Preseason 2021-2022...

[Rick]

...Things at the mudhole will be okay, as they usually are....

Adrienne says I've two brothers, but am pretty sure there will still be enough to keep them from fighting for entertainment. Fred was at the east blind late yesterday and reported a mess of teal and jacks on the pond and passing big ducks, including a couple mallards. Little surprised Marsh and I hadn't spoiled it for him passing with decoys for our spot a couple hours prior.

Still a little brushing to touch up, to include experimenting with Jay's Blind Grass as cover for the top of the boat hide.

[Rick]

Took a last load of brush to the marsh well before shooting time and was initially a little disappointed by what was, or wasn't shaking at the mudhole. Seemed fewer little birds following their open water routes than yesterday. Still hopefully "enough," but...

Then when I'd quit watching and started thatching in my brush gaps, I heard a lot of low wings and looked just in time to a whole dang slew of low big duck butts heading into the sun. Am thinking grays - maybe... And, on my way out, I bounced a cloud of big ducks from down by Isaac's blind that may have been the same bunch. Also bumped at least three mallards among the mottleds and woodies at the back blind when I ran back there to see if I might luck into a deer in the open. (Didn't.)

Getting pretty anxious for the weekend.

[Rick]

And in the birdwatcher's corner, I finally got to watch a limkin hunt:

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But he was too quick for a photo of a snail and ate it down in the grass.

Also saw these on the farm we drive in on for the first time:

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And three more on the other side that took off when I stopped the truck:

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Maybe there's hope for their survival, after all...

[BGkirk]

Would like to see your blind grass on the hide.
Speaking of whoopers, we were met at the launch by some of the refuges staff with “ pool closed signs” because whoopers showed up in two of the five pools, which they close til further notice.. that could certainly ruin a planned vacation . Glad it was our last day


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[Ericdc]

Would like to see your blind grass on the hide.
Speaking of whoopers, we were met at the launch by some of the refuges staff with “ pool closed signs” because whoopers showed up in two of the five pools, which they close til further notice.. that could certainly ruin a planned vacation . Glad it was our last day


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Kansas loves Whoopers


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[Rick]

Well, fudge. Ran some stuff to the marsh pre LST and found the current front from what I think of as the "right" direction seems to have blown out more than it has blown in. Pretty grim for the half hour or so I gave it, other than a good show of ringnecks on the east end. Hopefully, just didn't stick around long enough...

But it felt like duck weather.

[Rick]

Hopefully, just didn't stick around long enough...

Was back at the marsh trying to make Clyde's Go-Devil go last evening when Fred came in from his final east blind prep, and he was excited by all the birds seen. "lot of grays and green-wings".

Also met Jay at his camp and got eight pounds of "rice and corn blend" Blind Grass to experiment with. (He'd given me some of his "fall blend" in its various configurations, and I liked it well enough to get off my wallet.) His "fall blend" is spot-on dead cattails, which is a shade darker than a match for the dead canes at my blind, but "rice and corn" looks like it will nail that. (Rather than be too light or yellow, as I feared it might.) May look a little out of place this until the cut canes turn, but I doubt enough to be an issue.

Will get some on the boat hide "roof" this morning and hopefully remember the camera.

[Darren]

I'm giddy just following along, and its perty dang chilly in this morning's breeze and clouds that sadly only my run to drop kids off at school exposed me to when I'd initially had hopes of a marsh run. Nonetheless, the front on tap for next Friday has me thinking Mon-Thurs at the office will be challenging to endure.

[Rick]

Wellll... The ride to my blind shortly after LST was disappointing, but I did see some BIG bunches of presumed green-wings below Clyde's blind later on.

Also watched four mallards drop in to my north while working on my boat hide's cover. Not a bad match to much of the marsh - at least in the poor light of cloudy early morning:

002a.jpg

"Grass" was very stiff in the cold and should relax and droop some more when it warms up.

[Darren]

Lookin' good! Best of luck with the young guns

[Rick]

The bug and I went out a little after daylight to redo our cover for taller hunters and more experienced birds' eyes. And if the droves and droves of jacks hanging out in the more open portions of the marsh aren't blown elsewhere by the next front, it's going to be a very noisy opener.

Also saw a fair number of unidentifiable big ducks pop down by Isaac's, though none at all from the potholes closer to the run, yet. Didn't see teal to speak of.

[Rick]

The bug and I went out a little after daylight to redo our cover for taller hunters and more experienced birds' eyes. And if the droves and droves of jacks hanging out in the more open portions of the marsh aren't blown elsewhere by the next front, it's going to be a very noisy opener.

Also saw a fair number of unidentifiable big ducks pop down by Isaac's, though none at all from the potholes closer to the run, yet. Didn't see enough teal to speak of.

[Duck Engr]

Droves of jacks are better than no droves I suppose, unless you’re trying to work big ducks at the mudhole…

[Rick]

Droves of jacks are better than no droves I suppose, unless you’re trying to work big ducks at the mudhole…

Expect it to follow the norm of our getting a turns at whatever comes by once the volleys subside. Big question is generally what happens when the guys putting them out of points elsewhere go back to work on Monday.

[Darren]

.............. it's going to be a very noisy opener.

I'll take that over a quiet one!

Over last decade of hunting openers in Delacroix....if I'm not hearing shooting while I'm still setting decoys (20 mins before LST), then it likely may be a slow one. If there's shooting way before LST, be ready at LST because its going to be on.

[Rick]

Had coffee with Clark from CR this morning. Says he's hunting the boss' boyfriend Saturday, and they're not heading to the blind until 7:30, "...to shoot mallards and sprig." "Maybe."

