2014-2015 Season Log...

[Bruce Yerkes]

Yeah, they are starting to refer to me as the 'Delmarva coonass' up here. And I certainly take it as a compliment.

[Darren]

Keep us posted on your puppy pick

My early pick was the only one that's died so far. Might ought pick those New England Bungholes for the Super Bowl...

Sorry to hear that, had me wondering myself how often a puppy or two is lost from a litter. We picked Harry at 2.5 wks, chipped and all, would have been heartbreak for sure. I'll look forward to your next pick!

[Rick]

He's not done! He has two days left and the urge will be strong.

Already scheduled a marsh workday in the morning to pull the boats and put them up for the Summer. Just have to get past Sunday...

Saw nothing in the marsh this morning that made me wish it wasn't over. Hope you guys are busting specks at your place as I type.

[Rick]

Keep us posted on your puppy pick

My early pick was the only one that's died so far. Might ought pick those New England Bungholes for the Super Bowl...

Sorry to hear that, had me wondering myself how often a puppy or two is lost from a litter. We picked Harry at 2.5 wks, chipped and all, would have been heartbreak for sure. I'll look forward to your next pick!

With a litter that size (12), the loss of one or more doesn't seem surprising. Will be keeping an eye on the two remaining dead grass males, but have great faith in the breeder's judgement and may very well go with whatever he suggests.

[Rick]

Yeah, they are starting to refer to me as the 'Delmarva coonass' up here. And I certainly take it as a compliment.

Learned today that Doug and Jenny Rose parted on such a bad note that they may not be able to kiss and make up again next Fall...

[Flightstopper]

He piss off the master of all things breakfast?

[Darren]

Yeah, they are starting to refer to me as the 'Delmarva coonass' up here. And I certainly take it as a compliment.

Learned today that Doug and Jenny Rose parted on such a bad note that they may not be able to kiss and make up again next Fall...

Uhh ohhhhh....hate to hear that too for sure. Hope to see her back in 11 months

[DComeaux]

He's not done! He has two days left and the urge will be strong.

Already scheduled a marsh workday in the morning to pull the boats and put them up for the Summer. Just have to get past Sunday...

Saw nothing in the marsh this morning that made me wish it wasn't over. Hope you guys are busting specks at your place as I type.

Played with the crawfish even knowing that with the cold water it was futile, and didn't see enough speck activity over our place to set up. Someone set up across the street from the pump with a rag snow spread and FB specks. We watched as they tried to work a FEW of these now wary fowl. It didn't work.
We had water waist deep to bail from the blind this morning to get to the battery and other things. It was a wonderful experience, and I even found a leak in my waders as soon as I jumped in. It's time for a new blind.

[Bruce Yerkes]

Somehow I thought that may happen. Gonna be hard to replace that part of the 'team.' But I will keep hoping they make up during the off season . Keep me posted.

[Rick]

He piss off the master of all things breakfast?

He's such a mess that he pisses off everybody who tries to work around his decisions, but most of us love him anyway and stick around through the bumps to remain part of the family that is the camp. Doesn't sound like that will be the case this time, but we'll see...

[Rick]

He's not done! He has two days left and the urge will be strong.

Already scheduled a marsh workday in the morning to pull the boats and put them up for the Summer. Just have to get past Sunday...

Saw nothing in the marsh this morning that made me wish it wasn't over. Hope you guys are busting specks at your place as I type.

Played with the crawfish even knowing that with the cold water it was futile, and didn't see enough speck activity over our place to set up. Someone set up across the street from the pump with a rag snow spread and FB specks. We watched as they tried to work a FEW of these now wary fowl. It didn't work.
We had water waist deep to bail from the blind this morning to get to the battery and other things. It was a wonderful experience, and I even found a leak in my waders as soon as I jumped in. It's time for a new blind.

"As long as it lasts the season." was what I heard when that old blind went in, and you can't imagine the cluster-flutchs, plural, that entailed. First take was with a bargain teacup track hoe that couldn't lift it.

