Post-Season 2016

[Darren]

Been doing some fishing and other typical offseason activities, but feel like I've recovered from the usual end-of-season hangover/exhaustion both mentally and physically. Have also been revisiting the log on here and my personal record via Excel sheet to look back on what we did right or where we let the birds win (often) this past season. The birds largely just didn't show for us in our home marsh but still enjoyed a few nice hunts there and were fortunate enough to get on some great hunts elsewhere like Delacroix marshes and SW La fresh marsh and fields.

One recent revelation has been, seemingly, a result of the continued work with Harry in the backyard, most frequently with tennis balls (fired up every time) to when I finally pulled out a pair of dummies (extra fired up for those) to test him on some retrieves I've been working on with him. Last season he had trouble committing to one retrieve and returning with that one in the event he saw another laying on the pond en route to or from the initial target OR if another bird hit the pond on occasion with Harry still on retrieve initially sent for. Understandably we'd have likely made the game easier for him by not taking such shooting ops over a green dog but apparently that was tough to hold back on at times. Nonetheless, multiple retrieves proved problematic regardless of timing of presentation to him, with the exception being multiple birds dead in the decoys and close enough for me to emphasize his return with each one, in which he did well. I recall one instance that he brought in 7 teal after a particularly productive volley.

As such, been really harping on him coming back with initial tennis ball (or dummy), returning it to hand (at times had tendency to stop short in the past), and then send for the second retrieve. It would seem just in the last few weeks that things have started to click with him on this and he's been showing marked improvement so I'm hoping we're on to something. Just in general he seems to be handling a bit easier overall so maybe it's just a product of his age, having just made the 16 month mark on April 5. It's also looking like he's starting to plateau with growth, with a recent trip to the vet showing he's around 66 pounds, having only gained a couple of pounds since the last trip a few months ago. At that time the Doc had predicted he'd be in the 65-68 pound range so looking like he's on target there. I'd hate to see him get much bigger since he doesn't exactly help to paddle the pirogue on way to the blind. One thing is certain, he's full of energy as is typical for his breed and very athletic/muscular. Been trying to get him exercise each day, especially right now while it's not sweltering hot.

I snapped these during yesterday afternoon's session. I'd also note that he seems to be more apt to properly carry these dummies than he was pre-season in the fall of 2015.

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We've got a couple of offseason projects on tap as well with regard to two of our go-to areas. We're hoping to get a permanent hide built in the Delacroix honey hole for both comfort and better hiding than the haphazard bush blinds we relied on this past season, though they were typically very effective.

The other project is to consider tightening up the big blind pond by maybe moving some grass clumps into it during a high tide event. Historically this pond had more clumps and wasn't quite so wide open. As shown in the photo below, the area to its immediate south is more broken and thus seems to be more attractive to the mallards, mottleds and teal. Though we'd prefer more open water for the grays, it was very apparent this season that the mallards would give us a swing only to commit to more broken marsh areas of our surroundings.

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[DComeaux]

Dang!!! The pup has grown!

Nice pond. I'm still in limbo about a place for this season, and I'm trying to keep my mind off of it as to not go crazy.

[Deltaman]

Good looking hound Darren, and glad to heart that his training is going well I've owned a couple of Goldens over the years, and other than fighting the longer hair issue, love the breed!

[Darren]

Good looking hound Darren, and glad to heart that his training is going well I've owned a couple of Goldens over the years, and other than fighting the longer hair issue, love the breed!

He's indeed very "typical" for his breed.....big, fluffy, and full of personality. Makes us smile every day, with his largest fault being that he cannot stand being away from us, is constantly at your feet or between your legs. Well, that, and tearing down my vegetable garden fence I put up to keep him out of it.

[Darren]

So what happened this year, why didn't birds really show? Sure most had some good hunts but it seemed that most found it to be "off" in one way or another. We don't have all of the answers but it doesn't take much looking back to see some real tell-tale indicators that were very apparent even at mid-season, if not earlier.

