Preseason

Re: Preseason

Postby Darren » Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:38 am

And he didn't even fool with the crabs (or cook them to show us).

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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:21 am

Darren wrote:And he didn't even fool with the crabs (or cook them to show us).

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We weren't set up to deal with the crabs. If not for Blake mentioning that we should bring our rods and give our hole a try I wouldn't have those pictures. Maybe next weekend.
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Re: Preseason

Postby Deltaman » Mon Dec 14, 2020 12:22 pm

DComeaux wrote:Golden Nuggets.

20201213_173311.jpg


Yessir, fine eating!!!!!
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Mon Dec 14, 2020 10:15 pm

Interesting..... I'm curious as to how much influence this man has on our states waterfowl hunting decisions.
It seems I couldn't get the video to embed as usual so I've included the hyperlink.

https://youtu.be/5V0UUTNEwQo?list=PLe3E8f5VsoWrSOhcXaxcbxrOfjUjCjQFf

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Re: Preseason

Postby Rick » Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:19 am

He was the state's head alligator biologist and now consults with Miami's land manager, Chad Courville, re: their gators. Chad, of course, was on, and chaired for a while, the appointed commission setting our zones and dates. Have to wonder if they aren't even sharing the same hunting ground, as Ted speaks of 30+ alligator nests on his lease, which would make it several sections of marsh, and mighty expensive for a retired biologist.
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Thu Dec 17, 2020 5:33 pm

I'll be headed down to Chenier in the morning with my girl Elie and a boat in tow. Blake has an upper respiratory infection and can't make so I'll will be alone for the set up and hunting. I will stay with the guy we lease from who's camp in still in the rebuild phase. He is hunting elsewhere over the weekend and has some set up to do there tomorrow as well. At least I'll have one hunt to log from that place this year, good or bad, and I hope the reds are still in that hole. That fresh fish was awesome.

I think I'm more excited about getting Elie out in the marsh as I am about anything else. When fall came in, I'd get home from work and let her out of the Kennel she'd go to my truck and stare at the tailgate and look back at me. I swear she's seems to be wondering what's up this year. I can't wait to tell her to load up in the morning.

I hope they are all down here.
https://www.agfc.com/en/news/2020/12/16/arkansas-wildlife-waterfowl-report-38/?fbclid=IwAR0kViat1bepGBgG4wapAb7iHJpSYrdtvCF8wXFBentQ3SIqRU3adPBNcDo
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Re: Preseason

Postby Duck Engr » Thu Dec 17, 2020 8:18 pm

Fingers crossed for you Dave!
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Thu Dec 17, 2020 9:01 pm

Thank you.
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Re: Preseason

Postby aunt betty » Thu Dec 17, 2020 10:15 pm

The ducks are rafting in numbers statewide in illinois. Theyre stale and eating corn at night. No big weather events with enough snow or duration of ice to push ducks on so they sit safely.
I'm hoping the Jack frost whips up a few Alberta clippers, remember that phrase?
Yall deserve a break and hopefully it freezes up hard all the way to Cairo. :)
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
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Re: Preseason

Postby Rick » Fri Dec 18, 2020 4:35 am

Rick wrote:He was the state's head alligator biologist and now consults with Miami's land manager, Chad Courville, re: their gators. Chad, of course, was on, and chaired for a while, the appointed commission setting our zones and dates. Have to wonder if they aren't even sharing the same hunting ground, as Ted speaks of 30+ alligator nests on his lease, which would make it several sections of marsh, and mighty expensive for a retired biologist.


Chad was one of our very small crew pulling ducks last night, so I asked about Ted's lease and learned it's not big, just on ground zero of Miami's most productive gator marsh (and next to Chad's lease). Also learned a little about what grasses and depth of hard pan makes some areas substantially more productive than others, which was neat.

Dave, I'm glad you and Ellie are getting to go and wish you a sweet one.

While I've seen some pics of strong Arkansas timber hunts, my friend with lots of ag land near the spot where the famous old bazillion mallard photo was taken, called while we were banding and said they're still struggling for ducks and depending on specks.
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:11 pm

I am one worn out fat-body at the moment. I'm home now and happy to be here. The guy I stayed with sent me a picture of the deluge saying you left just in time. It is a mess down there. I let a teal go just minutes after LST because I didn't want it to be the only thing I took on this hunt, which would have been the case. I did see a fair amount of birds south of my location low and trading east and west and wished I had set up back there instead. There were several flocks of pintail and others coming from the north heading to the marsh at the gulf, or what's left of it. There was a fair amount of shooting coming from that direction.

Snows and blues kept coming from the WNW at a fairly low altitude causing some "skybusting" to take place by a blind to my NW. I may try it again in the next couple of weeks setting up further south but not without help. It sucks not having the camp down there.

