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Just a heads up to the Louisiana contingent. The models were pretty consistent in putting this supposed next spin-up into mexico but it has steadily shifted north over last couple of days, with a significant jump yesterday and overnight.

Again, there's no actual storm right now and uncertainty is really high but models are bullish on if anything were to get in the gulf, it's going to get its act together.

This is the latest run, a Cat 3 or so. Very likely this continues to shift but its definitely something to watch because whatever it is would be THIS coming Monday ballpark.

I just told myself I would not brush blinds if there was a storm 7 days out,
Like we did last year.
Well here we are again. I guess I should start saying 10 days out haha. Suppose I’ll go crank the generator and fill my 50 gal drum


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Check in when you get the chance, Darren.

We're OK here in BR. Got some minor roof damage when backyard tree leaned over and uprooted, unfortunately. Large poplar tree in front of house made out just fine, just shed good many small branches but we'll take that all day long. Lost power 9:00p Sunday night, got it back yesterday afternoon.

Though really woodsy, neighborhood made out really well as far as the lines, nothing like what we saw for the ice storm. We are all cleaned up, couple trees taken out by a timely crew from Texas that came by yesterday evening ready to work.

Mom & dad good in mandeville, just no power, and that area's power grid took big hit. Johnny OK in Holden, just no power. No official word from the camp in SB yet, likely had a good 5 ft or more under it. Storm's slight jog east of BR spared this area some far more serious damage, but sadly as a result brought more to Laplace, N.O., Hammond, etc.

Duck blinds were under a LOT of water, not really sure what our outlook is in the marsh at the moment for 9-11-21. Thanks to all for the well wishes and check-ins

As a bonus, wife raked up a baby squirrel that had fell from a nest in yard so we've been caring for the little fella, kids having a ball.

Good to hear.

Good news Darren!

Great to hear Darren, just a few miles makes a lot of difference. I have 2 daughters that live in B R, 1 never lost power the other one is still without power.
Good luck with the duck hunting area.

Darren wrote:We're OK here in BR. Got some minor roof damage when backyard tree leaned over and uprooted, unfortunately. Large poplar tree in front of house made out just fine, just shed good many small branches but we'll take that all day long. Lost power 9:00p Sunday night, got it back yesterday afternoon.

Though really woodsy, neighborhood made out really well as far as the lines, nothing like what we saw for the ice storm. We are all cleaned up, couple trees taken out by a timely crew from Texas that came by yesterday evening ready to work.

Mom & dad good in mandeville, just no power, and that area's power grid took big hit. Johnny OK in Holden, just no power. No official word from the camp in SB yet, likely had a good 5 ft or more under it. Storm's slight jog east of BR spared this area some far more serious damage, but sadly as a result brought more to Laplace, N.O., Hammond, etc.

Duck blinds were under a LOT of water, not really sure what our outlook is in the marsh at the moment for 9-11-21. Thanks to all for the well wishes and check-ins

As a bonus, wife raked up a baby squirrel that had fell from a nest in yard so we've been caring for the little fella, kids having a ball.

Glad to hear you are ok Darren!!!!!

Making some contingencies for teal that may have us back to our local public stompin grounds. Hopeful that the USFWS doesn't shut it down as they did post-katrina, as that would throw another monkey wrench in our plans. Unlike for regular season, we have a lot of historically productive teal season areas that get little to no pressure at all. Coming off a storm in the area, likely to be fewer hunters out anyway.

Few water level gage logs below to document what was Hurricane Ida blowing through the area Sunday night into Monday of this week. Winds peaked in the 70 kts range, but water really was the biggest story. The 14 ft logged on the Delacroix gage is the highest I've seen on that, so that translates to about 9 ft of water over the land in the marsh.....

Thankfully, because of wind being from the south, the camp area didn't get near that level, only about 4-5 ft above ground, as shown on the Shell Beach station gage. What we've found is that the south winds push a lot of the Shell Beach water out into lake borgne and points northward, whereas it just piles up on south and east-facing areas around Delacroix and that's why you see it so much higher over that way.






