The use of spinning wing decoys in the flooded green timber of Arkansas is beginning to have an effect on how and if the ducks use the timber. We as hunters are conditioning the ducks to NOT use the timber, mainly because of the use of spinning wing decoys. With the use of the SWD we have taken away ANY need for woodsmanship or hunting skills. Pre SWD you had better be a good woodsman and hunter if you wanted to pull the trigger. Now we have made it where anyone can flip 5-6 switches and pull the trigger. Now,people are not finishing the ducks, simply getting them to swoop in close enough to break down a few. Which in turn educates a lot of ducks. When a flock flies over X number of acres of timber and sees nothing but SWD after SWD in every opening and each time that flock swoops down close a few get killed it does not take long for them to learn to STAY AWAY. Any animal can be conditioned.

From studying the behavior of ducks using the timber in Arkansas as well as talking with large numbers of timber hunters who have done it for years the consensus is that the ducks are being conditioned to not use the timber as before. This has been a slow but gradual change that we, as concerned sportsman, feel will continue until the green timber hunting that is unique to Arkansas will become nonexistent.

By signing this petition, we are agreeing to and pushing for a ban of spinning wing decoys on Arkansas WMA lands ONLY as we feel the use of a SWD does not fall under the guidelines of fair chase.