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Peake always sure to get his tip at the end. Glad it panned out.

Fri. 12/5/2014
Klondike, La marsh
Mark L. and I joining Peake and Rick at the office for Day 2
SE wind 5 to 8 or so, just enough; mostly cloudy, low 60's to start

Back at the Mudhole for Day 2 and had another great morning, this time with a long time family friend joining me, first time we've shared a blind in probably 12 years at least. Again saw plenty of birds including many teal out and about and put our share on the strap. Also had fun with the ringers and a couple of spoons but again had tough time working the big ducks with all the shooting going on. Peake made a few really nice retrieves out on the flotant marsh with a few that fell well outside the pond. Great morning with great company, finished by 8:00am. Thanks again, Rick, really enjoyed it.

1 wigeon, 1 pintail, 1 mallard, 9 GW teal, 4 ringnecks, 2 spoons

Nice hunts Darren, and I bet it was a good time and good eats as well.

DComeaux wrote:Nice hunts Darren, and I bet it was a good time and good eats as well.

Wonderful time, wonderful food and people; my dad actually comes along for everything but the hunt.

Sat. 12/6/2014
SE La Public Marsh
Raymond and I, plus Ray's gf Sarah along for the ride
60's to start, HEAVY fog that lingered and even worsened, no wind

With fog having been forecast for all my hunts thus far this week, it finally caught up to me today. Heavy fog on boat ride and setup and it remained heavy and even got worse as morning went on. Packed it up around 8:30 having seen only a few ducks but did see a good many on boat ride back in that were sitting not a few hundred yards from our blind location, they just didn't move today. Managed two of a trio of working green wings and also had a miscue on a pair of grays that gave us an decent chance. Did, however, have a hellacious coot flight across us all morning but we left them alone. Good to see them in the area nonetheless

Water was way up but front supposed to be through today sometime and get it a little lower tomorrow with some better conditions hopefully for my bday hunt.

2 GW teal

Darren wrote:Sat. 12/6/2014
SE La Public Marsh
Raymond and I, plus Ray's gf Sarah along for the ride
60's to start, HEAVY fog that lingered and even worsened, no wind

With fog having been forecast for all my hunts thus far this week, it finally caught up to me today. Heavy fog on boat ride and setup and it remained heavy and even got worse as morning went on. Packed it up around 8:30 having seen only a few ducks but did see a good many on boat ride back in that were sitting not a few hundred yards from our blind location, they just didn't move today. Managed two of a trio of working green wings and also had a miscue on a pair of grays that gave us an decent chance. Did, however, have a hellacious coot flight across us all morning but we left them alone. Good to see them in the area nonetheless

Water was way up but front supposed to be through today sometime and get it a little lower tomorrow with some better conditions hopefully for my bday hunt.

2 GW teal

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Pouldeau are a good sign. I haven't seen but one on our place this year so far. Fog shouldn't be a problem in the morning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! a little early. Hope you have a good one.

Sun. 12/7/2014
SE La public marsh
Ella, Peter, & I
N/NE Winds as forecasted at 15-20+, upper 40's to start, cloudy

After the day before's fog hunt, today's conditions were epic, exactly what we hope for. Had my wife and brother-in-law along for their first time sharing a blind together, water being up made getting to our big blind a breeze. Started off really nice with loads of coots in our pond and a couple of nice groups of grays dropping in on us. Unfortunately we really didn't capitalize with our first shots and the stout wind had them bailing out of there quick making follow up shots tough. Downed 5, losing 1, before the traffic over us flat quit and shifted elsewhere. Also had no green wings around and I'd been really hoping to rely on them to get ella and peter a lot of action. Also the mallards were entirely absent in our vicinity where they had been every hunt so far providing a couple of shooting ops. Nonetheless, we did a good bit of shooting so had a good time despite not quite piling them up like I'd hoped given the conditions.

Saw quite a few birds working to some of our other favorite areas in the vicinity so will likely consider some alternate locations when we open back up this coming weekend. Overall we're just happy to still be holding some birds, a group of my buddies had 23 grays and 1 wigeon this morning nearby.

4 grays on the strap but a great birthday morning in the blind

Wrapped up the 1st split yesterday and we don't have a whole lot to complain about. When the weather was decent, we typically had some shooting and most importantly we're seeing that the grays did not forget about our marsh as it seemed last season.

