[M.T. Pockets]

Waterfowl hunting has changed a lot over the last 20 years or so. It is all about killing, and killing a lot.

Take a look at calls, decoys, gun accessories and such. You'll see names like "Meat Grinder, Straight Meat, Whackmaster" and such. Watch any video on duck or goose calling and they'll show the birds taking a full pattern and falling hard.

To a lot of today's "hunters" it's all about higher limits and how many birds can we shoot today.

In Minnesota the duck limit went from 6 ducks per day (up to 4 can be mallards) to 4 ducks per day. Up to 4 can still be mallards. This got a lot of people up in arms that we can only shoot 4 ducks per day. Then I've heard these same people call ducks other than Mallards "Trash Ducks". So tell me, if they're "Trash Ducks" what does it matter what the limit is ?

Speaking of trash. In the last 5 years or so I've noticed hunters actually trash talking in the sloughs. It used to be we all got along, or even hunted together. Now it has become a competition and it's not good natured ribbing either.