For one, though we had some impressive cool downs in late September and the first week of October, things went south from there, and it wasn't the birds. I noted that on the Sept 13 teal hunt that it felt like early November, with rippin' north winds unusual for early teal hunts, temps in the 50's that morning. Great! Unfortunately it stayed fairly mild and seasonable the rest of September. But in October, it started raining. I don't have the stats but recall it being one of the wettest on record and that was for nearly the entirety of the flyway, not what you want to hear as a hunter on the tail end of the parade route. In fact, it's literally one of the worst conditions for our hunting down here, in my opinion. We've seen banner early arrivals on drought years, with this year being the inverse of that. This, after a summer and early fall where the flyway had been extremely dry and seeming to set up just how a Louisiana hunter would want it.

It stayed fairly mild and wet through October (remember, Halloween was a washout) and into early November with no significant Arctic-originating fronts, only Pacific-driven fronts as is typical for an El Nino weather pattern.

Below are some telling excerpts from the December aerial survey summary report done by La Sportsman. Sure the overall number of birds observed was apparently up but that's not the whole story.

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=9030

“We have this survey of 2.64 million that’s higher than the most recent five-year average, and higher than the long-term average, but we have the lowest number of mallards on record, and all dabbling ducks except spoonies are below long-term average." Obviously the survey numbers were inflated by the huge influx of divers, especially ringers. You have to figure the puddlers were scattered up and down the flyway in temporarily flooded acreage and unpressured backwaters, as referenced below:

“But we’re well above long-term average for numbers of scaup, ring-necked ducks and canvasbacks. It’s a good diving duck survey —we’ve got canvasbacks, lots of ring-neck ducks, and we’ve got pretty good numbers of scaup, but we’ve got record low numbers of mallards, and all the other dabblers are below their long-term December average.”

"Duck hunters in Canada completed their season with no ice cover at all, and Minnesota hunters opened and closed their season with no push of mallards, he said. Yesterday, a colleague in Iowa emailed Reynolds and said that state was almost completely devoid of ice, with substantial mallards still there this week." Hmmmmm, not good. Again, continued Pacific fronts and no Arctic fronts.

As a result, very few days of ripping NW winds so our water levels stayed up. We took the flat boat to the blinds or easily paddled every hunt of the season, with the exception of one hunt at end of the season when we finally had to break out the pushpoles. That is flat out bizarre. I routinely got reports from some who said it was one of the worst seasons they'd ever had, just one year removed from good hunting the prior season.

There were, however, some bright spots. On our end Delacroix was feast or famine, some had empty skies, and some reported unbelievable numbers and quick limits on mostly grays, something we got in on as well more than a few times. Venice seemed to hold up to its usual stature, though many noted that it didn't quite seem right, and even fairly slow, at times.

We'll see how this offseason plays out, looks like we could really use some rain on the breeding grounds at the moment.

[Rick]

Wish I thought the future of our waterfowling looked as good as Harry.

[aunt betty]

Wish I thought the future of our waterfowling looked as good as Harry.

Amen to that.

[Darren]

Looking like the most promise is in the prospects for pursuing divers. Break out the layout boats!

Aside from that, all you can do is hope for favorable weather patterns this summer and fall, and be ready for whatever does show up come opening day.

[aunt betty]

Looking like the most promise is in the prospects for pursuing divers. Break out the layout boats!

Aside from that, all you can do is hope for favorable weather patterns this summer and fall, and be ready for whatever does show up come opening day.

Funny you should bring that up. Am having the same conversation in the CCC private group. Seems that the SEMo guys in our group were shooting divers where they usually don't see them. Suggested trying some diver decoys because the black/white combo POPS or glows in the field.

[Rick]

Old gentleman who introduced my then early teen self to duck hunting on Lake Erie "bills," as his "rock ape"/retriever, agreed. Said his "secret" was an all drake spread for more show. Having owned exactly six diver (ringneck) decoys in my life, I've no basis for drake/hen efficacy comparison of my own.

An, I think, oddity I have noted was that when I used that little pod of ringnecks in conjunction with a rice field spread it seemed every passing ringneck tried to fall in with them, which could be good news for your friends. But ringnecks in our current marsh seemed to pay them no attention at all, so giving them a several season chance, I quit bothering with them. Though I may be getting desperate enough to try them again. (Gave pintails, which I'd also quite fooling with, a go last year - to no discernible advantage.)

Given that ringnecks are far, far and away the duck most commonly found actually using our marsh, yet invariably well down the list of those taken at my blind (6th last season), I'm guessing that my little pothole is too small to interest them. Though lost cans generally at least give us a close look and equally lost scaup and redheads seem more apt to plop down in my, now all puddler and speck, spread than pass it by.

