Preseason 2016...

[Ericdc]

Methodist was my 2nd guess.


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[Ducaholic]

Rick I saw your comments on Gators on DHC. What do you estimate the water temp to be at the mudhole right now?

I had a close call last year in December during the warm spell the week before Christmas with a 9 footer. He may have been headed for the dead duck on the water and not my dog but it appeared that they were on a collision course. Scared the bovine caca out of me so I'm a little more than concerned about using my dog with the lack of cold temps headed in to our opener on the 19th.

You have any apprehension going in to Saturday?

[Rick]

I don't know what the water temp is, but unless it gets appreciably colder, we'll be following our teal season protocol of boating the dog through deep water until it does. Did that well into last year's regular season.

Pretty sure the one that showed in the west end of my pond during teal has moved several hundred yards west down the run, and I was out on the flotant around the hole again today without seeing what I thought recent big gator sign, but you just don't know...

Do know I was apparently too early with my first round of fourchette cleanup, because more than a few buckets of them cropped up between then and this morning. This being the first load hauled to points elsewhere:


Also weed-whacked everything likely to blow across the run during a hard front and spoil someone's boat ride to the blind while I was out there, making everything as ready as I know how to make if for the opener with two days to spare.

[Ducaholic]

I'm thinking with temps in the mid-40's for opening weekend things should be OK but she won't be going on any long retrieves until the 2nd split and frost has hit the ground.

[Ericdc]

I'm thinking with temps in the mid-40's for opening weekend things should be OK but she won't be going on any long retrieves until the 2nd split and frost has hit the ground.

No gators in my place.


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[Ducaholic]

I'm off the first 9 days of the East Zone
And more if weather gets right.

[Rick]

any increase of birds noted?

There were a few little bunches of new ringnecks using the marsh, and the fellow guiding the east blind had a pair of either redheads or canvasbacks land with his decoys and a pair of mallards try to. Nothing tried to land in the Mudhole while I was there, but I did see a few bunches of big ducks that didn't appear mottleds pass over the marsh in midday. Heard just one flight of specks all day. Did, however, have a lone whooper do a low, noisy fly-over that was neat, and nearly wrecked with a little doe crossing the run on my way out.

[Rick]

Didn't expect to go back out there until Saturday, but was wide awake at 3:30 thinking about the spare 870 I usually stash under the bench after the first couple or three mornings someone's gun woes make me wish I had. Believe I might actually try to have it when we need it the first time this go-around.

[Darren]

Rick - we put out decoys this past weekend, and we are still holding ducks. We have poule d"eau by the thousands have not had them in those numbers in many years.
our water level is too high - water is a foot over what is normally our islands - but that is where the ducks are feeding.

Have not seen the coots en masse on our end like usual, hoping they show. Good sign they're finding good feed and the ducks will follow suit I'm sure.

[DComeaux]

I'm thinking with temps in the mid-40's for opening weekend things should be OK but she won't be going on any long retrieves until the 2nd split and frost has hit the ground.

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You may try the ole chips ahoy distraction.

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[Rick]

Like the dog photo, but hope the dumb-ass thinking it's cute to teach one to look for handouts gets got.

Moved a hundred plus big ducks of some sort from south of our boat run going to the blind this morning, and Isaac said there were 20-30 with green heads sitting on his pond. Which, if there's a mallard in our marsh, is where it will want to be. Truly neat spot.

[Ducaholic]

D I appreciate the humor!

[DComeaux]

Moved a hundred plus big ducks of some sort from south of our boat run going to the blind this morning, and Isaac said there were 20-30 with green heads sitting on his pond. Which, if there's a mallard in our marsh, is where it will want to be. Truly neat spot.

I really like reading this. This little front may have brought a few birds with it.

[Darren]

........and Isaac said there were 20-30 with green heads sitting on his pond. Which, if there's a mallard in our marsh, is where it will want to be. Truly neat spot.

My first morning with y'all is there with him this year, have heard enough, gotta see for myself! But fret not, you'll get to tolerate me the next morning.

[Rick]

Issac and Ian are both first rate hunters, and Issac in that hole is a super combination. It's the spot the long time past "marsh boss" chose for himself - and didn't do nearly so well.

[Rick]

Moved a hundred plus big ducks of some sort from south of our boat run going to the blind this morning, and Isaac said there were 20-30 with green heads sitting on his pond. Which, if there's a mallard in our marsh, is where it will want to be. Truly neat spot.

I really like reading this. This little front may have brought a few birds with it.

Don't know if you're aware that Marsh Bear is down there by the coast with you, only over towards Johnson Bayou. I'd think his reports especially telling.

[DComeaux]

Moved a hundred plus big ducks of some sort from south of our boat run going to the blind this morning, and Isaac said there were 20-30 with green heads sitting on his pond. Which, if there's a mallard in our marsh, is where it will want to be. Truly neat spot.

I really like reading this. This little front may have brought a few birds with it.

Don't know if you're aware that Marsh Bear is down there by the coast with you, only over towards Johnson Bayou. I'd think his reports especially telling.

Yeah, I've been eyeing those and knew of his location. We had a good mess of poule d'eau last weekend, which was the first we've seen this year, along with the others. We'll be leaving for the camp at noon tomorrow and plan a trip to the blind. I'll post what we see down there in my preseason thread.

[Rick]

Hope you find it loaded.

[Rick]

Crazy day yesterday trying to do damage control for taking a less active hand in ag land prep for the camp's sublets, where we'll be lucky to have a blind or two left to hunt ourselves if and when the dust ever settles. Just an unbelievable mess, and knowing the big cheese, I may not know the half of it and will likely have new and exciting surprises waiting when we get back from the morning hunt.

Spent a short while with the landowner of the piece where the state was trying to put transmitters on specks and was told they'd tranmittered five, of which four were immediately lost to the eagles that had also gathered to take advantage of that speck concentration. DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS TRUE, but am looking forward to finding out...

[Rick]

Spent much of the morning in the marsh and am tickled to report that the weather driven influx of birds we've been seeing in ag lands is showing there, too. Moved what seems a lot of mallards these days and had a poule d'eau in the Mudhole. Mallards may all be back in Arkansas when the thermometer hits 70 tomorrow, but maybe the poule d'eau will stay this time.

Neat to see, in any event.

[Ericdc]

There's not a lot of water in Arkansas and most of what is there is being hunted hard. It's a nice scenario for us.


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[Ericdc]

Headed up to my lease right now to freshen up the grass on blind and pump any water out that might be in the bottom. Hopefully we'll have birds. Brought my calls to play if so.


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[Rick]

Brought my calls to play if so.

Had a call in my pocket, but being in austerity mode didn't want to show anything my hand. Every duck matters...

[Rick]

Started my day with friend, Clark, in his blind on Cherry Ridge, and was once again convinced that it just has to be as good as anything in our part of the country. Just an absolute show of mostly mallards and grays that bowed up way out and could hardly be driven away. And while my little camera wasn't up to the task, that didn't stop me from trying:


















Made my Mudhole seem pretty much just that, but a grand time I'm thankful for, all the same.

[Rick]

Didn't go on your half of the farm, but saw specks sitting all over the west half yesterday.