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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:18 am
by SpinnerMan
Rick wrote:Probably so, but still not cut and dry. Have photographed mallards slurping shad in Ohio River navigational dam tailwaters when it was serious winter up there. And I'd be amazed if Norther moist soil forage didn't see a lot of usage in "winters" like this one.

That would be the extreme high calorie food source.

And when we were in the 60's back around Christmas, I'll bet there were a lot more geese back in the parks and crapping on the sidewalks than when it was well below freezing.

But as you point out, the birds don't behave according to a specific pattern. You never get 100% of the population behaving similarly. You can find geese in the parks when it is very cold and in picked corn when it's 80. The difference is that you probably have 50%-75% in the grass when it's 80 and 90-95% in the corn when it's 0.

But a fresh picked field, no matter the weather, that seems like the mother of all attractants. I want to know the communication system they use to get every goose for 50 miles around into the one field that was just picked.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:18 pm
by Ducaholic
Got a call from a local land manager here in Avoyelles Parish inviting me to join a crew including Paul Link to band and put telemetry equipment on a few corn fed mallards in the morning. Regretfully I had to decline. I'll get a run down on their success and share it with the board.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:08 pm
by BGkirk
Rick wrote:Cory, that bird and most of the others are doing their flying well after LLST and well before LST. Jude Z and his hunters never see them. (None of the transmittered birds have been shot on LLC, though Mike Miller did, in fact, give a collared speck a pass.)

I don't claim to be smart enough to know how valid my early observations of what I've seen of the telemetry stuff is, but most of the birds seem absolutely religious about maintaining mostly short and nocturnal flight patterns from safe or relatively safe place to safe or relatively safe place. Which shouldn't surprise anyone, considering that they're mostly Dec and Jan caught birds that have been around long enough to know the ropes. (If there was a serious late season influx to the region we caught these birds in this year, I missed it.)

But it may not be for nothing that most feeding flights to ag land are to places I know to be what some would call "duck farms," where pressure is tightly regulated and crawfishing quite limited or absent to maintain good gunning. With the surprise for some being the number that are mostly going to moist soil/flooded fallow ground, rather than rice.
.
good info, I may have missed timing of that birds flights on the social media “Instagram post” where Paul shared that picture. It may not have been posted but I didn’t even think about that bird traveling at night. Neat stuff.
Rick do you know about how many telemetry gadgets Paul has or will be able to deploy?
And how much more is it compared years past


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:19 pm
by Rick
Ducaholic wrote:Got a call from a local land manager here in Avoyelles Parish inviting me to join a crew including Paul Link to band and put telemetry equipment on a few corn fed mallards in the morning. Regretfully I had to decline. I'll get a run down on their success and share it with the board.


Must be sweet to be able to catch mallards in daylight. Never managed that here.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:48 pm
by Rick
Cory, you might learn more than my memory can offer by looking back through my logs here, and that would just be what was installed in this area. Am thinking 25 mallard hens last March and another 30-some(?) of those this December and January, between both new and redeployed transmitters. Plus, a speck last March and a few more this fall, as well as 20 pintails last month.

Have no notion at all of how many of what birds have been transmittered elsewhere, beyond knowing some specks have been being done elsewhere for the past few years, to include Cason Short's farm in Arkansas last October.

Probably not nearly enough of anything to be statisically meaningful, but it's a start along the learning curve...

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:19 pm
by Ducaholic
Rick wrote:
Ducaholic wrote:Got a call from a local land manager here in Avoyelles Parish inviting me to join a crew including Paul Link to band and put telemetry equipment on a few corn fed mallards in the morning. Regretfully I had to decline. I'll get a run down on their success and share it with the board.


Must be sweet to be able to catch mallards in daylight. Never managed that here.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:25 pm
by Ducaholic
I was told the banding went well. Hodgepodge of teal woodies widgeon and gadwall. Tomorrow is supposed to be more focused on mallards. I can’t attest to the telemetry work I spoke of yesterday. I asked for pictures none were forthcoming.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 6:37 pm
by Rick
You ought to try to make it. Just have to resist the temptation to snap the necks of live ducks in hand...

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 9:07 am
by Darren
Didn't put eyes (or ears) on a wigeon this season, but have seen a fair many that look to have gotten jewelry in last 30 days. Bummer to see they're in LA, but not on the east end where we once had plenty.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 9:42 am
by Rick
Though it was far from the norm even then, one mid-'90s morning five of us shot 14 drake wigeon to get 4 clean masked and capped footballs with big-for-wigeon sprigs for my guys to mount. Now I can't remember the last time we shot that many in a season, but it wasn't any time lately. "Poof, they were gone..."

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:24 am
by Darren
My cousin had seen my numbers and asked if I thought it strange so made me revisit the long-term snapshot that generated the reflection below:

I would have previously thought it strange but not anymore, they just aren’t in SE La marshes as in past years save for a few here and there. I know of some that were killed in Delacroix area, a few in Biloxi marsh too, its just very few, mostly a single mixed in with grays rather than a flock of them.

For example, killed 8 of them in 2004 season, 35, yes THIRTY FIVE in 2005 Katrina season, and since then, 14 in total from 2006 to 2019 season, including ZERO the last two seasons in a row. 3 each in 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons


dstrap124.JPG


kyled123.JPG


Katrina (2005) left our marsh virtually unrecognizable but the ducks really liked areas that were once land, and now were scoured mud flats where the grass had been ripped from. So we had a big season, including lots of wigeon. Plenty blue beaks and cotton tops in those pics

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 11:36 am
by Ducaholic
One of 3 that I killed this year. Spring and summer flooding killed the hydrilla that Widgeon seemed to favor in my favorite public land spot. From 2005-2013 Widgeon was a staple in our bag limit. Then things began slowing down and finally bottomed out this past season.

