Looking Forward 2016-2017 Season

[Ericdc]

I forgot to note in my earlier post that our pit is in between levees this year. I don't know why the farmer did that but I am careful not to bother my landowner about things. I asked him if they would be able to pull a levee post harvest and he said he would unless it was wet. 2 years ago our field was in milo and he was able to pull us a levee after the milo was cut and before flooding. We did alright when the weather was alright. Thanksgiving 2014.



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[Darren]

Ha. Yea I dunno anything about it. Neat to be that close to an elk.


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and zebra! (without going to Africa)

[Rick]

Eric, that's an impressive string, but you forgot to hide the rest of the greater-billed greenhead.

[Ericdc]

Eric, that's an impressive string, but you forgot to hide the rest of the greater-billed greenhead.

Rick I display them proudly, they are indeed a hard one to fool.


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[DComeaux]

I'm really looking froward to my trek in the marsh on Saturday. I need a project that involves dressing or planting vegetation around a marsh pit... I doubt seriously that this pit has a dog box and I'll need to fabricate something to get Ellie underground. Maybe a small aluminum box with a wood slat floor to keep her out of the water and a solo cup bilge pump.

[Darren]

I'm really looking froward to my trek in the marsh on Saturday. I need a project that involves dressing or planting vegetation around a marsh pit... I doubt seriously that this pit has a dog box and I'll need to fabricate something to get Ellie underground. Maybe a small aluminum box with a wood slat floor to keep her out of the water and a solo cup bilge pump.

Dave, I hunted a pit in the marsh in the Creole area a couple seasons back......wow. If I could have a set up like that on my end, would be ridiculously effective. Was just high enough to keep a relatively high tide out but low enough such that the native marsh grass hung over the edges.

On my end, with the tidal swings we often see, that SOB would be full of water on a high tide. Keep us posted, can't wait to hear about it!

[DComeaux]

Our trip in the marsh yesterday showed us a very fertile and alive marsh with big schools of redfish pushing, nice sized shrimp to jump out of the water. Running to the blind across a couple of miles of marsh pushed up an impressive number of vocal mottled ducks. While at the blind reds were chasing bait around us. The blind area needs work and obviously the property manager hadn't seen this blind since he leased it last season due to his harsh comments of it's current condition.

I've been given the green light to do what I want to make this pit disappear into the natural flora that is this beautiful marsh. We have plenty of flourishing cordgrass in the area with shallow exposed root balls. These may be easy to transplant...we'll see. Many, and maybe all in this marsh have the "hilton" look even with pits due to the boat hides built next to it. I told the manager that I was going to use the boat and go-devil to get the hunters and supplies to the blind and paddle back with a pirogue. The pirogue will disappear in a wad of cordgrass alongside the blind on this island. He looked at me like I was crazy and said "we hunt from the boat, I like to be pampered" but you can do what you want to. He had concerns that if we'd drop ducks far out in the bigger water on north high wind days that we'd not be able to get to them. Not really a concern for me as I can get a pirogue up to 20 knots with a rooster tail. The go devil will not be far away if it gets rough.

This marsh has a hard bottom, is easy to walk and was filled with wigeon grass last season. There is some now and it's coming back after the high water they had last year. We were told that the water level is now at its normal stage.

We'll be back out there in a couple of weeks to do some work and I'll post some pictures of what we accomplish. The talk of the duck species taken there over the past seasons seem to include all of em. Was told they had a big wad of canvas back hanging around a non hunted section just north of us and the ruddys were thick. Seems the teal season last year was excellent with him telling us that all blinds limited out on every hunt......we'll see.....just don't want to get my hopes up just yet. We also stopped and had a look around in the camp we'll be using this year, it's only a couple of miles from the gate to paradise ....MAN, I"M READY TO GO!

[Ericdc]

Just don't believe them if they say they shoot mostly mallards. My buddies haven had a lease for 10 years now that they were told was a mallard spot. I doubt they've killed 100 mallards in 10 years, but it is a great teal and gadwall marsh and they are very content with that.


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[Ericdc]

Have had a lease *^


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[DComeaux]

Just don't believe them if they say they shoot mostly mallards. My buddies haven had a lease for 10 years now that they were told was a mallard spot. I doubt they've killed 100 mallards in 10 years, but it is a great teal and gadwall marsh and they are very content with that.


