2020-2021 Season Log

[Rick]

Soul soothing it was.

Indeed.

[MARSH BEAR]

Rick - Sunday we had a nice teal flight come over the decoys, I raised up shot the first shot (missed) pulled the trigger again nothing, damn gun jammed - nope only 1 shell in the gun , another senior moment

[Deltaman]

Happy to see that Dave got to come back and get on the birds with his son Justin

[Rick]

Date: 11/30 Mon

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NNW absolutely ripping

Temperature: cold in the wind

Moon phase: nearly full

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Enough birds early for us to decide "big ducks only" and pass the very few teal, fewer jacks and however many bunches of spoons we saw. But next to nothingl was seen after 7:30 or so, and migratory flight birds were conspicuously absent.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most everything was quite responsive, but also worked in low and slow against the wind square over the blind. Lucky to have guys who could hold their water and let them get out front for relatively easy shooting as they tried to get out against the wind, instead of sailing away with it.

Hunters: 2. another buddy hunt, this time with two brothers I do alligator stuff with, JJ and Mark

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Surprisingly easy morning with few real sailors.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Ended up "spoiling" our big duck strap on purpose, after an hour and a half or so of sky watching, with a lost green-wing. Then had a big bunch of grays coming very low from behind and mistakenly called the shot when a wad of unseen spoons cut in front of them to appear where I was expecting to next see the grays out front. I called the shot, then tried to call it off almost in one breath. But the guys are wicked quick and our lone spoon splashed.

Kudos: Stole another sweet morning with friends. (Back to work in the morning.)

Birds By Species: 11 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 3 mallards, 1 shoveller and 2 wigeon

Photo Ops: My traditional shot of their traditional "Wish you were here." tailgate shot for another brother, Michael, who's missed their last few hunts with me:

014a.jpg

The bug nabbing an easy fly-off wigeon I boated him to:

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[DComeaux]

I can picture it all happening....... Nice hunt.

[Duck Engr]

Wowee look at all of the big ducks! Mudhole is a gadwall magnet. Print it!

As an aside, I’ve seen more gadwall already this year than the last few combined.

[Rick]

Wowee look at all of the big ducks! Mudhole is a gadwall magnet. Print it!

As an aside, I’ve seen more gadwall already this year than the last few combined.

Have to go back to 2016-2017 to find a full season gray total greater than what we've already shot.

On the other hand, we've only shot 16 mallards. Gonna have to have a heck of a week to catch up to last crumby season's 51 mallard first split.

[Deltaman]

Nice hunt Rick!!!!!

[Rick]

Date: 12/1 Tue

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: nada too not meaningful easterly?

Temperature: 30ish but not as cold as yesterday's wind

Moon phase: full

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: We got a late start, but doubt it cost us pecans, as our birds were very slow getting underway and then too far and few between. Few teal or even jacks were seen, and grays were far and away the most oft seen big ducks.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Aside from the flying into shot part, most birds were quite cooperative when crowd control let them be.

Hunters: 3, BJ, Jerry and George (Jerry being the only one with appreciable experience - but handicapped by an extra full choke.)

Guns:

Malfunctions: Boat trouble going out that proved to be fuel that looked like lemonade. But my "emergency" 1.5 gal can saved our morning by siphoning from it to the engine.

Dog(s): Marsh was plainly cold from long, wet waits and sometimes balky.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Best kept to myself.

Kudos: A fine time was still had.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 8 gadwall, 3 shovellers, 1 wigeon and 3 wood ducks

[Duck Engr]

When I read:

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Aside from the flying into shot part, most birds were quite cooperative when crowd control let them be.

Hunters: 3, BJ, Jerry and George (Jerry being the only one with appreciable experience - but handicapped by an extra full choke.)

I immediately skipped to the curses section looking forward to a good time. A little bummed you took the high road.

[Rick]

When I read:

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Aside from the flying into shot part, most birds were quite cooperative when crowd control let them be.

Hunters: 3, BJ, Jerry and George (Jerry being the only one with appreciable experience - but handicapped by an extra full choke.)

I immediately skipped to the curses section looking forward to a good time. A little bummed you took the high road.

Wasn't the guys, that's pretty much how it goes with most, and they're really good folks - as are the overwhelming majority.

Hopefully water under the bridge, or should I say "through the carburetor".

[BGkirk]

Wish I would’ve known how water separates from gas in my teens. Would’ve been a life saver, or I guess keeping an extra gas can would’ve been more of a life saver.


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[MARSH BEAR]

My friend works on surface drive motors is anal about gas - if it has been sitting in a tank for a month throw it out. "What is better throw a few dollars of gas away or waste a hunt".

[Johnc]

Is this nearing a wood duck record for a split?

