2022 2023 Season Log

[DComeaux]

-32 wow


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I would not have been in the marsh, I can assure you....LOL!

....and this should have been BIT. chomping at the bid

[Ericdc]

-32 wow


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I would not have been in the marsh, I can assure you....LOL!

....and this should have been BIT. chomping at the bid

I overlooked that, it's Christmas


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[Ericdc]

Date: 12/28/22

Time: left at 11:00

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: cloud bank spoiled our hopes of sun until about 8:30 then clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: light ESE become 10-15 SSE

Temperature: upper 20's to 60's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: give me sun and wind and I'll almost always get specks

Waterfowl Activity: it's dead other than the local shoveler and gadwall mob we've had since split opened.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: ducks very poor, all were pass shot. Specks did right

Hunters: me Tom Bob and his nephew Tyler

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): me

Special Equipment:

Kudos: Tyler's first speck

curses: the usual highway in the sky going both directions along the boeuf river at state line is closed.

Birds By Species:
2 specks
1 wood duck
4 shovelers (1 was breakfast for a hawk)

Photo Ops:
I'm about an hour south of the hot spot



Durn clouds


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[DComeaux]

I don't mind sharing my log with you.....LOL!

[Ericdc]

Ooops


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[DComeaux]

When I start seeing them with shrimp and crabs in their bill I'll be happy.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3401000630173329&set=a.1944309625842444


Eric Orlando
Fish Fry-Day….. have you ever seen a puddle duck eating fish before?? This was a first for me. While out taking photos the other day I saw a bunch of dead cichlids and tilapia that had been recently killed by the cold snap we had in S Florida. They were all laying on the bottom in about 2 feet of water where I was photographing ducks. A few days later I went back to the same spot and noticed the teal would dive down for a few seconds and then return to the surface eating something. After reviewing the photos I noticed they were indeed feasting on the dead fish. I’m glad I was able to capture it!!!!!

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[Rick]

Prior to Rita, I had scores of slides of mallards slurping shad in Ohio River navigation dam tailraces.

[Darren]

Local outfitter in Delacroix area told me the other day he and his crew have been shunning mottled ducks due to poor tablefare, reportedly eating minnows. "Worse than a dosgris" he said. Inquired with a biologist who said indeed mottleds and about any other puddler would eat minnows under certain need, but would much prefer not to.

[DComeaux]

Date: 12/31/2022

Temp: upper 50's?

Cloud Cover: Overcast with heavy fog

Wind Direction and Velocity: Light SW early to W 5 to 10

Waterfowl Activity: Nothing

Waterfowl Responsiveness: not good

Hunters: Me, Blake, and David D.

Birds By Species: 1 ruddy 1 spoonbill 1 gadwall

Hunted until 11:30 and fog never let go. Heavy fog again tonight.

[DComeaux]

Date: 1/1/2023

Temp: upper 50''s lower 60's?

Cloud Cover: Overcast with heavy fog

Wind Direction and Velocity: Light ESE to 5 to 10 same direction later

Waterfowl Activity: More movement today with big groups of GW coming from the north later in the morning.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good

Hunters: Me, and David D.

Birds By Species: 6 GW 2 BW 2 spoonbill

We had an interesting start to this new year hunt. While sitting in the blind set up and ready, listening to the sound of wings passing over head we hear what we assumed was a shot from the blind east of us on another property. This was 10 minutes before LST. Eight minutes later they fired off a rocket that had a loud report and it filled the sky with sparkly, crackling noises. I stared at my hunting partner with a blank face, speechless for a time. We've had trouble with these guy's rallying ducks in the past, always running around during the hunt. I just wonder what these young kids do during the week when we're not there. It could be one reason we don't hold at least the few ducks we once did in our north flats.

There seemed to be the occasional "new ducks" that didn't know our set up and actually worked. We did have opportunities to fill the limit but didn't capitalize on the bigger flocks that we had work us. We hunted until 11:30. We had a lot of gadwall that I could here in the soup that would talk back and look for us but knew what was up when they found us. Same with some big flocks of teal. At the camp mid-day, I saw a big V of birds coming from the north with a bit of a lift in the fog.

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[5 stand]

Mighty fine !!!
I'm going to use Rick's comment: you never know until you go!!!
I'm glad you guys decided to give her a go, even with the forecasted fog...

[5 stand]

Your schedule is pretty much the same...
Posting 2 days in a row at 8:07 p.m.

[DComeaux]

Your schedule is pretty much the same...
Posting 2 days in a row at 8:07 p.m.

I hadn't noticed that. LOL!

[Deltaman]

Glad some birds showed up for the party Dave

[MARSH BEAR]

Dave will you be able to make the Monday opening of the 3rd split?

[Ericdc]

Dave will you be able to make the Monday opening of the 3rd split?

