Preseason 2018-2019

[Ericdc]

It’s the same with the state severance taxes on timber, the parish police jury’s give loggers hell about road use, then u ask where are they spending the severance revenue, and it’s going to “other needs” in the parish and roads get neglected.


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[Darren]

It’s the same with the state severance taxes on timber, the parish police jury’s give loggers hell about road use, then u ask where are they spending the severance revenue, and it’s going to “other needs” in the parish and roads get neglected.


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yep very similar. Funding for artificial reefs, coastal restoration etc. has gone to anything but over the years.

[Darren]

Just waiting on Tropical Storm, and likely later Hurricane Gordon to skirt my stompin' grounds later today. Picked up around the camp over the weekend, 3-5 ft of surge expected, not good. Did put eyes on one bunch of maybe a dozen teal near the camp on Saturday evening while fishing but surely they'll be elsewhere after today. Best case scenario is we get it through here quick to allow tides to fall back and land to drain but there will still be a fair bit of excess water around putting birds in places hunters won't be. Surely putting a damper on my teal season prep but we'll hope for the best.

Also hoping bay boat makes out OK in our hoist, it's pretty high up for sure.

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If any positives in the outlook, we had Hurricane Nate in october of last year on a similar path which gave us about 4-5 ft of surge and left our marsh in pretty good shape. Also there's a fair bit of excess grasses and also Salvinia growing in places it shouldn't be so there are some benefits to an occasional flushing so long as it doesn't come with catastrophic winds. We'll see!

[Ericdc]

Looks like the farm I hunt in extreme northeast LA will get some rain, but nothing extreme. I figure there is some rice getting close to being cut.


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[Deltaman]

Dammit man.......We just finished rebuilding the walkway (240') on our pier on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay two weeks ago, taken down by Nate last year

[DComeaux]

Dammit man.......We just finished rebuilding the walkway (240') on our pier on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay two weeks ago, taken down by Nate last year

It's a never ending battle.

[Darren]

Feeling better this morning after watching T.S. Gordon's track stay east of most forecasts, and the heavily east-heavy storm put nearly all of it's rain east of it's path. From what I've seen on gauges so far and the little i'm hearing, sounds like surge was minimal. Most importantly for next weekend's prospects, it was not the pasture flooding event we feared. North and central La appear to have gotten very little rain at all

From the NOAA station in Shell Beach, winds at the camp peaked at 25 mph sustained, and never recorded a gust over 30, and winds have been blowing with a marsh draining WEST component since late last night, varying NW to SW. Just waiting on official word from a contact that lives down there but looking good so far

[Deltaman]

Wasn't too bad here in Mobile, and was a happy camper when I saw a picture of our pier this morning. As long as the high tide this a.m. doesn't go crazy, our pier made it through with no damage

[Darren]

Wasn't too bad here in Mobile, and was a happy camper when I saw a picture of our pier this morning. As long as the high tide this a.m. doesn't go crazy, our pier made it through with no damage

that's great to hear!

Initial report I'm getting from about as an official source as there could be short of me visiting myself says water may not have even gotten over our dock. Huge news; no pressure washing to be done.

[Rick]

Good to hear.

[Darren]

Harry and I launched dark and early to check out some of our stompin grounds, nice NE wind greeted us, just great conditions to be out and about. Right off bat jumped three teal in flooded grass then saw a few small groups soon after in some areas they are usually using. Checked last year's location and found it all grown up so no won't be viable for this season. Water was still on the high side, and looked like some salt surge/submerging caused a good bit of die off in some really delicate stuff that has choked out the normal marsh grass but other than that, marsh still vibrant.

Did find mottled ducks piled up in a hole, a good 20-30 or more easily, and only confirmed a few teal, one of which came back to the call and plopped down in front of us. It was a really shallow area of stagnant water......mosquitoes were just horrific in there.

Harry got some work (and play) in, great morning pokin' around in the flat boat. Now back in BR to hit the LSU tailgate scene

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In our happy place

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Plan is to head to Shell Beach camp thursday night, give that a good scout Friday morning, then scheme from there on opener location.

Like the look of this wind direction in the forecast for first few days of the season

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[Rick]

Now if you can just duck the next however many storms...

[Darren]

Now if you can just duck the next however many storms...

Will sweat it I’m sure for weeks to come, lining up pretty good right now but much rather our chances with the Cape Verde storms than those that just appear in Gulf.

[Darren]

Reports have been bad down this way and the survey conducted by LDWF earlier in the week confirmed those reports with the second lowest survey on record. Our scout mission yesterday went a lot like the previous year's, with nothing at all seen until we got to our particular area where there were mottleds, shorebirds and some teal using shallows. Weren't as many as I kicked up last year there but a few when there was none to be found anywhere else.

We'll go give 'em a try this morning! Good luck all

[Darren]

Buddy stopped by the Bunkie area field to see how the volunteer/wild growth is going since last visit; very pleased!

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Don't know what all we've got but figure it better than a mud field once we get some water on it in December. Any ideas??

[Ericdc]

I texted a pic to my buddy Bradley Ramsey, he’s a moist soil expert. You are going to be a happy hunter. It’s sprangletop

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=LEDU


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[DComeaux]

Boy oh Boy! Hopefully the geese don't harvest it too early.

[Rick]

Glad someone could ID it. I've long heard of spangletop but plainly wouldn't know it if I stepped in it and was at a loss. Still not sure I'd know it on the hoof.

[Darren]

Darren I hope the ducks and geese think it looks as good as we do

Hoping so; my question is how hardy is it? Will it be standing in December or broken over? How much clearing will be required?

Can we do whatever we want with it, like run over with ATV's or stomp, etc. since it's not a "crop"?

[DComeaux]

Darren I hope the ducks and geese think it looks as good as we do

Hoping so; my question is how hardy is it? Will it be standing in December or broken over? How much clearing will be required?

Can we do whatever we want with it, like run over with ATV's or stomp, etc. since it's not a "crop"?

If it’s “native”, my understanding is you’re free to manipulate it.

Can’t speak to its hardiness.

That is my understanding as well. It is fragile and will seed and wither quick once you put water on it, but there are many, many seeds to fall.

[SpinnerMan]

Darren I hope the ducks and geese think it looks as good as we do

Hoping so; my question is how hardy is it? Will it be standing in December or broken over? How much clearing will be required?

Can we do whatever we want with it, like run over with ATV's or stomp, etc. since it's not a "crop"?

https://www.fws.gov/le/waterfowl-hunting-and-baiting.html

Hunting Over Natural Vegetation

Natural vegetation is any non-agricultural, native, or naturalized plant species that grows at a site in response to planting or from existing seeds or other propagules.

Natural vegetation does not include planted millet because of its use as both an agricultural crop and a species of natural vegetation for moist soil management. However, planted millet that grows on its own in subsequent years is considered natural vegetation.

If you restore and manage wetlands as habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds, you can manipulate the natural vegetation in these areas and make them available for hunting.

Natural vegetation does not include plants grown as agricultural crops. Under no circumstances can you hunt waterfowl over manipulated crops prior to a normal harvest. Nor can you hunt waterfowl over manipulated wildlife food plots or manipulated plantings for soil stabilization.

[Darren]

These are apparently new Dakota speck floaters?? No one has them listed but Rogers, not even Dakota's website, and they're not in stock.

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Kind of have my wheels turning if they become available since a mixed duck/goose floater spread is something we've been looking to tinker with, also would mix in a few FBs in same area to depict the water to be the right depth whether it really is or not.