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Loved raw oysters cold and salty, but they scare the crap out of me now. I haven't eaten those in quite a few years, because you just never know when your immune system is on the fritz and I don't think it gets better with age. I'll just have to remember the experience. Tampon's of the sea.

DComeaux wrote:Tampon's of the sea.

Way to spoil them for him, Comeaux. (I quit eating oysters raw when my "A shot of hot sauce'll kill whatever's on 'em." drinking days ended.)

A friend's dad of age range maybe between the two of you is currently hospitalized with some kind of infection he got from a recent raw slurp. But I love 'em.....

Good front on tap this weekend/early next week, with another in long term forecast. Some are talking of a winter storm coming down through ARKY and Tenn. next week. At least it's something to hope on, it's WEATHER.

Good front on tap this weekend, just what we need while we're on break. Hopefully the one forecast for the following weekend comes through as well

SATURDAY 12-8-2018
Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south near
10 knots early in the afternoon, then becoming west late in the
afternoon. Waves 2 to 4 feet. Dominant period 4 seconds. Waves or
Seas subsiding to 1 foot or less. Dominant period 4 seconds in
the afternoon. Showers through the day. Slight chance of
thunderstorms in the afternoon.

SATURDAY NIGHT
Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Waves 2 to
4 feet. Dominant period 4 seconds. Chance of showers.

Happy birthday Harry, makes 4 today!

Good pictures. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!

Great pics - my dog Abby made 4 on June 26

Little ball of promise seems to have turned out well.

https://extra.mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mdcdev ... y/main.cgi


Looking like Harrison (Happy BD) may have a few more ducks to retrieve. Most of the GWT and Gads have moved on. I suspect the big influx of GWT I saw on Sunday was part of that departure they talk about when the harsh conditions rolled in to Mizzou in the latter part of November. Sure would like to be hunting this weekend and early next week...

Happy Birthday to Harry

Ducaholic wrote:https://extra.mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mdcdevpub/apps/wtr_survey/main.cgi


Looking like Harrison (Happy BD) may have a few more ducks to retrieve. Most of the GWT and Gads have moved on. I suspect the big influx of GWT I saw on Sunday was part of that departure they talk about when the harsh conditions rolled in to Mizzou in the latter part of November. Sure would like to be hunting this weekend and early next week...

All I needed to know from the link, thanks for sharing:

"Mallards now make up 90 percent of the ducks in the state."

Again with the whole flooded corn thing.......not my birds. These birds up there are not those I should be seeing in front of my SE La marsh blind. That said, old timer at the marina by the camp made a point to mention the other day that mallards were once quite abundant in that area. What is now salt marsh was once far fresher, hence the mostly sickly oak tree stands in the area.

"My", and thus everyone else's in SE La, birds are apparently scattered between Arkansas and here, in abundant floods from all the rain we've had. Missouri's apparently saying they're gone from there.

A couple years back, a carver friend loaned me a book on old carvers from mostly the SE quadrant of the state and their styles of work and, given the examples in it, it left me wondering if much of that area ever really saw a whole lot of mallards. While I assumed mallards would have been one of the most popular decoy species when those carvers were working, I'd not want to bet there wasn't greater focus on both dogris and ringnecks than mallards.

Happy Birthday Darren...

Ducaholic wrote:Happy Birthday Darren...

Thanks a lot! Wish the season were open to hunt today and tomorrow!

Not me. Just came in from airing the bug, and it would be raining "like a cow pissing on a flat rock" out there - if it wasn't coming sideways. Not a great fan of hunting after they've been worn out by such nights, much less if I have to stand in the tail end of it. But the speck guys would kick butt when it breaks.

Rick wrote:Not me. Just came in from airing the bug, and it would be raining "like a cow pissing on a flat rock" out there - if it wasn't coming sideways. Not a great fan of hunting after they've been worn out by such nights, much less if I have to stand in the tail end of it. But the speck guys would kick butt when it breaks.

Indeed would have been ugly timing for you, though looks like I may have had a window to work with on my end from current radar. May be best we aren't open, would have likely been a lost morning for most.

beautiful dog Darren.Did you train, or have him trained.

