2015-2016 Season Log

[Rick]

Checked the gauge, and your pond's dropped about 4". Going to pump at least until tomorrow and hope it does that again, which should be close to where the boards are set, then we'll talk after you morning hunt Sat.

[Rick]

So it wasn't like the Dr guy who you kinda dread taking? Just dudes cutting up and having fun?

Doc came yesterday burned a box of shells to get their specks by 7:30 and was whining when I saw him at brunch because they didn't get many ducks. Bless his heart.

Today's crew had a good time but wiped out my cover (just got back from cutting replacement), jumped and pointed when birds were spotted and one in particular couldn't hold his water until birds were in range and the shot called. Like a lot of folks, he wanted to be up with gun shouldered when they got there, which, of course, kept them from getting there. Should be a law against shooting clays with a pre-mounted gun.

Nice folks and a good time all the same, just got in their own way.

[DComeaux]

Checked the gauge, and your pond's dropped about 4". Going to pump at least until tomorrow and hope it does that again, which should be close to where the boards are set, then we'll talk after you morning hunt Sat.

You're a good man Rick Hall!

[Ericdc]

So it wasn't like the Dr guy who you kinda dread taking? Just dudes cutting up and having fun?

Doc came yesterday burned a box of shells to get their specks by 7:30 and was whining when I saw him at brunch because they didn't get many ducks. Bless his heart.

Today's crew had a good time but wiped out my cover (just got back from cutting replacement), jumped and pointed when birds were spotted and one in particular couldn't hold his water until birds were in range and the shot called. Like a lot of folks, he wanted to be up with gun shouldered when they got there, which, of course, kept them from getting there. Should be a law against shooting clays with a pre-mounted gun.

Nice folks and a good time all the same, just got in their own way.

Hahaha a box for 2 specks. I assume he was hunting the rice somewhere.

Yes I've hunted with gun mounters before and had them flare birds. I shoot clays from a pre mount but not game.

[Ericdc]

So how does it go when you are calling birds and I assume you've told them you will call the shot, and they shoot early? Is there instruction, I some point you have to be the boss of the blind I assume.

[Rick]

Usually a "How'd that work out for you?" suffices if they actually shoot. If they're just getting up early I'll offer general reminders that we're tipping our hand, and if that doesn't do it, I'll add that I'm going to start naming names in a light hearted manner. That, or "Yo, Bro, the rest of us are trying to kill some ducks."

[Rick]

Took the pup to one of our blinds to practice blind manners and maybe pick up a duck late this afternoon, and he handled the first part nicely:


No ducks, but our whooper flock is increasing:

[Rick]

Date: 11/12

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy to raining

Wind Direction and Velocity: Northerly moderate

Temperature: comfortably cool

Barometer: 30.02 rising

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Better than yesterday, but still no big ducks to speak of.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most birds did exactly as bid, including more than a few that needed screamed off bigger water flyways.

Hunters: 2, older father and grown son, Harold and Mark, who started with us last season and have become favorites

Guns:

Malfunctions: Their guns hadn't been used since they were here last season and both were hinky, but we got them going without missing too much shootin.

Dog(s): The coyote's the man.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Only the early gun bobbles and that we quit one short of a limit, rather than stay out for it when the rain got serious. Which is to say we had precious little to bitch about.

Kudos: Great folks who take instruction well and shoot well, too, for as little of it as they get to do. Just a sweet morning in the marsh.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 9 gw teal, 2 ringnecks and 2 spoons.

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[DComeaux]

What a nice hunt. Man, I'm ready for the blind!

[Rick]

Will have fingers and toes crossed that there are new birds riding the north wind and they cooperate for you. Was near your place with the pup last evening and didn't see much but mottleds that knew exactly where they were going.

[DComeaux]

Will have fingers and toes crossed that there are new birds riding the north wind and they cooperate for you. Was near your place with the pup last evening and didn't see much but mottleds that knew exactly where they were going.

I'm holding onto hope that our experience with afternoons over last few years there is just what you've witnessed yesterday. It usually didn't translate to the mornings.

[Rick]

Well, I did take this earlier in the week at the closest blind to your NW whose lessee told me the birds didn't like it:



So it may be more a matter of birds sitting than not being in the area at all.

[DComeaux]

That place has held birds every year when it was holding water. I'll gladly hunt that blind, especially just a bit later in the season when the fowl settle in. I think they may need a little blind camo help and not carry large shinny objects to the blind.

[Bud]

So it wasn't like the Dr guy who you kinda dread taking? Just dudes cutting up and having fun?

Should be a law against shooting clays with a pre-mounted gun.

Words fitly spoken!

[Rick]

Took the pup "speck hunting" and saw nothing but a few ducks, of which I'd shot my allotment this morning. But it was a chance to introduce the bug to pit blind dog boxes:

[Rick]

PJ, that's referencing water loss on a different lease. Don't know what's happening with your blind, except farmer was balking about dropping crawfish water to put a new blind in. I feel like crap about the blind not being sound, as we looked pretty hard after seeing the dog box hole, just didn't hit on the spot that let go.

