; the roads were really muddy and rutted and the whole hunting thing was weirding me out. We puttered over to Big Island where there were fewer guys in orange. Both areas look like they would be great places to bird in migration. Or anytime when you were not taking your life in your hands.
We went home shaking our heads wishing we had opted for Hoover Reservoir instead. Oh well, live and learn. To see other birds and not have to take your life in your hands, hop over to Bird Photography Weekly.
Stumble It!
Behind the Bins 
Beautiful image Bev. Its the MIO (men in orange) that pay for all the conservation land here in Oklahoma so I have had to adjust my soapbox a little since moving back. Quid Pro Quo
I always worry about the hunters. I don’t know how they could possibly mistake me for a deer, but someone might.
Great photo – I love the drops of water on the duck’s back.
Beautiful shot of the ring-necked duck, Bev! Sorry to hear your birding was ruined by the hunting parties, but I’m glad y’all didn’t try to venture out among the vested fellas. At least you found some potential sites for the next migration season, tho!
Gorgeous. I love Ring-Necked Ducks. They are so cute. Thanks for sharing!
In all fairness, I have to agree with TR. A lot of money from the hunters buying their permits goes directly to conservation. Ducks Unlimited and all that. I don’t begrudge them the hunting, I just don’t want to try and watch birds while they are doing it.
Love the duck photo.
Sigh. I have desperately mixed feelings about hunting. Unless I was a vegetarian (which sadly, I am not) I cannot criticize. Though, like you, I would have abandoned those orange fields.
If the guys were wearing orange they were not waterfowl hunting. You usually won’t see waterfowl hunters because they are in all camo or in blinds.
Great shot! I love ducks and other water birds!
Hey Jack,
Hmmm, that is a good point. What I saw were guys with orange vests and hats wandering around the fields. The only guy I saw carrying 2 CaGos was not wearing orange. I don’t know if it’s deer season there or not. That issue never came up.
Sounds very similar to homophobia. We’re more tolerant on the west coast.
I generally don’t take my camera on hunt days. Or, I go to a closed area. If it weren’t for these hunters, there probably wouldn’t be a wildlife refuge, just asphalt. Hunters create huge tracts of habitat for all wildlife.
Very few photographers contribute to wildlife habitat.
Nice shot! Hunting season is no joke, In Vt they used to shoot from one hill to the other, right across our yard. I had to keep the kids in lock-down for the season.
I’m on the west coast and extremely intolerant of hunters and hunting. And me not being a vegetarian has nothing to do with it. They aren’t hunting for food, they’re hunting for the fun of the kill. Only it’s not legal to kill humans, so…
I don’t get the point about license fees going towards conservation. No, they go to the gov’t, to support more gov’t conservation. The Fish & Game Dept in each state is supposed to set limits on animals killed and take orders from the USDA, Animal Services. Do you know what that used to be called? “Animal Damage Control,” whose mission is to “protect the American livestock industry.”
That’s the power of farmers, people. My regular computer with links is down, so I’m on my very old one, but on the USDA site you can see the numbers of animals killed, state by state. Hundreds of thousands because a farmer made a complaint.
You’ll love the cyanide, m44, killing hundreds of thousands of red-winged blackbirds each year. EVERY YEAR. Cyanide is slow, and very painful. Who does this? Sunflower seed growers. Check it out. I don’t buy seeds out here, but back east I would only buy organic seeds, if they’re even available. Thousands of wild birds die so we can feed the wild birds in our backyards.
I’ll write this up in my blog when I’m back up on my regular computer.
And thanks for the tip on license fees and “where they go.” I’ll investigate that, too!