2014-2015 Season Log...

[Rick]

They truly must be some poor shooters to earn the title of worst EVER.

Might have been hyperbole. But they sucked.

[Rick]

I some times get a little pissy when I hunt with a guide and they start going through the list of rules. The above is a good reminder of 1) the reason for the rules, 2) why I'm not a guide

I've very few rules, mostly guidelines to get us on the same page and make the gunning as easy as possible. But it's mostly just new hunters who actually pay attention to them.

[Rick]

Date: 12/24

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: hard NW

Temperature: cold, largely because of the wind

Barometer: 29.9 rising

Moon phase: waxing cresent

Special Notes: torrential rains yesterday afternoon

Waterfowl Activity: Birds have apparently gone to the new ag land sheet water, as few, large or small, were in the marsh, other than very high and hauling.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Wind direction and velocity made it tough to get them in the hole.

Hunters: Buddy hunt with Erwin and AJ

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Turns out the coyote was still up for eating another bill, as he stopped somewhere along the line to eat the snout off a tipped mottled that went down way the hey out.

Special Equipment:

Kudos: Nice morning with friends who fortunately shot well.

Curses: Going to be tough for a while with birds scattered and more rain coming this weekend.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 4 gw teal, 4 mallards and 1 mottled

Photo Ops: Erwin and AJ:


One of the greenheads that gave it up:


Peake's breakfast:

[Duckdog]

Just out of curiosity, what is your response when he brings back a duck that he's been eating on?

[Flightstopper]

I some times get a little pissy when I hunt with a guide and they start going through the list of rules. The above is a good reminder of 1) the reason for the rules, 2) why I'm not a guide

I've very few rules, mostly guidelines to get us on the same page and make the gunning as easy as possible. But it's mostly just new hunters who actually pay attention to them.

Rule 1: don't shoot past the mojo.
Rule 2: don't shoot past the mojo.

[Rick]

Just out of curiosity, what is your response when he brings back a duck that he's been eating on?

He's never eaten anything but their bills and then generally only one every thousand or so ducks, but I read him the riot act and/or take a bite out of him. One year while I was shaming him for it, I heard a boy hunting with us tell his dad, "Sometimes a dog has to do what a dog does." And I reckon he pegged it. If he does it again any time soon, however, I'll up the ante and gnaw on his ear.

[Ericdc]

Hahaha you bit him??

We had some fresh gadwall show up for us in more house parish today. Sun + wind = put a lot of them on the water before calling the shot. Left the blind with 23, 1 shy, but had let a few ducks go trying to get some pintails in the decoys, so didn't feel bad about leaving 1 shy.

[Rick]

Gotta like those grays. Had a couple touch their toes and kamikaze in from way the hey up today, wind be damned. Glad you had a jam-up hunt.

Dave C, if you're out there, a fellow who often guides for us went with you neighbors yesterday and hammered the specks, mallards and pins.

[Rick]

Date: 12/25

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: zip to light southerly

Temperature: pleasantly cool without wind

Barometer: 30.2 rising

Moon phase: waxing crescent

Special Notes: drop dead gorgeous Christmas morning

Waterfowl Activity: Had a couple bunches of teal buzz without turning early, then saw nothing but a very few mallards.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Was a whole lot easier to capitalize on what little we saw because the other blinds were slow, as well. Not nearly the normal gunfire in the marsh this morning. Got to show a young guide how to trip up the local ducks.

Hunters: 1, my guys cancelled, so I took one of our new guides, Seth.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Kudos: Very pleasant morning, birds or no.

Curses: only the lack of game

Birds By Species: 8 mallards

Photo Ops: The coyote did his thing with a couple fly-offs:


And I think our rookie enjoyed his trip to the mudhole:

[Ducaholic]

Nice strap!

[Rick]

Can't say we were being picky, just nothing out there but the locals. Pretty worried about tomorrow.

[Bruce Yerkes]

Gee Rick, I thought I was the worst shot. Glad to see Erwin and A.J. are still having fun.

Bruce.

[Rick]

They asked if/when you were coming.

[DComeaux]

Dave C, if you're out there, a fellow who often guides for us went with you neighbors yesterday and hammered the specks, mallards and pins.