Ericdc wrote:beautiful dog Darren.Did you train, or have him trained.

For everything Harry does right or wrong in the blind, it's squarely on his inept trainer.....me. He's my first dog....ever, but the training process was very humbling and rewarding taking it on myself who could use a lesson or three in patience before my first child came along.

Though he'll not take any field trial ribbons, this dog is absolutely exceptional with family/kids, fiercely loyal and is always an eager helping hand in the blind. Most of his hunt ability stems from his natural drive, though he's got no hunting bloodline that I'm aware of.

Just like his owner, he also gets excited to jump in the boat to just go scouting or brush blinds.

Darren wrote:the training process was very humbling and rewarding taking it on myself who could use a lesson or three in patience before my first child came along.

Can’t agree with this enough! Training my first lab did worlds for my patience. I can’t imagine the freight train that would have hit me with our little boy if I hadn’t been softened by training Legh.

Sat. 12/15/2018 Second Split Opener
Delacroix, St. Bernard Parish, La
Johnny and I with Harry
Post-frontal passage winds 10-20 from WSW to WNW


Very simple, never thought about shooting today. Did not see a duck for first 30 minutes at least, ended up seeing fair few grays moving about by the time we left but nothing gave us a look. Other reports in area very poor, and for a split opener there was very little shooting. The other blinds on the lease at least got some shooting ops, so guess it was just our turn. Will try a different blind tomorrow.

zero, DNS



Report we got from Bunkie area farm was slow, the reporting blind scratched. Some are trying that tomorrow but thinking we'll likely stay put down here instead of packing up and trekking.

Tons of geese in Bunkie I’ve heard


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sun. 12/16/2018
Delacroix, St. Bernard Parish, La
Johnny and I with Harry
NW winds 5-15, low 50's, heavy cloud deck

Tried the only blind of ours that killed anything yesterday and was again slow, no one else out around us. Managed to scratch a couple of grays and got two of an early wad of dosgris. That was it! Saw fair many grays here and there but not working us or wouldn't finish. Saw good many birds here and there on our way in as well, just scattered in known places they're not pressured. A couple other blinds in the area we know of scratched.


2 grays, 2 dosgris



Last report I got from Bunkie was 1 teal in hand, no birds on the farm.

Gluttons for punishment, looks like I've someone roped into going try the marsh tomorrow in the big wind. Have plans to then give bunkie field a shot on Friday in the sunshine and wind. We'll see.......

Good luck. Hearing specks at night over this way. Maybe there's a few ducks with em.

I did not look at your area, but Holly Beach has winds at 23 mph tomorrow. You might want to allow for the wind when shooting.
Good luck - hope you don't have to cross any big water tomorrow.

MARSH BEAR wrote:I did not look at your area, but Holly Beach has winds at 23 mph tomorrow. You might want to allow for the wind when shooting.
Good luck - hope you don't have to cross any big water tomorrow.

Yea it's going to be gettin' it for sure, though looks like primarily picking up really intensely later in the day. We'll be hugging lee shorelines on the larger waters...lifejackets ON of course.

Big rain just came through down here at the camp

Thurs. 12/20/2018
Delacroix, St. Bernard Parish, La
Thomas C and I with Harry
Winds WNW 10-15+, 50's, cloudy

Employed guerilla warfare mobile tactics to an area we'd been seeing a few and had an intermittent flight of various divers and teal, just a few grays around. What we saw worked in pretty well for the most part, and we shot decent with all but the first wad of teal in close.

(11) 6 GW teal, 4 buffleheads, 1 gray





Gale warnings down here for rest of today into tomorrow; think i'll go give Bunkie field a shot if I feel up to it, been under the weather.

Nothing wrong with that!! and a lot better than sitting in this office.

Are the buffles fully plumed?

That's an "Alert the media!" hunt this split.

DComeaux wrote:Nothing wrong with that!! and a lot better than sitting in this office.

Are the buffles fully plumed?

For the life of us, we've not shot a drake this season with all the buffles we've taken (way above average). Suppose maybe some are very immature?? Just seems that we normally can see the white ones plain as could be. Nice to see some pretty drake greenwings though.

Try them in the field tomorrow with the big wind and clear skies.