Sitting here thinking I've not tried timber specks yet this season and believe the coyote and I will grab Charlie and Agnes for one last go...

[Rick]

Date: 2/1

Time: morning

Location: cow pen trees

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: Southerly moderate

Temperature: pleasantly cool

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: specks in nearby marsh just sat, as apparently did most of everything in the area

Waterfowl Responsiveness: what very few birds I saw in the air checked out the call - then landed with the birds in the marsh

Hunters: just the coyote and I

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Curses: little moved during the two hours my patience held up

Kudos: Now I know.

Birds By Species: Last scratch of the season. (Unless I just can't stand not adding another this evening.)

Photo Ops:

[DComeaux]

"As long as it lasts the season." was what I heard when that old blind went in, and you can't imagine the cluster-flutchs, plural, that entailed. First take was with a bargain teacup track hoe that couldn't lift it.

Well, It stayed wonderfully dry for 3 full seasons and part of the forth teal season. The floor is getting thin and we've noticed the welded seems starting to come apart at the top due to corrosion. I built a cover for it and it was covered from day one during the off season, it stayed dry inside during the summers. It was nice to open it up for the regular season and have it clean and dry.

That big machine on site now can do the hole in one swipe!...width-wise,anyway.

[Rick]

Were I a betting man, "last minute" would be mine on replacement.

[DComeaux]

Were I a betting man, "last minute" would be mine on replacement.

I wouldn't bet against you, but I may beg and plead for an early installation so I can get fertilizer down to feed this seasons camo. Man, it was doing so well, too! But first, I need to hear from Adrienne? on this years situation.


Currently in the process of adding some 3M5200 to a boot.

[Rick]

This promises to be a most "interesting" year lease wise, seems most everything is still up in the air and at least some loses seem inevitable. Let's hope your blind and mine aren't among them.

[Rick]

Keep us posted on your puppy pick

My early pick was the only one that's died so far. Might ought pick those New England Bungholes for the Super Bowl...

Sorry to hear that, had me wondering myself how often a puppy or two is lost from a litter. We picked Harry at 2.5 wks, chipped and all, would have been heartbreak for sure. I'll look forward to your next pick!

With a litter that size (12), the loss of one or more doesn't seem surprising. Will be keeping an eye on the two remaining dead grass males, but have great faith in the breeder's judgement and may very well go with whatever he suggests.

Just got a new photo of the remaining males and see that I was mistaken about which was lost. So we'll see...

[DComeaux]

Just got a new photo of the remaining males and see that I was mistaken about which was lost. So we'll see...

That's good to hear!

This promises to be a most "interesting" year lease wise, seems most everything is still up in the air and at least some loses seem inevitable. Let's hope your blind and mine aren't among them.

That just wouldn't seem right! The universe would be out of balance.

[Rick]

I've lost three or four stronger ones to sublets in the past. "This is Rick's blind," is a selling feature on the order of "My wife's driving this one," from his used car lot days.

[J.M.Molnar]

Rick, who is your pup out of??

[Rick]

Rick, who is your pup out of??

Peake's sister, Brin, and a male with much the same blood as his predecessor, Blue: http://teamchesapeake.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6161080941/m/9700020676

[J.M.Molnar]

Very nice Rick..

[Rick]

Feel blessed to have a litter I'm so comfortable with come when it did. The onus will be on me to bring the pup on to be ready to go in situations where Peake's deafness is apt to endanger him by Fall. Should be a fun Summer.

[J.M.Molnar]

Good Rick glad to read this... Fun summer? This is going to be very interesting hunting season with the little one...

[Darren]

Rick, word on the street is the possibility of a third speck in the bag for next season OR possibly extended hunt days for specks in lieu of the bag increase. I'd have to figure the majority would go for the third bird over extra days but I'm just a SE La marsh rat. Larry was on Paradise Louisiana TV show this week talking about it.

Your thoughts?

