WaterfowlForum.Net

This is a continuation from my log which I started on the 2017-2018 logbook. https://www.waterfowlforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=169&t=8279

Blake and I spent the weekend at the camp and made it out to the blind. The water is low in the run ditches, but we have plenty in our pound. We tried to follow the guy we lease from to his blind, against my better judgement, and run aground in his ditch. It seems the water was lower at some point during the summer, as there is a hard crust that the go-devil skeg can't penetrate.
Needless to say, we had a fight to get turned around, and Blake got really wet and muddy. He cannot stand up in a marsh without sinking to his waist. He was on his knees, which provided more surface area to hold him up, helping me heave-ho. I didn't take pictures, as we started out running from a rain shower, waiting for a time back under the boat shed with more in the distance moving our way.

We did run over to the refuge to take a look around, and threw the cast-nets for a few shrimp. Late Saturday afternoon on a refuge road I got to see something I don't ever remember seeing. Flock, after flock, after flock, of mottled ducks leaving the refuge heading west. Flocks of 8 to 10, some less, some more. It did our hearts good to see these birds, especially after reading the gloom and doom on their population.
I stopped and shut the truck off, pulling binoculars just to be sure I was identifying these correctly. It was an awesome sight. I'd have to say we were watching a thousand or more take wing, and that may be a bit conservative, as this went on for some time, actually before we got there. I had noticed these birds from a good distance while we were casting for shrimp, but thought they were Ibis, whistlers or some other of the sort. What a surprise! I wish I would of had a good film camera with me. The refuge waterfowl manager told me these birds had been there doing this everyday for some time. He was watching them do this yesterday evening as we talked on the phone.

The Mexican thatch came in and Blake brought it to the camp. I think we have a winner. This stuff is very pliable, and we have a good idea how to cover a lot of area with less material.



Blake had me stop a few times so he could get a few shots of other inhabitants of the marsh.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron


Large marsh bunny


One of the barges working on restoration came in for what looks like welding repairs. They are installing large a rock as a wall along the coastline (beach) which will stretch a long distance in both directions, along the refuge's border with the gulf.

Some Shrimp were nice size, but we had to cull to get three or four pounds of what i'd call nice shrimp.

Good eats Dave, and they don't get any fresher...........the shrimp you eat today, spent last night in ????? bay!!!!!!!

Some good lookin' shrimp for sure!

...and may have a pot for that marsh bunny sometime soon

BGcorey wrote:Take pictures of the thatch install! Really liking how it looks. Wondering if it’s any better than the 4x4 grass sheets everyone else sells


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We have those as well. They'll be used for the boat door, hanging them upside down, or opposite of their intended use. This will let the leaves fall or droop, giving a more natural, 3D (not flat) look. At least that's what I envision.

BGcorey wrote:

DComeaux wrote:

BGcorey wrote:Take pictures of the thatch install! Really liking how it looks. Wondering if it’s any better than the 4x4 grass sheets everyone else sells


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We have those as well. They'll be used for the boat door, hanging them upside down, or opposite of their intended use. This will let the leaves fall or droop, giving a more natural, 3D (not flat) look. At least that's what I envision.

funny you mention natural look. We hung them upside down once, letting the leaves fall and an older member made fun of us .... “don’t ya know cattails don’t grow towards the water, they grow up towards the sun”



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This picture shows how they are intended to hand. I will turn that upside down.

DComeaux wrote:giving a more natural, 3D (not flat) look.

I hate that nailed on the wall look. I always try to create some 3D when dressing the blinds or boat hide. I think especially when the birds are moving, it will just look a whole lot more natural and break things up better. You get shadows and other effects that just make it look like it belongs.

While on a trip this summer on Captiva Island, FL, sat drinking fruity cocktails under a tiki hut bar by the pool. Ambiance said "tropical" but smell from the thatched roof was that of Fast Grass and other faux grasses used for hunting, a confusion of the senses.

Darren wrote:While on a trip this summer on Captiva Island, FL, sat drinking fruity cocktails under a tiki hut bar by the pool. Ambiance said "tropical" but smell from the thatched roof was that of Fast Grass and other faux grasses used for hunting, a confusion of the senses.

I like that smell. The inside of our screened porch at the camp smelled like fresh bailed hay with that roll inside. It will be a smell with us all winter.

SpinnerMan wrote:

DComeaux wrote:giving a more natural, 3D (not flat) look.

I hate that nailed on the wall look. I always try to create some 3D when dressing the blinds or boat hide. I think especially when the birds are moving, it will just look a whole lot more natural and break things up better. You get shadows and other effects that just make it look like it belongs.

It's very noticeable from space.(Google earth)

LDWF Agents Cite Two Men for Taking Alligator During Closed Season

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited two men for alleged alligator violations on Aug. 15 in St. Mary Parish.

Agents cited Barry Pedigo, 59, of Pensacola, Florida, and Logan Madere, 28,of Westwego, for possessing an alligator during a closed season.

Agents received information about an alligator being illegally harvested at Burns Point Park located in St. Mary Parish.

After investigating the information, agents learned that Pedigo captured an alligator by hand. Pedigo was bit multiple times and had to be taken to Lafayette General Hospital to be treated for moderate injuries. Madere then killed the alligator.

Agents seized the 4 foot 8 inch alligator.

Harvesting an alligator during a closed brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. The men may also face civil restitution totaling $375.80 for the replacement value of the alligator.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email alerts, signup at http://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.

Pedigo was bit multiple times and had to be taken to Lafayette General Hospital to be treated for moderate injuries.

Pedigo watched too many episodes of swamp people.

Don'tcha know a whole lot of folks making $5 a foot wish the replacement value of that little fellow really was $375.

I spent another weekend at the camp, this time with the wife and daughter. The wife and I had a relaxing morning and a late breakfast. We did a little clean up on Saturday, washing all of the bed linen to freshen em up. Our daughter drove down in the afternoon and we made a trip to the marsh. We were able to get more fresh shrimp, but the crabs weren't cooperating.

No matter, these we just enjoyed. There is nothing like fresh shrimp. My wife is a big boiled shrimp fan, and I can take em or leave em, but I have to say I ate my share, plus. The next batch I'll fry a few for poboys.





I got to watch the mottled duck flight again, some in large flocks. It sure is awesome to see this.

Would work for me.

I'll say this, I'll eat these boiled fresh every day. These are candy. Never frozen, day old or less is the ticket.

Lookin good, and I can sure hammer out some fried ones

Less young in the trickle to us, those that might continue past the yellow nugget buffets. I wish I had a better attitude toward this migration thing, but the migration optimism diode in my brain has a short due to a constant disappointment overload over the last 10 plus years, and it continues.

Marsh Bear wrote:I love shrimp, most any way you cook em, just don't put coconut on them.

Dave are you seeing the big flight of Mottled ducks on your lease or just at Rockerfeller.

We're saw a few pair and more on the lease, but not like the refuge. There seems to be a LARGE number in those managed fields/marsh on the refuge.

Don't shoot this if you see it this year. Just call it in. It's a Blue wing Teal.

DComeaux wrote:Don't shoot this if you see it this year. Just call it in. It's a Blue wing Teal.

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call it in? To who/for what?

What about call it into the decoys to get shot and mounted?