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Have you found out whether you can regulate your water depth since there’s not any crawfish rice in your field?


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Ericdc wrote:Have you found out whether you can regulate your water depth since there’s not any crawfish rice in your field?

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Its our understanding no plans for crawfish so yea hoping we can pull a board when needed; last year it got too deep on us for sure in late season. Will be interesting to see how that grass holds up when it starts cooling off and/or get a little water in there (hopefully) in maybe late Nov.

Some early snow, apparently the most for mid-October in 13 years



Works for me!

We are seeing the most geese that I've seen this time of year. Not seeing ANY ducks But the geese numbers are way up for mid October. I wonder if that weather is contributing. Although most are the giant resident variety. But I have seen some smaller migrators from further north. We do get large geese that migrate from Canada. So you can't tell except for the smaller ones.

I saw swans in addition to geese flying over while hunting. When I walked out, about 75 yards away from the truck there were some "swans" that looked different. They were back lit, but they looked dark and the head shape didn't seem quite right. They didn't seem quite as big as our mute swans, but seemed at least 16-18 lbs. I figured they were trumpeter swans. After putting my bow and other stuff away, I drove over to try and get a closer look. They were Canadas, big freaking Canadas. Our normal resident geese are 10-12 lbs with an occasional giant tipping the scale at 14 lbs. These were 50% bigger than normal. There was a flock of about 8-10 of them. I hope they stick around until Saturday and fly by the blind I will be hunting in which is about 400 yards from where they were. I had no doubt they were swans when I first saw them. Just thought they were a different kind than the mute swans that are common around here.

SpinnerMan wrote:Not seeing ANY ducks...

Bastages north of you are holding them with flooded cheese curds.

Rick wrote:

SpinnerMan wrote:Not seeing ANY ducks...

Bastages north of you are holding them with flooded cheese curds.

Opening day is Saturday. I hope they let a few through before then.

Of note to the log, yesterday was first confirmed report of grays I got from buddies at home fishing our stomping grounds. Said a few wads of teal and other non-teal were seen but grays were confirmed chattering overhead by people I trust that know their marsh ducks. Timing is about right, particularly given smaller front this week with another more potent system coming through this evening. Would bet more are to be seen tomorrow across the local area, and the region.

As another migration indicator, the white pelicans are said to have arrived on the LSU lakes here in BR but I've not been to campus this week to verify their numbers. Makes me miss that fall I lived in the fraternity house overlooking the lake for my last semester, and we'd also see dosgris and occasionally grays out there as well.

Keep the fronts rolling!

Darren wrote:Of note to the log, yesterday was first confirmed report of grays I got from buddies at home fishing our stomping grounds. Said a few wads of teal and other non-teal were seen but grays were confirmed chattering overhead by people I trust that know their marsh ducks. Timing is about right, particularly given smaller front this week with another more potent system coming through this evening. Would bet more are to be seen tomorrow across the local area, and the region.

As another migration indicator, the white pelicans are said to have arrived on the LSU lakes here in BR but I've not been to campus this week to verify their numbers. Makes me miss that fall I lived in the fraternity house overlooking the lake for my last semester, and we'd also see dosgris and occasionally grays out there as well.

Keep the fronts rolling!

Got another update little bit ago of some impressive numbers of grays down in the Delacroix area this morning

First good front with northwest winds coming through later this week with a full moon tonight. Should be nice push of early migrators; looks to be right on time with what we would hope for.

Darren wrote:Of note to the log, yesterday was first confirmed report of grays I got from buddies at home fishing our stomping grounds. Said a few wads of teal and other non-teal were seen but grays were confirmed chattering overhead by people I trust that know their marsh ducks. Timing is about right, particularly given smaller front this week with another more potent system coming through this evening. Would bet more are to be seen tomorrow across the local area, and the region.

As another migration indicator, the white pelicans are said to have arrived on the LSU lakes here in BR but I've not been to campus this week to verify their numbers. Makes me miss that fall I lived in the fraternity house overlooking the lake for my last semester, and we'd also see dosgris and occasionally grays out there as well.

Keep the fronts rolling!

