Post-Season 2018

Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:22 am

Working on a post-season purge, have some items that have now passed enough time without use making them hard to justify hanging on to if someone else could put them to use. If some of you local to the area happened to be interested let me know, I'll probably post them on La Sportsman as I get pictures of them together for listing. Have these extra blind bags, like a woman collecting purses!

6-pack Avery/GHG FFD (flocked) Specks with slotted bag - great condition, very light use
12-pack of Avery mallard shells, basically new, with the motion stakes
Banded Air II blind bag in MOSGB
Redhead XL blind bag (older model in good shape, has the rubber bottom) in Max-4
Drake large blind bag with swamp sole/rubber bottom, in MOSGB

Few other items i'm going to check out might make it on the block as well
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:40 pm

Going back on last year's post-season chatter and following up on what we did well and not so well this past season. I'd like to think the duck spread aspect went well. We were back in rice stubble and managed to open it up a bit to start, NOT in circles like our neighbors had, and then the birds did the rest opening it up for us by third week of December. By the time it was entirely open, our dekes were looking really good, spread naturally, plenty of which were out of range but didn't hamper us noticeably in that regard. We either got them in range or they lit wide, showing preference to spots waaaaaayyy out on field where clearly they had been piddling before.

IMG_6289.JPG


IMG_6290.JPG



We improved, minimally, with the specks getting a few more than what had been par previously. Can think of at least 5-7 more that should have made the log but were boogered from shots being fired before the shot was called, or failing to recognize the birds on a last realistic pass before moving along when they should have been tried overhead, my preferred presentation.

Lil heads in the stubble, between us and the camp
IMG_2591.JPG


Kicking around idea of using more speck decoys in 2018, as through the wonders of social media and the Al Gore-conceived internet, a lot of spotted belly lulu's seem to fall to large spreads of geese. Seems that much of that success is in AR, though I'm game to find out if a few might buy in in La as well. Have a bunch of non-flocked specks that are bagged up collecting dust, sidelined in favor of small spread of flocked dekes.

Have heard (and seen myself) what ace callers can do with microspreads, as small as a single goose or even no dekes at all, though most commonly 3-6 birds. Have had some success with it myself, though not as a strong caller. So given that, are larger spreads more apt to mask weaker calling skills? I.e. call less, make just enough sounds to get by, and let quality dekes in numbers do the work? Plenty of mornings the birds were obviously looking to put down where we know they had previously been overnight and/or day before, but it seemed by not seeing more bodies down, they were then skeptical.

Also, thoughts on speck spreads that include others......a snow goose or three or thirty? what about full body mallards and/or pintails? See an awful lot of pictures of feeding and loafing specks with pintails mixed in.

In the age where a given farm will have a number of blinds and associated spreads, just looking to do some different things. Seems all I saw this season were a few full bodies on levees and floaters in with the ducks. It killed a few birds from what I saw but there was enough traffic and sheer numbers of low workable specks that it would seem there's plenty of room for improvement. There's also room for improvement on over-the-top cover, we'll work on that with some bundles, but generally only hunted 2-3 hunters and would leave the lids on the blind to help cover and not have gaping holes, the lids covered in grass of course.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:12 pm

Blustery day birds in the rice, mostly pintails

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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Rick » Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:41 am

What I can see of the field and spread in that look pretty natural.

As do the cautious paille-en.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:52 am

Yea pretty pleased with how the duck spread came together this year; don't think I'd do anything different. Now to scheme on how to make the most of our speck ops......