[Rick]

Date: 11/13

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: Overcast to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: pleasantly cool

Barometer: 30.22 rising

Moon phase: waxing 4%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Greenwings have all but left the building, and bluewings were in short supply, as well. But some big ducks and ringnecks showed to help take up the slack.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most of what we saw did as bid.

Hunters: 2, Barry and Kevin, who've hunted with the camp since the '80s.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Was cold enough to let Peake swim for the first time, which helped greatly with ringneck recovery.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Much too sweet of a "slow" morning to curse.

Kudos: Guys had masks, hid and shot well, so we were able to fill the strap while the rest of the marsh struggled.

Birds By Species: 4 bw teal, 5 gadwall, 2 gw teal, 3 mallards and 4 ringnecks

Photo Ops:

[Lagniappe:[/b]

[DComeaux]

Nice hunt Rick!

I can't wait to get out there. I may be take Wednesday to Friday off next week after that front. I can't take sitting in here anymore.

[Rick]

We didn't really see much game, just had the right guys to make good use of what we had. Ought to be better the next couple days with the weekend hunters out stirring the pot.

One of the guys across the way called this morning, and I'm headed back to see if the problem is real or just a case of blind partners not communicating. Will look in on your water while there, so don't be surprised if the pump is running in the morning.

[DComeaux]

guys to make good use of what we had.

Thats it in a nut shell.

[Rick]

Dave, your water has dropped some more since I killed the pump, so you should (pound timber) be in good shape.

PJ, your new blind is in but old one isn't coming out until after the crawfish season. Probably best to put the new blind's covers on it and cover them with grass. Again, sorry I didn't catch the bad spot.

[Rick]

Date: 11/14

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong NE

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.31 rising

Moon phase: 9% waxing

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Not at all the big duck morning I'd anticipated, just dribbs and drabs of mostly little ducks.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully most did as bid when not banged out by upwind blinds.

Hunters: 3, father, Greg, and sons Holden and Quinn

Guns:

Malfunctions: Quinn couldn't stay awake and crashed in the boat for the first half hunt.

Dog(s): Peake couldn't turn up two I thought dead on the flotant. Probably upper wing broke.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: not much chance to get the misses out of their guns.

Kudos: Super nice folks and a pretty morning.

Birds By Species: 3 bw teal, 7 gw teal, 1 mallard, 2 ringnecks and 2 shovellers

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Ericdc]

Killed a few specks this morning with my buddy and his wife and an elder waterfowler from church, who also was a gold medalist on 1968 Olympic basketball team.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1447533846.406922.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1447533872.788190.jpg

Dead calm pretty day, but tough to get em close with no wind.

[Rick]

Wild that we had so much wind this morning and you so little. As you'll see below, my first real speck hunt of the season was more of a speck watch.

[Rick]

Date: 11/14

Time: afternoon

Location: middle blind in Thornwell

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: ENE

Temperature: warm

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: Was my first real speck hunt of the season, in that it was the first in meaningful proximity to one of the only two speck concentrations I'm currently aware of.

Waterfowl Activity: Watched thousands body on the unhunted farm to our west and roll south and west, but precious few trafficked our way.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Worked a few, but got cut off by a steady sheet of black ibis passing on the deck between our best flock op and us. Did work a wary single into what should have been an easy overhead and a trio that bumped off an open blind with the coyote standing by it.

Hunters: 2 new to goose hunting, Roland and Angelle

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake caught up on his sleep

Special Equipment:

Curses: "So near, yet so far," with next to nothing coming our way. Butt shot the only shooting we had, watched ibis beat us out of an op, and then then got caught red handed by three called in after Roland shut us down early and we were getting out of the blind. Just not our day.

Kudos: Nice folks.

Birds By Species: First scratch of the regular season is in the books.

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Ericdc]

Wild that we had so much wind this morning and you so little. As you'll see below, my first real speck hunt of the season was more of a speck watch.

Yea they had good wind on catahoula lake too but somewhere in northeast LA it stopped.

[Rick]

Date: 11/15

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: easterly moderate

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.30 rising

Moon phase: waxing 16%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Pretty much a repeat of yesterday: dribs and drabs of mixed ducks, with even fewer teal

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully good when they weren't getting banged out.

Hunters: 2 young guns from yesterday, Holden and Quinn. Dad, Greg, must have ODed on LSU's loss.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake's deafness cost us our limit, but young Marsh still isn't ready to step up.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Just the bird (probably can) lost to handling difficulties.

Kudos: Boys shot much better than yesterday, and we had a big time.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 1 canvasback, 5 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 3 ringnecks and 4 shovellers

Photo Ops: Too rare photo of a too rare mallard's butt:


Lagniappe:

[DComeaux]

Nice! I'd love to have your "dribs and drabs".