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I've hunted that area a lot in the past and should have never left. I know the mallards may show up on a good front but don't stay. I'm good with gadwall and teal, ducks in general. I've never been one to get stuck on a specific species and love most except for divers, not a fan, only because of their table fair status. If we have nothing but green wing I'd be happy. I know specklebelly fly in to the reserve in the evenings and fly out in the mornings. A foggy morning may give us a chance at those. I've taken specks on the ridge in creole when I had a lease there in the 80's. Just not going to be something that happens very often. The fishing and cast netting for shrimp is a big bonus at Rockefeller which is just a couple of miles down the road from the camp.

[Ericdc]

Cool, my buddies lease is on the little chenier


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[Ericdc]

Ridge


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[Darren]

Sounds like you're in the game!! I'm sure you'll make us proud with the way you set it up.

"hard bottom"......big time luxury we don't have on my end. Can't wait to see the photos

[DComeaux]

Yeah.... But this is what will probably happen

[youtube]http://gifb.in/VvsV[/youtube]

[Ericdc]

Yeah.... But this is what will probably happen

[youtube]http://gifb.in/VvsV[/youtube]

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[DComeaux]

Yeah I can't get the gif to load....I forgot how to load those

[Ericdc]

I went to a new lease in 2014-2015 season. I was both excited and nervous. It seemed like a great location, 1/4 a mile from the boeuf river and not too far from Arkansas line in the middle of rice country up here. But why is it available?

Well, we had previously leased from the CEO of CenturyLink for 5 years and he sold the farm. New owner reserved hunting rights. So a good from told me to call a landowner, I called and explained what happened. He said, well if you leased from that guy for 5 years you're welcome to lease a pit from me if I have an opening. This was in April 2014. He called back at end of May saying he had an open blind and would give me first shot. Went and met with him and looked at farm and blind. Gave him a deposit 2 weeks later. Going on season 3 now.

Apparently the guys before us only hunted weekends and preferred to drink and party at camp. They said we'd shoot mostly spoons and be lucky to kill any mallards. I've since learned that sometimes a lease is only as good as the person in it.

So with that, good luck.


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[DComeaux]

Thats the truth... The blind we're picking up was leased by an optometrist from Alexandria for a few seasons, he got it for his nephew. Said his Nephew was tired of hunting so he drooped it.

[Rick]

Let it be so.

[DComeaux]

I liken this situation of a new blind or area to voting for a candidate for political office. You take a lot of things into consideration, listen to the sale pitch from the owner or manager and then take the leap somewhat informed but unsure. All we have to do now is see how it plays out over the season. It can't be any worse for us than last season....can it?

[Rick]

If it's like this year's election, you're probably screwed regardless. But, yes, we'll certainly hope you do better there than the past couple or three seasons where you were.

[Darren]

I liken this situation of a new blind or area to voting for a candidate for political office. You take a lot of things into consideration, listen to the sale pitch from the owner or manager and then take the leap somewhat informed but unsure. All we have to do now is see how it plays out over the season. It can't be any worse for us than last season....can it?

the variety should keep things interesting for sure

[DComeaux]

I'm sick of politics and disgusted with our choices. I'm soooo ready to get out in the marsh to start working on the blind and forget about all of that crap. I'm really looking forward to having hunting pics to look at and reading the stories behind them.


IT'S TIME TO GET THIS SEASON ROLLING! I pray for no hurricanes.....That's why I haven't done anything out there just yet.

[Ericdc]

I'm sick of politics and disgusted with our choices. I'm soooo ready to get out in the marsh to start working on the blind and forget about all of that crap. I'm really looking forward to having hunting pics to look at and reading the stories behind them.


IT'S TIME TO GET THIS SEASON ROLLING! I pray for no hurricanes.....That's why I haven't done anything out there just yet.

Yea I put on Facebook earlier, the best thing about the 2016 election is they duck season starts 4 days later.




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[Rick]

Was down near your new digs earlier this week but didn't see a duck or goose.

[Ericdc]

Was down near your new digs earlier this week but didn't see a duck or goose.

Hahaha garhole


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[DComeaux]

Ellie and I are getting pretty excited and we both like our new toy. I had just got back from a morning benefit skeet shoot this morning and Blake went to pick up the pirogue. Shot in the mid to upper 60's, had a good time and knocked some of the rust off.

IMG_6067.jpg

[Rick]

If you expect to do much paddling, I'd suggest doing yourself the favor of getting a double bladed kayak paddle. Particularly if that pirogue is like most glass ones and has no keel.

[DComeaux]

Thats a good idea.