This and that...

[Darren]

Moved a big batch of way-early wood storks in Klondike this morning. Seasons are all out of whack...

Teal will be here next week, seasons are set too late, sky is falling

[Rick]

Probably be alright if the teal show next week. If it's like last year, they'll stick around through January, anyway.

[MARSH BEAR]

I hope the teal show up and stay all season long - they were our salvation last year. I really like hunting teal, very sporting - let a flock come in, then your partner shoots first and the entire flock goes straight up, put the bead on their nose and bang, bang, bang - three teal down and Abby will pick up all 3 in one pass. I love it

[Rick]

Trouble with triples is ending a hunt too quickly.

[MARSH BEAR]

Yes it does make it end quick, but a triple is a real good feeling - I don't get many chances at them, much less take advantage of my opportunities.

[Darren]

Yes it does make it end quick, but a triple is a real good feeling - I don't get many chances at them, much less take advantage of my opportunities.

Hunt ending quick or not, if they're going to come in close and tight, I'm raining out however many I can that the law allows. Case in point, the 7 a buddy and I managed in one volley last teal season.

Sooner I can get in and go fishing while the morning tide is still moving

[Rick]

Not often I'll try for three unless we're in a bind for birds. Easier to tell myself "I coulda..."

[Darren]

Not often I'll try for three unless we're in a bind for birds. Easier to tell myself "I coulda..."

Been since 2011 that I was on a teal hunt where I was sure rampant misses would still fill a limit; on average it's just too spotty a game on my end so we have to stack all we can when the few present. Never know if and when there'll be another flock

[Johnc]

whew that is sure how speck hunting is now---the "never know if that's the only chance you'll get or if another bird,pair,or 5 will appear"

the exception is when Arkansas is right,but I have been there when same thing is observed

[Bud]

We sneaked over a levee where teal hung out on a dry morning of no birds. My buddy was behind me holding the dog back. When I got to where I could see through about a two foot area, he asked me what I saw. "Nothing but coots" is what I said. About the time we stood up, a group of Bluewings swam by that tiny spot and went airborne. I dropped three about three or four feet off the water, then picked out two singles. My friend couldn't let go of the dog fast enough that was going ape and missed the only round he could muster.

While the dog was doing his thing, he looked at me and said, "Coots, huh?" I was reminded of that moment quite a few times over the years.

He did take two of them as a kind gesture of a friend with no ducks. To this day, I think he thought I saw teal.

Sure do miss him. Haven't seen a teal yet but in my home and office. They do call it "early teal".

[Rick]

...I dropped three about three or four feet off the water, then picked out two singles...

If I've ever dropped more than an single extra "Scotch double" bird along with an intended triple, I've forgotten it. More apt to hurry intentional triples with hurry that chips one of the first two and requires follow-up.

[Rick]

Thinking of Scotch-shots reminded me of 11yr-old Cole's likely once-in-a-lifetime double-Scotch-double: two greenwings with his first shot, missed with the second, and killed two more with his third shot last youth day.

[Duck Engr]

Thinking of Scotch-shots reminded me of 11yr-old Cole's likely once-in-a-lifetime double-Scotch-double: two greenwings with his first shot, missed with the second, and killed two more with his third shot last youth day.

That is really cool. I’ve never witnessed that, much less done it.

[Bud]

Wonder who coined them as Scotch shots, anyway? I suspected three total that one time, but there were three in the little ditch when I went after the singles were sniffed out. Just shot through the little gap where they were coming up from. Couldn't see where they came from or died.

I would have bet my shotgun anything I had shot, had been done by Rick at least a dozen to fifty times more, anyway. The odds are all for it, as I hunted once last season. There would have most likely been coots, too, they were so tight: had I shot on the water.

I'll drink a triple scotch on the rocks and two singles if I am ever blessed enough to make it back out that way again just to celebrate doing something Rick had never done shooting ducks. After all, we only hunted two to three times a week back then. That was in the days of the Browning Light Twelve.

Don't think I'd hunt teal in this week's weather, though. We're expecting actual 100 degrees next two days.

Remember my first scotch double on quail. I never fired another round I was so surprised....my brother just standing there watching with a .22 rifle. That's my this AND that for awhile. Best I can come up with.