The water level is low and In this picture the little island you see to the right was part of a long peninsula that once attached to the section of land the blind is on. So much land and grass, gone.
20201218_115014.jpg


I did get to bring a few more reds home.
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Re: Preseason

Postby Rick » Sun Dec 20, 2020 4:46 am

DComeaux wrote:I did get to bring a few more reds home.


There's that...
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Re: Preseason

Postby BGkirk » Sun Dec 20, 2020 8:45 am

Sounds like you know where you need to setup next time... and maybe try darrens guerilla style


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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:42 pm

I'm looking for contributions to our marsh restoration project. We only need $60,000,000.00 added to the $23,000,000.00 of approved funding to complete a fresh water diversion system and land building of approximately 400 acres using a sand dredge staged at a permitted location offshore. All has been planned out and approved and all that is lacking the is the appropriate funding...... Please be generous. :D


https://www.lacoast.gov/reports/gpfs/ME-20_hq.pdf

Problems
The major problem in the Hog Bayou Unit is land loss
caused by failed agricultural impoundments and pumpoffs. Other problems include saltwater intrusion from the
Mermentau Ship Channel and a Gulf shoreline erosion rate
of 40 feet per year. Over a period of 60 years, 9,230 acres
(38% of the original marsh) was lost from the Hog Bayou
Watershed, with the greatest amount of land lost between
1956 and 1974.

The major contributors to land loss in the Watershed are
subsidence, compaction, and the oxidization of marsh
soils in the former pump-offs and leveed agricultural areas
between Hog Bayou and Highway 82. Large areas of marsh
south of Highway 82 were “force drained” during the 1960s,
1970s, and 1980s. Many of these same areas now consist
of open water with very little wetland vegetation. One of
the largest areas of current loss is in and north of the project
area.

Restoration Strategy
The project’s goal is to create 430 acres and nourish 23 acres
of emergent brackish and intermediate marsh.
The project goal will be achieved by using dredged material
from the Gulf to create two marsh creation cells (176 acres
and 277 acres) in the project area east and west of Second
Lake.

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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:52 pm

My son and I have put in quite a few foot miles hunting and looking for the birds this week. We haven't see very much, even wood ducks. I've seen one mallard hen over the last three days and took one wood duck this morning. Saw a couple of big flocks of what I think were ring necks whizzing there way to a predetermined location this morning.

This was our setup this morning. We did miss out on a group of 5 or 6 that came over the decoys, and from some darn reason I just watched them leave.......OH!, and I found leaks in my hip boots. Funny how much water can seep in, in the tiniest of holes over a few hours. Never used them for more than keeping clean on my marsh hunts.

20201230_070021.jpg



After a good long walk we marked with GPS a few good openings in the canopy in a different location this morning. These are over slews near oak trees where we jumped a few fowl. Long walks and packing light. I made a makeshift jerk string and we'll incorporate that in the timber.

I know it's getting old but I thought I'd post this that I found on FB. I'll assume it was a question asked about feeding ducks on refuges and management areas.

133966732_3675088559195940_1197210561841030051_o.jpg
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:48 pm

Proposed 2021-2022 Duck Season dates and zones.

This will make for a really Looooooong season next year, especially with the migration the way it is. I would really like to see the season open as shown for the west zone and close as early as possible, even if this means less days in the field, 45 or 30 days. This would lessen the disappointment factor.

DUCKS, COOTS AND MERGANSERS
WEST ZONE:
NOV. 6-NOV. 7 (YOUTH AND VETERANS ONLY)
NOV. 13-DEC. 5
DEC. 18-JAN. 2
JAN. 10-JAN. 30

EAST ZONE:
NOV. 13 (YOUTH AND VETERANS ONLY)
NOV. 20-DEC. 5
DEC. 18-JAN. 30
FEB. 5 (YOUTH AND VETERANS ONLY)


New-Waterfowl-slide-678x381.jpg
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Re: Preseason

Postby Johnc » Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:28 pm

This is what I think now. The photopic migrators come in early. First decent front even though pacific,bye bye

The llooooooonngg lluulll sets in. No arctic fronts. Don’t even know if that would help,no ducks. It’s done here

Teal season saved a lot of the speck guides or they would have really been in the hole

No way in hell birds have anywhere to rest. Sugarcane up to Wright. Crawfishing all over the place. Daily activity. Done man, this is way it’s going to be.

Some may say “killers going to kill”—-that’s the biggest load of crap of statements. You have some of the best speck hunters on the face of the planet here,,if there are very few birds, extremely stale,nocturnal etc....I don’t care who you are—- it’s not happening

Rick is damn lucky even killing 2 birds a hunt sometimes,I sit in my goose blind and watch a 60 acre field with perfect water lay barren. Don’t even see a duck.

