2015-2016 Season Log

[Rick]

Date: 11/26

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: moderate to strong east

Temperature: warm

Barometer:

Moon phase: nearly full

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Didn't think about shooting a teal and even the spoons stayed above an apparent shear with what few big ducks we saw.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: The big ducks responded better than we hid.

Hunters: 2, father and grown son Kevins

Guns:

Malfunctions: mmm switch wire must have been badly damaged when its case was broken the other day - had to resolder.

Dog(s): easy morning with every retrieve being chauffeured

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: a poor flight and crowd control problems are a bad combination.

Kudos: guys shot well when something did make it in.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 1 mallard, 1 pintail and 2 wigeon

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 11/27

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE strong

Temperature: warm

Barometer: 30.22 nearly flat

Moon phase: 95% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: slow early on, but a little of each throughout the morning - could be yesterday's guys messed up by pulling the plug at 8. (But being tired of them tipping off finishing birds, I didn't argue.) Shot our last four nearly at the 9:30 curfew.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Everything came pretty, especially the specks - and the guys let them finish. Big ducks came from way the hey up, and we've only our shooting to blame for not having a pile of grays.

Hunters: 2, Dave and Eric who've been coming for years.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Lost a ringneck I'm virtually certain dove under the flotant, but tracked our spoon the farthest I've ever seen one go, and finished with a paddle-wheeling and yipping chase.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: only the lost jack

Kudos: Good guys, neat morning

Birds By Species: 9 bw teal, 1 gadwall, 2 gw teal, 3 mallards, 1 ringneck, 1 shoveller and 2 specks

Photo Ops: A rose among thorns:


Other half of the pair was stoned but still blown across my little pond to the flotant:


Big thing being both big birds ended up at the blind:




Can't help but notice that my old friend is starting to show his age:


Lagniappe:And a shot from the guide shack porch of gray that had taken a wad at another blind:

[Ericdc]

Every time I come south to hunt the marsh I'm amazed at how different the ducks act than a few miles south of the state line in the delta. Up there, if gadwall lock onto your spread, 9 out of 10 times they finish. We had a pair this morning booger for no reason. Flaps up, no mojo, no calling, suckers went straight up.

Just seems like they are a little more finicky in the marsh, all species.

[Ericdc]

Congrats on a decent hunt by the way, especially the specks. I'm sure that was rewarding with how things have been. I would be fine if the split started this Sunday. Going to be tough next week with Arkansas closed.

[Rick]

We don't generally have the trouble working grays that folks from some other parts of the country apparently do, we just don't have very many most seasons. This year they're still running a few ahead of the mallards that are usually our dominant big duck. Gather they're a particularly early migrant, as even pintails remain sparser than normal. Shoot, we've killed 56 bluewings since big ducks opened, as opposed to a total of 18 during last year's regular season.

[Ericdc]

Yea blue wings are top species at my brothers lease so far too

[Ericdc]

We don't generally have the trouble working grays that folks from some other parts of the country apparently do, we just don't have very many most seasons. This year they're still running a few ahead of the mallards that are usually our dominant big duck. Gather they're a particularly early migrant, as even pintails remain sparser than normal. Shoot, we've killed 56 bluewings since big ducks opened, as opposed to a total of 18 during last year's regular season.

Mallards were our top bird last year as well, followed by gadwall. Definitely need more to show up. Thankfully most of our season this year is after mid December, and it looks like we will need the later days with the weather so far.

[Rick]

Yea blue wings are top species at my brothers lease so far too

Well, they're not "top" bird at the mudhole, but a solid second behind 96 greenwings. Gadwall are third with 31, which is twice the grays we shot during last year's first split.

[DComeaux]

Nice hunt Rick! I'll be out there in the morning with my son and one of my nephews.

[Darren]

Every time I come south to hunt the marsh I'm amazed at how different the ducks act than a few miles south of the state line in the delta. Up there, if gadwall lock onto your spread, 9 out of 10 times they finish. We had a pair this morning booger for no reason. Flaps up, no mojo, no calling, suckers went straight up.

Just seems like they are a little more finicky in the marsh, all species.

That befuddling behavior is the grays' MO in our SE La marshes, bailing on what seemed like a full commit at last second for no apparent reason.


Traveled from Lake Charles to Cheneyville this morning passing a train load of flooded rice, not a duck seen. Also usually the fields here at my aunt's house have all day goose traffic at thanksgiving, have yet to hear the first snow. Need front(s) bad.