In many dry field hunt videos in the Midwest I’m seeing big flocks of Widgeon being shot in to. Might explain at least in part why Widgeon are not as plentiful.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:54 am
by Darren
Dont know from which points they came, but as of yesterday afternoon the robins are on my yard in droves, were rowdy again this morning when leaving the house.

They just getting here? They coming up from south of me?

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 11:06 am
by Ducaholic
Been in my area since Mid-January.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 4:08 pm
by Rick
Still waiting. Haven't so much as heard one.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 4:41 pm
by DComeaux
Have had some around home all winter this year, and they're still here.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:24 pm
by BGkirk
They’ve been in the piney woods for awhile now.


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:59 am
by Rick
Must be in a dead zone: yard full of night crawlers and nothing to eat them. Y'all short-stoppin' 'em wit' sumpin'!!!

Did finally have a Cooper's or sharp-shin kill one of my homers in the yard a week ago. First such loss in two years, after generally losing several that way each winter. Hadn't seen a bird hawk around the place this "winter" or last, either, so maybe the robins are slipping in when I'm out.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 8:51 am
by Darren
Managed to swing by local gun shop on Monday before the shut down to pick up my duck gun from a thorough cleaning and function test....had some issues with third shell staying on lifter at end of season, first ever for that gun (M2). Much to my (not) surprise, she was just dirty and grimy from seasons of minimal cleaning while hunting salt marsh, she's cleaner than in-box and back in action.

Forgot to mention that I shared a table at a fancy DU banquet a few weeks ago with both Mr. Coco and the young lady that made the In The Blind documentary, enjoyed talking to her but didn't get to talk with Warren. It was a big $$$ event for military family fundraising I believe, and thankfully a buddy had a ticket for me. Great event, but didn't even contemplate bidding on the big ticket items auctioned off, too many zero's in those numbers to start. Did get to meet and chat briefly with Mr. Link of banding and telemetry fame, as well. Nice event, and entry price was right for me :D

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:04 am
by Rick
Darren wrote:Did get to meet and chat briefly with Mr. Link of banding and telemetry fame, as well.


The knee I keep wrecking mucking about on his little projects has quit hurting again, so I've been half expecting another call from him. Am thinking it has mostly been LSU student labor for his spring teal stuff and don't know how much of that's available now.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 10:28 am
by Darren
Rick wrote:
Darren wrote:Did get to meet and chat briefly with Mr. Link of banding and telemetry fame, as well.


The knee I keep wrecking mucking about on his little projects has quit hurting again, so I've been half expecting another call from him. Am thinking it has mostly been LSU student labor for his spring teal stuff and don't know how much of that's available now.


Been seeing the teal coming back through lately?

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:58 pm
by Rick
In numbers only at Mallard Lodge. Everywhere else I've been in my limited travels is heavily crawfished.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:14 pm
by BGkirk
Darren wrote:
Rick wrote:
Darren wrote:Did get to meet and chat briefly with Mr. Link of banding and telemetry fame, as well.


The knee I keep wrecking mucking about on his little projects has quit hurting again, so I've been half expecting another call from him. Am thinking it has mostly been LSU student labor for his spring teal stuff and don't know how much of that's available now.


Been seeing the teal coming back through lately?
Another member on our place took a ride through our place and said the bwt were tick tick tick... salvinia died off big time so I assume they are in areas where the salvinia once covered, also water levels were low.. with a warm winter and now hotter than usual marsh I except that salvinia to start spreading sooner than June. Hope to get in front if it if we can


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Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:01 am
by Darren
Did see a post online of some BWT banding going on at Krotz Springs and can only assume its Paul's operation. Haven't been on instagram to see if he had a post about it of his own.


Been quarantined down in Shell Beach since midday Friday and still here this morning, and its been wonderful. Have caught some fish for the freezer, burned all the old gas out the bay boat, piddled with our crab traps (not much luck), tended to fishing reels and riggings, and even got to watch a wad of bluewings power dive on some marsh near me yesterday in a similar area where I often first see them in August while fishing.

Back to the BR homestead later today.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:50 am
by Rick
Think it might be Lamar Advertising's place they band BWs at, or very nearby. Also think they generally catch hundreds, plural, with help from LSU students, but with things the way they are...

Been seeing blue-wings in fields flooded for planting this past week, but no mega-swarms or much of anything else.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2020 12:56 pm
by Darren
Of note, dont recall if we'd discussed it on here or not but the hunter from the incident at link below is a camp neighbor and friend. This was in same area of my hunt with my cousin on Friday Jan 17, but we did not see or hear helicopters during our hunt. The gist of it is along the lines of everyone hunting from a shared unstable pirogue, someone fell when they went up to shoot and fired at point blank range at his lower back.

https://www.fox8live.com/2020/01/18/coa ... ke-borgne/

Spent a good month or so I think in hospital but has made a tremendous recovery and got to visit with him back down at the camps last weekend, sharing some time fishing with his family. Great to have him back

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2020 3:24 pm
by Rick
Ouch. How's he doing now?

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2020 7:22 am
by Deltaman
Wow, didn't hear about this when it happened, and glad he survived. Being that far away from medical help, had to be terrifying, wondering if you are going to make it, and cannot imagine how the shooter felt.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2020 7:26 am
by Darren
He looks and acts himself, have heard ongoing pain has been an issue but haven't really talked about it.

Re: Post-Season 2019-2020

PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2020 10:53 am
by Rick
Lucky fellow, could have gone a lot worse.