Planning to get back up that way in couple of weeks for some camp work, curious of how the crawfish operation is going too.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Thu Mar 29, 2018 11:13 am

johnc wrote:Gonna have to get proficient on a speck call

You can have the most realistic spread in the world,but if you cant call them correctly it will not happen unless,

1---it is fogged up and they are low to begin with
2---they are strongly using the field and just coming anyway
3---maybe in an abnormally hard wind and they are just low

People are onto Bunkie now,got proficient callers around,which makes non proficient callers stick out that much more

I have lived the change,seen it,what used too work wont now---that should motivate change


Steadily improving, but will take more offseason effort. Added a few notes this past season, and can honestly say the season tally for harvested specks is misleading; easily should have taken another 8-10 birds. Some factors were out of my (the caller's) hands when actions were taken before shot was called, some were squarely on me for not trying that best pass or finishing them down wind of decoys that were left down wind grrrrr. Surely hope to improve next season but thinking decoy spread may be most discernible change.

Really want to try a mixed duck/goose spread next year; 1.) ducks and geese are mixed together all around the area, hell, make that the entire flyway; and 2.) no one I've seen in our immediate area is doing that so aiming for the different look making a difference.

We drive by the same ponds each day on way out.......there's specks shoulder to shoulder dabbling with various ducks in flooded rice on side of the road, few blues mixed in as well.

The hiding could improve a bit, but usually is pretty solid when there's only 2-3 hunters in the pit and the bulk of it is covered. Hauled A LOT of grass out of there on last day of season, DComeaux can attest :lol:
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby DComeaux » Thu Mar 29, 2018 11:52 am

Yeah, It was a lot of grass.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby DComeaux » Thu Mar 29, 2018 11:53 am

Darren wrote:Blustery day birds in the rice, mostly pintails



Teasers...darn teasers.
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Post-Season 2018

Postby Ericdc » Thu Mar 29, 2018 12:56 pm

I would say get your water as low as you possibly can and still float a duck decoy, because I know you’re a duck /goose hunter Darren.


That seemed to help us this year, lower the water the better.

But like John said, they are getting a lot more wary of duck spreads. Even if u have 3-4 dozen goose FBs

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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Rick » Thu Mar 29, 2018 1:32 pm

johnc wrote:As far as decoys,purposely do what "they" aren't or say "won't" work---I am not "supposed" to kill specks over 120 snow decoys OR 60 speck decoys that are "way" too many especially late season---ok that's good,do your thing and i'll do mine


The amazement to me is that you're so consistent over any standing goose spread without a lot more fresh traffic than most see.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:28 am

johnc wrote:Sounds like you are doing ok with the call then,if you are consistently getting positive reaction

As far as grass,make it too where people that don't know or used too what it takes,,complain because they cant see,,then you have enough

As far as decoys,purposely do what "they" aren't or say "won't" work---I am not "supposed" to kill specks over 120 snow decoys OR 60 speck decoys that are "way" too many especially late season---ok that's good,do your thing and i'll do mine

I do think duck decoys may start to be an issue---easy fix for me,i just wont use any---pintails are coming too the white anyway


Not sure how consistent I'd call it, but we get our share of chances for me being so new to the call. Having hunted with Erik Rue's crew a few times, I know well the practice of hiding so well you can't see out. Don't advise going with them if you're under 6 ft, shooting can be tough from their blinds. Rick's handy work with a speck hide I got to see one time was similar, and very effective.

Do like the thought process of doing something different as you mentioned, even if others in the area discount it. We'll see!
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:13 am

Since we may give a few floaters a try as part of a mixed duck spread approach, and it's April with nothing else goin on hunting related, here's a rundown of maintstream speck floater dekes, non-flocked. Think I tend to lean toward the older GHG type or the Dakota's, the hardcore's sure appear much lighter than others

Dakota's
Dakota.JPG


Final Approach
Final Approach.JPG


2018 GHG ProGrade
GHG.JPG


Older GHG Prograde
GHG pre-2017.JPG


Higdon
Higdon.JPG


Tanglefree
Tanglefree.JPG


Hard Core
hardcore.JPG
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby aunt betty » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:38 am

To get the bill color on a speck right you pretty much have to take a fresh-killed dead one into the paint store and challenge them to "match" it.
That'd be something I think I'd enjoy doing.
The paint lady at Lowes is really nice after you get past all the tattoos and piercings. :mrgreen:
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:40 am

aunt betty wrote:To get the bill color on a speck right you pretty much have to take a fresh-killed dead one into the paint store and challenge them to "match" it.



