2018-2019 Season Log

[Duck Engr]

Sweet!


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[Rick]

I picture you with a long list of “call options” for your PhD ducks

- triple quack cadence
- feed call
- SD hail call
Etc haha... gonna have to start thinking like Rick and see if it works


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We've educated so many of the birds still on hand, that it's tough to show them something new. And, to be candid, there aren't many parties I trust not to blow an op, so I'm reluctant to reach too deep into the bag too often.

Most of the time, they're going to beat me, anyway.

[Rick]

Date: 12/30 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: hazy to shut-down thick fog

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE just right (kinda sorta strong)

Temperature: upper 40s

Moon phase: 37% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Saw more greenwings, spoons and jacks than any time this split. Also a few speck, though generally heard but not seen.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Started the morning with a pair of low, low specks that pushed off the west end of the blind at "gimme" range and weren't got. (Jumped up on the seat to help but still would have rung an ear or two.) Little ducks came in numbers that "woulda, coulda, shoulda" insured a full strap.

Hunters: 2, Brian and Trent, a new hunter with a borrowed gun.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh made a super-duper mark and retrieve on our Susie, but lost a chipped teal in the east boat run.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Just the "gimme" speck pair that wasn't and our general failure to capitalize on what's been a rare, rare, rare number of ops.

Kudos: Had a fine time, anyway.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 4 gw teal, 2 mallards, 2 ringnecks, 5 (count 'em five) shovellers and 1 wigeon

[Ericdc]

My buddy who hunted with me yesterday has a field lease south of Monroe, they’ve killed around 200 ducks and well over half of them have been shovelers.

I hope to have a hunt where I can give them
a pass this year but it hasn’t even crossed my mind yet.


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[Duck Engr]

Seems to be more weeejohns killed at the mudhole this year than the last couple of years, even with the slow year from a overall numbers standpoint.

[Rick]

Pretty sure last year's 3 was the only other season we've beat to date. Which isn't to say we've killed many in recent years, as other numbers handy on this board run between 8 and 13.

[Duck Engr]

Pretty sure last year's 3 was the only other season we've beat to date. Which isn't to say we've killed many in recent years, as other numbers handy on this board run between 8 and 13.

Must have just had last year fresh in my mind.

[Rick]

Date: 12/31 Mon

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy to partly to cloudy again w/light rain

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong SSW

Temperature: nearly 70

Moon phase: 27% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Big ducks were far and few between, but we enjoyed the first good greenwing flight of the season.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Big ducks and stale bluewings didn't like our disrespect for their vision, but the fresh-off-the-bus greenwings ate us up, anyway.

Hunters: 2, Cody and Brent

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh put on a show.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Only that we wouldn't let the big ducks in.

Kudos: Was a hoot of a teal shoot, which I've been missing something awful since September.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 1 gadwall and 15 gw teal First multi-gun limit of the second split - on the last day of the year.

[Darren]

Bet that was fun!

Other blinds got the GWs too I presume if you were at up with them?

[Rick]

Everybody shot some, though I'm guessing by the straps most parties weren't as fast getting underway as my younger guns.

But they left Izaak shaking his head over why they don't come straight down his run like they always seemed to in years past. Trust his big and little duck alike woes this season will prove an anomaly, but he's pretty down over not knowing what to do about it. I checked his blind and pond out between splits, and the blind looked great and the pond as good or better than most years to my eyes. Still, I'm no duck...

[Darren]

Everybody shot some, though I'm guessing by the straps most parties weren't as fast getting underway as my younger guns.

But they left Izaak shaking his head over why they don't come straight down his run like they always seemed to in years past. Trust his big and little duck alike woes this season will prove an anomaly, but he's pretty down over not knowing what to do about it. I checked his blind and pond out between splits, and the blind looked great and the pond as good or better than most years to my eyes. Still, I'm no duck...

Wow sure sounds bizarre, but not unlike so many other things I'm seeing (or not seeing) this season. Think I've got a day with each of the two of you late next week; know you'll cross fingers and maybe toes for success but it literally cannot be any worse than the DNS that's finding its way on my log more than ever before. Only season in recent memory that had a fair many parallels to this would be 2013-2014 season.

[Rick]

Think I've got a day with each of the two of you late next week...

Bring ducks.

[Rick]

Date: 1/1 Tue

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly to clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate to light to fairly strong

Temperature: 50s

Moon phase: 18% waxing

Special Notes: My favorite weather, but not the bird's' this year.

Waterfowl Activity: Saw none of the traffic I hoped for, just a few "locals" shuffling around.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Everything was a tough sell.

Hunters: 2, grandson Gauge and his friend Thad.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning.

Special Equipment: SOS but better off than on.

Curses: Greenwings have already left the marsh, and big birds haven't replaced them.

Kudos: The boys shot well and saved their own hunt.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 2 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 2 mallards and 3 shovellers

[DComeaux]

Very nice hunt! It's going to be colder for the weekend.

[Rick]

It's going to be colder for the weekend.

Hard to envision that dip being nearly enough to make any real difference, but I guess we'll see...

[Ericdc]

Best big duck flight I’ve seen all year at my place this morning headed south, mostly mallards and pintail.


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[DComeaux]

It's going to be colder for the weekend.

Hard to envision that dip being nearly enough to make any real difference, but I guess we'll see...

