Post-Season 2019-2020

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Mon May 11, 2020 12:17 pm

Im told it was 3.5" #4's......at point blank, lower back toward the right side.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Duck Engr » Mon May 11, 2020 3:57 pm

Wow he is very lucky. Very similar thing happened to a friend while goose hunting back in college. He went to get the jon boat and laid his gun down in the boat, dog jumped in the boat, stepped on the gun, went off, BBs thru the boat transom and into his right butt cheek. He survived only because they were hunting close to civilization and we have a good friend who’s an Emt that they were able to get on the phone quickly for short term advice before they met the ambulance at the boat ramp. He still has steel shot working its way down his leg. He pops a steel shot pimple now and then.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby BGkirk » Mon May 11, 2020 5:26 pm

Duck Engr wrote:Wow he is very lucky. Very similar thing happened to a friend while goose hunting back in college. He went to get the jon boat and laid his gun down in the boat, dog jumped in the boat, stepped on the gun, went off, BBs thru the boat transom and into his right butt cheek. He survived only because they were hunting close to civilization and we have a good friend who’s an Emt that they were able to get on the phone quickly for short term advice before they met the ambulance at the boat ramp. He still has steel shot working its way down his leg. He pops a steel shot pimple now and then.
And probably has trouble in airports


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Wed May 20, 2020 1:41 pm

Some squealer dekes I saw on FB someone had made:

decoys.jpg




Can't recall if I mentioned it in my log post on that particular hunt, but on a day Will came along with me last season we brought a few of his blue bill/dos gris decoys and I think a lone bufflehead drake to go along with my every day spread of grays and white (pintail) feeder butts. The divers looked great, showed well from distance.......I'm planning to add a few to my spread for this season.

Wouldn't be any fun if we weren't always tinkering with something thought to up our game.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby BGkirk » Wed May 20, 2020 7:22 pm

I saw that as well. Looks great, need that paint scheme on some of the older flambeau pintail drakes that sit up high with a slender neck.


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Thu May 21, 2020 7:00 am

BGkirk wrote:I saw that as well. Looks great, need that paint scheme on some of the older flambeau pintail drakes that sit up high with a slender neck.


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Or per our other discussion on them..........a swan decoy painted to this color scheme.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Deltaman » Thu May 21, 2020 10:44 am

"Wouldn't be any fun if we weren't always tinkering with something thought to up our game."

Truer Words Brother.............and just adds another layer of interest, and fun, to the game. Every hunt is a test market!
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure, that just ain't so"
Mark Twain
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Thu May 21, 2020 11:38 am

Just can't be afraid to completely cut bait on a new tactic in event it looks like it could be detrimental to what we're ultimately trying to do.......put more birds on the strap, even if it means you can't use decoys or some other tactic/contraption that YOU really want to. A particular opening day hunt comes to mind in 2013 season I think where I was a guest of someone who really wanted to run a big gaggle of spinners.....the grays weren't having it, would not finish. I repeatedly blamed the spinners, but no that couldn't be. There were plenty birds wanting in, but what should have been a heavy strap was light for not acknowledging the real reason they wouldn't commit and acting on it to save the hunt.


Spoke with a Delacroix area guide buddy this morning who went on an annual Arky trip the closing weekend of our Coastal Zone in Louisiana back in Jan..........three days, three ducks total.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Ducaholic » Tue May 26, 2020 9:03 am

I have had days where we pulled spinners put them back out and pulled them again and never got birds to finish. And I have had days that no matter what we did the ducks just piled up right where we wanted them.

Guess what I am saying is what we might think is the obvious issue may not be the issue at all. But if you don't try something different you will never know for sure.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Tue May 26, 2020 10:34 am

Ducaholic wrote:I have had days where we pulled spinners put them back out and pulled them again and never got birds to finish. And I have had days that no matter what we did the ducks just piled up right where we wanted them.

Guess what I am saying is what we might think is the obvious issue may not be the issue at all. But if you don't try something different you will never know for sure.


Many swear by spinners for grays, I'd rather not have them based on my experiences. Many in my area report grays darn near trying to land on them, just hasn't been my observation more often than not.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Ducaholic » Tue May 26, 2020 10:56 am

Darren wrote:
Ducaholic wrote:I have had days where we pulled spinners put them back out and pulled them again and never got birds to finish. And I have had days that no matter what we did the ducks just piled up right where we wanted them.

Guess what I am saying is what we might think is the obvious issue may not be the issue at all. But if you don't try something different you will never know for sure.


Many swear by spinners for grays, I'd rather not have them based on my experiences. Many in my area report grays darn near trying to land on them, just hasn't been my observation more often than not.