We're at 108 ducks on 12 hunts and seeing enough birds to look forward to the opening of the second split this weekend on the 13th. I'm planning to get back to our old ways with a more run and gun type approach at our marsh even if that involves shunning the comfy blind for a small island that's on the X or at least on whatever the latest flight line has been. It may not be as comfortable but I think overall the harvest will improve so long as the current patterns, which are very familiar, hold into the balance of the season. We'll see!

Sat. 12/13/2014 - EZ 2nd Split Opener
SE La public marsh
Anthony, Raymond, & I
NE Winds as forecasted at ZERO (mostly) to 3+, upper 40's to start, pt cloudy

Saw a good few birds in the area the day before, both morning and afternoon, but no weather to make them move at all this morning. Very little trafficking by us at what we call "18 Island" in an area that had been seeing the majority of our traffic to date this season. At a few points saw a fair many grays and green wings get up and stretch the wings but mostly went back down. Did have a 6 pack of mallards skirt us with one falling back for the call and giving us a high pass that we failed to capitalize on, yuck.

Will try tomorrow where the green wings were concentrating until enough stir in the weather gives us hope enough to return to our usual spots.

4 GW teal, 1 spoon

Sun. 12/14/2014
SE La public marsh
Anthony & I
NE Winds as forecasted at ZERO again to 8+, low 40's to start, clear

Moved over a bit from yesterday's location figuring we'd have a bit more traffic here to our east but still very little happenin'. Saw a good few teal about but most stayed in the broken stuff and didn't swing for our open, albeit very shallow, water. Got one down right at LST that we ended up losing in the near dark then picked up one more a little later that lit on us, that was it. Had one nice group of mallards work us but think the Mojo flared them, they didn't think of finishing.

Need some weather through here bad!

1 GW teal in hand, 1 lost

This weather pattern we're in and the current bird situation brings to mind a mid to late spring scenario.

Our whole marsh was very weak this weekend. We saw a fair many birds at times between scouting Friday and post-hunt yesterday but most just sitting. Heard multiple reports of guys showing up to their ponds and flushing good many birds and they headed straight for the nearby lake to sit the rest of the day. Need some wind/weather....hopeful for Wednesday, and Saturday looking good as of now.

Wed. 12/17/2014
SE La public marsh
Anthony, Adam & I plus Tug
NE Winds as forecasted at ZERO again to 10 later, mid 30's to start, clear to pt cloudy later

Started morning off on the wrong foot, paddled 1/2 mile to blind and realized everything had made it except for my gun.....idiot. Paddled 1/2 mile back to boat and got back to blind just in time for LST. Calm again to start but still had pretty strong gray flight early and got two groups to give us a look, one buying in very well. Knocked three from each group but easily should have had 5 or more from the closer of the two. Had one long-off crip that I searched for with Tug to no avail, we didn't have a good enough mark on it and he never saw it fall. Also downed a pair of spoons only to have the drake fly off on us! Saw a good many birds but tough to finish with the glassy conditions and also the teal are giving us a really hard time right now and skirting us, only one decent chance on them but saw plenty, including some dressed out blue wings. Try again tomorrow

5 grays, 1 spoon

Sure have been getting after them Darren, jealous.

Flightstopper wrote:Sure have been getting after them Darren, jealous.

It's been better than last year but not quite to par with the few year's preceding that. We were encouraged to see a good few today, just wish we had weather to move them around; still neat to watch them. Try again tomorrow...

Still, putting me to shame with trips out alone. Wasted the first season here but opens again this weekend and ready to go.

Flightstopper wrote:Still, putting me to shame with trips out alone. Wasted the first season here but opens again this weekend and ready to go.

good deal, tear 'em up!

Thurs. 12/18/2014
SE La public marsh
Anthony & I
NE winds 5-10+, cloudy, 40's to start

Made a move from yesterday's blind a bit north where we'd been seeing some activity, but they didn't really show. Saw only a fraction of birds from day before, many of them trafficking day-before's location...grrr. Will be back in there on Saturday following tomorrow's front so hoping we've got something going on. Paddled there to brush blind on way out and could have killed 3 GWs right then and there from the 'rogue.

