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Have most of my gear put away but gun could likely use a good cleaning. Of note in the last 30-45 days I've sold off tremendous quantities of seldom used or stored decoys, once thought to be had-to-have to match a situation I might encounter or needed here or there but just haven't been seeing the marsh. Was liberating to get rid of so many, some literally had been rigged and never saw the water. Plan to do the same type of purging with some clothing as well as now that I've found my go-to's, I tend to wear much of the same gear each hunt, could free up some closet space.

We've got plans for a blind build at what's currently a guerrilla setup only place in the coming month or two when tides are high enough to afford flat boat access delivering materials.

Someone talking breeding grounds being a factor in this past season's fall flight made me revisit the drought monitor for the first time in a good while and was glad to see it's significant improvement in the eastern ends of the two Dakota's. Spring rains, or whether or not they materialize in the coming 60-90 days will likely be what ultimately sets our course for the flight of Fall '22. With less and less overall acreage, we've got to get the most out of what's still available, and in order to do that, we need significant precipitation, lots of puddles and ponds.




Compare from July 2021:


and August 2021:

Glad to see conditions improving on the prairie. I very much need to thin the decoy herd as well. Many field soldiers haven’t seen action in 4 years or more.

Darren wrote:Have most of my gear put away but gun could likely use a good cleaning. Of note in the last 30-45 days I've sold off tremendous quantities of seldom used or stored decoys, once thought to be had-to-have to match a situation I might encounter or needed here or there but just haven't been seeing the marsh. Was liberating to get rid of so many, some literally had been rigged and never saw the water. Plan to do the same type of purging with some clothing as well as now that I've found my go-to's, I tend to wear much of the same gear each hunt, could free up some closet space.

Sounds like you're headed "over the hill." Spent the first part of my waterfowling life piling up "must haves" and the rest of it, to date, paring that pile down. The Great Decoy Shed Purge of '04, after I swore off white spreading, was a liberating life landmark.

Maybe just becoming a smarter, more efficient hunter? Liberating, indeed.

Now I'm all for gaming the second hand market for the field hunting, selling older/faded dekes to purchase new, shiny, more life-like replacements in fewer numbers. And will plan to continue doing that in a constant effort of improving on the spread up there.

But for my marsh hunting, I'm already using what I believe the best decoys on the market for my targeted species so have no aspirations of what used to be a process of continuously upgrading..........until someone comes out with something my eyes deem "better."

Can't forget that I've got intentions of making the west zone youth hunt in early November this year as well, now that I've made my own youths without any more need of borrowing youths .

A friend of mine 20 +/- years ago took his 5 year old daughter on a youth hunt - she limited - I really, really have my doubts about that

MARSH BEAR wrote:A friend of mine 20 +/- years ago took his 5 year old daughter on a youth hunt - she limited - I really, really have my doubts about that

Sure she did!

MARSH BEAR wrote:A friend of mine 20 +/- years ago took his 5 year old daughter on a youth hunt - she limited - I really, really have my doubts about that

With a 12 gauge shooting 3.5" hypersonic, as well.

My youngest brother wasn't a whole lot older than 5. A family friend had a farm and we went out one evening to do some target shooting. He had a pond surrounded by cattails. The blackbirds were using as a roost in big numbers. When they started piling in, that looked a whole lot more fun than clay pigeons and paper But the funniest thing I remember about it was my little brother. He couldn't even shoulder the .22. He had the stock tucked under his arm and with a very determined look was plinking the blackbirds that landed in the cattails that we hadn't run off shooting at them in the air with the shotguns.

SpinnerMan wrote:...But the funniest thing I remember about it was my little brother. He couldn't even shoulder the .22. He had the stock tucked under his arm and with a very determined look was plinking the blackbirds that landed in the cattails that we hadn't run off shooting at them in the air with the shotguns.

Those who've hunted my blind may have noticed the attraction its canes hold for boat-tailed grackles, more than a few of which have gone home to show Mom with kids with BB guns or .410s.

