Duck Season 2020-2021

[Darren]

Sat. 11/14/2020 Coastal Zone Opener
Johnny, Uncle Bob and I w/ Harry
Clear conditions, no wind till late in hunt, 60's


When first pair dropped in pretty right off the bat, thought surely we were in business. But the early flurry quickly ended, did not fire a shot after 6:05am. Ended up seeing fair many grays, mostly in big flights on a path toward the southeast, just south of us flying high but just none of the usual looker traffic in our area that was in place even just yesterday as I worked on the blind. Missed on a couple iffy ops on dosgris and teal but no other ops on grays. Hoping tomorrow for better luck given there are some birds around, was a tough one to swallow today.

2 grays



Reports in area very mixed, some did well but many struggled. On our lease, Kidney blind had 3 or so with some misses, and north blind I think had but one or two birds, despite reporting a lot of grays trafficking low on them while they brushed mid-afternoon yesterday.

[Darren]

Sat. 11/14/2020 Coastal Zone Opener
Delacroix
Johnny, Beau and I w/ Harry
Clear to start then cloudy then back to clear, no wind mostly, occasional SW to NW 5 or less, 60's

Back to same blind from day before and was largely the same story but did get a couple more ops. Overall though, birds sat today based on reports I got all morning from our surroundings. We didn't see near the total numbers from yesterday, were glad to get the few we did. No excuse for not having our full blind limit of scaup, shot poorly on a wad that burned through only to come right back through.

(5) 3 grays, 1 mottled, 1 dosgris

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Wasn't much but still a lot heavier than yesterday's sad string.

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Beau's dad's place went from "could have sunk the boat in grays and teal" yesterday to "nothing moving" today, with only two on strap to show for. Have tentative plans to try Tuesday to see if front does us any good, just ready for it to feel like november duck season and not september's teal season.

[Deltaman]

Thanks for the reports Darren, and sounds like a lot of other reports I've herd. Hopefully, this front will bring some birds with it.
Have you heard any reports from Venice? We had to cancel our usual trip down for opening week this year, and curious if anybody killed birds.

[Darren]

The few reports I've gotten were strong; grays, pins, teal, even a greenhead.

[Deltaman]

The few reports I've gotten were strong; grays, pins, teal, even a greenhead.

Glad to hear, Thanks!

[Darren]

Tues. 11/17/2020
SE la WMA
Will & I w/ Harry
50's, N/NE winds 5-10+, clear skies

Yesterday was apparently THE front day we hope for based on some solid reports, while today looked more like the nothing-moving-day-after-front but ended up capitalizing well on the little we had to work with. Went guerilla style in the marsh grass sitting on pirogues and shot all our big birds in close, really nice morning with a buddy in the marsh, over with at 7:15a. Actually felt like duck season today for a blustery ride back to the camp.

(12) 9 grays, 1 GW teal, 1 BW teal, 1 wigeon

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Keeping an eye on maybe a return down this way Friday before heading north to get the masses of decoys out for Saturday's E. Zone opener in Avoyelles Parish.

[Duck Engr]

Heck yeah! Nice hunt!

[Rick]

God bless sunny days.

[Deltaman]

Sweet hunt Darren, and glad to see that Baldpate on the string!!!!!!

[MARSH BEAR]

Great hunt - hope I can have some of that luck this weekend. At least give me opportunities.

[DComeaux]

Nice!

[BGkirk]

Awesome... guerilla style. I like it


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[Ducaholic]

Awesome... guerilla style. I like it


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Like you in the bushes...lol

[Ducaholic]

Nice hunt Darren

[Darren]

Sat. 11/21/2020 - LA East Zone Opener
Bunkie area farm
Philip, Thomas, Johnny and I with Harry
50 degrees, clear skies, no wind

Set our decoys yesterday afternoon and only saw a few ducks and blues. This morning, though, was totally different story with hot flights of teal and spoons from the start. Tough ops at first but after 30 mins or so things settled a bit and they were working decoys well. Shot well for the most part and Harry was solid keeping us from losing them in the stubble. Finished about an hour in from LST, about 7:10.

(24) 10 GW teal, 13 BW teal, 1 gray


Sitting here posting this eating breakfast of eggs and boudin watching ducks and geese fly and neighboring blinds still shooting but flight has slowed. Saw a whole lot of birds overall. No goose ops, but starting to see some specks after seeing only blues before. Watched three mallards work the spread while eating breakfast too. Just a morning that couldn’t be any better.

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[Rick]

Good deal.

[Darren]

Sun. 11/22/2020
SE La salt marsh/Shell Beach camp
Johnny and I with Harry
60’s, wind 0-5+, clear skies; gnat weather

Figured we’d try the big birds after the little duck haul yesterday. Hit up marsh hole that was good to us last week and turned out well again. Slow, sporadic gray flight but most bought in perfectly again. Some looked to push off either the splasher butts or maybe too many dekes in the hole, but enough still committed to wrap us up by 7:45a. Was nice to see more grays around than previous trip, for certain there is nothing else around save for a few mottleds and mergansers, not a teal seen.

