Season Logs

[Rick]

You made Ellie's day, which is far from nothing.

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/13/2021 Opening day of the regular season

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Clear

Wind- Light NNW to start, getting stronger later in the morning

Temperature: Upper 40's

Waterfowl Activity: Very little

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good

Birds total and by Species: 5 GW 3 BW 1 Shoveler

We saw very few ducks this morning and feel lucky we took what we did. We should have limited out but Blakes barrel was extremely bent. I watched him miss with two shots, by 6" to a foot, at what he thought was a live cripple. We talked about an eye doctor appointment after that.

Photo Ops:
Beautiful sunrise this mornoing

20211113_063903_resized.jpg

Blake with the birds

20211113_090129_resized.jpg

[Rick]

Looks like he was thrown in a POW camp's hole.

[DComeaux]

I forgot to put the picture of my old girl. I was anxious to see how she would perform at her age and missing an entire season but she didn't disappoint. She's still able to roll strong and It was fun watching her. I think she'll be okay for this season.

She's resting her head on my arm, and occasionally when bored she reaches in with her snout and flips my calls on my lanyard. She still has that piss and vinegar.

20211113_082745_resized.jpg

[Ericdc]

David are those waist waders?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DComeaux]

David are those waist waders?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They're LaCrosse Alpha drop tops and should ride higher on the body when used as a full chest wader but the shoulder straps have stretched over the years. I wear these light waders just to stay clean. Funny you mention that because I was thinking of shortening those straps, if possible.

[Ericdc]

I wear the same ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Duck Engr]

David are those waist waders?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They're LaCrosse Alpha drop tops and should ride higher on the body when used as a full chest wader but the shoulder straps have stretched over the years. I wear these light waders just to stay clean. Funny you mention that because I was thinking of shortening those straps, if possible.

I tied my straps in knots on my back to shortened stretched elastic

[Rick]

I forgot to put the picture of my old girl. I was anxious to see how she would perform at her age and missing an entire season but she didn't disappoint. She's still able to roll strong and It was fun watching her. I think she'll be okay for this season.

She's resting her head on my arm, and occasionally when bored she reaches in with her snout and flips my calls on my lanyard. She still has that piss and vinegar.

20211113_082745_resized.jpg

Best post of the new season.

[Deltaman]

Glad y'all had some action Dave, and good to see your old gal is still in the game!!!!!!!

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/14/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Clear

Wind- Calm to start with a light ESE breeze later in the morning.

Temperature: 41

Waterfowl Activity: Way more activity than yesterday

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good

Birds total and by Species: 6 GW and 2 Shovler


Photo Ops:

20211114_081655.jpg

Single hen GW came alone early and next up was a LARGE flock of GW from which we took 5. That was one instance I wish we could have more than 3 shells. I pulled the trigger on an empty gun following a couple of drakes climbing out. We had 7 or 8 gadwall cupped and dropping straight in from the west. They leveled off just above the water a little too far out and skirted us to the south. They made a turn north behind us while climbing out. Was such a tease. Was a nice morning and an awesome weekend. Looking for to getting back out there.

[Deltaman]

Gotta feel good to be back in the saddle again Dave!!!!!!

[MARSH BEAR]

Soooo much better than last year

[jrock75]

Nice weekend!

[DComeaux]

I wanted to share a picture of a ta-tie (cajun for anything scary looking) I found on my propane tank cover at the camp. After some research I found that it's a mournful sphinx moth. I thought it was a leaf when I first saw it but when I poked it it began to walk. Click on the pictures to enlarge. The part sticking up is it's tail end.

20211114_092625.jpg

20211114_092613.jpg

[Rick]

A fun tataille, who'd a thunk it.

[Deltaman]

WOW, that thing looks like it came from outer space!!!! I bet it was startling to see it move after you poked it

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/19/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Partly cloudy to start then clearing

Wind- STRONG NE Wind

Temperature: Lower 40's

Waterfowl Activity: Not much movement

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good

Birds total and by Species: 7 GW 2 BW 1 Gadwall

Not many moving but enough to make it fun. We had 4 birds remaining to get our twelve when a 100+ flock of green wing came at us front and center just off the water. My first shot head on level dropped 3. I had yelled to Blake to hold off after the shot then told him to pick a single from the scattering large pile in front of us. He didn't connect well and it limped away. One of the first three was lively and I had already sent Ellie out and couldn't get a shot to finish it. It was in open water and dove 30 yards from the nearest vegetation. It never did resurface. We decide we were content and headed in for breakfast.

