After reading this thread, it sounds like it will be an even rougher season than the past few years. For the past 20+ years, I have hunted in SoCal at the Wister Refuge. Water allocation and plot planting to attract and hold birds has been very limited the past few years, making it tough to put even a few birds in the bag for each hunt. Additionally, the solar fields have taken over a large amount of ag area, completely drying up a lot of canals, so jumping ducks has been equally as tough. With the added rip-off at the gas pump this year, it's tough to justify spending $200 in gas in a weekend, trying to scratch up a few birds. I sadly don't see much of a duck season ahead for me.