(12) all grays, 8 drakes, 4 hens

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All the birds but two were plenty fat so they’re apparently finding food in the area. Plotting on which I’ll head the next few days.

[Rick]

Your last two posts put me in mind of Cajun musician Doug Kershaw's time here in Lake Arthur. When asked how he was doing, the response was always, "Everything's going my way."

[Ericdc]

Nice Darren, I'll be after them some this week, starting tomorrow. Hope to see a better flight tomorrow with the colder temperatures and north wind.


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[Darren]

Nice Darren, I'll be after them some this week, starting tomorrow. Hope to see a better flight tomorrow with the colder temperatures and north wind.


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Yea going to take FIL to the farm tomorrow, same idea. Report from today there was a solo hunter got 4 but should have had his 6. No wind, clear as a bell. Forecast for cooler temps and some wind from north looks hopeful

[Darren]

Your last two posts put me in mind of Cajun musician Doug Kershaw's time here in Lake Arthur. When asked how he was doing, the response was always, "Everything's going my way."

We sure do feel like it for the moment but know it can change in a blink, so we'll just go see. Shoulder is uncharacteristically bruised from all the shooting the last couple of days wearing no layers or other bulk in the warm temps.....but no whining here!

Just very blessed to have places to go, work schedule that allows it, and great wife/mother to help with the little ones.

[Ducaholic]

Very good two day stretch!

[Deltaman]

Congrats a great weekend!!!! Those teal area a blast, and so good to eat, but nothing like a solid strap of big ducks to top it off!
Bet you went to sleep last night, re-living parts of those two hunts, just doesn't get much better

I spent the better part of yesterday, scouting areas away from the masses in our delta, and came home knowing that I will not be hunting our opener. The few birds that are here (handful of Gadwall and a few Bluebills), are in the open bays, and blind on top of blind, on top of blind, on top of blind...........unbelievable Talked to a couple of folks as they came back to the launch from doing final preps, and nothing but curses about new blinds close enough to shoot with a shotgun and that doesn't take into account, the azzhats that show up just before shooting time with their pop-ups

[Darren]

Wow really hate to hear that Deltaman, sounds like a zoo, much like good bit of our public land at times. Wonder if this year is an anomaly or there's really THAT many more area hunters? Or just that many that are without a lease? Arent you headed to Venice sometime soon or did I miss that annual trip?

[Darren]

Mon. 11/23/2020
Bunkie area farm
FIL Mike and I with Harry
A gloriously chilly 50 degrees in the gloriously blowing north wind 10-15, pt cloudy to clearing


Finally some weather that made it feel right. Had good early teal flight but not quite as many total birds seen as Saturday's opener. Nonetheless what is around is giving us a good look and we had our share of ops to put limits on the tailgate, can only blame ourselves for not filling out. Even had three ops on working grays actually wanting the hole. First op, too antsy, tried too early. Second op, got decent range, just 1 fell. Third op a trio put down front and center to land, 1 fell. Even so, great morning to be out in this weather instead of at the office. Cleaned our birds on the camp cleaning table, got us each a link and a Dr pepper for the drive. All is well


(10) 5 bluewing teal, 2 greenwing teal, 1 spoon, 2 grays

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Considered trying again up there tomorrow but given logistics for holiday week travel with my crew toward mandeville, we're all headed down to the SB camp so I can visit the grays in the morning. Hope they are still around

[Rick]

...we're all headed down to the SB camp so I can visit the grays in the morning. Hope they are still around

According to a grandson, you're too late, as every gray in the country is in Creole. (I swore off shooting them for our table, and he's cooking what appears a week's supply here tonight.)

[BGkirk]

...we're all headed down to the SB camp so I can visit the grays in the morning. Hope they are still around

According to a grandson, you're too late, as every gray in the country is in Creole. (I swore off shooting them for our table, and he's cooking what appears a week's supply here tonight.)

I think I’ve seen more grays in 3 hunts than I have in all of last year


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[Deltaman]

Sweet Monday hunt Darren, and glad it cooled down some. Sounds like you've got a fun week ahead, and I hope the grays give you another show in SB

[Deltaman]

Wow really hate to hear that Deltaman, sounds like a zoo, much like good bit of our public land at times. Wonder if this year is an anomaly or there's really THAT many more area hunters? Or just that many that are without a lease? Arent you headed to Venice sometime soon or did I miss that annual trip?

Had to hold off on the Venice trip this year. We lost one of our group of three, and the other is having a tough time as the main caregiver for a parent with Alzheimer's. We've had a good run, and may still make a trip before the season end's.

[Duck Engr]

...we're all headed down to the SB camp so I can visit the grays in the morning. Hope they are still around

According to a grandson, you're too late, as every gray in the country is in Creole. (I swore off shooting them for our table, and he's cooking what appears a week's supply here tonight.)

I think I’ve seen more grays in 3 hunts than I have in all of last year


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Same here. We saw a ton this weekend.