This is the real story, Dave Comeaux knows exactly what I am talking about
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Re: Preseason

Postby Rick » Sat Jan 09, 2021 4:56 am

While the blue-wings may mostly move out with the early fronts, they and other photo-period migrants are also sticking in safe spots and/or going nocturnal and routinely traveling between known safe food and roost. Or so the telemetry and observation suggest. And if there's no such routine, it's probably because the bird hasn't yet found a viable food source.
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:37 am

Extreme pressure now coupled with limited migration numbers is not a good conbonation. Something has to give.
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Re: Preseason

Postby Ducaholic » Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:46 pm

DC like that spot in the photo. Try it on a sunny and windy day. Call me this week.
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:19 pm

This has been my view since 3 am yesterday morning. The wife had abdominal pains on Friday which turned into appendicitis. Discharge papers are in the works right now. I want to go home.

20210110_111415.jpg
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Re: Preseason

Postby Darren » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:24 pm

DComeaux wrote:This has been my view since 3 am yesterday morning. The wife had abdominal pains on Friday which turned into appendicitis. Discharge papers are in the works right now. I want to go home.

20210110_111415.jpg



Glad she is heading home and not something worse!
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Re: Preseason

Postby Rick » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:08 pm

For sure.
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Re: Preseason

Postby Johnc » Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:46 pm

E625ED8F-8D51-4C93-8AFE-7F08D9BF8B99.jpeg
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:45 pm

Johnc wrote:
E625ED8F-8D51-4C93-8AFE-7F08D9BF8B99.jpeg


That's awesome, John! Glad you got into some, finally.
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:10 pm

The balls of some....

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited four men for alleged migratory game bird violations on Jan. 9 in Plaquemines Parish.

Agents cited William Berg, 30, and Donald Thomas, 24, both of Deltonia, Florida, and Ronald Thomas, 60, and Clark Thomas, 24, both of Sanford, Florida, for transporting fully dressed migratory game birds, hunting migratory game birds without a federal stamp and violating rules and regulations on a Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

Donald Thomas, Ronald Thomas and Clark Thomas were also cited for hunting without a non-resident basic hunting license and state duck license. Clark Thomas was also cited for possessing untagged migratory game birds.

Agents were on patrol on the Pass-a-Loutre WMA when they stopped the four men in three separate boats carrying camping equipment and hunting gear. Agents found that the men possessed duck breasts with no identifying wing or head attached.

Ronald Thomas, Clark Thomas and Donald Thomas did not possess non-resident hunting licenses, state duck licenses, federal duck stamps, or WMA hunting permits. Additionally, Clark Thomas was in possession of another hunter’s birds that were untagged. Berg also did not possess a federal duck stamp. All four men were also unable to show proof of a valid check in on the Pass-a-Loutre WMA.

Agents seized 54 whole duck breasts and 13 whole ducks.

Hunting without federal duck stamps, transporting fully dressed migratory game birds, and possessing untagged birds carry up to a $950 fine and 120 days in jail for each offense. Hunting without a non-resident basic hunting license, violating WMA rules and regulations carries a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Hunting migratory game birds without a state duck stamp brings up to a $50 fine and 15 days in jail.

The four men may also face civil restitution totaling $1,064.40 for the replacement value of the migratory game birds.

The case will be forwarded to District Attorney Charles Ballay for prosecution.

Agents participating in the case are Lt. Adam Young and Sgt. Villere Reggio.
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Re: Preseason

Postby Deltaman » Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:21 pm

Thought they'd save some money...............Idiots!!!!!
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:47 pm

I was in my back yard this afternoon with Ellie in the last 30 to 45 minutes of light watching wood ducks squealing there way across our back pastures. They were a few in my pond and a pair that came by, circling checking out my old nest boxes which I need to repair. I was thinking of making a morning hunt back there this weekend but decided against it after what I witnessed this evening.
I sure would like to see shorter seasons no matter what the duck population numbers may be because of what I know and witnessed today. I was told by a person on another forum that he's seen pintail drakes in their courtship flights a week or so ago.

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Re: Preseason

Postby Rick » Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:35 am

Pretty sure I made note in my log of such a pintail party dipping and diving around our marsh some time back, but what I've felt sure was courtship behavior hasn't been a common sight, yet. Not that ducks have been either.


Found the above note on 1/13.
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Re: Preseason

Postby DComeaux » Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:49 pm

Breaking news..... Read rumors so far.....Public land hunting is a joke. Time to weed out some of this s*%T!

https://www.wbbjtv.com/2021/01/25/tbi-investigating-deaths-at-reelfoot-lake/?fbclid=IwAR2vYDG5X_SZW1j6-OcpeLBWAelkt0TT8gR71CAaxBOA7olYgRXH5HpbZsI
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