I agree.

[Rick]

Date: 1/2 Wed

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: light rain more on than off

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE strong to light to strong again

Temperature: only chilly because of the damp

Moon phase: dark

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Saw flight after flight of jacks heading east early on, enjoyed several chances at, mostly greenwing, teal, but no new big duck show.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Seemed every time I touched a call, one of the several upwind blinds shot.

Hunters: 2, father and grown son long time annual regulars, Robert and Chris

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Pretty easy morning, overall, but the bug get credit for a "collateral damage" teal only he saw go down and was locked on so tight I sent him.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Had our share of first hunt of the year miscues and shot poorly.

Kudos: Still managed a pleasant morning.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 6 cw teal and 2 mallards

[Rick]

Date: 1/3 Thur

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: rain of varying densities the whole while

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong to moderate NE

Temperature: 50s

Moon phase: 5% waning (dark boat ride in the rain)

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Saw an early high west to east ringneck flight again, but it was dribs and drabs of locals and teal after that.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Had better luck with the teal than local big ducks.

Hunters: 2, Robert and Chris again

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Made a long track of a chipped mallard, only to watch it fly off when he caught up to it.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: I proved that I can still be a Grade-A asshole in my old age, when Robert spotted a mallard pair we had bowed and dropping in around Chris' corner and jumped up and threw down while they were still too far out and in line with Chris. Got him stopped before he rang his son's chimes (again), but didn't get myself stopped before I "WTF"ed him over it. Tried to smooth it over by giving him a noogie, but sure wish I'd bit my tongue, instead.

Kudos: Still managed a sweet morning in rotten weather.

Birds By Species: 5 bw teal, 8 gw teal, 2 mallards, 1 ringneck and 2 shovellers

[Duck Engr]

Sounds like you scratched out a good one Rick!

Blind safety violations deserve a good WTF and sounds like he probably deserved a few more four letter words.

[DComeaux]

Glad you're getting some! It's good to see. I wish I was going to the mud hole Saturday and Sunday.

[Rick]

Might be Sunday's south wind will bring the teal back...

[Deltaman]

I am still impressed that you bite your tongue as much as you do Rick! Know it's got to be hard sometimes, and they are paying customers, but when safety is involved, afterthoughts are too late! Congrats on a limit hunt

[Johnc]

Sounds like you scratched out a good one Rick!

Blind safety violations deserve a good WTF and sounds like he probably deserved a few more four letter words.

I agree along with being scolded for other violations—-moving gun barrel up out of blind when told to get ready,looking at birds overhead,shooting before shot called,calling when not running the blind or told not too prior too hunt.

[Rick]

Unless we're looking beyond the bounds of safety or law, I try to remember that it's their hunt, and folks wouldn't pay for it if it wasn't exciting. Could very well be that he was just so anxious that he took my "Let 'em be." when he spotted them and grabbed his gun for a "Let 'rm have it."

[Rick]

Date: 1/4 Fri

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: STRONG from the west

Temperature: 40s but chilly in the wind

Moon phase: 1% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Very little of anything moving on our end.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Same old stale game was about all that came by and tough to coax.

Hunters: 2, Robert and Chris' last morning

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh was plainly bored.

Special Equipment: SOS both poles are badly wind bent, and the water level has risen enough to cover the MMM prop, given its current anchorage. Hope to address both (and untangle decoys) in tomorrow morning's calm.

Curses: no birds on our end

Kudos: Ed and Issac each had half a dozen mallards and said they put on a show on the east end. So maybe there are some new ones around?

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 2 gw teal, 1 mallard, 1 scaup and 2 shovellers

[DComeaux]

I'll take it.

[Darren]

I'll take it.

I'm with DC

Friend of a friend had a big pile of birds from Venice this week......half of it was scaup, with the rest a smattering of spoons, teal, pins and cans.

Half the bag was dogs?? In Venice?? Nonetheless, a pile of birds larger than my entire 2nd split take thus far.

[Rick]

Ed and Issac each had a couple of other big ducks to go with their mallards, so I know some are around, but with three paying guns in the blind tomorrow, it won't be safe for a gallinule to try sneaking by.

[Rick]

Date: 1/5 Sat

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: dead calm all morning

Temperature: pleasantly cool

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Didn't see much of anything if note, except a couple flights of plainly lost pintails.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Was surprised to trip up most of what we did, except the teal bunch and pintails.

Hunters: 3, Paul, Tim and Ben, the first two of which had "best ever" hunts with me when it was right last January and may have had themselves and Ben more pumped than current conditions merited.

Guns:

Malfunctions: Paul's Stoger twice dumped shells from the magazine onto the lifter and blocked the bold from opening.

Dog(s): Marsh couldn't catch a long chipped sprig in open water well to our NE.

Special Equipment: MMM is still riding too low to splash as much as it should but may still have helped with our Jacks once the spinners were off.

Curses: Had a few loose bunches of pintails gather together and work beautifully to the call - while I was in the boat run behind the blind after gathering four or five chipped birds we had scattered around the marsh. Could have shot them myself, but they pushed off me without crossing the blind. That, and too many crowd control issues.

Kudos: Still managed one of the only two decent hunts out there and the guys were good with it.

Birds By Species: 3 gw teal, 3 mallards, 3 ringnecks, 2 shovellers and 1 wigeon