2015-2016 Preason

[DComeaux]

With teal season getting close I'm getting a little anxious and with the injuries my wife sustained in the accident all of my time right now is for her. Blake and Bill picked up my bike this morning and made a trip to the blind. I Soooooo wanted to go! I really like what I see in the pictures Blake sent me. They sprayed the grass around the (3) control gates and blazed a trail on the walk in levee. They, or we, depending on the wife's situation, will be back out there next weekend to do a better job of clearing and cutting that walk in levee. I want to thank Rick for the effort he made to help us out. We really appreciate it.

From the new blind looking north

2015-08-09 15.15.05.jpg

Looking south

2015-08-09 15.13.33.jpg

[Rick]

They, or we, depending on the wife's situation, will be back out there next weekend to do a better job of clearing and cutting that walk in levee.

I failed to talk Mike, the Bobcat operator, into tracking down it, instead of through the field, which may have done more harm than good, anyway. Really need a smaller tractor and bush hog than the camp's.

[Darren]

Sorry to hear of your wife's incident, hoping for a speedy recovery for her, and hope your new blind set up is the ticket! Keep us posted on progress on both of those fronts

[Rick]

Made a pass by your blind this morning (after finishing Blake's weed-eating job around the pump engine) and found that our crack crew had buried it without first putting the lids on, so I cleaned the dirt out as best I could without a flat shovel and put the lids on, in case we actually see rain again. Since Blake left it open, too, tell him it's haunted by a tidy ghost who said he needs to bring a trash bag for the junk it left outside it.

[DComeaux]

Made a pass by your blind this morning (after finishing Blake's weed-eating job around the pump engine) and found that our crack crew had buried it without first putting the lids on, so I cleaned the dirt out as best I could without a flat shovel and put the lids on, in case we actually see rain again. Since Blake left it open, too, tell him it's haunted by a tidy ghost who said he needs to bring a trash bag for the junk it left outside it.

There was a little green snake in the blind. He makes funny noises when creepy crawlers and slithering things surprise him. I had asked him while he was out there if our old cover would fit and he told me about the metal covers. Not sure why he didn't cover it. I know the heat whipped there inside office worker asses.

Thanks!!

Blake mentioned that the top of blind level is lower than the other one that was removed. He was concerned about water from the pond getting in the blind during rain events or that we would have to watch the water level closely when pumped. Your thoughts? Remember, I haven't seen it yet. We could fill those cuts with all of the slats installed and not get water in the blind.

[Rick]

The depth looked fine to me, but I'm not a fan of deep floods to begin with. I'd think you'll be in good shape unless we've a super wet winter that backs water into the fields, like 2012-13, in which case we're all screwed. My beef with you're pit's installation, other than them leaving the lids off and dumping dirt in it, was how poorly the ground around it was dressed. Don't mind the notion of you or Blake stumbling on the mess and getting a wet tail, that's kinda funny, but Miss Ellie has my apologies for having been egg hunting in the marsh when it was done. (Leaving a nest out there on the north end of a marsh Darren's in-laws have an interest in because it was a "too far" walk-in was wearing on me, so I finally made that miserable venture - and found it a dud. Grrr...)

Anywho, I'd want to leave slats out until I saw how it's going, but I think you'll be fine.

[Rick]

One more thing: being in that blind reminded me of the bass-ackward bail the fellows who had it before left in it.


They'd also left the lids off at season's end, and seeing that the lids were right there and it being a rainy Spring, I took a fit to bail the blind with that lame thing and put the lids where they belong between seasons. Would have been much easier if they'd had the sense to cut the other end off that jug. Guess folks are hung up on the top being the top, because I find them like that all the time, but pit scoops and boat bails work much mo' betta from the big end with the handle in the rear.

(Photo was taken when it was the east blind, but I forgot to rant about it at the time.)

[DComeaux]

They did mentioned the rough terrain left at the blind during the installation but did mention the fine job you did further out. They mentioned the great walking conditions we'd have. Last year the ruts left from the buffalo tractor were hard to deal with not to mention the really soft bottom.

I've never seen a bail jug cut that way. We have one that's cut correctly and ready to go back out there.

I thought the old blind was a little high and "I" will not mind less water in the cuts. "Sheet water" fields seem to be more attractive.
Without the thick vegetation this year less water just might work as it should.

[DComeaux]

Blake and Bill made it out to the blind today and got the 1/4 mile walk In levee under control. Rick and his entourage now have an easy walk in, if they so desire. It makes a fine wind break and ambush spots for the deer flies.

The 'tunnel of love' as Blake calls it.

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Another stretch of the levee. The property (cuts we hunt) look good this year and I'm feeling pretty confident and excited. READY TO GO! The entire farm looks a little more inviting this year, to me anyway. We'll see what fowl think of it soon enough.

2.jpg

As soon as I can get out there I will be constructing Ellie's launch pad. I'm thinking of some sort of low hinged cover over the top of her. We'll see what I come up with? We have a lot of camo work to do around the blind, but it's a labor of love and I don't mind.

[Rick]

Blake and Bill made it out to the blind today and got the 1/4 mile walk In levee under control. Rick and his entourage now have an easy walk in, if they so desire.

