Refrain from rallying

With an excellent duck season predicted, South Carolina will likely support huge waves of migrating birds for much of the season.

While many hunters might want to steer their watercrafts into large rafts of ducks to take a closer look, this is considered deliberate harassment and highly discouraged. The disturbance can lead to poor hunting.

John Stanton a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, closely monitors the Atlantic Flyway in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. He studies the migratory routes, ecology and biological habits of all migratory birds on the flyway, and he said intermittent stops along the migratory routes are critical for the survival of ducks and other migratory birds.

“The wintering grounds are a critical phase of their life cycle,” he said. “They depend on these areas with abundant food and little or no disturbance.

“Disturbance forces ducks to expend an unnecessary amount of energy. Repeated disturbance affects their ability to thermal regulate and maintain body condition.”

Ducks flee from invaders and will be forced to search for new places to feed and rest when they should be recouping energy reserves.

“We have studied migratory birds long enough to understand that birds have traditions,” Stanton said. “They have found wintering grounds over the years to their liking, with consistent quality habitat and light disturbance. Continual harassment of birds on these wintering grounds over a season or a couple of seasons will force these birds elsewhere, and they will never come back.

“Birds respond to a dynamic environment and will utilize the entire flyway to their advantage, abandoning these highly-disturbed areas.”

Any badgering of migrating waterfowl should be strongly-discouraged to keep wintering flocks happy and healthy. If rallying, jump shooting, or any other game violations are observed, hunters should call 800-922-5431 and notify SCDNR.