Season Prep

Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Wed Aug 20, 2014 7:23 pm

Other than just the standard dog work there really hasn't been a whole lot going on here until birds start showing up to scout. I have however been doing a bit of work around the family farm so that everything is set to go when we get there and not scrambling to throw a blind together with what little cover is left in the winter. The cows come first around here so up until now all blinds had to be grassed when we arrived otherwise the cows would have wrecked them. To try and avoid this I drove some T post out in the water in three feet of water where they at least have to really want it to get it the blind. Ran some wire mesh around it and set up a dog stand on the left end of the blind and called it good. Really looking forward to grassing it up and giving the birds a go.

The 'Warf Tank' blind

Panoramic from inside the blind, wire is actually straight across the span of course.

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From behind, water behind the blind is all shallow and everything surrounding it is solid coontail. A small bit of smartweed I threw out last year volunteered again as well.

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Then there is the 'Whitehouse Tank'

A very shallow tank full of coontail and a very good stand of american pondweed this year. Just hug the trees or jump it on slow mornings on the Warf Tank.

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Also hope to get the boat out soon to scout out some local areas since the flood last year to make sure I can still run them.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby quackhead » Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:37 pm

Lookin good
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Darren » Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:56 am

Some fine lookin honey holes you got there. What kind of birds do you generally see?
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:10 pm

Darren wrote:Some fine lookin honey holes you got there. What kind of birds do you generally see?


The tanks pictured are just outside Corsicana, Tx. Just about anything can show up around there and like most places just varies on how late into the season we are.

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The reason for the new blind as you can see how much cover is available in a Texas mesquite pasture in December :lol: As well as my wife just thrilled that she came along on an 18 degree morning.

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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:13 pm

Apparently lost quite a few pictures when my last phone crashed. Bout all we don't see are much of the more typical divers, buffies, golden eyes, cans etc. Need to get some woodie boxes up this year and see if some won't hang around.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Darren » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:57 pm

Looks like a good mix similar to what we're accustomed to in SE La marshes. What are your observations on the gadwall/grays? Have you been seeing about the usual or are they on the increase, decrease? Just curious since they seem to be expanding their reaches in the region.

I finally built a nice comfy blind last season and never brought the wife along due to there being so few birds. Season before we were hunkered in the grass, wasn't comfy, but we had birds to shoot and she enjoyed it. Hoping this year to combine the two
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:11 pm

Darren wrote:Looks like a good mix similar to what we're accustomed to in SE La marshes. What are your observations on the gadwall/grays? Have you been seeing about the usual or are they on the increase, decrease? Just curious since they seem to be expanding their reaches in the region.

I finally built a nice comfy blind last season and never brought the wife along due to there being so few birds. Season before we were hunkered in the grass, wasn't comfy, but we had birds to shoot and she enjoyed it. Hoping this year to combine the two


Last year the gadwall were all but nonexistent compared to previous years on our local spots here in central Texas. Usually by mid season we start passing on early morning greys to try and get a better mixed bag just because. Otherwise they just kamakazi the decoys all morning. We'll see how it goes this year but I'm hoping they will return and I'll try to do my part to not take them so much for granted :lol:
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Darren » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:15 pm

Flightstopper wrote:
Darren wrote:Looks like a good mix similar to what we're accustomed to in SE La marshes. What are your observations on the gadwall/grays? Have you been seeing about the usual or are they on the increase, decrease? Just curious since they seem to be expanding their reaches in the region.

I finally built a nice comfy blind last season and never brought the wife along due to there being so few birds. Season before we were hunkered in the grass, wasn't comfy, but we had birds to shoot and she enjoyed it. Hoping this year to combine the two


Last year the gadwall were all but nonexistent compared to previous years on our local spots here in central Texas. Usually by mid season we start passing on early morning greys to try and get a better mixed bag just because. Otherwise they just kamakazi the decoys all morning. We'll see how it goes this year but I'm hoping they will return and I'll try to do my part to not take them so much for granted :lol:


Funny you say that because we flat took them for granted as well, they're our bread and butter, but last year were no-shows and it showed!

We're used to this:
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Re: Season Prep

Postby 3geese4me » Thu Aug 21, 2014 7:23 pm

Seeing ducks with full plumage is weird to me.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:03 pm

Finally drug the boat out today to run through some old spots we haven't hit in years. While trying to keep as detailed log as I can this will be one of the few spots I'll be a bit more tight lipped on. Had more typed up but instead I'll go with, I was happy with the boat ride.

Of course, my partner in crime was aboard.

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I'll let one teaser slip through for now, might not stay long though :lol:

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Re: Season Prep

Postby Darren » Tue Aug 26, 2014 1:42 pm

Uh ohh you've given it away. We'll all be there for opener
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Rick » Tue Aug 26, 2014 3:36 pm

Don't know about you, Darren, but I plan on pulling in across the cove right at shooting time and spending an hour or so setting up to be particularly ingratiating.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Woody » Tue Aug 26, 2014 3:42 pm

Did you know photos taken with an iPhone or Droid phone are imbedded with GPS data?
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:14 pm

Hell y'all come on in but will probably be disappointed coming from LA marshes.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:14 pm

Woody wrote:Did you know photos taken with an iPhone or Droid phone are imbedded with GPS data?


Believe it's turned off but who know.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:22 am

After calling around I couldn't find access to any fields to hunt so we loaded up the boat and hit the river. Morning hunt we reclassified it as a successful accounting trip after leaving empty handed. Went back to the house and brushed up the boat for the afternoon so we could sit in the middle of the river in a spot we thought we could catch them coming back. Ended up seeing lots of birds moving, mostly high, and left with 5 birds. Was hard work for the dog fighting the current and thick cover on the rivers edges. Definitely see some things to clean up on before duck starts and not loose as many birds.

Hard work for the first hunt.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Rick » Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:15 pm

Doves, teal, geese or gulls?
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:17 pm

Didn't have ol Sammy the seagull to decoy G-U-11's so I opted for doves
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Rick » Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:23 pm

Ahh...LGBs.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:24 pm

Rick wrote:Ahh...LGBs.


And little they were.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:46 pm

Made a scouting trip to the lake the morning to find not one single bird. Wind was blowing 15 which didn't help one bit but in backwater ponds that should of had birds if they were here were empty. Let's hope the front does it's job.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Fri Sep 12, 2014 12:44 pm

Went out for somewhat of a dove hunt this morning as an excuse to go look for some teal. With only scattered reports and not being in a prime location I haven't been looking very hard yet. Was however able to kick up three groups of around 30 total accompanied by handful of whistlers. Not enough to think about putting together a big hunt yet but at least a step in the right direction.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Bad17 » Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:08 pm

Flight they been real thick up here.
If it flies it dies. If it lands... It dies too.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:28 pm

Bad17 wrote:Flight they been real thick up here.


Hmm will give my aunt a call and get some Intel on our tanks. Thanks.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Bad17 » Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:40 pm

Last 5 mornings groups of 30-50 coming in.
If it flies it dies. If it lands... It dies too.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Bad17 » Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:41 pm

We have to get a hunt going this year man.
If it flies it dies. If it lands... It dies too.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:43 pm

Bad17 wrote:We have to get a hunt going this year man.


I've been bad about getting up there these last few years. Decent blind built now, no excuses.
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Re: Season Prep

Postby Flightstopper » Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:44 pm

Bad17 wrote:Last 5 mornings groups of 30-50 coming in.


On tanks or lake? PM if you want.
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