(Being marsh residents, the jacks are pretty quick to learn spinners have guns, and we have our best luck bending their flights for pass shooting with a Mallard Machine.)

[Darren]

Can count on one hand the ringers we've killed on our end, though not too far to our south in the Terrebonne areas they're stacked thick, especially the last couple of seasons.

One place I killed a good many that really surprised me was in the flooded cypress brakes of Tensas Parish, 2008-2009 season. These were narrow sloughs/brakes that the ringers would run and get really close, lots of fun.

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I made a diligent effort to try a new set of pintail dekes the latter half of this season with inconclusive results. The grays worked in nice, when they were around, but they also did so just fine before that. Just figured I'd add some color/visibility that the gadwall dekes don't afford. Maybe I just like the way they look out there? Maybe just so I can say I'm not running the exact same SE La standard spread everyone else is hunting on our end (GHG Grays with a few teal or coots mixed in)?

One factor I think I can point to being effective is the big wad of coots we've been using so we'll keep going with that, pintails added in or not.

[Rick]

One factor I think I can point to being effective is the big wad of coots we've been using...

Shhh...

[Darren]

One factor I think I can point to being effective is the big wad of coots we've been using...

Shhh...

You've got it made, literally and comparatively, I'm the one that has to compete with all the public land clowns

Of note I sold my battleship-sized GHG coots to Beau and have opted for the smaller, lighter Game-Winner line of coots from Academy which are better suited for my run-n-gun tactics; e.g., paddling boat load of dekes along with Harry.

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Can fit more of these coots in my Rig 'Em Right bag in the boat than those oversized GHG's.......though they certainly look good. Kinda wish GHG would come out with a standard or life-size coot with a fixed keel.

[Rick]

Kinda wish GHG would come out with a standard or life-size coot with a fixed keel.

Added some of the better made Tanglefrees - not their old super thin ones - to my GHG, G&H and Flambeau mix last year, but plain black, standard sized "Hotbuy" type coots have long been my unfulfilled wish. Since my coot raft is in the line of fire, they get hammered by anxious guns, and the inexpensive Flambeaus are too thin to hold up to my favored soldering iron "welding" repair, those Game Winners have caught my attention. But not having seen them in the flesh, I've feared they'd be as thin as the Flambeaus and wonder if you could offer comparison?

Just stepped out and counted the casualties still awaiting repair from this past second split, and there are an even 20. Don't recall if I fixed any during that split but do know I'd repaired the first split's and started that one with a clean slate.

[DComeaux]

Kinda wish GHG would come out with a standard or life-size coot with a fixed keel.

Added some of the better made Tanglefrees - not their old super thin ones - to my GHG, G&H and Flambeau mix last year, but plain black, standard sized "Hotbuy" type coots have long been my unfulfilled wish. Since my coot raft is in the line of fire, they get hammered by anxious guns, and the inexpensive Flambeaus are too thin to hold up to my favored soldering iron "welding" repair, those Game Winners have caught my attention. But not having seen them in the flesh, I've feared they'd be as thin as the Flambeaus and wonder if you could offer comparison?

Just stepped out and counted the casualties still awaiting repair from this past second split, and there are an even 20. Don't recall if I fixed any during that split but do know I'd repaired the first split's and started that one with a clean slate.

We bought a few dozen Game winners the first couple of seasons in the rice because of price and availability. These took the place of my older faded stuff until we got the others. We knew they wouldn't last. I think we only have a hand full left of these hard plastic faded things. When shot, they crack easily with chunks coming off in some cases. Brittle is the word, especially on the cold days, when we do get em.

Rick, I think your pound would look like the aftermath of a clay shoot with game winners.

[Darren]

Yea the Game Winners are darn near disposable quality plastic. It's a thin, brittle plastic that I'd figure won't work for your soldering repairs after the inevitable casualties. Now my day to day picking up dekes, piling them in the pirogues and flat boat, dog crawling on them, etc. is hard on the dekes but I've yet to have any issues with leakage, and none have been shot yet.

I have, however, had issues with the cap on rear end of the keels going MIA and letting the mysterious orange "dirt" come out of the back rendering them now water keels, but only on two of my dozen GW's. There's also 14 old Flambeau water keels that make up our coot party. Upside to those GW's, though, is that they feature a fairly deep keel (for their size) and tend to ride nicely in the pond's ripples, and being so light it doesn't take much to move them. For the price I'll keep running them and try to remember to do some keel repairs or even proactive retrofits before we kick it off again in Nov.

