# Altamaha WMA



## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 21, 2018)

Is getting around 9 million dollars from DU and DNR for restoration and improvement.


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## king killer delete (Aug 21, 2018)

Only 9 millon


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## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 21, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> Only 9 millon


But the project costs a predicted 10-12 million


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## king killer delete (Aug 21, 2018)

For the money that the hunters have spent over my many years we should have allot more projects here in Georgia


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## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 21, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> For the money that the hunters have spent over my many years we should have allot more projects here in Georgia


I agree, but conservation organizations are more concerned with breeding grounds, and imo, the state is concerned more with deer, Turkey, and bear. The 8.72 million coming from DU is from a grant, not actual member donations or fundraisers in the state. Which I understand is probably improbable to take that much out of the membership dues and fundraisers that come out of the state.


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## king killer delete (Aug 21, 2018)

By far there has been more money raised over in this part of the country and they always spent it out west


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## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 21, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> By far there has been more money raised over in this part of the country and they always spent it out west


Yeah, I agree. The money for the project is coming from 2 grants secured by du, Coastal conservation association, GADNR, and FEMA. In other words it’s not coming from du itself but the federal government. Du just chose to send the grants here, instead of putting members’ money where it might actually benefit them, the latter is the reason I’m not in DU anymore.


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## king killer delete (Aug 21, 2018)

The money that has been raised in this state and sent out west in my years. We could have had twenty WMAs on the coast .


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## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 21, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> The money that has been raised in this state and sent out west in my years. We could have had twenty WMAs on the coast .


Yet people still will donate, and never see their money put into a project that will go to their benefit or benefit the state’s wma’s.


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## king killer delete (Aug 21, 2018)

Quackmasterofgeorgia said:


> Yet people still will donate, and never see their money put into a project that will go to their benefit or benefit the state’s wma’s.


And tell you why it so important. I sat on a lake in Florida several years ago and counted ten thousand ring necks if I counted one. We could have the same kind of thing but no body’s got the money or vision


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## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 22, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> And tell you why it so important. I sat on a lake in Florida several years ago and counted ten thousand ring necks if I counted one. We could have the same kind of thing but no body’s got the money or vision


I'm a big advocate of if you build it they will come. those birds in Florida have to get to there some way or another, and I'm positive a good majority goes through the state of Georgia. Look at wma's built for waterfowl quotas, and they don't have food or that much habitat for wintering birds mainly due to insufficient funding for waterfowl management. Every state around us consistently holds more birds than this state. They're introducing grass carp to combat hydrilla, when hydrilla is one of the only food sources for the very few birds that stay. I think the vision is there, but it won't happen with DU and Delta.


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## Mexican Squealer (Aug 22, 2018)

SC land owners do so much more for the ducks than GA folks do. It’s amazing the difference in habitat/management taking place when you cross the Savannah river, heading north.  I bought my impoundments in June and plan to stop as many ducks from making it to GA as possible...all of my neighbors have the same goal. I live on the banks of the Altamaha WMA and definitely see the track hoes are busy on Butler and Rhetts.  Would be interesting to see exactly how those dollars are going to be used...will it be all dike repair/maintenance or will there actually be habitat improvement??


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## flatsmaster (Aug 22, 2018)

Don't stop them all Mex ... I have a lake full of hydrilla waiting for them !!!


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## Mexican Squealer (Aug 22, 2018)

Ha looks great Chuck, I’m sure a few will get by..


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## king killer delete (Aug 22, 2018)

Mexican Squealer said:


> SC land owners do so much more for the ducks than GA folks do. It’s amazing the difference in habitat/management taking place when you cross the Savannah river, heading north.  I bought my impoundments in June and plan to stop as many ducks from making it to GA as possible...all of my neighbors have the same goal. I live on the banks of the Altamaha WMA and definitely see the track hoes are busy on Butler and Rhetts.  Would be interesting to see exactly how those dollars are going to be used...will it be all dike repair/maintenance or will there actually be habitat improvement??


Bet you it will be to repair what they got.


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## Quackmasterofgeorgia (Aug 22, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> Bet you it will be to repair what they got.