Funny you mentioned the White Pelicans Darren, as my brother mentioned seeing a group of them over the weekend in our delta while fishing as well. Always a good sign of movement when they show up.

Lots of strong NW winds in the forecast for the Plains States over the next 15 days. Should bode well for the coastal opener.

Ducaholic wrote:Lots of strong NW winds in the forecast for the Plains States over the next 15 days. Should bode well for the coastal opener.

Yea i'm thinking so, no significant warm ups on the extended forecasts either, looks seasonable for opening weekend on latest outlooks.

Interestingly enough one of the best hunts I've had on our lease was opening day 2015 in absolutely steaming conditions, no wind, bugs galore (and wads of grays you couldn't keep out the pond). So long as it "feels" like duck season with overnight lows in the 50's I'm happy.

Empty north winds, bringing only the smell of watered corn.

DComeaux wrote:Empty north winds, bringing only the smell of watered corn.

Lol...

Not so funny: a whole lot of bluewings were apparently tolled back up north by it since Wednesday...

Rick wrote:Not so funny: a whole lot of bluewings were apparently tolled back up north by it since Wednesday...

That just means they will be back.

Maybe...

I’d love to have some come up here...pumps are running


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Ericdc wrote:I’d love to have some come up here...

If ya ain't got flooded corn, no way, Jose.

Feel like I missed out this weekend with so many of you playing in the marsh/fields prepping blinds n such but I was far away from any of that. Spent Thurs to today in our nation's capitol and really enjoyed my first trip there, and even found some mallards and spoons in the famous reflecting pool Lincoln watches over each day.




Just as I was leaving for the trip, did get an update from my buddy on his Bunkie area field, now appearing as shown below. Looks like a variety of volunteer growth, some doing better than others now that some water is holding. Looks like we're headed in the right direction.







In last two days have gotten a good many reports of grays and teal down on my end around Lake Borgne so things sound promising there as well. Really looking forward to this week's front that looks to have some punch, and another on the forecast (for now) for late next week before we open.

Bunkie place looks birdy to my eye.

Yea we are excited as well about having huntable water on it so soon compared to most seasons when it's not till December. Knock on wood we get a bit more rain. Looking forward to getting up there Sunday

Rick wrote:Bunkie place looks birdy to my eye.

I second that notion as well...

Darren wrote:Yea we are excited as well about having huntable water on it so soon compared to most seasons when it's not till December. Knock on wood we get a bit more rain. Looking forward to getting up there Sunday

Mid-week forecast for Avoyelles is 1-2" with the next front. Maybe the stuff that Lafayette Parish has been getting 50 air miles to the south will move a little further northward and we get 3-4". Fingers crossed...

Bet Marsh Bear would be happy to give you some of his water, if you wanted to haul it, Perry. Always something...

Darren you can have all of my rain this week, and the next 2 or 3 weeks. I DON'T WANT ANY RAIN!!!

Rick wrote:Bet Marsh Bear would be happy to give you some of his water, if you wanted to haul it, Perry. Always something...

Always need water for holding power in Avoyelles Parish. Heck last year we didn’t get it until January. It’s the plight of the public land hunter. Always begging for better conditions.

Ducaholic wrote:

Rick wrote:Bet Marsh Bear would be happy to give you some of his water, if you wanted to haul it, Perry. Always something...

Always need water for holding power in Avoyelles Parish. Heck last year we didn’t get it until January. It’s the plight of the public land hunter. Always begging for better conditions.

I think it's everyone's issue that doesn't have the stupid money to manage land. There is marsh near us that has levees and is pumped off during time of high water like we have now. The pump (electric) ran for 4 to 6 weeks and I noticed it was shut off this past weekend. I was told the first electric bill was over 3K.

From radar projections coming up tonight I saw this morning, this front looks like a real rain maker. Hope the north winds to follow help get it out of places some of you don't want it. Marsh on my end was pretty darn low earlier this week due to the last front and the westerly winds that stuck around for a bit after. Have gotten some good reports/videos over last day or two with good concentrations of grays and various teal in the general area.

Sounds like several boxes could be checked with this front.