Unless I'm out there buffaloing or some such, it's probably all yours at this point, but you can tell Blake and Bill I tip my cap to them all the same.

[Rick]

The view when I arrived at your north board gate this afternoon:


Tried waiting for a lull but ran out of patience and ended up filling my knee boots with what ran off me and soaking my pristine truck's seat with what didn't. Put all the boards in all three gates to hold the bottom ones down until they water log, so if the Great Flood comes, you may have to pull some. Though it slowed by the time I made it around the levee and back to the hard road, there was enough rain today to have some temporary sheet water in the field and run-off at the pipes, so perhaps it will be enough to seal the dry plowed ground and hold future rains...

[Darren]

Looking good!

[DComeaux]

Sorry to hear of your wife's incident, hoping for a speedy recovery for her, and hope your new blind set up is the ticket! Keep us posted on progress on both of those fronts

Thanks Darren.
The wife is getting better by the day but I'ts going to be a while yet before she's able to do some things on her own. We're slowly getting there. We have a couple of appointments on Wednesday, one with the trauma surgeon and one with the orthopedic surgeon. Hopefully the cracked and broken things are healing properly.

Post by Rick » Sun Aug 16, 2015 5:42 pm

The view when I arrived at your north board gate this afternoon:

Dang Rick! I hate that you got caught in that but I do appreciate you getting those gates shut. I'm fairly confident that I will be able to make it out there next weekend. THANK YOU!

[Rick]

Wasn't complaining, just noting what a sweet rain it was. Downright refreshing after being sweat soaked and tore up by deer flies and wasps breaking long neglected jungle to put drop pipes in one of our Klondike pieces that will now end up buffaloed instead of plowed. Again.

And having seen the classy trucks I drive, trust you know some water in the cab is as apt to help as hurt.

[Ajverret]

where are u guys hunting at?

[DComeaux]

where are u guys hunting at?

I'm just a couple of miles SSW of Gueydan.

[Rick]

How's Mrs. D doing?

[Ajverret]

Nice. I hunt the wax and atchafalya basin

[DComeaux]

How's Mrs. D doing?

Shannon i doing good today. The chest tube is out and we should be going home this afternoon.

[Rick]

Excellent.

Might find some good news at your blind soon, too, as Doug had Mike crank the pump to start flooding the east end today.

[DComeaux]

Excellent.

Might find some good news at your blind soon, too, as Doug had Mike crank the pump to start flooding the east end today.

Good news indeed,Rick. That makes me happy. As soon as I get this stuff under control on my end I'm getting out there. I'd like to see water there just a little early to welcome the little rockets and welcome back the mottled's.

Our side shouldn't take more than 3 to 4 days to flood @ 700 to 800 rpm, if we have sheet water now.

[Rick]

...if we have sheet water now.

Don't know that there still is, but would think there's a decent seal on the plowed ground. Been just across the bridge from it twice this week without having time to detour for a look.

[Rick]

Your place from deer fly alley:


The blind:


North, where I got in a second plow lick:


South, where I didn't:


More water than I'd want right now, but deeper is better for buffaloing, and you can always pull boards if need be. May even have to pump off if it keeps raining.

No teal seen while I was there late this afternoon.

[DComeaux]

Thanks soooooooo much for posting those pictures! Is that just rain water or did it get the pump? How's the east side doing for water? I want so bad to get out there.

[Rick]

Mostly rain. Top cut on your east side is holding good water, too, though some of that may be overflow from pumping east blind. Which barring washout should have deep water, too, albeit not above the new grass there.

Guy who bought the farms NW of you left a voice mail while my phone was charging last evening saying ducks were working his place, but also asked if he was speaking to Rick's duck camp, so he may have been kidding. Lots of rain here last night, so I'll probably start pumping your inside ditch down when meeting with him this morning.

(Plenty of wind, too: started the morning dragging oak limbs out of my and older neighbors across the road's drives and will be cranking the chainsaw for both.)

[DComeaux]

(Plenty of wind, too: started the morning dragging oak limbs out of my and older neighbors across the road's drives and will be cranking the chainsaw for both.)

I did see the the storm rolling through that area on radar at 10;00 pm last night. Looked like we were getting a good bit of rain on the property. The radar showed the possibility of hail just SW of Gueydan at that time.

[Darren]

Wow, all was quiet over this way yesterday and last night. Glad yall are getting the needed water for marsh and field floods.

[Rick]

Guy who bought the farms NW of you left a voice mail while my phone was charging last evening saying ducks were working his place, but also asked if he was speaking to Rick's duck camp, so he may have been kidding.

Turned out Jerry was kidding, but I saw several nice 30-40 bird bunches of high teal while on your farm this morning. Pulled one board on your bottom (south) cut, which should be plenty to insure water doesn't get in the blind, and you can pull more to suit you after buffaloing. Probably high enough to hold back the grass enough to teal hunt as is, but if a buffalo's out there, I'd want to hit it.

[DComeaux]

Very nice! These reports sure lift my spirits. Thanks!

I would assume that the east blind would need to see the buffalo if it's like past years after plowing. Sooooooo YES, please, please make a pass at the blind while it's there.

[Deltaman]

Curious, what is your meaning when you are talking about buffaloing a piece of property?????? Bush Hogging??