Some have a lot of marsh grass to deal with, others very little in the way of mud or marsh grass to deal with, thankfully it appears we're the latter. True to historical accounts, I'm hearing the rafts of wrack piled up are full of snakes, especially rattlers oddly enough. You'd never figure the coastal areas to be suitable rattlesnake habitat but they are routinely encountered after storms.

On a positive note, crews are making headway restoring power in St Bernard parish so hoping to get it back during teal season, though could be tough for the opener weekend. And early forecasts are showing a slight cool front for late next week, for better or worse as it pertains to moving in/out teal.

I would’ve lost a bet on the rattlers that far south. That’s wild .


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Frequently hear of "copper-headedrattlemoccasins" sightings, but I've yet to see a rattler down here - and I'm fine with that.

Local marina had a taxidermied monster of a rattler in it years ago, massive specimen. Never seen one myself but the reports this week have been true to history, snakes galore in the grass. Mom went down to camp Saturday morning and confirmed all is well, and power company trucks were in the area in force.


Got a report from a buddy this morning who is out on Lake Pontch. and said he's seen a few bands of teal. Very tentative plan is currently to head down to SB on Friday morning and just head out to the blind to fix up whatever situation we find to be huntable for Sat morning's opener.

Knock on wood, latest info on that little disturbance in the carib. isn't projected to do much as it drifts across the gulf this week. Will be watching close!

Mais yea, look the front getting through Shell Beach this evening.

Lake Borgne-
942 AM CDT Wed Sep 8 2021

REST OF TODAY
Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west early
in the afternoon, then becoming south late in the afternoon. Waves
1 foot or less. Dominant period 4 seconds. Slight chance of
thunderstorms early in the morning. Chance of showers through the
day. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon.

TONIGHT
Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest 10 to
15 knots after midnight. Waves 1 foot or less. Dominant period
4 seconds. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms early in
the evening.

THURSDAY
North winds 10 to 15 knots. Waves 1 foot or less.
Dominant period 4 seconds. Slight chance of showers and
thunderstorms in the afternoon.

THURSDAY NIGHT
Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Waves 1 to
2 feet. Dominant period 4 seconds.

FRIDAY
Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
Dominant period 4 seconds.

FRIDAY NIGHT
Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Waves 1 foot or
less. Dominant period 4 seconds.

SATURDAY
East winds near 10 knots. Waves 1 foot or less.
Dominant period 4 seconds.

SATURDAY NIGHT
Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Waves 1 foot or
less. Dominant period 4 seconds.

SUNDAY
East winds 5 to 10 knots. Waves 1 to 2 feet. Dominant
period 4 seconds. Chance of showers and thunderstorms.

As hoped I got out in the marsh early this morning, left dock about 6:30a, on scene at the lease about 7:15a under absolutely stellar September weather conditions, strong wind from the NNE, could have used a jacket for the boat ride. Was eager to find out what Hurricane Ida left us with but was surprised to find the marsh in relatively good shape, and our pond's habitat largely unchanged save for a bit less lush/greenery. Even found SAV still in the area on mud flats.

Got blind cleaned up pretty quick and stools brought in, roseau tamed out front. Had my eyes peeled but no teal (or mottleds or squealers) seen. Pond and blind looking good so we'll go give them a try regardless of no sightings today. Recall last year there was next to nothing seen in the area the morning before and it worked out OK for us with birds that plainly were coming in from somewhere else on a later morning flight, didn't appear to have been holding in the vicinity.









Could go scout some public land but would be a long bumpy boat ride in the flat from here under this wind. So we'll just be content to try the lease in AM and figure it out from there. Good luck all

Looking good Darren, and Good Luck in the morning!!!