Rick, word I got from in-laws was first week of season was strong at Oak Island, then tailed off. Also you might see (or even host) my FIL and BIL next weekend. Hope y'all have had a good Thanksgiving

[Rick]

Nice hunt Rick! I'll be out there in the morning with my son and one of my nephews.

Was a nice hunt: good guys who hid and shot well, and none of the other blinds banged our big old specks out before they could get picture perfect.

Checked the pump and east pipe yesterday. Your water is where it should be, and the pump appeared to be staying ahead of the east pipe's flow. Found there was still a board of some type caught in the pipe and perhaps restricting its flow some, but my hip boots weren't enough boot to let me clear it.

[Rick]

Date: 11/28

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSE moderate to fairly strong

Temperature: warm

Barometer: 30.13 rising

Moon phase: 90% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: next to nothing below jet liner altitude on our end, while the east blinds had plenty

Waterfowl Responsiveness: I meat-balled a couple of sweet gray ops by being greedy.

Hunters: 2 Rays, father and grown son

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): made an extra long mark on the spoon.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: just no birds and bad judgement

Kudos: super nice folks from Michigan's UP who knew folks I did up there.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 2 mottled, 1 ringneck, 1 shoveller and 1 wigeon

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[DComeaux]

I didn't go this morning. My crew bailed on me at 3:30 this morning so I crawled back in bed.

[Rick]

I didn't go this morning. My crew bailed on me at 3:30 this morning so I crawled back in bed.

Checking the pump and water will give the pup and I something to do. Please let me know if you've been out there tomorrow.

[DComeaux]

I will be hunting alone in the morning. I would like to meet up with you after the hunt. I can run over to the camp.

[Rick]

Date: 11/29

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: light

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE light to moderate

Temperature: warm

Barometer: 30.05 rising

Moon phase: waning 83%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Didn't see many big ducks but the teal were back in good numbers. (Four of our six marsh blinds were done by 7:30, with all the shooting being what made it take that long.)

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Sweet when neighborhood shooting let them get in.

Hunters: 2, Eric and Adam

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning other than one tipped greenwing that led a surprisingly long track to open water where it took quite a while for Peake to peg him.

Special Equipment: Spinner and MMM, the later of which remains the bomb for putting skirting teal right where we want them.

Curses: Only that more folks can't have such mornings.

Kudos: The guys hid and shot well, and we had a big time.

Birds By Species: 3 bw teal, 1 gadwall, 10 gw teal, 2 mottled and 2 shovellers

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 11/30

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE light to moderate

Temperature: hot

Barometer: 29.99 flat

Moon phase: 75% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Teal were all but absent and big ducks much the same. Even the black-belly came alone.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most everything but a very few locals and high ringnecks tried to work.

Hunters: 2, annual regulars, John and Brooks

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Had some early crowd control issues to iron out.

Kudos: Nice guys and good company on a morning that could have gone much worse. That we somehow came out high blind tells how barren the marsh was.

Birds By Species: 1 black-bellied whistling duck, 3 bw teal, 4 gadwall and 3 shovellers

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[DComeaux]

That would be a GREAT hunt for us right now. The comment of being the "high blind" would've more than likely meant an Ibis and black bird air show for us this morning.

[Rick]

Date: 12/1

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: spitty rain all morning

Wind Direction and Velocity: north moderate

Temperature: chilly because it was wet

Barometer: 29.99 flat

Moon phase: 63% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Had good numbers of little ducks until the last hour or so, then the bottom fell out. Saw very few big ducks even in the nose bleed section.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: The little rascals were good about coming but not holding still.

Hunters: 2, John and Brooks again

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning for the coyote, spent the last hour snoozing on his post.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Was a whooole lot more shooting than hitting.

Kudos: Nice folks and we could have done worse.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 9 gw teal, 3 ringnecks and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: My guys are birders, as well as hunters, and I got to show they and their buddies their first whooping cranes this afternoon.

[Rick]

Date: 12/2

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy with a bit of rain early on

Wind Direction and Velocity: Northerly variable in direction and speed, but never more than moderate

Temperature: chilly in the damp

Barometer: 30.04 rising

Moon phase: waning 56%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Started out very slow and quickly tapered off to nothing after 8. Apparently worn out by prior weather.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Wigeon and grays came pretty as could be and even the jacks worked, but none of the very few bluewings and only one of the local mottleds tried to buy in. Had specks working pretty right at LST but didn't realize I'd flipped the spinner on until they told me.

