2015-2016 Season Log

[DComeaux]

May not fire a shot tomorrow...(DComeaux's going to be in da blind.)

HA!.........and that's the truth.

[Rick]

Date: 12/24

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: dense ground fog that didn't let up until our 9:30 curfew

Wind Direction and Velocity: light southerly

Temperature: hot: 70 And seemed hotter walking the flotant with the pup.

Barometer: 29.82 rising slowly

Moon phase: 99% waxing

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: While the bigger water blinds to our east apparently saw plenty of ringneck activity, our chances came very sparingly. Did, however, see a mess of ringnecks on the bigger stuff south of me, too, when picking up, so they may have finally taken the marsh. Might have been tons of big ducks above the fog, but we saw very few. Were also some specks roosted in the marsh.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Blew that damn whistle in the fog all morning again and trust/hope it helped, as I'll likely still be hearing it in my sleep tonight.

Hunters: 2, WFF's own Dave Comeaux and Arron, one of the other guide's son

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Took young Marsh Fire, who proved he's far from ready to handle the marsh, pun intended. Since he wouldn't handle, I spent a lot of time flotant hoping when I could have been hunting while Peake did that job, but Marsh did find some I wouldn't have found without him. And he didn't run anything off at the blind, so he's proven better than nothing - which hasn't always been the case with dogs new to the marsh.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: Only that I've not done a better job with the pup and that the guys got fogged in.

Kudos: We've done less with more and passed a fine time.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 6 gw teal, 1 mallard, 3 ringnecks, 1 shoveller and 1 speck (And the yellowest moccasin of its size I've ever seen.)

Photo Ops: Can't believe I had the Dave Comeaux in the blind and didn't take a commemorative photo, but it happened. Also didn't get a decent shot of Marsh Fire looking like he might know what he was doing, but here's one of the birds we'd not have seen again without him:


Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 12/25

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: raining off and on

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSW light to moderate

Temperature: mid 70s

Barometer: 29.96 slowly rising

Moon phase: Full

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Surprisingly slow, given rain that usually stirs them, though at least one of the more easterly blinds finished with 11 teal and a big duck very quickly.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Not too good. All three of us were calling, so I'll blame it on that - but it may just have been that what big ducks we saw knew the blind...

Hunters: 2, old friend, Byron, and his son, Brandon, aka: Tooks.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Took the pup, and Marsh Fire was definitely lit. Was making marks he'd have missed yesterday. Didn't try more than the most basic handling, but was tickled by how well he was putting it together.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm

Curses: none from me

Kudos: We had a fine time, and another friend who was to come with us but needed to leave early hunted closer to the trucks and was blessed with much more opportunity and very quick limits. So that adjustment worked out great.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 2 gadwall, 7 gw teal, 6 ringnecks and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops: Dreary day but snapped a shot of one of Marsh's retrieves, a gray day gray:


Lagniappe: What's wrong with this picture?


Here's a hint:


After dropping off our friends, Marsh and I cut some canes and went back out to prepare the blind for its return to commercial service tomorrow. Was working on the blind when I heard a dog whine from the pond, which made no sense until I saw that a rare SW breeze had blown the boat and pup out of the boathide and off across the pond.

The good news being the warm weather we've been cursing for weeks and subsequently tolerable water temps. The bad news being that I was reminded of what the poor dogs deal with, as there was no swimming in the muck, which even with exceptionally high water reaches close enough to the surface that it was piling up above the water in front of my chest as I plowed my way across the pond. Note to self: tether the boat, no matter how briefly you expect to be out of it.

[Ericdc]

We really needed a pic of you retrieving the wayward vessel.

[DComeaux]

We really needed a pic of you retrieving the wayward vessel.

Yeah, what he said..... hahahaha!

[Rick]

Date: 12/26

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy and hazy

Wind Direction and Velocity: southeasterly brisk enough to feel good on an otherwise muggy morning

Temperature: mid 70s

Barometer: 29.99 flat

Moon phase: 98% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Apparently plenty moving to our east, as at least two blinds there were out before we had a half dozen birds, but it was sloooow on our end until later in the morning.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Teal came well enough but big duck response was disappointing. Not sure why.

