2020-2021 Season Log

[Duck Engr]

Never hurts to have good shots in the blind.

[MARSH BEAR]

I hope your good luck continues. Hopefully there will be a few blue wingers left for regular duck season. We have not had a good early teal season for about 4 years - this one would have been our best yet

[Darren]

Spoke with Paul L. up on the breeding grounds yesterday, said still a train load of hens and juvi BWT up there, but also mentioned a whole lot of young of the year puddlers of other species known to Louisiana, so sounds promising.

[Rick]

Spoke with Paul L. up on the breeding grounds yesterday, said still a train load of hens and juvi BWT up there, but also mentioned a whole lot of young of the year puddlers of other species known to Louisiana, so sounds promising.

Good to hear, as I'm not sure we've ever had as high of a hen ratio during the years I've paid attention. Or maybe I've just not paid enough attention. Been fun for now in any event.

[Deltaman]

"Best shots of the season to date."..............sure helps the cause Nice report Rick!

[Ducaholic]

Awesome!

Rick you killing it!

[Rick]

Rick you killing it!

Just it the migration right this year, and the storm's timing didn't spoil it like Ike did. Have probably shot twice the birds we did the year Ike hit on the opener already.

"Killing it" for me is getting an e-mail like I did this morning from one of Sunday morning's guys. "One of the best times of my life..."

(He went on to say, "Will only come back if you are our guide." - but wouldn't have if the birds weren't there.)

[Deltaman]

Building those memories brother, and they will be talking about that hunt for the rest of their lives. Glad your season is off to a roaring start! So many guides lose sight of the reason folks are willing to pay to hunt, and reminds me of the quote you said was at the camp " it ain't about the duck meat, it's about the hearbeat"

[Ducaholic]

Rick you killing it!

Just it the migration right this year, and the storm's timing didn't spoil it like Ike did. Have probably shot twice the birds we did the year Ike hit on the opener already.

"Killing it" for me is getting an e-mail like I did this morning from one of Sunday morning's guys. "One of the best times of my life..."

(He went on to say, "Will only come back if you are our guide." - but wouldn't have if the birds weren't there.)

A little luck and a lot of experience goes a long way!

[Rick]

Date: 9/16 Wed

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: due north noderate

Temperature: comfortably cool

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Most woodies, squealers and mottleds I've seen in the marsh since before the storm. Still not flushing anything coming or going, but lots passing through from both north and south. Teal, however, seem to be continuing to drop off some. Have been getting out before 8, but was well after 9 when we finished this morning.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully, as good as its been to date.

Hunters: 3, Blade and Chelsie who duck hunt a good bit and Dalton who doesn't.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Only one of the few birds making it to the flotant made it tough on the bug.

Special Equipment: 2 spinners and the splasher

Curses: Only that the one bird worked Marsh so hard.

Kudos: Despite pre-hunt suggestion to the contrary all three shot well.

Birds By Species: 24 bw teal (20 drakes and 4 hens)

Photo Ops: Dalton, Chelsie and Blade

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Different kind of tailgate shot:

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[Darren]

Very nice! Making memories

[Rick]

Date: 9/16 Wed

Time: afternoon

Location: Big 4

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: due north strong until almost LLST

Temperature: comfortably cool in the breeze

Moon phase: sliver

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Lots of teal swarming a half mile to our north. And most we saw came into sight from behind power-diving toward that party.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: We were on the downwind-most end of the rice, and the high levee behind us hid our spinners from all but the really high new birds coming from the south until they were past us - where the strong north wind made drawing their attention to them with the call a booger. But we still broke what should have been way more than enough by trying to blow the stopper out of a very loud call.

Hunters: 5, mostly from the opening weekend afternoon crews: Mike, John, Ryan, Glen and new man, John's brother, Mitch.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Wore the bug to a nub with long chipped crips, and the pair that would have filled us beat him out in the combine ruts. (Whenever I hear of dogs that never lose a bird, my kindest thought is that we could fix that pretty quick on September teal in badly rutted rice.)

