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DComeaux wrote: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.

Fingers and toes crossed...

Sounds awfully promising!

1 year ago today.

Long way from that this year, looks awfully stale for a while to come.

It does.

I’d like to see the project unfold, that’s awesome news for you guys.


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I'd like to introduce to y'all my newest pirogue paddler, Jase Lane Comeaux. He was born this morning at home @ 6:23 AM. This makes number 6 total for my son and daughter-in-law with the oldest being 6 years old. With my daughters son Brantley, Jase makes our 7th grandchild.

DComeaux wrote: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.

Good Deal DC and Congrats Paw Paw

Darren wrote:Long way from that this year, looks awfully stale for a while to come.

Man it’s bad. Next two weeks nothing of consequence.

Congratulations!!!!
I have 8 grandchildren you need 1 more to catch me.

Congrats Dave!!!!!!!!

Congrats Dave!

Congrats all around but especially to the gal who did all the work.

Congrats! Happy for all involved

Wow!! Congratulations, Dave!!

Thanks, everyone.

Date: 12/4/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Clear to overcast not long after LST


Wind- Calm to start with a light ESE breeze later and back to calm. Ground fog on the ridge but none at the blind. Was a weird weather morning.

Temperature: 59

Waterfowl Activity: Goody many seen.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Poor

Birds total and by Species: 1 GW

We watched flock after flock of ducks crisscrossing the sky early then an almost steady high stream of hundreds of gadwall, some wigeon, and pintail coming from the south. I'm wondering if they weren't rafted up on the gulf overnight. This high flight lasted a couple of hours, in spurts. Reports are one and twos from our neighbors and some camps are vacant down here this weekend.


Blake and I had fun with the reds this afternoon and the crabs are large.

I need to buy some blue crab from you for our Christmas Day shrimp and crab stew!


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Ericdc wrote:I need to buy some blue crab from you for our Christmas Day shrimp and crab stew!


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I'll give you some. How many would you like?

I'll get with you when 2nd split opens if that's ok?


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Date: 12/5/2021

Hunters: Me and Blake

Cloud Cover: Thick fog breaking slightly around 8 and then a wave of it came from the gulf.

Wind- ESE about 5 and just a bit stronger at times.

Temperature: mid 60's?

Waterfowl Activity: We quaked, whistled, and peeped in the thick fog and they appeared. Could here chatter above and got some to talk back.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good

Birds total and by Species: 1 wigeon 1 gadwall 3 BW 1 shoveler

We were pretty close to dragging up yesterday, spending the night and leaving early this morning and I'm glad we didn't. We called the hunt at 9:30 and I wished we could have stayed just a bit longer. We did see and hear the same flight coming from the south this morning. Lots of vocal gadwall, wigeon and pintail, wave after wave. We had a few quick in and out of teal and a couple of other spices that were low level and just appeared over the decoys. They were quicker than we were. We did better than most of our neighbors in ths thick fog except for one that hunts a well-managed marsh just a mile or so to our west. He and his young son took a two man limit this morning that consisted of BW, pintail and gadwall. I hope this spilt lets them settle into the marsh unmolested.

Blake with the birds.

Nice little hunt to close out the split

Ericdc wrote:I'll get with you when 2nd split opens if that's ok?


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Just give me a call.

Glad y'all stayed and killed some bird Dave!!!! Redfish and blue Crab sure do sweeten the pot too! Staying vigilant on a foggy morning will flat wear your senses out but it sure is exciting when they just appear out of nowhere

The crab lease sure is producing, if nothing else.

DComeaux wrote: We had a few quick in and out of teal and a couple of other spices that were low level and just appeared over the decoys.

No, we didn't have cayenne or garlic powder flying around, but I'm sure you guy's knew what I meant to type.

We took the breast from the teal we shot on Saturday and did a "Rick Hall". I seasoned the breast and lightly pounded with my fist. I put them in the fridge for just a bit and then sautéed both in butter in a skillet. I'd lean the pan and grab the butter, spooning it over the top of each breast, basting occasionally. This made a wonderful appetizer and it will not be the last time this happens. Matter of fact, this will be a full meal with sides in the very near future. ( Rick- we didn't have Lawry's, but slap ya mama along with garlic and onion powder did just fine.)

Taken from Forbes biological Station's FB post. In the first picture below it looks like that bird of prey or one like it may have already feasted on a couple of mallards. Left click the picture and click again to zoom in.

We flew the waterfowl survey on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. We encountered lots of ice this week, especially along the Illinois River. In fact, we discussed trying to fly later in the week to get a better snapshot of what was left after the ice thaws through the middle of the week. Unfortunately, the weather just did not look good for a flight on Thursday or Friday. I estimated ~213,000 ducks along the Illinois River this week, a marked decrease (-38%) as compared to last week’s estimate and 5% below the 10-yr average for this river. Most of the observed decline in numbers can be attributed to the less cold-tolerant pintail, green-winged teal, gadwall, and shoveler. Mallard numbers stayed relatively constant in the IRV this week, dropping by only 6%. The ice cover appeared to move ducks around looking for open water, changing the distribution in the IRV. We counted more ducks on Duck Creek, Big Lake, and Upper Peoria Lake than last week. I estimated ~622,000 ducks in the central MS River this week, 14% above the 10-yr average. Illinois’ upper MS River refuges had similar ice issues as the IRV this week, but ice was less of an issue on the lower portions of this river. Refuges near the confluence appeared to pick up mallards this week, while also holding onto many of the non-mallard dabblers. It will be interesting to see how the birds move around as this ice thaws, especially in the IRV.
I’ve attached two pictures this week. One from Port Louisa to show what a bad day looks like for American Coots. And the second is a mallard anomaly tucked in among the thousands of mallards at the private refuge at Dardenne. Enjoy!
For this week's survey numbers and more information about the aerial surveys, visit http://www.bellrose.org

The wife and four of our granddaughters made it down to the camp yesterday midday just as the front was pushing through. After I got them settled in, I hooked up to the boat and headed out in the marsh in that strong NW wind and misty rain to move and rebait the crab traps. The duck rise was substantial as I entered the ditch on our northern end flats which continued up to and around our blind. As I loaded the traps and headed further south the rise of ducks was just as impressive for the next 3/4 to a mile I traveled.
There was a good show of GW but what was more evident was the bigger dabblers who seemed to have a better showing. I did stop when I reached my destination to take it all in. It was good for the soul to see these birds; I Just hope they hang around. The water was very low. It was a bit interesting trying to pull and load those traps by myself in that high wind, to say the least.

Great news that. Hope some will stick around for you through next weekend. Fellow called me from his boat in Cherry Ridge with similar news yesterday, and we did see quite a few bunches of green-wings coming out of LNWR on last evening's no-go banding effort.

Good news ! No reports on my end, and looks like we're going to head north for Saturday, TBD for Sunday.