That’s what it sounds like from the article.


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## across the river (Aug 22, 2018)

king killer delete said:


> The money that has been raised in this state and sent out west in my years. We could have had twenty WMAs on the coast .



WMA's on the coast do nothing for duck populations.   It makes no sense for DU, Delta, or anyone else to put money into public land projects in Georgia, just so a bunch of rednecks can go sky bust the three ducks that fly in.   A place like Butler could be good, but how much money would you have to spend to do it right, and then you can't have 35 groups of 3 hunting it every weekend.  There is a quota for that hunt.   Dan Denton has what, 9 people hunt it every weekend and they wait years to get in on that quota.   Keg Creek, the deal at Eufalua, and virtually every other project they have done is either marginal at best or not even functional anymore at worst.    Why would DU put money into more project when the current ones are worthless.   I just don't get why people think DU could come in a turn  Georgia into a duck Mecca.   There are two many people in the state with too few ducks flying through.   You can have pretty good private land hunting, but even a jam-up place in Georgia can't handle more than a day, or at most two, of pressure a week.  Why would anyone expect an agency to put a pile of money into a state in which the very best habitat could only handle a few people hunting once a week.


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## king killer delete (Aug 22, 2018)

It makes sense for rest areas and a place for all these folks to have a place to hunt. If we don’t need to do it on the coast build some areas inland and make sure hunters got a place to hunt is my point. The Altamha WMA is chaos during hunting season. What folks need is a place to hunt.


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## Long Cut (Aug 22, 2018)

I think DU’s execution is poor, compared to the QDMA or NWTF. 
Considering the fact I can see 20+ DU stickers on trucks backglass driving around daily there should be more of an impact, regardless if this is a major flyway state or not. Because there’s definitely enough guys out there contributing. 

Look at what the QDMA or NWTF has done with those game populations, how the quality of animals and harvests has been. Flyway or not, DU has done a **** poor job. Especially considering how many ring necks, woodies etc migrate down this way.. Their cooperation at the State level seems to be nonexistent


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## king killer delete (Aug 22, 2018)

Like I said in an earlier post. Flordia has tons of ducks. Pressure is allot heavier in Flordia cause the have a bunch of hunters. All I’m saying is give us some places to hunt the ducks. They did it with the geese. They could do it with the ducks.


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## across the river (Aug 22, 2018)

Long Cut said:


> I think DU’s execution is poor, compared to the QDMA or NWTF.
> Considering the fact I can see 20+ DU stickers on trucks backglass driving around daily there should be more of an impact, regardless if this is a major flyway state or not. Because there’s definitely enough guys out there contributing.
> 
> Look at what the QDMA or NWTF has done with those game populations, how the quality of animals and harvests has been. Flyway or not, DU has done a **** poor job. Especially considering how many ring necks, woodies etc migrate down this way.. Their cooperation at the State level seems to be nonexistent




Where has QDMA or NWTF done an excellent job on public land?   If you are looking strictly at the populations and judging based on that measuring stick, the DU has done an excellent job.   I'm not saying they have, just saying based on your criteria for the other two, they have.   The problem I have with all this bad mouthing DU is you'll act like there are all these public land meccas up and down the east coast that DU has created.   You all mention Florida.  Go pull up a Google earth map of Florida and Georgia. Tell me which one has more water relative to land size, and then tell me where you think the majority of the ducks would be.  I promise you DU didn't build all those ponds and lake you see in Florida, and if you think the public ones don't get hammered you are fooling yourself.  I've been there.   If you want to see more ringneck in Georgia,  then build your own private impoundment that you can manage and control yourself.   The DU money raised in Georgia isn't close to enough to build a public impoundment that more than a handful of people could hunt each year.   The corp of engineers and Georgia power have built lakes across the state that are thousands of acres that don't hold a lot of ducks anyway, but have people camping out overnight to possibly kill a ringneck or two. I don't get it.  If the state of public land waterfowl hunting is already like it is now on lakes that are 10 of thousands of acres, what do you all expect DU to build that is going to provide any real hunting opportunities.  If a ringneck can't land on Clarks Hill or Oconee without  someone jumping him up, skybusitng at him, or shooting at him out of a boat, what is DU going to do to fix that?   The $35 people send in each year doesn't entitle them to a good hunt spot, it simply gets them a magazine subscription.