Special Equipment: 2 spinners, large and small

Curses: The guys had a five and a four bird volley early on, which is exceptional for their crew of mostly very casual hunters, and I nearly complimented them on it before remembering "Duffy's Law" (The dog you brag on is about to mess up.) and staying mum, least I put the gris-gris on us. Didn't matter, as the hitting went downhill as the evening wore on.

Kudos: We passed a fine time all the same - as is always the case with these guys, birds or not.

Birds By Species: 28 bw teal

Photo Ops: forgot the camera

[Darren]

But we still broke what should have been way more than enough by trying to blow the stopper out of a very loud call.

28 bw teal

Got to love it !

[Rick]

Date: 9/17 Thur

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: scattered

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: cool enough

Moon phase: new?

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Most squealers we've seen to date and plenty of teal when they started a little before 7.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Super.

Hunters: 2, Mike and Brian

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning, with just a very few on the flotant.

Special Equipment: 2 spinners and a splasher

Curses: Not at one.

Kudos: Great shots made our quickest hunt to date.

Birds By Species: 16 bw teal and 2 gw teal (BWs were all drakes - because I wanted the show the guys the difference, no doubt) and

Photo Ops: Brian and Mike:

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[Duck Engr]

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Super.

Love it when they come ready to play ball.

Dog(s): Easy morning, with just a very few on the flotant.

I bet poor Marsh appreciated that.

[Rick]

I bet poor Marsh appreciated that.

He's still dragging from last night. Crashed, even with grandkids in the house, as I type.

[Deltaman]

Nice to see a few green wings in the mix!

[Rick]

Date: 9/18 Fri

Time: morning

Location: muhole

Cloud Cover: overcast

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Plenty of big duck movement, but we were lucky to have enough teal, given how little shooting there was in the area.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Birds are still turning from way the hey out or up and "doing it just right".

Hunters: 3, Mike from yesterday plus Connor and Kenneth

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning excepting one contrary bird that eventually got tired of diving on him in a shallow spot in the flotant.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Way too busy counting blessings to curse.

Kudos: Another nice hunt for nice guys, two of which had tough ones yesterday.

Birds By Species: 24 bw teal

Photo Ops: Mike, Connor and Kenneth:

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[Deltaman]

Sweet hunt Rick!

[Rick]

We've been lucky. Four of a party of six had poor hunts yesterday, so we split the group between Isaac, who's been finishing before me every morning, and I this morning - and Isaac's three shot but seven birds, while Matt finished quickly by himself in the east blind two of them had struggled with him in the day before. And so it goes...

(Matt was by himself because Douglas sent his first-time-with-us paying party elsewhere with his 13yr-old great grandson for a guide. Claimed he must have taken the wrong meds when Adrianne and I cornered him on it.)

[Duck Engr]

(Matt was by himself because Douglas sent his first-time-with-us paying party elsewhere with his 13yr-old great grandson for a guide. Claimed he must have taken the wrong meds when Adrianne and I cornered him on it.)

Bold strategy! How’d it turn out?

[Darren]

(Matt was by himself because Douglas sent his first-time-with-us paying party elsewhere with his 13yr-old great grandson for a guide. Claimed he must have taken the wrong meds when Adrianne and I cornered him on it.)

Well, howd they make out?

[Rick]

(Matt was by himself because Douglas sent his first-time-with-us paying party elsewhere with his 13yr-old great grandson for a guide. Claimed he must have taken the wrong meds when Adrianne and I cornered him on it.)

Well, howd they make out?

Got to shoot into two bunches and killed three birds. Same guys have a party of eight booked for this morning, making me almost wish I could bump a great annual father and now-grown son pair I've hunted for years to help make it right for the two that had to go with little Cole. (In which case, of course, we might not see a teal.)