I was curious about what this rain did for us and I was soooo wanting to be out there in that weather. Blake and I will be out there in the morning, and I sure hope we have a few birds around.

[Rick]

Hope you have a great one - and chase some back to the marsh while you're at it.

[Rick]

Date: 12/26

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong eastery

Temperature: only cold because of the wind

Barometer: 30.08 flat

Moon phase: crescent

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: What a difference some weather made. Super high flight of most everything into the marsh from the north.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Tough to break them from so high with so much wind and even more so to get them to the guns before someone upwind shot. Passed spoons and used working them to help break down big ducks more than a couple times.

Hunters: 2, my egg picking boss' sons Mark and JJ, experienced hunters and good shots

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Only one really tough flyoff, which the coyote's nose put on the strap.

Special Equipment: SOS

Kudos: Just a neat day to be in the marsh with good folks.

Birds By Species: 4 gadwall, 4 gw teal, 8 mallards, 2 ringnecks and 1 speck

Photo Ops: Mark and JJ looking like the stone killers they were:


The coyote with his trophy bird for the day:

[Rick]

Date: 12/27

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: pea soup fog

Wind Direction and Velocity: southerly moderate

Temperature: warm

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: scads of teal in the marsh

Waterfowl Responsiveness: did as bid

Hunters: 2, Georgia boys on their first LA duck trip, Bruce and Jeff

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): pretty easy morning except for a long fly-off wigeon

Special Equipment: SOS

Kudos: Guys were having a blast, which made it extra nice for me.

Curses: none at all

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 10 gw teal, 1 mallard, 2 mottleds, 1 pintail, 1 ringneck, 1 spoon and 1 wigeon (and one coot)

Photo Ops: Bruce and Jeff:

[DComeaux]

Good to see the birds on ya Rick!

[Darren]

Very nice fog party!

[Rick]

Seems like a very different hunt every day. Could have filled the blind with greenwings this morning, which sure tickled the shooter in me. No duck's more fun to gun.

[Ericdc]

Seems like a very different hunt every day. Could have filled the blind with greenwings this morning, which sure tickled the shooter in me. No duck's more fun to gun.

Amen, and they have been so scarce at my blind. Hoping to get a few in the morning in little chenier tomorrow for my last marsh hunt this year. Will prolly be a gadwall shoot, but sure would love to shoot some fresh green winged teal.

[Rick]

I'll be very pleasantly surprised if they aren't mostly gone with tomorrow's new wind. Not a fan of the predicted NW wind, as it brings birds directly over the back of my blind, and we get caught a lot. Teal could be our salvation by skirting it low. Just doubt we'll be so lucky.

[Bruce Yerkes]

i am headed down Monday evening Jan. 12, hunting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. See you then.

Bruce.

[Rick]

Will pass that along and be looking forward to it. Don't know if AJ and Erwin will be here or at their place in Arkansas.

[Ericdc]

i am headed down Monday evening Jan. 12, hunting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. See you then.

Bruce.

Those days should be sweet looking at the forecast. Sunny and north wind. Looking forward to hunting my pit Tuesday.

[Rick]

Date: 12/28

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: North moderate

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.10 rising slightly

Moon phase: bout half

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Very little large or small moving on our end of the marsh.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Much better than the "flight".

Hunters: 2, Bruce and Jeff again

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): mostly easy

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: The guys got to see the flip side of Louisiana hunting.

Curses: The guys got to see the flip side of Louisiana hunting.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 5 gw teal, 4 spoons and 1 speck

Photo Ops:

[Ericdc]

It was terrible in little chenier, 3 groups killed 9 ducks. I didn't fire my gun. Heard some guys that hunt near my spot had a real good gadwall shoot up in northeast la, guessing a lot of birds left the marsh. Heard there was a ton of water in the fields in our area.

[Rick]

Eric, you might want to check Dave Comeaux's entry for today, may bode very well for folks up your way. His place is due north of the heart of Amaco/White Lake whatever they call it.

[Ericdc]

We hunt a few miles from Arkansas line.

[Ericdc]

10-4 just checked it. I suspect they are finding plenty of new water all over the state.