You hit it right, Rick, we need some "hot buy" coots but looks like we're more apt to see ProGrade coots

[Rick]

Oh, well. Finishing birds show enough propensity for landing with the coot raft that expanding it much could work against us, either by encroaching on our open "lanes" in front of the blind or encouraging birds to put in too far west, instead of squared up in front, where everyone has a sweet shot. That, and the Game Winner profile seems so much the same as the Flambeaus I already have that they'd add nothing to whatever illusion of life can be offered by posture variety. Probably best I just keep breaking out the 5200 and recycling the Flambeaus with it.

[Darren]

Oh, well. Finishing birds show enough propensity for landing with the coot raft that expanding it much could work against us, either by encroaching on our open "lanes" in front of the blind or encouraging birds to put in too far west, instead of squared up in front, where everyone has a sweet shot. That, and the Game Winner profile seems so much the same as the Flambeaus I already have that they'd add nothing to whatever illusion of life can be offered by posture variety. Probably best I just keep breaking out the 5200 and recycling the Flambeaus with it.

If we've gotten to the point of seeking posture variety from coots, we'd better get to writing GHG requesting those ProGrade editions!

[Rick]

I'd really rather not buy anything from Avery.

[aunt betty]

Where I'm at all you have to do is set up a spread and the coots swim over. (if I'm hunting big water in Illinois)

You have to buy coot decoys? Really? @

[Rick]

You have to buy coot decoys? Really? @

Only if you want a big raft of them that won't haul ass when the shooting starts.

[Rick]

And speaking of busted coots...this thread set me to thinking about my thin plastic Flambeaus which put me in mind of an Indaswamp pellet hole repair suggestion I just got off my butt and tried: sticking a wedge of plastic cut from an oil jug in the hole, lighting its end and letting it melt down into the hole. Seems to have made a nice bond.

[Darren]

And speaking of busted coots...this thread set me to thinking about my thin plastic Flambeaus which put me in mind of an Indaswamp pellet hole repair suggestion I just got off my butt and tried: sticking a wedge of plastic cut from an oil jug in the hole, lighting its end and letting it melt down into the hole. Seems to have made a nice bond.

That sounds like a winner. Will keep in mind for coot repairs, though thankfully none with holes just yet. Mine tend to stay more upwind of the barrage, and we catch the grays coming into them.

[Rick]

Well, we'll have to wait and see how said plugs hold up, but it looks promising...

[Darren]

Checked off a couple of key post-season items over the weekend. Finally got back to the storage shed to properly hang my dekes that were haphazardly piled into the boat last day of the season. Needed the right drill bit to get through the metal sheeting to use screws for "hangers". Came out just fine and put a hand on the boat and it's workings, all in order, short of putting a hose on the motor and cranking it up.

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Also made my way over to the taxidermist to drop off the BW teal taken at Rick's blind back at end of December. Kevin pulled it out and had a look and is fired up about it so just need to get him some idea of a pose I want.

Most interestingly though, I was able to check out a buddy's bird claimed by most to be a black duck. I'd seen photos but now having seen it in person for myself it looks awfully close to a black duck (if it's not 100%) and is surely a long way from a mottled duck. As shown in the photos, it's very dark, much darker than any mottled I've taken, and it's HUGE. The body's circumference being far larger than any bird I've taken, more closely resembles a farm duck in that regard.

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Kevin had a lot of other mounts in progress there, really neat to see, including one pintail-mallard cross, quite a few spoons, mallards, pins (including a double banded sprig belonging to another friend of mine), teal, few redheads, a sandhill crane, and a nice eaglehead.

[Darren]

Also stumbled on this photo from my collection I found to be very representative of our season, should have included it in the April 13th entry regarding "What happened??"

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Never good when the pond floods over it's banks, water too deep for birds to feed, they don't stay. As I've alluded to before, we didn't pull out a pushpole until the very end of the season, with most outings allowing us to just take the flat boat to the blinds. Very very unusual

[Rick]

That is a black duck.

[Darren]

Here's the final product on the black duck

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Still shopping around for pose ideas for the BW teal

[Rick]

I'm not a mount person, but he did a nice job.