1 spoon

Darren wrote:1 spoon

As long as you shot him with finesse and grace, that's all that matters.

Darren wrote:Fri. 12/5/2014
Klondike, La marsh
Mark L. and I joining Peake and Rick at the office for Day 2
SE wind 5 to 8 or so, just enough; mostly cloudy, low 60's to start

Back at the Mudhole for Day 2 and had another great morning, this time with a long time family friend joining me, first time we've shared a blind in probably 12 years at least. Again saw plenty of birds including many teal out and about and put our share on the strap. Also had fun with the ringers and a couple of spoons but again had tough time working the big ducks with all the shooting going on. Peake made a few really nice retrieves out on the flotant marsh with a few that fell well outside the pond. Great morning with great company, finished by 8:00am. Thanks again, Rick, really enjoyed it.

1 wigeon, 1 pintail, 1 mallard, 9 GW teal, 4 ringnecks, 2 spoons

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Dang let me come down there and hunt with you!

Rick wrote:

Darren wrote:1 spoon

As long as you shot him with finesse and grace, that's all that matters.

Thought some of you might want to do some shopping here:

http://spoonbillclothingcompany.com/collections/all


Personally the Poule d'eau offerings are my favorite ha!

Darren wrote:

Rick wrote:

Darren wrote:1 spoon

As long as you shot him with finesse and grace, that's all that matters.

Thought some of you might want to do some shopping here:

http://spoonbillclothingcompany.com/collections/all


Personally the Poule d'eau offerings are my favorite ha!

Must have this!!

Hoody shirt reminded me of the boy on youth weekend saying he picked out one with a Mohawk.

Sat. 12/20/2014
SE La public marsh
In-law's Mike and Peter & I
NE winds 10-15+, cloudy, 40's to start

Had in-laws join me today in the blind and we finally hit it right with the weather, rain cleared out just before we hit the launch this morning. Started off hot and heavy with flights of grays but we really didn't cash in as well as we should have on the few good chances we had with them. Also had good many green wings around and got our share of them, with much better response to the decoys and call today than I had been seeing, even with no spinner out. Did our share of shooting and a fair amount of missing but had really nice morning in some great ducky weather. Better shooting would have yielded limits for sure; lost one gray and one GW teal, both having dove on us.

Anthony & Raymond hunted what we now call Spoonie Island (350 yds to our N/NW), location from Thursday's hunt, and had hot flights with limits by about 8:15 or so.

7 GW teal, 4 grays

Nice hunt, Darren!

Say "Hey" to Mike for me. Enjoyed hunting with him, but wonder how such a nice fellow ended up with a daughter who'd marry...well, you know.

Rick wrote:Say "Hey" to Mike for me. Enjoyed hunting with him, but wonder how such a nice fellow ended up with a daughter who'd marry...well, you know.

I'm lucky to have them both! I'll pass along the greetings


As a note to the log, water got higher on Sunday but Anthony had a really quick solo limit on Spoon Island that morning. He returned to the marsh late morning today to brush up that location and found hoards of birds in the area. For whatever reason, looks like the higher water level has them liking something in our area, we'll take it! I'm hoping to be back at them this weekend

Another note to log: I couldn't go this morning but Anthony, Ray and two buddies hammered them out on Spoon Island, 24 by 8a. Almost all grays with a few namesake spoons, 1 wigeon. Water is waaaay up still and apparently the birds are liking it. Reports good from across our area/marsh this morning. Planning to get back out there myself on Saturday, killing me to miss the last few days.





Merry Christmas !

Sweet pile!

Sat. 12/27/2014
SE La public marsh
Wind 0 to 15, intermittent rain, heavy cloud deck
Anthony, Ray, Colin and I
Spoonie Island blind

This blind had been on fire but of course the hot streak had to end and did so today, the grays just didn't show for us and we didn't see a whole lot of anything. Thought sure we'd have a jammin flight this morning between the rain showers but apparently they just sat. Only fired on a pair of GWs and a lone spoon, ughh. Had one nice wad of grays come in gorgeously about 99.5% of what we needed, then bailed at last possible second on edge of dekes. Disappointing morning but did see a fair amount of birds on way out so may try a new spot tomorrow that's been holding a few birds consistently and no one's been bothering them

1 GW teal, 1 spoon, 4 wet hunters