Good point, you can see in the photos it's all over the board.

Bill quick reference
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby aunt betty » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:48 am

The FA ones look like they actually tried to make it look real. (the bill)

The others were just guessing or something they're pretty bad. Two-tone bills?

Have only dealt with white fronted geese a little bit but at least I've had them in my hand and cleaned them before.
Speaking of cleaning specks...had quite a little stable of speck customers when I was in NEARK.
I'd picked a couple birds for the farmer down the road. His wife said she'd never seen a bird so perfectly picked. (I wax them)
Word got out and I kept a little busy working on cleaning birds.
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
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Post-Season 2018

Postby Ericdc » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:49 am

Went back and watched a video I made in January 2017 of a speck swimming around in our decoys and as far as correct body shape when swimming, it’s 2018 GHG or Higdon.

When they’re swimming, there a noticeable angle down from the tail to the base of the neck (shoulder area), they don’t ride high in the water with a level back like a lot of those decoys look.


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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Ericdc » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:54 am

Image




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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:38 am

Few other live references

swimmer.JPG


swimmer2.JPG


swimmer3.JPG
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Rick » Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:43 am

Here's a good swimming (and voice) reference:


Aside from painting them on a blue goose mold and the one dead bill, I was impressed with the Higdon pic. (Would have to take a live speck to the store to match it, as they go orange PDQ once dead.)

Have used a few Tanglefree floaters w/my FBs in the marsh the past couple or three seasons, and they've held up pretty well to being left in the sun - and none have leaked. When I tried GHG a few years back, most leaked the first season.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby aunt betty » Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:46 am

There's been some specks up here making babies the past few seasons. Handful of snows too.
Be sort of nuts to try and target them. Decatur Lake and Lake Springfield area.
To get a blind site at Lake Decatur for instance is a lifetime deal. You could wait a lifetime waiting for an opening. :clap:
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:04 am

Rick wrote:
Aside from painting them on a blue goose mold and the one dead bill, I was impressed with the Higdon pic. (Would have to take a live speck to the store to match it, as they go orange PDQ once dead.)

Have used a few Tanglefree floaters w/my FBs in the marsh the past couple or three seasons, and they've held up pretty well to being left in the sun - and none have leaked. When I tried GHG a few years back, most leaked the first season.


Higdon calls that one orange bill a juvenile bird, much like the 4-pack's of blues and snows include a gray feathered bird. Speaking of, I'm no opposed to mixing in a few blues as well.

A la down the street from the property

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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Rick » Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:49 am

Late season pic?
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:54 am

Rick wrote:Late season pic?


Jan 22
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Rick » Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:59 am

Darren wrote:Having hunted with Erik Rue's crew a few times, I know well the practice of hiding so well you can't see out. Don't advise going with them if you're under 6 ft, shooting can be tough from their blinds. Rick's handy work with a speck hide I got to see one time was similar, and very effective.


Darren, in the interest of candor, I've not had an all-mine ag land speck or combo blind since 2005, and while the one we hunted was a favored afternoon spot of mine, it seldom stayed the way I set it up for any length of time unless Dusty was the hunting it in the mornings. Honestly don't recall how it was set up the afternoon we hunted it, just that we lucked into having birds in the right place to make it easy.

Though I've dug a bazillion and twelve vasey (often called "Johnson" here) and wire/salt grass clumps to help others conceal their blinds in what I gather Eric Rue style, my ag land set-ups were very easy to shoot from and as easy as I could make them to see from without getting caught. As I want my hunters to be underway and not have to search for game when they come up. Also want the area around the blind to be as open and appear as danger-free as possible - meaning low or no cover on the blind levee or those near it.