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## Mexican Squealer (Aug 22, 2018)

I support DU and Delta and am more than happy for my dollars to go to the breeding  grounds. I’ve got their wintering habitat covered and am glad to support their breeding ground habitat. I’ve given up on Govt land. Don’t give a fig about who does what. I manage 180 acre of duck food in SC and a 15 acre impoundment on my farm in GA. Wish GA land owners gave a hoot about ducks. They don’t. Taking faith in the state and anything public in GA is a dead end. Which is a shame considering how much food could be produced with proper draw down and management of the stuff dux eat.


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## across the river (Aug 23, 2018)

Mexican Squealer said:


> I support DU and Delta and am more than happy for my dollars to go to the breeding  grounds. I’ve got their wintering habitat covered and am glad to support their breeding ground habitat. I’ve given up on Govt land. Don’t give a fig about who does what. I manage 180 acre of duck food in SC and a 15 acre impoundment on my farm in GA. Wish GA land owners gave a hoot about ducks. They don’t. Taking faith in the state and anything public in GA is a dead end. Which is a shame considering how much food could be produced with proper draw down and management of the stuff dux eat.



And how often do you hunt your impoundments, once a week, twice a week tops?  Even if DU raised a billion dollars a year in Georgia, how much sense would it make to build bunch of impoundments in Georgia that can realistically get hunted less than 10 days per year.    People on here act like the DNR or DU change create something that they can't.   I don't care how good of habitat someone builds, you will never have a public place here, or private place for that matter, that can get hammered on multiple days a week and still produce. With a 60 day season,  there just are many opportunities for people to hunt, so it makes absolute no sense for any agency, government or otherwise, to put money into something will so little return in terms of public usage.  Like you said, if you are waiting on public land opportunities in Georgia to be provided by the DNR or DU, you are going to be sorely disappointed.


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## Mexican Squealer (Aug 23, 2018)

We hunt once a week...my goals are more about providing duck habitat and conservation vs hunting opportunity. Main reason I am more than happy for my dollars to be used in the breeding grounds and areas that can make an impact.  Plenty of places that hunt several times a week though.  We choose not to.


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## Duckbuster82 (Aug 23, 2018)

For all those saying du or any other organization doesn’t do enough locally, why don’t you form your own non profit and promote it as being local money local projects. All money you raise can be used to find Georgia projects, hire lawyers to fight the state when they want to spray the lakes or release carp.


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## Barebowyer (Aug 23, 2018)

Interesting thread going on here imho


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## flatsmaster (Aug 23, 2018)

We have a organization in Fl and I belong to it ... I'm sure it helps some ... they work pretty hard on access ... they might ask but there going to spray whenever it fits there schedule ... we may have a lot of water but it doesn't stop people from showing up late and settling in 75 yds away ... I don't hunt public in Fl very much thank goodness ... I hate rude people and if they were there first I'd keep on moving ... a lot of problems here are created by the hunters ... all FWC gets is headaches from hunters for the most part ... I do hunt some public in another state and surprisingly if ur there first they move on


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## Duckbuster82 (Aug 23, 2018)

Flats, what orginization is that?


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## flatsmaster (Aug 23, 2018)

UW-F .... United waterfowlers Florida


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## Duckbuster82 (Aug 23, 2018)

Did the president of that group get caught shooting over corn?


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## flatsmaster (Aug 23, 2018)

Can't honestly say .... if ur talking last yr I'd say no bc even though I'm not involved other then sending $35 I'd have thought me or my son or his girlfriend who's active in local DU would have heard something or they would have seen something on social media .... I'm old so this is as social media as I get !!!


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## JackSprat (Aug 25, 2018)

across the river said:


> If a ringneck can't land on Clarks Hill or Oconee without  someone jumping him up, skybusitng at him, or shooting at him out of a boat, what is DU going to do to fix that?    .