Hunters: 2, brothers JJ and Mike

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake was back in the marsh and loving it, but had a tipped teal lead him into the big water to our south and lead him all over it, while I had to go waaaay around in the Go-Devil to get to him, shoot the duck and get him the heck out of there before a gator came to the dinner bell. Spooky stuff.

Special Equipment: spinner and mmm. Have worn out the mmm switch and had to refurbish it in the blind. Found it's become such a nervous habit that I was lost without it to play with between flights.

Curses: None other than the poor big duck response.

Kudos: Was able to show nice guys a nice time after they'd weathered all the shooting to the east while we did nothing so well.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 10 gw teal, 5 mallards, 1 pintail and 1 ringneck

Photo Ops: Shot of Mike's tailgate shot:


Lagniappe:

[Ericdc]

Rick, I hunted with Bret this morning but you were gone when we got back to camp after picking up spread.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1451149880.851845.jpg

[Rick]

Didn't know you knew him, but very nearly stopped to see how it went when I saw he and Beau were picking up. How'd that go?

Been a mess of birds right across the blacktop for days, but the layouts were mighty plain to see, at least from ground level...

[Ericdc]

Yea. We didn't get any close enough. Had a lot of pressure on all sides that Bret said usually isn't any hunting. Then they started bodying up north of bean road.

Met Bret on our hunt with you, we did an afternoon hunt with him the day before morning hunt with you. Have stayed in touch. Hope to bring him to morehouse parish after geese.

[aunt betty]

holy shit...are them pro-line hip boots like mine?

[Rick]

No, those are LaCrosse Big Chief hip boots with the worlds slickest skates that they call "chevron soles". Had forgotten just how sorry those soles were until Cabela's quit selling their Ultimate Guide version with air-bob soles actually made for traction in mud.

[Rick]

Brought a big girl home last night:

[Ericdc]

Very nice

[DComeaux]

Nice deer!

[Rick]

She was fat, fat, fat, but I didn't mind.

[Rick]

Date: 12/27

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: Southerly strong

Temperature: mid 70s

Barometer: 29.81 steady

Moon phase: waning 94%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Big duck flight from hell that wouldn't break down in the wind, but enough little birds that we had no one to blame for not filling but ourselves. Same could be said of having more specks.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Horribly frustrating both trying to get them broke and getting caught when I did. Felt I had better luck with the over-bored back-up MVP than my usual favorite and believe I'll give it the seldom used Microhen's place on the lanyard. Specks worked pretty, but even they were too fast for us.

Hunters: 2, father and grown son, Parker and Andrew

Guns:

Malfunctions: my old montefeltro seemed to be slow firing (hang-firing) a couple times - after a thorough cleaning yesterday. Not sure what's up with that, maybe just me, as my guys' slow shooting had me all frazzled.

Dog(s): Pretty easy morning except for a chipped mallard that led a long chase.

Special Equipment: mmm and spinner spinner would do a slow roll in the wind when shut off that I know boogered some working mallards. would have pulled it altogether if not for so many teal in the marsh.

Curses: Super nice guys but super tall, super reluctant to hide and super slow getting underway. Birds were usually super gone with the wind or nearly so when their first show would go off - if it did at all. So it was super hard to help them.

Kudos: Super nice guys who still seemed to have a good time.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 1 gadwall, 6 gw teal, 1 mallard and 2 specks

Photo Ops: Peake with his fly and runaway mallard:


Lagniappe:

[Ericdc]

Had a first this morning. Decoyed my first good group of specks (25 or so) and we dropped our 6. No crippled.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1451241808.397793.jpg

[Ericdc]

No ducks though

[Rick]

Any time your crew drops six specks from a bunch is an incredible morning. Been years since I've seen that happen. And only a very few hours since I've seen too many specks in layup range blow out unscathed.

[Ericdc]

It was pretty. Liking the RNT I got last week.