Here's a camp blind I redid by knocking down the tall grass on its levee (and the next nearest), pitching what was left of the vasey clumps and covering it and much of the nearby levee with bundles matching what was on the levee, in that case itch grass:
P1010024a.jpg


(Naturally, though, our ace guide staff was soon brushing the blind with the bundles I'd scattered down the levee to make it match the blind and doing their best to make it an odd, blind-sized spot again.)

Other times I've used wax myrtle to match blackberry vines or cedar to match to match the grasses that come up on a plowed levee and dressing much of the levee with same when need be:
P1010970.jpg


Whether grass bundles or green boughs, the trick is to avoid the appearance of a pile but have enough that everyone can pull them overhead when game's in the offing and peer out through a crack between the bundles or the greenery that will roll out of the way when they come up to shoot.

Sometimes greenery needs mixed with dead stuff to match the levee. Often times much of the levee needs dressed to match the blind. That, and I went to a lot more trouble than most are willing to insure that my blinds never looked like the gun-sprouting traffic circles 99% of blinds do. To that end, I established staging areas well away from the blind where folks could mill around or lay their gear down while I opened the blind at the only point we got in or out. Everyone was told "grass is gold" and no one was allowed to lay anything on or around the blind's cover or walk anywhere but the approved route between the blind and the staging area. I did all of the shell policing myself when they started to show and as carefully as I could.

The object of all that exercise being to make the whole of it look as free of possible danger as can be. And it worked. Shot six collared specks from one such blind (and a seventh from elsewhere on that farm) one year. Had to kill a lot of specks to do that, even back when collared birds were more common.

Thinking on it has me wanting to give it another whirl - until waking up to the reality that any success we enjoyed would be used as a subletting selling point.

But in your situation, Darren, where you're working with a small group of friends, setting and maintaining the perfect ambush could be an attainable goal...
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Rick » Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:09 am

Darren wrote:
Rick wrote:Late season pic?


Jan 22


There's a message there. When our sweet white spread era had faded to nil and the dust settled from The Great Decoy Shed Purge of '04, all that remained of my previous ton of light goose gear were a dozen dozen (144) G&H shells: four dozen left as snows, four dozen painted as immature snows and four dozen painted as blues. Saved them for the late season when such a small (read: "manageable for small party daily pick-up") spread of decent decoys was still effective enough to be worth the bother.

Believe John's getting away with about as many much or all of the season - but he's not me. And if you drop to a dozen or two, well...good luck.
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:25 am

Yea the uniform flat/low cover would be the opposite of Rue's setups I hunted, albeit comparably effective. Rue's were levees that were left thick, thick uniformly, no walking on them, fourwheeler ride to the pit and step in. They used vertically placed snippets of saltbush, kind of like what DComeaux had at his last Gueydan blind, but thicker and taller such that without a good 6 feet of human frame, your barrel would be poking out the bushes instead of over their top, unless of course shooting straight up. It was deadly, we shot specks very close with them routinely, and over the now-traditional microspreads of only 4-6 high quality decoys. Calling was always top notch with the guide I went with each trip, Jake L.

Our challenge is a bare, maintained levee (truck path wide) that only has sporadic areas of what I think Johnson grass or something similar. I was intentionally leaving what was along levee naturally, opting to pull our brushing supply from way off, but later found out some others were pulling from those to bolster the blind, and thus thinning our "decoy" blinds/clumps elsewhere on the levee to a degree. We've used poles to stake off the blind area to keep farmer from mowing in the past, wondering if we need to extend that area substantially to help avoid a pile of grass along an otherwise manicured levee. Looked "OK" last season, but there was room for improvement; maintaining more "decoy" blinds or grass clusters elsewhere down the levee probably a better bet, they tend to grow at the intersections of other levees with our main levee.

For your curiosity from that speck hunt with Beau & I:

DSC08348.JPG


and a bonus Peak-in-action:
DSC08345.JPG
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Re: Post-Season 2018

Postby Darren » Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:27 am

Rick wrote: And if you drop to a dozen or two, well...good luck.


From a blue or speck, or both angle?
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