[Darren]

Had coffee with Clark from CR this morning. Says he's hunting the boss' boyfriend Saturday, and they're not heading to the blind until 7:30, "...to shoot mallards and sprig." "Maybe."

I like Clark's swagger


(but its not opening day for me if you're not there at LST)

[MARSH BEAR]

I have had too many mornings where the only shots fired were at the early teal moving, the big ducks did not show up later. Unless something goes terrible wrong I will be in the blind at LST

[Rick]

The party we hunt on opening weekend is an extended family and friends who've booked our marsh annually for decades before we've had it, and they draw among themselves for blinds. Past experience tells me we're apt to be in "ducks is ducks" mode, but there are a few of them who'll want to hold out for pretty ones. We'll see...

[Rick]

Been having better than two cases of 16ga steel and bismuth for my Model 12 that I've been thinking of as an emergency stash, should I run through my 20ga supply without finding more and even padded a cradle in the boat for that old jewel "just in case". But Rogers, which I check daily for shells, was listing "in stock" 16ga steel this morning, and I just ordered a case of 4s at $40 a case less than I've been contemplating paying for 2s I'd rather not have more of locally.

The upshot being that I'll now have roughly as many 16ga shells as 20s and far more combined than I'll shoot, and I believe I'll hunt with the Model 12 until I find reason not to. Which will free me up to pass kids in need my 20s without fear or regret. Kinda looking forward to it.

Brace yourselves, ducks, I'm coming for you like the slayers of yore...

(Gotta practice finding that old gun's misplaced front safety!!!)

[Duck Engr]

I think I recall you looking for a good excuse to shoot that sweet little gun, so maybe the ammo shortage is a blessing.

I’ll keep an eye on the malfunctions section. I suspect we’ll see “safety “ in there a time or two.

[Rick]

I think I recall you looking for a good excuse to shoot that sweet little gun, so maybe the ammo shortage is a blessing.

I’ll keep an eye on the malfunctions section. I suspect we’ll see “safety “ in there a time or two.

I'm bad for stove-piping shells on game, too. Can't make it do it, no matter how fast I try to shuck without a live target.

[Rick]

Here's a riddle: Clark called last evening to ask if I'd been to our marsh yesterday morning and noticed anything odd. I'd not been, so he told me he'd gone to his blind and seen absolutely no ducks en route. Which was spooky unusual, so he ran around the other blinds in the area, which has been pretty much permanent home to thousands of squealers for two or three years, as well as loaded with migrants the past few weeks - and saw just three teal.

My guess was that someone had just buzzed the marsh in an air craft, but Clark said he'd been out there at their camp since well before LST and heard nothing. Said he'd been thinking on it all day and finally decided what was a brief shower at the camp (and where I was) might have had a hail cell out over that part of the marsh.

Any better guesses? ("Eagles" is the best I've come up with since, but the marsh usually comes back pretty quick behind them.)

Anyway, the good news is that he also reported watching birds fall back into their marsh in the afternoon.

Am headed to ours to put out my spinners, turn the night lights on and try to get the starter to do so on Fred's brand new well-used motor (a 16hp Doug bought as a "23") early this morning, but we're socked in with a ground fog and no breeze at all, so I may not be able to gauge much of what effect whatever cleared their marsh might have had on ours.

[Duck Engr]

I can’t come up with anything better. I’m with you on the eagles. Doesn’t seem to clear them out for that long.

[BigHutch]

Something interesting and probably just a coincidence. We had three different planes flying low over our marsh south of White Lake this week. One was Tuesday afternoon, one Wednesday morning about 10, and the other Wednesday around noon. Our marsh has been holding some ducks so we thought someone may be trying to move them. Our lease manager thought so too. I can’t say for sure but I don’t believe that three planes were just random.

Good luck tomorrow!!
Big Hutch

[Rick]

[quote="BigHutch"]Our marsh has been holding some ducks so we thought someone may be trying to move them.../quote]

That would suck. Best of luck to you, too.

[Rick]

I can’t come up with anything better. I’m with you on the eagles. Doesn’t seem to clear them out for that long.

Did see an eagle after leaving the marsh this morning...

Also had a little pod of five greenheads, without a single hen, break out of the fog while I was putting my spinners out. Reminded me of how badly skewed their ratio has been under the banding nets and to keep urging my guns to shoot the bright ones. As if...

Got Fred's motor starting as it should and expect to help him launch and follow along on its test run, JIC, after school, but beyond that, I'm ready for tomorrow..

[Rick]

Friend called from the road home from their Arkansas camp to see if we were covered up in ducks - or to brag about well over 300 specks and big group limits in minutes over ultralight Gym Shoe decoys I'd never heard of. Said they'd had a lot of ducks that all pulled out. (Maybe too loud?)

Still no breeze, let alone wind, here this morning. But it's the opener!

[Darren]

Friend called from the road home from their Arkansas camp to see if we were covered up in ducks - or to brag about well over 300 specks and big group limits in minutes over ultralight Gym Shoe decoys I'd never heard of. Said they'd had a lot of ducks that all pulled out. (Maybe too loud?)

Still no breeze, let alone wind, here this morning. But it's the opener!

Made me look:

https://www.gymshoedecoys.com/product-p ... ese-per-13



Good luck at the mudhole !

[Duck Engr]

I have a bakers dozen mallards. Light yes. Paint job looks good but has flaked pretty quickly. Decoys run a little smaller than I’d like for them to be too. Dakota packables for me.