Pretty dumb season structure in my opinion.


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[DComeaux]

Dave will you be able to make the Monday opening of the 3rd split?

I will not be able to make a hunt until Saturday.

Pretty dumb season structure in my opinion.

I voiced my opinion strongly when this was proposed and now we have 3 more years of this set up. The "birds don't get here until after the season crowd" had more representation, I suppose.

I liked it as it was, to open the second weekend in November and close in 60 days, no matter the date. With Christmas and new years on weekends this year it really cut into my hunting days, as well as the wife eating up my vacation days this year with silly beach trips.....LOL!

[Rick]

...With Christmas and new years on weekends this year it really cut into my hunting days, as well as the wife eating up my vacation days this year with silly beach trips.....LOL!

She should be thrilled to have the camp up and running again so close to Rutherford and Holly beaches...

[DComeaux]

...With Christmas and new years on weekends this year it really cut into my hunting days, as well as the wife eating up my vacation days this year with silly beach trips.....LOL!

She should be thrilled to have the camp up and running again so close to Rutherford and Holly beaches...

Those are not her type of beaches. I've tried.

[Ericdc]

Anytime they take away weekend days it's wrong


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[Darren]

Yea I'm a huge opponent of this season structure for west zone, coastal hunters in particular. "Representation" is a nice way of saying "sway" or "influence". So the 3rd split "opening day" will be a Monday, and I could likely go, but vast majority cannot. That's wrong. Swapping early january days for end of january, is ridiculous.

[MARSH BEAR]

Dave, I too voiced my disapproval of the 3 split season, but the commissioners do what they want, not the will of the hunters. Our coastal hunting success declines after New Years. I have hunted the Holly Beach area for 38 years, and only a few of those years has the hunting remained strong late in January.

[DComeaux]

"Representation" is a nice way of saying "sway" or "influence".

We all know how that works.

Dave, I too voiced my disapproval of the 3 split season, but the commissioners do what they want, not the will of the hunters. Our coastal hunting success declines after New Years. I have hunted the Holly Beach area for 38 years, and only a few of those years has the hunting remained strong late in January.

We have hit an occasional day in late January where the GW are thick, but I don't think for me it's worth losing hunting days to push it to the end of January. Besides that, more birds are beginning to pair-up during this time. I'll probably see wood duck pairs looking over my boxes very shortly, which reminded me that I need to get those cleaned out and add new nesting material, soon.

[Ducaholic]

The proposal for the coming seasons is the same so if you guys are in opposition now is the time to be heard

[DComeaux]

The proposal for the coming seasons is the same so if you guys are in opposition now is the time to be heard

I was told this framework was locked in for 5 years, of which we have completed one, and we're at the end of the second year.

[Ducaholic]

The proposal for the coming seasons is the same so if you guys are in opposition now is the time to be heard

I was told this framework was locked in for 5 years, of which we have completed one, and we're at the end of the second year.

That I believe is incorrect. What is locked in is the current zone structure if I'm not mistaken. Season dates can be changed year to year as long as they are within the federal framework.

[Ducaholic]

In retrospect I think you might be right because of the number of splits. That sucks if so.

[DComeaux]

In retrospect I think you might be right because of the number of splits. That sucks if so.

This was in an email from Jason Olszak back in September. We were discussing this 3 split stuff

"Our zones & splits selection was for 21-22 to 2025-2026."

This was in another exchange we had today.

"We have 5 years of 2 splits. The 25-26 season will/may be the last. We will be required to conduct a survey near the end of this as we are the only state in the flyway with 2 zones and potential 2 splits."

[Ricky Spanish]

Changes are coming.
Illinois has 4 zones and they're beginning to talk about splits.
Arkansas just changed rules for next season.
The deer hunters at the wma will be DELIGHTED to get extra days of it not being flooded.
The trees will benefit too.

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AGFC asks me to comment on these changes frequently but I refuse. I don't know enough to provide educated input plus an ooser shouldn't even have an opinion.

[Ducaholic]

In retrospect I think you might be right because of the number of splits. That sucks if so.

This was in an email from Jason Olszak back in September. We were discussing this 3 split stuff

"Our zones & splits selection was for 21-22 to 2025-2026."

This was in another exchange we had today.

"We have 5 years of 2 splits. The 25-26 season will/may be the last. We will be required to conduct a survey near the end of this as we are the only state in the flyway with 2 zones and potential 2 splits."

I got the exact same email lol. The proposed dates for the for the 23/24 season have Saturday openers for each split but the season closes on a Wednesday making the last three days M-T-W 29/30/31 inconsequential for most I would think. That actually creates a scenario where as the West Zone will hunt later than the East Zone for the first time ever.

Edit: I also voiced my displeasure with the current arrangement with you in mind