[Rick]

Is this nearing a wood duck record for a split?

Made me look: not a "record" but perhaps a resurgence, as 2018 and 2019's first splits showed but one and five, respectively. But we shot twenty-two during 2016's first split. Still, our seventeen to date feels like a lot. Thankful to have them in any event, though they're becoming more and more apt to ignore my sweetest "sweeeeet"s.

[Rick]

My friend works on surface drive motors is anal about gas - if it has been sitting in a tank for a month throw it out. "What is better throw a few dollars of gas away or waste a hunt".

Water and Briggs and Stratton are a bad mix I've generally enjoyed good success combating with annual in-line separator changes and fuel treatment, as well as fresh gas.

[Duck Engr]

Guessing this event was due in part to no boat shed?

[Rick]

Best case.

[Rick]

Date: 12/2 Wed

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: ESE STRONG

Temperature: Colder as the morning wore on, due to wind's cumulative effect.

Moon phase: full

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Had but a couple teal passes all morning and precious few big ducks.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most of what little we saw was at altitudes where they'd honor the call...then say "Screw it, ain't fightin' that wind for a look." But some sure tried to get killed...before we started raising up early to show them our hand.

Hunters: 2, AJ from the other day and Dave

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Crowd control was particularly damning in a wind that slowed the birds' approach to a crawl, giving them more time to study our screw-ups.

Kudos: Nice guys.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 3 mallards and 2 ringnecks

[Rick]

Date: 2/3 Thur

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy to partly and back

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong NNW

Temperature: colder than expected in the wind

Moon phase: waning but big

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: least movement to date

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thank goodness response was better than the "flight".

Hunters: 2, older gents Tony and ?

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning, except he'd rather have been vested for the long, wet waits.

Special Equipment: sos

Curses: NO BIRDS

Kudos: Nice, nice guys who were good about it.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall and 2 mottled

[Darren]

Wow, OK now I don't feel so bad. It was really quiet across the avoyelles parish ag land surrounding us this morning, next to no flight at all.

[Ericdc]

Deer hunting weather


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[Rick]

Deer hunting weather

They move in this kind of wind where you hunt?

[Duck Engr]

It’d be good for slipping up on one.

[Ericdc]

We haven't had any wind today. It's been calm to very light north with low clouds and damp air. Saw 3 this morning, walking to stand now.

Gonna be calm to light west up here Saturday but I'll probably go to pit blind anyway cuz it's gonna be sunny and a Saturday. Wouldn't go if it was any other day of week. I'm in deer mode now mostly until the 19th.


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[Rick]

Date: 1/4 Fri

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly to heavy and back

Wind Direction and Velocity: NW strong enough to be chilly

Temperature:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Sadly lacking early to nada later.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Lucky enough to land a few teal and a jack and nearly so a small flock of grays with a wigeon in tow.

Hunters: 1, long, long time annual regular, John, with his wife Marilyn observing for the first time.

Guns: A5 and Model 12

Malfunctions: John's A5 had its umpteenth "never did that before" failure to cycle, but he finally let me check the rings and remove the problem. I used the Model 12 16ga John blessed me with - and struggled to find it's misplaced (forward of trigger) safety.

Dog(s): Easy morning

Special Equipment: sos

Curses: Not the hunt any of us wished for what was likely John's last due to frailty and dementia at 82

Kudos: We had a great visit sullied only by John's repeated laments over losing the fight we all will.

Birds By Species: 1 ringneck and 1 wigeon (and a few poule d'eau decoys

Photo Ops: I was too damn stupid to get photos of John and Marilyn together in the blind.

[Ericdc]

I hope I have a place to go and people to take me at 82.


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[5 stand]

I hope I have a place to go and people to take me at 82.


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My goodness, do I agree.

[Rick]

Date: 12/5

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: chilly

Moon phase: Waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Hoped for weekend bump didn't happen.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Never managed to get any of our very few big ducks in and few teal wanted to land.

Hunters: 2, Tim and Chad

Guns:

Malfunctions: In an ironic twist, our first op found me trying to punch the little Benelli's safety in the wrong place after shooting the Model 12 yesterday.

Dog(s): Super easy morning but like to bit a bird in half for unknown reasons. Maybe surprised by or straining in flotant, maybe pissed at us and taking it out on a teal. Shamed him hard regardless.

Special Equipment: sos

Curses: We whiffed our first three of way too few ops.

Kudos: Nice guys took it well and didn't mind my jumping up on the seat, shaking my fist and yelling "And don't come back!" after the third. ('Course that was before we knew there'd be so little else.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal and 2 gw teal

[Duck Engr]

Yikes. When does this split end? Tomorrow (hopefully for your sake)?