Stumbled on some old video clips I had bookmarked from Erik Rue's outfit, Calcasieu Charters, who I made annual trips with for some years, something like 2006 to 2010 or '11 maybe. Learned a lot from those mornings usually in the greater Hayes or Bell City areas.

If I could get the bunkie area pit brushed as well as Rue's crew did it, we'd be in business on the specks. Note, though, seemed all the levees I hunted with them were left to do as they wanted, usually tall with plenty of bushes and grasses to work with. Rode fourwheelers in the pond to the blind

The good old days.

My silly brain. Whenever, I see one of these "Post Season" threads, I always want to ask how many posts you shot?

The weapon of choice



I really want to get a speck. Watching so many of them snow goose hunting was cool, or frustrating when mixed in with snows since the outfitter doesn't allow shooting at mixed flocks. I imagine experience taught that there are too many idiots that can't shoot just the bright white ones. We had one bright sunny day. If not with the guide, we would have killed a lot more snows. Every flock seemed to have a bunch of bright white adults and a dozen or so specks mixed in. Beautiful to watch, but after the 5th or 6th flock like that. It started to piss us off just a bit.

SpinnerMan wrote:My silly brain. Whenever, I see one of these "Post Season" threads, I always want to ask how many posts you shot?

The weapon of choice

Way the hell too many of those. And given the option, my weapon of choice would be a PTO auger. (Just as I'd much rather drive t-post with an end-loader bucket than a mother-in-law.)

I really want to get a speck. Watching so many of them snow goose hunting was cool, or frustrating when mixed in with snows since the outfitter doesn't allow shooting at mixed flocks. I imagine experience taught that there are too many idiots that can't shoot just the bright white ones. We had one bright sunny day. If not with the guide, we would have killed a lot more snows. Every flock seemed to have a bunch of bright white adults and a dozen or so specks mixed in. Beautiful to watch, but after the 5th or 6th flock like that. It started to piss us off just a bit.

The last big light goose hunt I guided wasn't blues and snows only, but the speck that filled us out on those had just dropped, and I'd advised the group that we were done with them and to "Just shoot the white ones." when one of the clients the corporate group was hosting uttered the fateful phase, "This ain't my first rodeo."

I'm certain I cringed from past experience with that response and was already cocked and loaded when, sure enough, the next bird said expert shot was a speck. I went off, assuring him in absolutely certain terms that this might well be his last rodeo for a while if we were checked. Was, for some odd reason, the last time I guided an Entergy corporate group, though I still occasionally guide a couple of the fellows who hosted them.

"Just shoot the white ones." when one of the clients the corporate group was hosting uttered the fateful phase, "This ain't my first rodeo."

I'm certain I cringed from past experience with that response and was already cocked and loaded when, sure enough, the next bird said expert shot was a speck. I went off, assuring him in absolutely certain terms that this might well be his last rodeo for a while if we were checked. Was, for some odd reason, the last time I guided an Entergy corporate group, though I still occasionally guide a couple of the fellows who hosted them.

Experts!

Lil bit kicking myself for now scrounging a few dollars to make a cool mount out of that blue from the 1/2/2022 hunt.

Rue's YT video I didn't link has some wads of pins working this way and that which reminds me of our buddy's hunt in last week of the season where he alleged that he could have filled his blind to the lid with pintails (other end of same farm), swarms working to in-your-face range time and again, well after they'd filled on them already.

Indeed on the last hunt of the season we saw flights that would corroborate his claims, but couldn't buy a shooting op as they'd break down beautifully only to swing this way and that, staying high. Tried calling every which way but a deer grunt, couldn't finish them. Over the years there it seems we've only killed a good handful of the majestic pintail, while putting eyes on absolute train loads of them at times.

There's absolutely no more consistent method of putting pintails in your face than scratching out a limit of them. Manage that, and it will seem like every one you see after wants to land.

Failing that, however, you might want to try purring. I'm too lazy to search through the xeno-canto.org or Cornell files for a better example, but the third recording on this link has a bit: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pintail/sounds

That and squacky quacks apparently sounds pretty good to the whistle weary.

Thanks a lot, checked out the sounds.