[MARSH BEAR]

A former guide for Hackberry Rod and Gun lives across the street from our camp, he told us a story years ago about a youth hunt he was guiding for. Young boy 13 years old with his dad along to watch. When LST arrived so did a large flock of teal, boy stood up fired one shot and 6 teal fell to the water - hunt over - time to go home.
It was a short hunt, if the boy continued to hunt he has realized how special that morning was.

[Ericdc]

Opening day last September on our first bunch, I dropped at least 3 out of a tight knot of blue wings, then shot once at the 2nd bunch and I believe scotched again. Unloaded my gun and let brother Ryan finish our 12.


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[Bud]

That "double-Scotch-double" aroused my curiosity. Even greater, a family member that close getting one and witnessing it. Wish I could have seen the looks. Here it is:
to achieve two things at once:

I can bring your suit to the cleaners when I pick up the kids and kill two birds with one stone.

Must be old, killing with a stone.....King David style. Congratulations on such a feat.

[Rick]

...Even greater, a family member that close getting one and witnessing it. Wish I could have seen the looks...

If you're referencing Cole's, it wasn't my grandson, Cole's, but Doug's great-grandson, Cole's:

029a.jpg

(Our Cole is 20, now, but moved in with us a while back, so he may appear some in next fall's log...)

[Rick]

Toured the blinds while picking our marsh this morning and nothing's popped, which is a good thing. Would, however, appear that the flotant around my blind made it a popular high-water nesting area, as there were three, count 'em 3, nests within what we've found the very common retrieve area: 50-60 yards front left and front right and another a bit farther to our right rear. Closest in the past was an easy 100+ yards east. Grabbed a shot of the blind from the front right one:

004a.jpg

Was pleased to see my earlier round of poisoning took well and amused to note that another presumed gator apparently got caught in the cattle panel in front of the blind and put it nearly back in place.

Cory, if you look hard you can see the dog stand and blind's height relationship, per your PM.

[Darren]

ummm, sooo, where's your pond?

Looks like business as usual for July at the mudhole

[BGkirk]

Big 10-4.
Is it me or if you were sitting in your pit would it seem like you are in a recliner ? Looks like a slight incline


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[Rick]

ummm, sooo, where's your pond?

Pond's mostly there, plus some floating muck, but not bad - yet. Canouch/maidencane is just real tall off the NE corner that nest was on. Have to weed-eat it in September to have a hole for my east specks come big season.

Big 10-4.
Is it me or if you were sitting in your pit would it seem like you are in a recliner ? Looks like a slight incline

It's set leaning back and sloped to my end just as far as I could without it feeling so and messing folks up, so water inside it will pool under my back corner for easy bailing or bilge pump pickup. Don't ever want to try drying out a level blind.

[Ericdc]

Corey, you should remember.... you’ve been in it


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[BGkirk]

Ahh very good advice. We hope to put in a pit this weekend if weather will go a different direction


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[Rick]

ummm, sooo, where's your pond?

Pond's mostly there, plus some floating muck, but not bad - yet. Canouch/maidencane is just real tall off the NE corner that nest was on. Have to weed-eat it in September to have a hole for my east specks come big season.

Wasn't as hurried when we pulled blind covers yesterday and had the presence of mind to take this:

001a.jpg

Super pleased with how the first round of poisoning turned out: leaving just enough live cane to make the island look natural and breakup the blind and boat hide brushing without blocking my vision out --- but there's still a lot of growing season between now and then.

[Darren]

Sure enough, there's a pond!

[Rick]

Heard my first local word of teal a couple mornings ago from a fellow who should know them from woodies, but was all over a neighboring piece not long before without seeing anything but summer species.

Seems I'm always late to the spotting party - but not about to hold my breath before the Duck Festival...

[Darren]

Heard my first local word of teal a couple mornings ago from a fellow who should know them from woodies, but was all over a neighboring piece not long before without seeing anything but summer species.

Seems I'm always late to the spotting party - but not about to hold my breath before the Duck Festival...

After all, the calendar does still say July.........some locals maybe?

[Rick]

Said "about 20" spotted twice, two days apart. But I don't know...seems a lot for summer birds, and as you've noted, it's still July...

[Ericdc]

I would imagine most of the adults are flightless right now and in their molt too.


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