[Bruce Yerkes]

Douglas.......reminds me of my first time to Doug’s 13 years ago and I got Robert and then got KC?? Doug’s grandson, before Rick on the 3rd day. Haven’t looked back and book with Rick each year since. Wish I was there for teal this year, but as Rick can attest, they are usually safe when I shoot into them plus I don’t like reptiles. Douglas.....it’s not the wrong meds.....LOL, always enjoy spending time with all you guys.

[Rick]

After the September season we had the year you tried it, I'd not show again before the late season, either.

[Rick]

Date: 9/19 Sat

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly to overcast

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: 8% waxing

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Lots of big ducks and more (wwekend?) teal.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Absolutely excellent again: out by 7:30 and moved a slower party from what's generally a much better teal blind in behind us.

Hunters: 2, father and grown son annual regulars, Jim and David

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning, nothing problematic

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Nary a one.

Kudos: Nice folks passed a big time.

Birds By Species: 18 bw teal (14 drakes and 4 hens)

Photo Ops: David and Jim:

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[Rick]

Date: 9/20 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: spitty rain turning to occasional drizzle

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong NE

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: sliver waxing

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Saw pins and spoons along with the usual suspects and enough teal that it should have been very quick.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Birds still doing as bid - when downwind and in earshot.

Hunters: 3, Bubba?, ??? and Brennan (the youngest, whose name stuck because he caught so much flack.)

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Not too much tough stuff on the flotant, but more than our recent norm.

Special Equipment: SOS, except spinners wouldn't stay pointed where I wanted them in such wind.

Curses: nothing major

Kudos: Nice guys passed a nice time.

Birds By Species: 24 bw teal (15 drakes and 9 hens)

Photo Ops: The guys:

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[Rick]

Here's a not-so-good shot of the broken post and minor-miracle-by-a-hair that's kept our boathouse roof from collapsing - so far:

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[Rick]

Date: 9/21 Mon

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy and spitty to raining about the time we finished

Wind Direction and Velocity: ENE strong

Temperature: cool

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Not nearly as many big ducks as we've been seeing but plenty of teal, nearly all coming from the west, which is was very different.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: A few actually lit, but most were power diving through from on high and brought back around.

Hunters: 2, my paid gun canceled at 4:30, so I took Matt L who's been helping us with this teal season and his friend, Deano, both of whom now work for Grosse Savanne, which is shut down for storm repair.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: The guys hunted like too many "sports".

Kudos: Got to fuss them for it.

Birds By Species: 18 bw teal (10 drakes and 8 hens)

Photo Ops: Way too wet at the end to break the camera out.

[Rick]

Date: 9/22 Tue

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy w/spitty rain off and on

Wind Direction and Velocity: easterly brisk

Temperature: still comfortable

Moon phase: 37% waxing

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Much like yesterday early on: fewer big ducks and more teal than our norm. But precious little was moving as we made the run out.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Much the same as it's been, as long as I stayed on them.

Hunters: My party was another no show, so just the bug and I.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easiest morning of his season.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Being by myself, I was determined to only shoot at buzzing singles that weren't slowing and go six for six, which went well as could be - for the first three. Then missed one smooth clean three times and Forrest Gumped the next, "in the buttocks," and took two more shots to finish it. Dropped the next with a single shot, but it was head-lolling and got a finisher. Last bird only took a single shot, but still left me needing a dozen shots to kill a half dozen birds.

Kudos: Had the opportunity - and presence of mind - to video the not-so-mysterious "Momma" call some have asked about.

Birds By Species: 6 bw teal (3 drakes and 3 hens - turns out I'm still a lady killer)

Photo Ops: Turns out I'll never make it as a left-handed caller much less videographer, but here's an idea of the aggression often needed to pull teal from they're more natural flyways - and keep them from returning to them. As well the momma call that usually keeps them lined up on the hole, even after being spooked by the standing man trying to film them.


And a "chauffeured retrieve" for those thinking me foolhardy to take a dog in September:


Lagniappe: While "just the dog and I" hunts usually seem a treat, and I did have sense enough to give thanks for this one, it sure would have been better shared with friends or family.