2017-2018 Season Log

[Ericdc]

The nfl is not a non profit, not the nfl office nor the actual owners (which is where all the money is).

The government paying them with our tax dollars is a terrible waste.

Until the advertisers start dropping out, nothing will change.


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[DComeaux]

I was talking to a guy this morning who lives and works near our lease, and he has a lot to do with ducks. He asked how we were doing and proceeded to tell me about his little place. His place is about 3 miles or so as the crow flies to the SW of where we are now. He told me that last week, Monday thru Wednesday they had a 3 blind limit with 3 men each by 7:00 AM every morning, and that it was just a bit slower this week. They had to hunt till 7:30 yesterday to fill the 3 blind, 3 men each limit.... I think those blinds have had limits every hunt since opening day.

All of those big bunches we see come over and dive to our south end up on top of em. They finish so early that the birds are unmolested and just sit there, as they do just a couple miles west on the reserve, and the reserve is loaded. He said it had a lot to do with the water level, and where they hunt it's only inches deep compared to our current 18 inches Plus. I sort of knew this, he just reinforced it.
The water is falling, and hopefully we'll not have any major rain events. Our marsh will be pretty ducky come regular season if we stay dry.

[Darren]

For the early teal, in my experience, it's entirely about the shallowest water available to them. Yes they will come to decoys in 18 inches of water and good hunts can be had, but that's not where they're going. In one of the areas I've hunted so far this season I'm going there because I know that's where they're going, it's the "X", and different from other areas nearby I might be able to convince a few to give me a swing.

On the other area, I'm hunting with the proverbial "X" all around me in backflooded tiny shallows, and they usually give us a swing when they're around, as I'm hunting 24 inches of water. You would never jump them out of these ponds while scouting, but they're all around it on their own accord.

Apparently 'ol boy is on the X where they're headed!

[Rick]

Sounds like it's good to be him. Hope lower water levels turn the trick for you, too. Our area remains such a No-Fly Zone that it's hard to imagine good concentrations within many miles are doing anything but sitting tight.

[DComeaux]

Sabine Loaded? is that refuge to your West?

To our east.

[Ericdc]

Sabine Loaded? is that refuge to your West?

To our east.

You’re talking about Rockefeller and not Sabine right?


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[DComeaux]

Sounds like it's good to be him. Hope lower water levels turn the trick for you, too. Our area remains such a No-Fly Zone that it's hard to imagine good concentrations within many miles are doing anything but sitting tight.

Rick, as I think I briefly mentioned in another post, or not, in the late evenings there are large flights coming from the south over the camp at altitude heading north..... Wave after wave. I'm pretty sure those are coming from the lush, last mile and a half of marsh at the beach.

It's reversed in the mornings.

[DComeaux]

Sabine Loaded? is that refuge to your West?

To our east.

You’re talking about Rockefeller and not Sabine right?


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Correct

[Ericdc]

Sounds like it's good to be him. Hope lower water levels turn the trick for you, too. Our area remains such a No-Fly Zone that it's hard to imagine good concentrations within many miles are doing anything but sitting tight.

Rick, as I think I briefly mentioned in another post, or not, in the late evenings there are large flights coming from the south over the camp at altitude heading north..... Wave after wave. I'm pretty sure those are coming from the lush, last mile and a half of marsh at the beach.

It's reversed in the mornings.

It’s really neat to figure out where they are going and why.


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[DComeaux]

Sounds like it's good to be him. Hope lower water levels turn the trick for you, too. Our area remains such a No-Fly Zone that it's hard to imagine good concentrations within many miles are doing anything but sitting tight.

Rick, as I think I briefly mentioned in another post, or not, in the late evenings there are large flights coming from the south over the camp at altitude heading north..... Wave after wave. I'm pretty sure those are coming from the lush, last mile and a half of marsh at the beach.

It's reversed in the mornings.

It’s really neat to figure out where they are going and why.


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These teal may have adjusted to pressure as well, especially if the birds are older...been there done that. I would like to know the ratio of juveniles to adults in the bag counts.

[Rick]

Sounds like it's good to be him. Hope lower water levels turn the trick for you, too. Our area remains such a No-Fly Zone that it's hard to imagine good concentrations within many miles are doing anything but sitting tight.

Rick, as I think I briefly mentioned in another post, or not, in the late evenings there are large flights coming from the south over the camp at altitude heading north..... Wave after wave. I'm pretty sure those are coming from the lush, last mile and a half of marsh at the beach.

It's reversed in the mornings.

I don't doubt you, just haven't seen it over us since opening morning or know of rice still producing well in the afternoons. Best/closest I've heard of is a fellow above Pine Island who's cultivated a lot of duck salad to draw them.

[DComeaux]

Sounds like it's good to be him. Hope lower water levels turn the trick for you, too. Our area remains such a No-Fly Zone that it's hard to imagine good concentrations within many miles are doing anything but sitting tight.

Rick, as I think I briefly mentioned in another post, or not, in the late evenings there are large flights coming from the south over the camp at altitude heading north..... Wave after wave. I'm pretty sure those are coming from the lush, last mile and a half of marsh at the beach.

It's reversed in the mornings.

I don't doubt you, just haven't seen it over us since opening morning or know of rice still producing well in the afternoons. Best/closest I've heard of is a fellow above Pine Island who's cultivated a lot of duck salad to draw them.

I would think that by the time those heading north made it to the rice it'd be dark 30. Those in the morning begin to arrive at daylight, or at least that's when we can start to see em. I guess they have it figured out, but they aren't telling us about it.

I saw a wad in a very shallow crawfish/rice pond along I49 north around 7:45 this morning feeding it up. I passed back an hour and a half later and they were all gone.

[Deltaman]

It was the size of a small pig.