[J.M.Molnar]

I've lost three or four stronger ones to sublets in the past. "This is Rick's blind," is a selling feature on the order of "My wife's driving this one," from his used car lot days.

Some people just don't have a clue or just so self centered they don't care... Hard to work with..

[Rick]

It's his camp and bottom line.

[Rick]

Rick, word on the street is the possibility of a third speck in the bag for next season OR possibly extended hunt days for specks in lieu of the bag increase. I'd have to figure the majority would go for the third bird over extra days but I'm just a SE La marsh rat. Larry was on Paradise Louisiana TV show this week talking about it.

Your thoughts?

Were I king, the limit would stay the same and extra days go on the end, where they'd afford more hunting time but not make much real pressure difference. But I'm not, and will be surprised if the federal plan rewrite doesn't afford a three bird option and most state survey respondents don't choose it.

[Rick]

Managed to let my customary season log summary get away from me this year, and I'm sure much will be lost to that passage of time, but "better late than never" I suppose.


Date: This season began much like its predecessor with September teal running very late, and even at the end of their season, our take was mostly the earlier migrating drakes:


But a hard cold front in early November helped square things up with a strong push of photo-period migrants, to include more mallards than usual, for the regular season opener:


After that, early season and late seemed to run pretty much their norm, with weather taking precedence over date.


Time: Mornings, as has always been the case since roughly the 2000-2001, were significantly better than afternoons. It's been that long since we've seen serious afternoon duck flights (barring rain) or even serious shows of them at quitting time or shortly after. Can't help but still miss being buzzed at the truck with promise for tomorrow, and major goose roost flights have now become all too rare, as well. Was long the case that hunting big, open floods was our hedge against slow afternoons, because the odds were good of getting shooting on some ducks coming early to feed or roost flight gunning on geese near the end of LST or at least enjoying a show on the way out, but that seems to be pretty much over. Unless there's rain to stir the ducks, everything mostly just sits from shortly after midday, if not well before, until dark-thirty.


Location: This was my ninth season of beginning my days at my sometimes beloved, sometimes cursed marsh "mudhole". So even with adequate water in the marsh, there was plenty of encroaching flotant "bank" and floating humus to cut back and grind:




Just to create the pothole facade:


of a few inches of water over three or four feet of sludge:


Separated from the broken marsh the birds find more inviting by floating prairie:


The mudhole is not a place birds want to be, just one they don't mind coming to. Most years that's been enough to satisfy me, despite all the binging and banging going on at better marsh to the north and east, thanks to the opportunity to sway otherwise passing traffic. But last year there was so little flight withing sight, let alone earshot, that I'd decided this would be my last there if this season weren't better. It was, and I hope to be back at the mudhole again come fall.


Cloud Cover: Seemed like the sun never shown this season. Oh, it did from time to glorious time, but for days and days at a time, it was depressingly gray - and made it that much more difficult to finish game. We had good gunning and bad with or without the sun, but unless it's raining to stir the pot, I'll take clear skies like those that helped show young Seth how to make do with nothing but wizened local pond hoppers, thank you:



Wind Direction and Velocity: And with just enough wind from any direction but northwest to stir game from big water loafing areas - but not enough that it has to fight to get to us. This year we seemed to have more calm days than usual and definitely saw more northwest wind directing finishing birds square over the open top of my mudhole blind. The latter exposure requires a level of concealment cooperation from my parties too few were able, or willing, to provide, and we got caught and/or forced into tough gunning a lot.


Temperature: Thought we were pretty durn fortunate in this regard. Got plenty cold enough at times, but we only saw ice in the marsh on a morning or two.


Barometer: I tracked this accurately for a change, but can't say I learned anything from it.


Moon phase: Same old story: didn't seem to mean much until later in the season, when a full moon could make it tough.


Special Notes: Perhaps the "special note" is that there were no big special notes: no hurricane, drought or flood, and while it wasn't the best of seasons, it wasn't the worst, either.


Waterfowl Activity: Could be frustrating to be "so near, yet so far" from the more broken marsh most birds were headed or trafficking low, but this season's traffic within sight, if not always earshot, was much improved over last miserable year's. Which at least gave us a fighting chance most mornings.


Waterfowl Responsiveness: Lot experimenting went on in this catagory, which could have been labeled "Calls and Calling". The good news includes the successes of my modification of my Riceland and James Meyers speck call toneboards, which made them a touch easier to run and more versatile, at least in my hands. Was nice to see that the geese seemed to like them as well as I do, and while we didn't see the speck ops we do most seasons, a mess of them sure worked pretty. Then, too, the herding dog whistle I'd hoped would prove the ticket for black-bellied whistling ducks did just that. Offered much more range than what I'd been using, and even those that had flared or been shot at found the "begging" call irresistible.

On the minus side was disappointment that the current cut hedge Microhen insert and New Old Style barrel combo I thought so nifty didn't pan out. It would turn big ducks passing close enough to hear it well enough but lacked the bite when jumped on to spark reflex return out of those that staled on it, and it didn't do much of a teal when tuned so I could jump on it without airlocking. The original Microhen toneboard cut can do those things much better, so my old acrylic Microhen insert ended up back on the lanyard, albeit now coupled with the NOS barrel I still prefer. Doesn't look as nifty, but it's appreciably more useful. And I found myself "permanently" retiring the Thomas predator call that was my speck go-to for, if memory serves, 18 seasons. Had put it on back-up duty quite a few years back because the irreplaceable (due to "wedge" design) reed was so eroded I feared losing it altogether:

But I always enjoyed running the little call, carried it as backup and made a point of using it a morning or two most seasons. This year when a slipped mental cog calling it into service, however, I found myself so accustomed to the larger gutted calls that I normally run that I struggled embarrassingly with the Thomas And, worse in my business, cost us some shooting.

The MVP remained my duck work horse, and very aggressive calling remained the duck key - particularly as the season progressed. Whether teal trafficking distant open water or high and wide big ducks, getting after and staying after them created many shooting opportunities that just weren't going to happen otherwise. When I struggled, committing myself to kicking out the jams was almost always the successful Rx.

(to be continued...)

[Rick]

Hunters: Despite the fact that I find myself getting crankier and more lacking in patience in my dotage, I still enjoyed the overwhelming majority of this year's hunters. Many suffered overages of thumbs and left feet, and only a relative handful of modern humans seem cut out to be predators, but most are genuinely nice folks its a pleasure to spend time with.

Our sport and camp are family oriented, and when I think of this year's hunters, I think of family, both figuratively and literally. In addition to far too many to picture who've become camp family, I carried a mess of fathers and sons, young:


and grown:


a father and daughter:


and even a mother and daughter:


plus a few three generation crews:


A disappointment was how little I got to hunt with my own literal family this season, but I mostly lost them to deer hunting, so it's not all bad. And I did get to take this character, Doug's great grandson, Cole, whose father I'd promised to help make him a hunter, a few times:


Pretty sure he shot (and immediately "tagged") his teal with me:


And know I tolled his first speck. Wasn't expecting to make that hunt and not having a camera on hand might just top my season regret list. Don't know who was more surprised when he hit it in the air: me, the bird or the boy. But I sure wish I had a photo of the boy soon after.

Guns: The O/U curse continued.

Malfunctions: One of the two we saw was a 28ga with 12ga shells. The other belonged to a fellow who struggled with its safety and couldn't get the second barrel to fire.

Dog(s): Aside from another so undisciplined its owner took it to the truck during a teal hunt, Peake, aka: the coyote was this season's lone dog, and he set a new record...

for eating duck bills:


He's been eating one a season right along, but this year he ate three. Never eats anything more, just the bills:


Peake also got pretty balky from plain fatigue late in the season, and his being functionally deaf cost us at least a couple birds. But he's still a fine hand and friend. And looks good doing it:


(to be continued...)