Reckon many hunters will be out and about in your area? I know last they far and few between in swla marsh after Laura


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Subsequent my post above I’ve gotten reports of some birds seen today in our not all that distant periphery so hoping some get bumped our way. Had to rub my eyes a time or two when I saw the number of birds Larry counted in SE La…..66,000 is a huge number for this end. Last year 16,000 and year before something like 12,000 maybe.



Regardless of big numbers overall, doesn’t mean a thing if none within our hailing distance. We’ll go see in the AM, camp life is good regardless.

As always, "We'll see..."

In talking to a friend over that way near Gueydan area yesterday, he mentioned his speck sighting over the past weekend nearby. Seems about par for recent years, usually a few scattered reports by the closing weekend of teal.

This week's drought monitor map looks a lot like last week's:



Thankfully, tropics are looking good for now, and a cool front is sliding down early next week.

Lake Borgne-
358 AM CDT Fri Oct 1 2021

SUNDAY NIGHT
South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west after
midnight. Waves 1 foot or less. Dominant period 4 seconds. Chance
of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms.

MONDAY
Northwest winds near 5 knots. Waves less than 1 foot.
Dominant period 4 seconds. Scattered showers and slight chance of
thunderstorms in the morning, then numerous showers and scattered
thunderstorms in the afternoon.

MONDAY NIGHT
Southwest winds near 5 knots becoming north after
midnight. Waves 1 foot or less. Dominant period 4 seconds.
Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after
midnight.

TUESDAY
North winds 10 to 15 knots. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
Dominant period 4 seconds. Isolated showers in the morning, then
scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.

TUESDAY NIGHT
North winds 10 to 15 knots. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
Dominant period 4 seconds. Isolated showers in the evening.

Knock everything wood you can find.

Yes, let's hunt till the last days of the January in the coastal (tidal) marshes, when the birds are smartest, water lowest, and shockingly the bag checks say we're not killing anything.

West Zone:
Regular season: November 13 - December 5; December 18 - January 2; and January 10 - 30
Youth and veterans only: November 6-7


Jan 17, 2021 on the lease; bet the ducks just love them some mud:

Blame the commission. They tried to do that small split for east zone in early January but we fought back.


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Ericdc wrote:Blame the commission. They tried to do that small split for east zone in early January but we fought back.
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Oh its absolutely on them. Larry's never been a proponent of hunting till the bitter end on the coast, from my recollection (and his data wouldn't support it anyway). That timing is critical for EZ ag land, the loss I dont see as being quite so critical for WZ but still would rather have that week back and give up the last week.

Darren wrote:...would rather have that week back and give up the last week.

Amen.

Don't know if we'll hunt to the end of this season. I really didn't want these season dates, at all.

DComeaux wrote:Don't know if we'll hunt to the end of this season. I really didn't want these season dates, at all.

Right there with ya, but the RIGHT (though wrong) people did, and that's why we have them.

Would just love to see their blind logs come Feb 1 to see how that plays out for them this season. Hell, would love to see the logs under our past framework to see this upward trend in harvest as we got later to justify this change.

Darren wrote:

DComeaux wrote:Don't know if we'll hunt to the end of this season. I really didn't want these season dates, at all.

Right there with ya, but the RIGHT (though wrong) people did, and that's why we have them.

Would just love to see their blind logs come Feb 1 to see how that plays out for them this season. Hell, would love to see the logs under our past framework to see this upward trend in harvest as we got later to justify this change.

Nothing but flapping gums and ignorance.

Not sure how I missed it, but Avian X has entered the SWD market. Wing design concept looks promising, tries to address the view of the wings from behind to be "correct" at all times.


https://www.avian-x.com/shop/duck-decoy ... -wing-duck

I agree Darren - the last 2 weeks of January usually have nothing in our marsh. All our ducks have found "safe zones" by that time and we have nothing to shoot at. I wrote the commission concerning the new zones, and got a polite reply thanking me for my input and they would consider it - the only consideration it got was what trash can to put it in.