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Dave,
What kind of metal is that pot made of? Reminds me of a pot I saw a fellow using to fry fish in Cocodrie, and he told me what it was, saying it worked best, but I cannot remember what he called it. Thought it was something like bakelite???or something like that..........

[Deltaman]

Maybe magnalite? Or is that pot you have aluminum?

[aunt betty]

Bakelite is some sort of plastic material according to the internet.
"thermal setting pheno formaldehyde resin polyoxybenzylemethylglycolanhydride" <---- sound tasty to you?
Not sure but I don't think I'd be cooking on it.
Same with aluminum if possible. (recycle your aluminum pans into beer cans)
Use cast iron skillets and lard. Your fish will be divine.
Same with frogs. Try making them like fried rabbit?

[Rick]

Maybe magnalite?

Magnalite is a brand of cast aluminum cookware, and that's what it looks like...

[aunt betty]

I think bakelite may be used in transformers

We tried to use cuts from thin sheets as speck call reed material---sounded real good initially,left overnight anywhere there was heat,sound totally went to hell next day

Just dawned on me that I own a bakelite duck call. Back in the day ash trays were made of bakelite as well.

It's an old Olt keyhole.
There are keyholes out there that are not bakelite.
How you tell...smell it. If it smells like burnt rubber you better hold onto that call.
Be aware that 70-year-old bakelite is brittle and will snap if you put any pressure on the guts when you re-assemble one of them old calls.
It's cute to put the barrel on backwards but DON'T DO IT. That's how to crack the barrel.

[Deltaman]

Maybe magnalite?

Magnalite is a brand of cast aluminum cookware, and that's what it looks like...

That's it Rick, Thanks! I typically use cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens for browning, roasting and frying, but those two dishes (crabs and pork roast) Dave shows in this thread, flat made me hungry, and I was wondering what the benefit might be. Used Johnny Google to see, and may have to make an investment!

Dave, I usually boil, grill or saute crabs almost every weekend of the summer and into fall, and have heard mention of crabs cooked in a roux by a gal that lives in the Bayou, but have never tried it. Can you share your cooking method?

[DComeaux]

Maybe magnalite?

Magnalite is a brand of cast aluminum cookware, and that's what it looks like...

That's it Rick, Thanks! I typically use cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens for browning, roasting and frying, but those two dishes (crabs and pork roast) Dave shows in this thread, flat made me hungry, and I was wondering what the benefit might be. Used Johnny Google to see, and may have to make an investment!

Dave, I usually boil, grill or saute crabs almost every weekend of the summer and into fall, and have heard mention of crabs cooked in a roux by a gal that lives in the Bayou, but have never tried it. Can you share your cooking method?

That was my grandmothers magnalite. It's had chicken feet, crows, and lord knows what else cooked up in that thing.

Deltaman, I start with melting a stick of butter, or oil if butter isn't available. I sweat onions and bell pepper until translucent and very tender, adding water as needed. I then dump in the roux and add water until it's well mixed,loose, but still thick. I then add tomato sauce and paste and mix that well.
I'll add a little water and stir frequently and allow this to simmer for as long as I can. I'll go an hour or more if possible. I like the color of the sauce to look burnt orange. You'll want this sauce thick before adding the crabs and shrimp, they will add water to the sauce as they cook.

In that pot I had two heaping table spoons of roux, and a half. one medium can of tomato sauce and one can of paste. I don't have set ingredient amounts, I just wing it and adjust to the size of the pot.

[DComeaux]

9/30/2017
Temp 70's - wind north 10- 12 clear

Equipment - (2) standard spinners. One facing N-S, and the other E-W, elevated above the marsh grass level for better visibility.

Bill, Blake and I

Birds- 4 BW 1 GW (band)

Water has fallen and it's getting g right. We saw the usual high buches coming from the rice, and more taking to the area around us. The green wing was was with a mixed group that was landing 5 yards in front of us. I dropped it with my first shot, and took a blue wing on the next. One in the bind didn't shoot and the other had air balls. A few missed opportunities. Lots of mottled seen this morning, most yet. Had a flock of spoons circle and one earlier hover over the decoys.

Band info not available yet, according to the website.

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One of the blue wing was stuffed with rice, and one has this object in it's ass section. I called a biologist I know at the refuge and a couple of an came by to take a look.
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I hope to find out soon on both. I got Ellies launching pad built and have a long wait for the regular season.

[Ericdc]

That almost looks like a wild pear


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[DComeaux]

I really don't know what it could be

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[DComeaux]

This sphere was in a pocket of membrane near the anus. I thought is was the gizzard, enlarged and way too far back, but when I squeezed it out it rattled around the sink...it's rock hard.

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[Rick]

I see there's no shot hole in the bird, so whatever it is must have killed him. Might want to let Blake have that one...

[Rick]

Re: the band photo, I did get your text with it but had to find a magnifying glass to figure out what you were holding on my tiny flip phone screen Was that or figure out how to forward it to Chereaux's phone without the aid of a grandchild.

[aunt betty]

According to alex jones the sphere is a side effect from gay frogs mounting the ducks lately.

[DComeaux]

Here's a comment on the sphere I found in that BW. (With Permission) Larry Reynolds has been keeping me informed as he's being copied on emails.

I'm going with a urate stone.

The spherical calcification would indicate “walling off” of a foreign body by the duck. Perhaps it is a piece of shot. Lead shot is typically non-reactive in the tissues but steel shot can be quite irritating and can be walled off in calcium or fibrous scar tissue. Depending where it was in the posterior abdomen and what “skin” it was under it could also be a urate stone from a blocked or damaged ureter.

If you wish, we can have it radiographed, analyze the mineral content, and have it decalcified for histopathology.
Just let me know.
Cheers.
Jim
James M. LaCour DVM
State Wildlife Veterinarian
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries