Post-Season 2018

[Rick]

My first flagging success came when I tossed a dark mesh decoy bag pillow in the air in desperation to keep Canada from short-stopping well down flight of where I was laying out (under bean straw) and worked well enough at times that it was the only type of flagging I did for years. Guys I hunted with in both Southern Illinois and the Eastern Shore used black squares on short sticks from field pits. Can't say I ever have, myself: just tossed or flipped decoy bags up there and wing-shaped jobbers, with and without crappie pole extension. Well, that and goose dancing...

Might well be wise of me to at least try employing the X-flapper as a flag, like your flagging instead of calling to high feeding flights over the marsh and only call to those that nibble on that. Could/should cut back on the "crying wolf" effect. Still, bending and even turning those flights is one thing and breaking them all the way down quite another - at least for me.

(Planned doing some landscaping at the Mudhole this morning and being house-bound by rains is driving me bonkers.)

[Ericdc]

Weather got really bad last night at Grandparents house SE of DeRidder. They lost a bunch of trees, including a huge red oak that nearly missed centering their house. Waiting on pics, but I think they suffered a little damage to carport end of house. They are pretty upset, but ok.


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[Rick]

After finally seeing things first hand from Clyde's vantage point, I'd definitely say there's some birds to be had off your back porch, especially teal but also others. Seemed a fair flight, on that one particular day at least, that was rebounding back westward from the ponds on east end as we'd see them pass us but later come trickling back. If you could see them.....who knows what it may turn up

Little ducks often make something of an open water circuit south of my blind but really like that broken stuff just east of the pipeline and most seem to return there. And you've just reminded me of how frustrating it was with enough visibility to see them alllllmost cross the flotant to my pothole then return to the bigger water. There's a ridge of roseaus just SW of Clyde's pond (under the "C" of Clyde's in photo)that folks who hunt it often complain about birds putting in on the wrong side of.

My current hope is that increasing spinner visibility from the surrounding broken marsh as well as my own view of it will increase our little bird draw enough to compensate for whatever thinner cover may cost us in big birds. But maybe it'll just frustrate me again, and I'll be transplanting canes at this time next spring...

[Rick]

Weather got really bad last night at Grandparents house SE of DeRidder. They lost a bunch of trees, including a huge red oak that nearly missed centering their house. Waiting on pics, but I think they suffered a little damage to carport end of house. They are pretty upset, but ok.


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Most of those really serious bands tend to swing through north of us, as did that one. Glad it didn't hurt them worse, as they seem in LA's version of a tornado belt.

[Ericdc]

The squall line kinda broke up a little when it crossed south of I 20 up here but regained intensity as it plunged south.

It is downright cold up here today. Thankful I’m going to have a big windbreak to my north this evening for boiling crawfish.




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[Rick]

...and why so many people get aggravated

Whole lot of T shot sold in SWLA.

[Darren]

There's a ridge of roseaus just SW of Clyde's pond (under the "C" of Clyde's in photo)that folks who hunt it often complain about birds putting in on the wrong side of.

Can confirm that, just SW of him for sure, but maybe those passing a bit further than that would be willing to go see what your spinner is about. Seems worth a try!



@ Eric, glad to hear your family is OK, storms were awfully nasty on the radar. There was a tornado in St. James parish just SE of here, Paulina area. Lot of wide open ag land down that way, heart of La cane country, and they get a surprising amount of tornadoes in spring.

[Darren]

Story from back in Feb on Texas duck and goose numbers on the 2017-2018 season. Long-term trends are one thing, but such a drastic change in counts for this past season versus just the one before is bizarre, especially given the weather of this winter.

https://m.chron.com/sports/outdoors/art ... 560156.php

This year's survey estimated the coastal region, which covers the marshes, prairies and bays from the Louisiana border to and including Baffin Bay/Upper Laguna Madre, held just 521,000 ducks when observers flew the survey. That is the lowest number of ducks counted on the coast during the survey's history, 76 percent fewer ducks than the 2017 survey and barely one-third the 1.4 million ducks the region has averaged over the past 22 years.

The dramatic drop in the number of ducks wintering in Texas this year is hard to explain, Kraai said. North America's overall duck population is relatively unchanged from this past year and continues riding highs that have persisted for the past two decades. And this winter has seen several stretches of severely cold temperatures in states up the Central Flyway, conditions that locked much open water in ice and is generally expected to push birds from those frozen regions into Texas.

"The traditional thinking is that extremely cold conditions like we saw this winter pushed birds south, so we should have loaded up with ducks," Kraai said. But waterfowl managers are learning that wintering ducks and geese are just as likely to move east or west as they are to move north and south.

"Some of the radio-telemetry research is showing birds making these incredible movements on wintering grounds -hundreds of miles or more, just as often east to west as north to south," Kraai said. "They cover a lot more ground than we ever dreamed. They go where they can find open water, food and aren't pressured."

This one of particular note, as I feel it translates to La conditions fairly well

Four of the past seven years, the highest duck numbers counted in the mid-winter survey were in pond-rich regions such as the Rolling Plains and Oak Prairies, not the coastal marshes, bays and prairies.

"Those ducks are going to stop where they can find water, food and a place they aren't bothered," Kraai said. Absent significant improvements in coastal habitat, the trend of ducks wintering outside traditional wintering areas is likely to continue.

In other words, our coastal WMAs have some of the highest pressure (because of historically great hunting) and that pressure is impacting birds. Maybe in Louisiana they're finding hideouts in lower pressure areas, which are often private grounds with managed pressure. Not certain, but confident its a factor. If you're a Wax Lake area hunter or Point Aux Chene, etc., not a good outlook.

[DComeaux]

I read that article yesterday and it got me thinking. I do believe that pressure is a big factor with these birds. A gun in every bush, pond etc, has to play a part. Heck, I/we noticed a change in the rice just in the five years we were there. BUT, has the number of duck hunters really increased enough over the years to make such an impact? Or is it lessors cramming more blinds into smaller areas due to price increases?

The first year or two we were pretty much alone in our area. Do you remember the birds on that one hunt you made with me, coming from the south? There's just no place for them to sit unmolested anymore. They just head back to, and sit in the middle of White Lake, right where Larry counts them every year.

The marsh we're in now, IMO, has way too many blinds. We still get our birds, for the most part, but it could be managed a whole lot better. It only takes tons of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

[Rick]

That's it: just buy a few thousand acres, and you, too, can hold birds. 'Course, they may not always move like you'd wish...

[DComeaux]

That's it: just buy a few thousand acres, and you, too, can hold birds. 'Course, they may not always move like you'd wish...

Bush beaters.

[Rick]

When ya got it...

[Darren]

I read that article yesterday and it got me thinking. I do believe that pressure is a big factor with these birds. A gun in every bush, pond etc, has to play a part. Heck, I/we noticed a change in the rice just in the five years we were there. BUT, has the number of duck hunters really increased enough over the years to make such an impact? Or is it lessors cramming more blinds into smaller areas due to price increases?

The first year or two we were pretty much alone in our area. Do you remember the birds on that one hunt you made with me, coming from the south? There's just no place for them to sit unmolested anymore. They just head back to, and sit in the middle of White Lake, right where Larry counts them every year.

The marsh we're in now, IMO, has way too many blinds. We still get our birds, for the most part, but it could be managed a whole lot better. It only takes tons of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Yes I remember the birds, lots on lots on lots. To support this whole argument.......see Little P.I. Club, now with their own state-count-worthy quantities. Comparable habitat is found elsewhere, just with a hunter behind each bush, therein lies the difference.

For sure, on a flyway wide basis, and I'll only talk MS Flyway since I've no clue on the others, there seem to be higher numbers of hunters with the means to get at the birds wherever may they go. Nationwide numbers are said to be down, but the avg Joe hunter in MS or AR doesn't believe that for one second. And maybe our numbers ARE down, but the ones remaining aren't playing around these days. There's always been the "pro" contingent making videos of carnage for money, but now even the average joe has a youtube channel of hunts he's making money off of. More attention, more pressure, etc etc. and on we go. At the very least, the videos made available for all to see, of MS Flyway birds (because the videoed hunts are usually good!) end up drawing hunters from other states where they may not be so fortunate with such numbers.

[DComeaux]

We must stop this madness. This sport has become ultra commercialized. I'm actually afraid of a disease wiping them out due to their bunching up on refuges from pressure (not just Federal or State) with tons of feed.

IMOO, Manipulation of nature never works as intended for long, and always has major, undesirable consequences. I think I can say that with confidence, living down here. All of the "conservation" efforts started on the nesting grounds, where they should be, still today. Anything else done in-between there and the birds natural, southern wintering grounds uses conservation as a cover. IMO...

The only way to figure this out (migration issues) is to eliminate possible causes, one at a time. I see and understand all sides of this. Open mindedness is the only way to work through this. Doing nothing seems to no longer be an option.

[Darren]

From GatorTail to their constituents via email, this movement might get interesting.

Tell Arkansas Game and Fish Commission not to ban surface drives on public WMA's.
Hunting the flooded timber in the great state of Arkansas is one of the most exciting ways to duck hunt. Before surface drive motors, hunters used an outboard to navigate the flooded timber. When surface drives hit the market, many hunters began using them in the flooded timber because of the limitations of an outboard. Unfortunately, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is now considering a ban of all surface drive motors on public WMA's.
Many hunters agree that surface drive motors have made waterfowl hunting safer and more accessible. Surface drives allow hunters to spread out further into the woods so that not everyone is hunting so close together. With a surface drive, hunters can travel through the woods with a motor that can handle the abuse and keep hunters safe from stumps and logs so that they can return home safely to their families after every trip.

At Gator Tail, we love the waterfowl we hunt just as much as anyone. We would never want to see our products banned from hunting in the woods. That’s why we stand behind the use of our products on public WMA"s. We need your help to tell the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission that a ban on surface drives is wrong. Please watch the video below to see how to make your voice heard.

The best reason the AGFC will give us for this proposed ban is that the noise created by the surface drive motors is disturbing to waterfowl and other hunters. While we acknowledge their position respectfully, we also realize that hunting pressure by nature results in a variety of noises that disturb the environment such as shotgun blasts, loud duck calling, and modified outboard motors running through the timber. We ask that anyone using our products in the flooded timber please be courteous to waterfowl and other hunters by limiting loud noise as much as possible.

Please stand behind the surface drive industry and the many hunters that use them by letting the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission know that the use of surface drives should remain legal on all WMA’s. You can visit their survey here. In the survey they will ask if you support banning surface drives while gaining other privileges. Please check “strongly oppose” to let the commission know that you do not support a ban of surface drives. We look forward to your support.

Reads to me like an email to smokers from Marlboro, "please don't let your govt ban smoking"

[DComeaux]

This is what I have to put up with in the spring on a once tranquil lake. Spawning areas are being ruined. There is absolutely no reason for this.

[Rick]

Pogo Earth Day strip-8x6.jpg

[DComeaux]

Very Fitting

[aunt betty]

On day that guy from Georgia gave my giant plumber friend an early-morning Arkansas shower with a mud motor.
I really enjoyed watching that guy get his ass kicked. Didn't feel sorry for him one bit.
Don't mess with slim.

[Ericdc]

When I used to be a public land hunter, I got to where I’d purposely hunt less than average spots just for some peace and quiet, and birds were a bonus.


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[Darren]

This is what I have to put up with in the spring on a once tranquil lake. Spawning areas are being ruined. There is absolutely no reason for this.

Looks like average weekday morning on Pearl River WMA, or most any other readily accessible WMA that allows them. Bag checks show the LAA's have higher per-hunter take, can't imagine why.

[Deltaman]

Google earth, social media and mud motors.............no stone unturned.............over and over

[Darren]

Google earth, social media and mud motors.............no stone unturned.............over and over

Yea no doubt; GoogleEarth was a MASSIVE factor in my public land planning when I was a nearly exclusive public land hunter not long ago. Still spend my share of time studying those areas when the new images come out each year or so. That's been around a good while, BUT the imagery has steadily improved and the volume of hunters savvy enough to make use of the (free) tool has certainly steadily increased.

The next step of that, which is already becoming a factor for public hunters (or really fortunate others with large tracts of private acreage) is use of drones to scout holes without actually having to go through the trouble of going there outside of a hunt. The imagery is awesome; i've included a couple of examples below friends have shared with me. Game changer since it's real time unlike Google Earth. Just an example of GOOD, getting BETTER

IMG_5694.JPG

IMG_5695.JPG

So good you can tell species, and even drakes from hens. The discerning eye will even spot the mottled duck near the mallards in the photo above

[aunt betty]

The beauty of Google Maps or Earth is it's not that good.
The pictures don't get updated very frequently. (unless a terrorist attack happens there wink wink)
Pair of examples. If I look at the two houses I take care of and live in...one has my duelly truck parked on the street in front. It hasn't been there for four years . The other place has a more recent picture that's three years old. I can tell by the number of bee hives. and where they're at or not at.

[Rick]

The beauty of Google Maps or Earth is it's not that good.
The pictures don't get updated very frequently.

There were both 1/27/17 and 12/1/1/ updates of my lowly little mudhole. (But my favorite remains an older one I think Eric pointed out has me in it. But I guess that means the Ruskies now know where to find me.)

[Ericdc]

Our last google earth image was summer of 2015.


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[Deltaman]

My area was updated last year, and I noticed because we had just moved my stepson's houseboat into a dead end slip as a hurricane precaution.

[Darren]

Have noticed other areas further north of us down here dont update nearly as frequent; but my coastal stompin grounds are just about every year to 18 months. Have also been lucky enough to get caught out in marsh on one of the updates

[Ericdc]

Not a lot changes in morehouse parish.....


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