[DComeaux]

Had a first this morning. Decoyed my first good group of specks (25 or so) and we dropped our 6. No crippled.

Post by Ericdc » Sun Dec 27, 2015 12:43 pm

No ducks though

That's awesome Eric! Ducks wouldn't matter to me after that volley. We've pulled multiples at times but always short of a limit. We've not had groups that big work us but the numbers were enough for three men to make it happen.

[Rick]

Tried my hand at deer again last evening, hoping to clip one of big momma's tender twins or maybe at least get a better look at a piebald deer I'd also glassed before deciding to give it a pass and stalk her. No go on either account, but what a bird show that fierce wind produced. Geese were trying to fly under it and passed in droves, with maybe forty specks landing and feeding almost within shotgun range for an hour or so. Was a bit surprising how many others would give them a look and push on and how few others joined them. Mallards and mottled were also working the area, and it was just an ultra neat way to spend an evening, deer or not.

Was better than a half mile from the truck, and when I hiked out at dark, there was never a time when there weren't geese, and very often ducks, low overhead: "like the old days".

[simplepeddler]

Sounds grand Rick.........walking out at dark was always one of my favorite times when I hunted over there.

[Deltaman]

No, those are LaCrosse Big Chief hip boots with the worlds slickest skates that they call "chevron soles". Had forgotten just how sorry those soles were until Cabela's quit selling their Ultimate Guide version with air-bob soles actually made for traction in mud.

Good info Rick! I tried to order a pair last week, but MPW was out of the Lacrosse Big Chief size 12, and I ended up ordering the Frogg Togg brand instead. I got a wet leg last time I hunted, and needed replacement asap. The FT brand is light, and I really like the tough denier?? material they use on the exterior of the legs. Only down side is not being able to pull them down and walk without the thinner material getting under foot. For years, I would buy the cheap $30 Academy brand and just replace as needed, but after getting a wet leg last week, realized that they had reduced the thickness of the outer coating to damn near nothing, and one season will wear right through that thin crap

[Rick]

Date: 12/27

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: Screaming out of the west.

Temperature: 50ish, but seemed colder in the wind

Barometer: 29.77 rising

Moon phase: waning 88%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Didn't see a lot of ducks, presumably because of the wind.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: What we saw came well, even from way up, presumably to get out of the wind. Used the over-bored MVP a lot.

Hunters: 2, uncle and young nephew, Mike and Colin, a once-a-year hunter and a brand spanking new one

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake lost a tipped greenhead he didn't see go down because I couldn't handle him past dead birds without him being able to hear me. And by the time we got him to where it went in, it was long gone in open water. Hate that he's deaf.

Special Equipment:

Curses: The shooting was better than the hitting.

Kudos: Nice guys who had a big time.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 3 gw teal, 7 mallards, 1 pintail and 3 ringnecks

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Addendum to 7/28 morning, which I mistakenly entered as 7/27: a wayward mallard that didn't stay that way:

[Rick]

Date: 12/28

Time: afternoon

Location: Thornwell middle blind

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: westerly moderate

Temperature: chilly

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Very few specks moving but a fair number of ducks came by.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: What few specks passed virtually all came pretty, though some plainly knew the spot or we got caught, still had more opportunity than success. Same for the ducks, except the guys got to miss a whole lot more of them. Neat how pretty they worked without all the marsh's binging and banging.

Hunters: 3, young Colin again, this time with his dad, Frank, and brother, Mathew.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy afternoon

Special Equipment:

Curses: Only that there weren't more goose chances, and that they were only allowed four more ducks between two of them.

Kudos: Nice folks all new to the game and having a big time.

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

Photo Ops: Easy money splashed down on our levee's edge:


A mallard draws the evil eye:


Lagniappe:

[Ericdc]

We had a decent shoot today. Killed most of our birds between 10 and 1230.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1451351087.243000.jpg

[DComeaux]

Date: 12/28
Time: afternoon
Location: Thornwell middle blind

That's a nice way to spend an afternoon.