I would not under any circumstances consider a spinner to be the ticket for tricking greys in to range especially with groups larger than 3-4.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Rick » Tue May 26, 2020 11:09 am

We don't see nearly as many of them as some of you folks do, but I tend to think grays the most likely of big ducks to touch their toes and kamikaze into a spinner too quickly for me to get it shut off without slow-rolling it in the birds' face. Doesn't mean some aren't a pain to finish with or without the whirligig.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Tue May 26, 2020 11:42 am

Rick wrote:We don't see nearly as many of them as some of you folks do, but I tend to think grays the most likely of big ducks to touch their toes and kamikaze into a spinner too quickly for me to get it shut off without slow-rolling it in the birds' face. Doesn't mean some aren't a pain to finish with or without the whirligig.



I get plenty of chances a season to watch them work into what I know to be LIVE GRAYS dabbling in a hole........and they still go round and round. :lol:
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby BGkirk » Tue May 26, 2020 11:51 am

Darren wrote:
Rick wrote:We don't see nearly as many of them as some of you folks do, but I tend to think grays the most likely of big ducks to touch their toes and kamikaze into a spinner too quickly for me to get it shut off without slow-rolling it in the birds' face. Doesn't mean some aren't a pain to finish with or without the whirligig.



I get plenty of chances a season to watch them work into what I know to be LIVE GRAYS dabbling in a hole........and they still go round and round. :lol:
No kidding. When I do go hunt public where it is predominantly grays, I’ve started going as far as only using Gray duck decoys with coots also and as recent as last year bought the newer gadwall mojo which is really dark and if I can get the wings to ever stop facing down I’m confident in leaving it out, however I will shut it off as soon as I feel they can see the spread.
I’m still under the impression if you kill a mess of them then you are just where they want to be.


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Tue May 26, 2020 1:19 pm

Have a whole lot of experience, especially on public land, in going to sometimes great lengths to get to where the grays wanted to be, and we've piled up our share over the years (log says 990 since 2002 season when I started tracking). Can confirm that when you are where they want to be, not even poor concealment and upside down decoys has kept them out.

On my lease, they are already wanting into the general area, its just a matter of selling them on that pond being the right one for the day. As a result its really not at all about coaxing from way up high, more so just finishing them with as realistic a picture I can't paint them. For that I rely on the most realistic decoys I can get my hands on, currently using Avian X grays with pintail feeder butts (long tails snipped). No spinners, just occasionally a couple of splasher butts when its dead A calm.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby BGkirk » Tue May 26, 2020 2:54 pm

Why the snipped tails?


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Tue May 26, 2020 4:13 pm

BGkirk wrote:Why the snipped tails?


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Because otherwise they'd actually be pintails, and heaven forbid a gray drops in to see pintails loafing in an area where we both know there usually aren't pintails. :lol:

What I'm after is the WHITE butts, because that's what is observed of feeding and loafing grays and wigeon.
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Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Duck Engr » Tue May 26, 2020 6:58 pm

Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Ducaholic » Wed May 27, 2020 6:11 am

Duck Engr wrote:Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.



True Dat
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Wed May 27, 2020 7:25 am

Duck Engr wrote:Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.



The popular opinion is "big ducks fly late" in my circles of SE La, but on the lease the first birds in for the morning, even dark early, are usually grays. I'm all for shooting the greenwings but plenty of times when we've had limits and were out really early, it was mostly, if not entirely grays. I think the (mostly mudboat) hunter pressure in the dark bumps them from overnight areas when they come in to set up so when LST arrives, they've already been up and about and are looking to put down in what appears a quieter place with what appears a raft of undisturbed birds.


One other interesting observation I've had with early morning grays is..........if a single gray comes in really early in the morning, just dives on in without hesitation, I've found that 9 times out of 10 or better it's a hen. Again, only when really early morning glow after LST and has to be a solo bird committing without coaxing of any kind. First noted this in 2008 and sure enough has proven itself time and time again since.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Duck Engr » Wed May 27, 2020 8:22 am

Darren wrote:
Duck Engr wrote:Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.



One other interesting observation I've had with early morning grays is..........if a single gray comes in really early in the morning, just dives on in without hesitation, I've found that 9 times out of 10 or better it's a hen. Again, only when really early morning glow after LST and has to be a solo bird committing without coaxing of any kind. First noted this in 2008 and sure enough has proven itself time and time again since.


Very interesting. I don’t kill enough of them to notice a trend like that; but I’ll be sure to pay attention this year.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Ducaholic » Wed May 27, 2020 9:15 am

Darren wrote:
Duck Engr wrote:Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.



The popular opinion is "big ducks fly late" in my circles of SE La, but on the lease the first birds in for the morning, even dark early, are usually grays. I'm all for shooting the greenwings but plenty of times when we've had limits and were out really early, it was mostly, if not entirely grays. I think the (mostly mudboat) hunter pressure in the dark bumps them from overnight areas when they come in to set up so when LST arrives, they've already been up and about and are looking to put down in what appears a quieter place with what appears a raft of undisturbed birds.



