Preseason 2021-2022...

[Rick]

Going through some duck DTs today, so in lieu of our usual off-season morning constitutional through rice country, the bug and I parked at the gate at LST and walked the mile-and-a-skosh to the boats and bailed what little rain had accumulated in them ahead of tomorrow's predicted addition - and, of course, took a ride to the mudhole. Moved some little, mostly jacks ducks along the way and was surprised to see what may well have been a record number of them blow up off the broken marsh well north of our hole. So, perhaps, there will be more of those making the mistake of crossing us second split.

Didn't see a single big duck until thinking about that on our way out, which conjured a pair of mottleds that then passed a little flight of specks coming south off of Cherry Ridge so low they'd been using or were thinking about using the marsh. And that was that for that.

Also pressure washed and Armor-Alled my mallard drakes this afternoon and will repaint their faded flocked heads when weather permits. Might not kill pecans next split but hope to look good not doing it.

[Rick]

Completed mudhole prep this morning and am feeling pretty darn good about that part of the equation - except for the part about having nothing left to do but wait for Saturday. Blind looks more like it's not that than it ever has, and the decoys look as much like the real deal as they ever have. Made enough additional Blind Grass brooms to help hide everyone willing to make that effort, and even prefer my latest flocked Dakota greehead heads' repaint over their original factory version (not to mention my previous attempt).

All we need now is ducks, and I've seen that look worse, too. Not that i could see a whole lot through the fog, just that I moved more green-wings than we'd been holding, along with a scattering of low big ducks that seemed to be using the marsh. Far from loaded, but at least not barren. Didn't wait for the fog to clear either morning, so I may have missed a lot of what's in the marsh. much less what's trafficking overhead.

'Course, might be none of it's "new" and all of it will go back into hiding after a day or two...

[DComeaux]

Sounds good! .... I'll be headed down to the camp in the morning. I'll launch the boat and cut a little brush for the blind but I will not run the marsh until tomorrow. I don't want to bother what I hope is there.

[Darren]

Sounds promising! Good luck tomorrow

[Rick]

Gloriously clear when the bug and I got down for a rice country round at LST this morning, raising hope for clear skies tomorrow at a blind usually heavily dependent on traffic. But we were socked in tight before we got back to the truck.

Definitely time to be hunting again, regardless, as the poor bug was buggy enough to be chasing blackbird swarms across the flooded second crop crawfish ponds.

[Darren]

Whats the word in general you're hearing across rice country? Anything at all where they should be? Other than the third hand reports from the greater CenLa ag belt, we've got nothing to go off of. The aerial survey should be emailed today, per Jason O.

[Rick]

"Spotty" would seem the word. Some have 'em, many don't.

[Rick]

Been hearing encouraging reports from Cherry Ridge's crew readying blinds and a couple friends working on the Intracoastal and was initially encouraged, myself, when making my first trip of the break to our marsh. Saw a fair number of big ducks, impression being grays, get up on the east end. But moved fewer jacks than normal and next to no mottleds from Isaac's run west to my blind.

Front hit as the bug and I left the boat slip, and I was in a t-shirt, so I didn't waste time venturing beyond my blind and the chores awaiting me there, and ended up pulling the poule d'eau decoys my crew shot while mostly missing landing squealers Sunday in the same kind of PIA wind that saw me putting it off then. Not much fun dealing with fresh wax myrtle boughs that wanted to sail, either, but that's behind me for the season. As is replacing the store-bought camo burlap skirt that proved too dark to help hide the hole and too light weight to hold up to hunters leaning on the blind's top rail as well as repurposed gator/coffee bean bags do.

Finished those and a few other chores just after sunset and got well chilled on the seemingly longer than usual ride out without seeing anything bigger than a jack except limkins.

Not wanting to expose fresh canes and my spinners to any more wind than need be, I'm waiting to see how the weekend's weather is panning out before adding those finishing touches for next Monday's start to our new third split.

[Darren]

Ever taken to DIY-foam filling some of your (coot or otherwise) decoys most prone to being shot up?

[Rick]

Ever taken to DIY-foam filling some of your (coot or otherwise) decoys most prone to being shot up?

Most DIY foams waterlog, but I have thought of trying Higdon's foam-filled coots - should I ever find them offered with free shipping. Nearly bought some of their foam-filled ringnecks that were on super sale a few years back to repaint as coots.

[Ericdc]

Can get them from Mack's and Rogers with free shipping if you spend over $100 on order.

Think the foam filled are out of stock at those places now though.


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[Rick]

Can get them from Mack's and Rogers with free shipping if you spend over $100 on order.

Think the foam filled are out of stock at those places now though.

Don't know but what the big guys with shipping deals not carrying foam-filled coots at the time may have been what had set me to thinking about repainting ringers. Will have to keep an eye on them in any event.

[BGkirk]

My cousin started foaming his shot up decoys.. He claims it isn’t supposed to hold water. Let me see what kind it is


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[Rick]

Please do. It's my understanding that the rattle can types don't cut it, but a two-part mix that sounds like a mess to work with might.

[Rick]

Cory, I guess I'll note that there are now scads and scads more banded green-wings than a day ago (by-catch with a few dozen mallards) in your general area. Neat to handle so many of the little gems that have been conspicuously sparse at my blind this season.

[BGkirk]

Cory, I guess I'll note that there are now scads and scads more banded green-wings than a day ago (by-catch with a few dozen mallards) in your general area. Neat to handle so many of the little gems that have been conspicuously sparse at my blind this season.

Great news. Haven’t been down that way to check on anything. I do know our water is as low as it’s ever been in my 7ish years of being a member. But can recall the 2010-2011 time frame where we saw it even lower going into Nov.


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[Rick]

Haven’t been down that way to check on anything. I do know our water is as low as it’s ever been in my 7ish years of being a member. But can recall the 2010-2011 time frame where we saw it even lower going into Nov.

Been banding with Mike and his son, Chance, from the Oak Grove crew who've both remarked on their and got the impression they've found it helpful for keeping birds on them. Know that going into both the 2010 and 2011 seasons the mudhole looked like prairie before being ground umpteen times and slurry after - but mallards were number one in our bag both of those dry seasons.

Expect to be out there with a big bundle of fresh canes around LST and hope to see more than when renewing the wax myrtle portions of our cover earlier this week. Ready to be back at it, regardless.

[Rick]

Given what wasn't seen this morning, it's a good thing I'm in that "regardless" mode. But "new wind/new day" tomorrow...

[Darren]

Bruce will bring the birds

[Rick]

Bruce will bring the birds

Gusting outside, so he brought the weather, and that's a start. Worst case, we'll have a nice visit, while waiting for the pair of mottleds and little bunch of squealers that passed while I was dressing the blind to come by again.