The stories I could tell about that.

Back in the early days of the current goose hunting seasons, I was one of the first locals to  invest heavily in quality floating decoys - most everyone else was hunting the hill with cardboard silhouettes.    So the other locals were not used to seeing quality floating decoys.

Can't tell you have many times on those two lakes we had to jump out of our blind and wave off someone who was about to jump shoot our decoys.

Back on topic, didn't DU build a green tree water control structure several years ago in middle Georgia, and it became inoperable because the state wouldn't spend the money to keep it up?


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## ICU2012 (Aug 25, 2018)

That 9 million dollars must have those boys distracted....not one of the walk-in ponds in Darien are even remotely accessible for teal season in 2 weeks


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## DRBugman85 (Aug 30, 2018)

The DNR could spend 20 million on the Altamaha WMA and never have the mecca waterfowl hunting It once did do to 1 fact over hunting,The amount of pressure on this small area is more that the waterfowl can handle from scouting 7 days a week from all the Internet hunters that see a post on social media,Walmart hunters and the state promoting this WMA as the  Premier waterfowl area in Georgia. Sure some time hunters harvest a few ducks then post pictures for all the world to see and that brings more hunters than ducks.The night before opening day some groups spend the night in a spot just to Q beam the hordes that show up at shooting hours and look for a SPOT.Last year the boat ramp had a over flow and had to park on the side of the Highway. Sky busting is not the problem the Duck Commander want to be are coming from all over Georgia just to have a chance to shoot a duck.


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## capt stan (Aug 30, 2018)

DRBugman85 said:


> The DNR could spend 20 million on the Altamaha WMA and never have the mecca waterfowl hunting It once did do to 1 fact over hunting,The amount of pressure on this small area is more that the waterfowl can handle from scouting 7 days a week from all the Internet hunters that see a post on social media,Walmart hunters and the state promoting this WMA as the  Premier waterfowl area in Georgia. Sure some time hunters harvest a few ducks then post pictures for all the world to see and that brings more hunters than ducks.The night before opening day some groups spend the night in a spot just to Q beam the hordes that show up at shooting hours and look for a SPOT.Last year the boat ramp had a over flow and had to park on the side of the Highway. Sky busting is not the problem the Duck Commander want to be are coming from all over Georgia just to have a chance to shoot a duck.


Which is exactly why I haven't gone back in years..theres not a duck worth the BULL and the ignorance/ disrespect of people ya have to put up with...anyone who wants to hunt there...can have it!


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## Drew dumas (Sep 12, 2018)

Anyone been down to check out the pull overs? Just getting back from deployment haven’t had a chance to get down there and scout but I did hear something about some construction down that way on the dikes. Anybody know if there’s any pull overs or winch spots into pool one?


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## fountain (Sep 13, 2018)

Quackmasterofgeorgia said:


> Yet people still will donate, and never see their money put into a project that will go to their benefit or benefit the state’s wma’s.



This is it right here.  NWTF is a prime example.  Do they actually do anything for the turkey... where it be habitat or stocking ?  Not that I've seen.  But they sure have made one heck of a complex in South Carolina now and make some dang fine bird houses at the outdoor shows they have for the women


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## BassnG3 (Sep 13, 2018)

Drew dumas said:


> Anyone been down to check out the pull overs? Just getting back from deployment haven’t had a chance to get down there and scout but I did hear something about some construction down that way on the dikes. Anybody know if there’s any pull overs or winch spots into pool one?


No pullovers into pond 1 due to dike re-construction.


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## JackSprat (Sep 15, 2018)

capt stan said:


> Which is exactly why I haven't gone back in years..theres not a duck worth the BULL and the ignorance/ disrespect of people ya have to put up with...anyone who wants to hunt there...can have it!



Lived in that area for many years.  We shot a lot more ducks up the river in the sloughs than we ever did on the WMA.  Good variety of ducks, but not many mallards, which the "true" duck hunters grumbled about.

We shot a lot more ducks escaping the morning barrage than the hunters on the WMA did.


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