Hunters: 2, last day for John and Brooks

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning

Special Equipment: spinner and

Curses: Just a super slow morning.

Kudos: The guys were good about it.

Birds By Species: 3 gadwall, 2 ringnecks and 1 wigeon

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 12/3

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: chilly

Barometer: 30.33 rising slowly

Moon phase: Waning 46%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: very few teal and not many more big ducks seen

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully good.

Hunters: 2, Bill and Dave

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): lost two tipped crip teal that made it to open water

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: just that it's slow

Kudos: nice guys who shot surprisingly well after a very rough start on the redheads. (Started on the water, burned six shells as they skittered a bit and sat again. reloaded and burned six more shells to knock down two of the three that still needed finishing shots.)

Birds By Species: 7 gadwall, 3 gw teal, 1 mallard and 2 redheads

Photo Ops: Dropped a dead one when he saw this cat paddle-wheeling to open water and finally got it speared:


But remembered the switch and recovered the first, as well:


Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 12/4

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE light to moderate

Temperature: cold for us (upper 30s)

Barometer: 30.34 slooowly rising

Moon phase: waning 37%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: gray ducks were almost entirely absent (saw one), as were other big ducks but a few teal passed through

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully strong.

Hunters: 2, new to us, Dave and Kendal

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): couldn't catch our only jack in open water

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Just how few birds

Kudos: Super nice guys who held up their end and made something of next to nothing dropping what came in bunches.

Birds By Species: 3 bw teal, 7 gw teal and 2 mallards

Photo Ops: What's wrong with this picture?


Ain't every day you'll see a whistler/goldeneye taken in one of our rice fields, let alone while the bluewings are still here. Up home they're the last thing to leave at ice-up, yet this one showed while we're still waiting on earlier birds.

Lagniappe:

[Olly]

One of those is not like the other.

[Rick]

Date: 12/5

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE nil to light

Temperature: 40s

Barometer: 30.48 flat

Moon phase: waning 28%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Not much, large or small moving, but enough to make a nice hunt for now.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: For the most part, all but the local mottleds acted just as they should.

Hunters: 2, father, Mike, and son, Peter. (Darren's in-laws, have hunted Mike before and thought if his daughter is as nice as her dad, Darren's a lucky guy.)

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): tracked a teal we thought dead all the way to the south big water, where it was lost

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: only that there's so little game in the area that ours was the camp's big hunt

Kudos: Given the givens, we were blessed: good company, pleasant weather and enough game to keep us interested.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 6 gw teal, 4 mallards and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops: Peter and Mike:


Lagniappe:

[Darren]

They had a blast, Rick. Hoping to get them over here in our marsh after we open back up. Think Mike may have another trip booked over your way as well later in season.

[Rick]

They're coming again in January. Hope a better show of birds meet them...

[Ericdc]

As bad as I've seen it in our area today. Very quiet, good many geese, but ducks were as scarce as I can remember in the last 5 years.

[Ericdc]

Thankfully, the newest Tapatalk Update from App Store fixed the issue I was having with not seeing pictures.

[Rick]

Date: 12/6

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: zip to light northerly

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.42 flat

Moon phase: waning 18%

Special Notes: last morning of first split

Waterfowl Activity: Very little of anything moving, and it looked like a scratch in the making for the first hour or so.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: All but the local mottleds tried to work.

Hunters: 3 from SC

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: crowd control problems cost us a couple big duck chances, one a big bunch of grays.

Kudos: Nice guys and we didn't scratch

Birds By Species: 5 gw teal, 1 mallard and 1 mottled

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 12/6

Time: midday through LLST

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: light to nil northerly

Temperature: warm

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: last afternoon of split

Waterfowl Activity: Saw exactly one flight of ducks that weren't local mottled ducks (which were also well settled in and seldom stretched).

Waterfowl Responsiveness: As if to reward us for our patience, the flight of ringnecks we saw made a power dive over the rig and my brrrring.

Hunters: 1, buddy Bobby

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh made his mudhole debut. He didn't mark the falls which were well behind the blind but hunted up the only bird I saw fall. Failed to find another Bobby thought went in.

Special Equipment:

Curses: Hated to take a friend on such a slow hunt.

Kudos: Had a nice visit

Birds By Species:

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: It was most definitely time for it to end.