I'm not a marsh hunter but 90% of my banner days hunting cypress lakes have begun with greys doing it right at daylight.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Ducaholic » Wed May 27, 2020 9:55 am

Ducaholic wrote:
Darren wrote:
Duck Engr wrote:Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.



The popular opinion is "big ducks fly late" in my circles of SE La, but on the lease the first birds in for the morning, even dark early, are usually grays. I'm all for shooting the greenwings but plenty of times when we've had limits and were out really early, it was mostly, if not entirely grays. I think the (mostly mudboat) hunter pressure in the dark bumps them from overnight areas when they come in to set up so when LST arrives, they've already been up and about and are looking to put down in what appears a quieter place with what appears a raft of undisturbed birds.



I'm not a marsh hunter but 90% of my banner days hunting cypress lakes have begun with greys doing it right at daylight.



It's always better when 5 or 6 lay on the water after the first LST 9 round volley. :beer:
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Rick » Wed May 27, 2020 11:36 am

Ducaholic wrote:It's always better when 5 or 6 lay on the water after the first LST 9 round volley. :beer:


"Always"? I'd alert the media if that happened on a first volley at my blind.

Though my all-time favorite gray duck moment came one extra quiet marsh morning when our neighboring marsh's manager, Clark, called to shoot the breeze after one of our volleys, opened with something along the lines of "Hold it down over there." and I was able to tell him, "OK, we just dropped the six birds we needed to finish."

Probably never see six grays fall to a volley at the mudhole again.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Rick » Wed May 27, 2020 11:43 am

But, speaking of grays, I may have shot the last ones I ever will for our table season before last. Had a play hunt pair of first light grays that reminded me of their "gagwall" nickname when I cleaned them. Reminded me of why I quit shooting them at Pecan Island my first season down here.

Y'all ever get stinkers?
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Wed May 27, 2020 12:44 pm

Duck Engr wrote:
Darren wrote:
Duck Engr wrote:Where I hunt there are two types of gadwall. The 6:30 am gadwall behaves much like Rick described. The 9 am gadwall behaves like Darren is describing. Have had some early ones nearly take my hat off trying to get in but the mid morning birds have caused me to lose my hair and religion.



One other interesting observation I've had with early morning grays is..........if a single gray comes in really early in the morning, just dives on in without hesitation, I've found that 9 times out of 10 or better it's a hen. Again, only when really early morning glow after LST and has to be a solo bird committing without coaxing of any kind. First noted this in 2008 and sure enough has proven itself time and time again since.


Very interesting. I don’t kill enough of them to notice a trend like that; but I’ll be sure to pay attention this year.


Hunt below was most recent observation I can recall where first bird was a single big duck, again turning out to be single hen gray. The hunt the next morning on my lease had a small group of grays in at first light.

Fri. 1/17/2020
SE La public marsh
Cousin Kyle & I with Harry
60's, ENE wind 10-20+, cloudy to partly sunny and back

Headed out to Kyle's honey hole which is actually one of my teal season holes........but I didn't know it had regular season grays as he's been killing. Sure enough, lone single in the dekes off the bat and occasional ops sporadically thereafter



Would be curious if it's just an anomoly by me or if others note the same. It's not limited to my lease, for sure, because the trend started in my public land days far away from my current lease.
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Ducaholic » Wed May 27, 2020 12:53 pm

Rick wrote:But, speaking of grays, I may have shot the last ones I ever will for our table season before last. Had a play hunt pair of first light grays that reminded me of their "gagwall" nickname when I cleaned them. Reminded me of why I quit shooting them at Pecan Island my first season down here.

Y'all ever get stinkers?



Yes, the skinny birds seems to have that innard smell. What's up with that?
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Wed May 27, 2020 2:05 pm

Rick wrote:But, speaking of grays, I may have shot the last ones I ever will for our table season before last. Had a play hunt pair of first light grays that reminded me of their "gagwall" nickname when I cleaned them. Reminded me of why I quit shooting them at Pecan Island my first season down here.

Y'all ever get stinkers?


Have opened my share that made me cringe, would never try to sell someone on an ol marsh gray being top shelf table fare above a few other choice species. They do just fine, though, in our fried duck nuggets, poppers, and of course the sausage pile. Cut small, we'll use in a gumbo as well if no teal available. Just nothing that is prepared very delicately so as to ensure complete preservation of the natural taste (or aroma :lol: )
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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Darren » Thu Jun 04, 2020 2:19 pm

You SW La folk need to quit shooting those whoopers, they eat bad snakes!

Whooping cranes are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal material and they aren't picky, eating most anything they can catch or find! However, it's rare that we get a close up view of them eating something big enough to identify. Several weeks ago we were lucky to capture a series of photos of male, L13-16 catching and eating a young cottonmouth!


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

Postby Rick » Thu Jun 04, 2020 6:10 pm

I've lots of whooper photos but nothing that neat.
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