Photo Ops: Blake with the birds.

20211119_100108.jpg

[BGkirk]

Triple!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/20/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Clear

Wind- Light NE switching east later

Temperature: Lower 40's

Waterfowl Activity: Not much movement

Waterfowl Responsiveness: I've been using good but they just appear over the decoys. Calling seems to be futile since opening day.

Birds total and by Species: 2 spoonbill 2 GW 1 BW

Very few seen even with the number of hunters in the field. Shooting in the area was very low compared to opening weekend, with reports from many in the area being poor. Blake and I called it and drove home today. We'll be back out there for a long thanksgiving weekend. Looking forward to the weather next Friday with the front in the forecast.

20211120_090553.jpg

[Deltaman]

And you've got Redfish and Crabs to make up the difference!!!!!!

[DComeaux]

Pretty good goose migration tonight here at home. The sky has been noisy. Would think there are a few ducks mixed in.

Wanted to add that I'm getting text messages from others since I typed that saying they're hearing the same thing.

[Darren]

Rippin down here this morning, heading out in a few to see about a few gray ducks. Back in a lil while

[Rick]

Pretty good goose migration tonight here at home. The sky has been noisy. Would think there are a few ducks mixed in.

Wanted to add that I'm getting text messages from others since I typed that saying they're hearing the same thing.

Saw a lot more geese than ducks this morning, virtually all coming back from Gulf and HIGH.

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/26/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Few high thin clouds

Wind- Strong and gusty out of the NNE

Temperature: Lower to mid 40's

Waterfowl Activity: Not much movement

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Birds total and by Species: 2 spoonbill

If not for a flock of 5 or 6 spoonbill that slipped in quietly, we would have scratched. My first shot dropped the pair and I heard Blakes gun go Ka-FLUNK. He ejected and loaded another shell but the wind had taken the birds a bit too far. My gun didn't fire the second shot and they were gone. We watched a hen scaup swim around in the decoys. There are teal and gadwal around but they were looking for smaller water. Those on better managed marsh near us did well with teal this morning.

Had been seeing these colorful dudes around and finally took one.

121371.jpeg

[Rick]

...heard Blakes gun go Ka-FLUNK. He ejected and loaded another shell...

Yarch! I'd be looking for a stuck wad. (And have been kicking myself for not having you show me what's up with your 1187 and how to fix it, in case another like it comes through the blind.)

Spoon's mighty clean looking for so early.

[Deltaman]

Look at dat Hollywood!!!!!

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/27/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: high overcast

Wind- light NNE

Temperature: upper 40's

Waterfowl Activity: Not much movement

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Birds total and by Species: 4 GW teal

Very little moving high or low. There are green wing around and we pushed a few hundred on the way back out to check the crab traps. They just went right back down in a shallow flat just north of our blind. The darn gadwall break and cup at the call but have been only a tease. We were going to head home today after the hunt but decided to stay and enjoy our afternoon here in the marsh and make the hunt in the morning.

[DComeaux]

Didn't hunt today. Woke up to the sound of rain and it didn't let up until an hour or so after LST. Not enough birds in the area for me to get wet and cold. I got dressed and went outside right at LST and stayed outside until the rain let up. I heard very few shots in the area around the camp and none while at our boat launch getting the boat out of the water.

[DComeaux]

I was told over the weekend that the marsh creation project, the one I've mentioned a time or two on this forum was awarded to a contractor recently. This project will control the water level in our marsh. Tonight, in a text conversation I found out that they visited the area last week and will survey in the near future. They will deploy the excavators the first week of January to build, or rebuild levees and control structures and they'll start pumping sand/mud in February. This project is scheduled to be completed in June.

I was also told that there are two more marsh building projects in the works that are just to our east, one property that's just a stone's throw away from our blind that will close up some of the big water. Both of these are said to be completed over the next two years. This gives me a little hope for the future of our duck hunting in that area. Cutting off saltwater is going to be a big plus.