Riceland's poly teal call was purchased for just that, but have found it my go-to in the rice for all things teal AND spoons, among others, squacky for sure. Need to run it more for the pins when the chance arises. Or maybe I did, and saw no discernible response over the other efforts I threw at them.

Darren wrote:Thanks a lot, checked out the sounds.

Riceland's poly teal call was purchased for just that, but have found it my go-to in the rice for all things teal AND spoons, among others, squacky for sure. Need to run it more for the pins when the chance arises. Or maybe I did, and saw no discernible response over the other efforts I threw at them.

Haven't tried a Riceland teal but have heard one sound good, and a self teal-tuned Daisy Cutter seems my best bet for squacky quacks and kacks, purrs and beeps, so I'd think you're on the right track there. 'Course, you're not going to get them all with anything - or always know the reason why...

Among the driest winter seasons on record here in Baton Rouge. Absolutely played into available habitat around ag lands and timber, etc.

Seeing some significant improvement of the drought conditions on breeding grounds, per the map at least. Our own local drought looks to be worsening, unfortunately.

Welcome news on the prairies!

I really don't mind the dry weather we're having.

DComeaux wrote:I really don't mind the dry weather we're having.

Me either. Could mow the winter grasses in the yard any time I get up the gumption.

Dry as it's been, still fighting an absolutely thriving patch of dollar weed, that I recently was able to nearly 100% confirm was introduced to my yard by the traveling farm at my daughter's bday party couple years back.

Funny how it originated exactly where the small pen was set up for petting farm critters, that included bunnies. Contractor at my house last week mentioned how his daughter's pet rabbit is a dollar weed fiend.

Darren wrote:Funny how it originated exactly where the small pen was set up for petting farm critters, that included bunnies. Contractor at my house last week mentioned how his daughter's pet rabbit is a dollar weed fiend.

Then it's settled: gots to get the gals some bunnies. (They're delicious.)

Rick wrote:

Darren wrote:Funny how it originated exactly where the small pen was set up for petting farm critters, that included bunnies. Contractor at my house last week mentioned how his daughter's pet rabbit is a dollar weed fiend.

Then it's settled: gots to get the gals some bunnies. (They're delicious.)

My reply to what I found out was "well bring that bunny and all his friends here for a couple days of good munchin' "

Kids would have fun with them at least, and the best sauce piquant I ever had..............January 2008 Tensas Parish deer camp I was at to chase mallards they also had on flooded property. The rabbit SP was worth the trip alone

When I was a kid, we raised them, and my paternal grandfather raised them. We butchered his, and he butchered ours. Ate 'em like others ate chicken. Wild rabbit is great in my book, but domestic even better.

We always had bunnies as a kid. The appropriate time before Easter, we'd put the boys in with the girls. Any "extras" were quite tasty.

My mom would make us whatever we wanted for our birthday dinner. My youngest brother maybe from age 5 on. He always had the same thing. Spaghetti and rabbit.

Wife has a story I've heard a few times that's turned her off of having bunnies for our kids:

Childhood friend of hers had a snow white bunny that one day was found covered in blood and found to have been eating on her recently-born babies. Kinda soured the whole sweet bunny thing for her lol


But that sauce piquant.......

Darren wrote:Wife has a story I've heard a few times that's turned her off of having bunnies for our kids:

Childhood friend of hers had a snow white bunny that one day was found covered in blood and found to have been eating on her recently-born babies. Kinda soured the whole sweet bunny thing for her lol


But that sauce piquant.......

We occasionally had female bunnies that would eat their babies. No idea why.

But we did know which bunny was getting eaten next.

SpinnerMan wrote:We occasionally had female bunnies that would eat their babies. No idea why.

But we did know which bunny was getting eaten next.

Eggzackly. Renamed them "Supper".

Past 2 years We were just trying to rack up as many decoys as we could to put around blinds… and after this year I don’t know if that is a good idea or just a waste of time.
If we continue to cater to the 99% of teal that made up our bags this year then I’d all be for boat blinds and picking up decoys every hunt.
Maybe next year will have an influx of gadwall and keep us on our toes


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