2023-2024 Season Log

[Rick]

Right up front (where it's easy for me to copy), here is the template I will be using:

Date:

Time:

Location:

Cloud Cover:

Wind Direction and Velocity:

Temperature:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity:

Waterfowl Responsiveness:

Hunters:

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Curses:

Kudos:

Birds By Species:

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 9/15 Fri

Time: morning

Location: SW of Welsh

Cloud Cover: Thankfully a bit hazy over the rising sun.

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE? light

Temperature: comfortably cool

Moon phase: sliver

Special Notes: Our marsh is dry and still in lease limbo, but was blessed with an invite from a friend with an invite.

Waterfowl Activity: Surprised by how many mottleds we saw, though not as many woodies as our landowner host suggested we might see. Teal were working just east of where he'd had us set up in an open cut and hard to pull over to us. And, of course, the timing of neighboring shots was impeccable every time I thought I had some landing for my friend's young son, Hudson.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Eventually decided to move a cut east of the spread with my spinner and put up with looking into the sunrise, where we found our problem had been the carpet of duck salad there that most of the birds wanted more than they wanted company. After which what was still flying became a whoooole lot more cooperative.

Hunters: 3, Ed, his 11 or 12yr-old son, Hudson, on his first hunt and I

Guns:

Malfunctions: Ed's gun was acting up about cycling, and Hudson needed shown how shouldering his gun tighter would turn its kick into a push.

Dog(s): Near as I could tell, Ed's dog's name is "HERE!" Know her e-collar was "back at the house" with Ed's whistle, but beyond the comic relief she and her man provided Hudson and I, she and he teamed up to be much better than no dog in the duck salad. Believe they only lost one.

Special Equipment: Just my big spinner. (Taking two in the morning.)

Curses: I ain't kickin'.

Kudos: Got to see my first teal, shoot a couple and enjoy a pleasant morning with nice folks. Best of all, Hudson got some, too.

Birds By Species: 8 blue-wing teal (5 drakes and 3 hens)

Photo Ops: Kicking myself for not getting a shot Hudson with the pair he was busting proud of.

[Duck Engr]

High man on the WFF teal board currently. Was that pumped freshwater marsh or salt water marsh?

[Rick]

High man on the WFF teal board currently. Was that pumped freshwater marsh or salt water marsh?

Ag land that was plowed and then left in set-aside way back when we were still getting rain. Don't know if they pumped some, as well, but at least part of it had been holding water a good while. (Very shallow now.)

[Rick]

Date: 9/16 Sat

Time: morning

Location: SW of Welsh

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: nil

Temperature: warm

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Saw less of everything, large and small, moving than yesterday. Though our host's spot a half mile or so to our east had a couple pintails come by.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: This time we started where we ended up yesterday and were better positioned for what was in our area. But looking into the sun sucked once it was up and may have helped the birds see us, as most seemed to hit a wall at the edge of range. Might be I was giving them the "Run away, we have guns." call...

Hunters: 4, another of our host's friends, Ryan, joined Ed, Hudson and I. Turned out to be the father of one of my grandsons' buddies.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Learned Ed's dog's name is Greta (not "Here!"), and, having taken the edge off yesterday, did a real nice job. Did wear an e-collar today, but don't think Ed ever used it. Nor did she need much of the whistle he also remembered.

Special Equipment: Brought both of my portable spinners, but can't say adding the little teal version mattered much. Did see improvement when I turned the big one toward the sun. Couldn't, however, say whether being more prominent improved its draw or simply helped it take some eyes off sunlit faces in the grass.

Curses: None from me.

Kudos: Passed a fine time in good company.

Birds By Species: 18 blue-wing teal (several hens in the mix)

Photo Ops: Our hero, Hudson:

002a.jpg

After taking the above, I finally got POed enough at my little P&S camera's failure to zoom as it should to figure out its alternate, manual method. So, we'll see about logging more future photos...

Lagniappe Not long after my arrival down here in '83, the late USFW Senior Enforcement Agent, Dave Hall, told me that the great thing about September teal was that "It gives the Cajuns a taste of teal that helps them lay off the big ducks until the regular season opens." Thought of that this morning when I declined our host's invitation to go again in the morning. Felt like I've had my taste of teal and didn't want to wear out the welcome I was most grateful for.

[5 stand]

Good friends are precious...

[PorkChop]

The dog portion of your first report had me rolling! I think I may own the same dog

[Deltaman]

Glad you were able to get on a couple of hunts Rick, and hoping things shake out soon for you and your camps future!

[Darren]

So glad you enjoyed a nice couple of hunts with good company.

[Rick]

So glad you enjoyed a nice couple of hunts with good company.

Thankful for them but missing my little mudhole something awful.

[Duck Engr]

So glad you enjoyed a nice couple of hunts with good company.

Thankful for them but missing my little mudhole something awful.

I’m sure more so than we’re missing the reports from there, but I know I’m still missing them nonetheless.

[DComeaux]

Dog(s): Near as I could tell, Ed's dog's name is "HERE!"

That made me laugh. Glad you had a place hunt. Marsh must be upset.

[Rick]

Don't know that he'd mind, as he gets winded pretty quickly these days. Hoping its just the heat...

[Rick]

Date: 11/13

Time: morning

Location: Cherry Ridge "0" blind

Cloud Cover: light rain all morning

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE light

Temperature: 60

Moon phase: new

Special Notes: first hunt of the regular season and at Cherry Ridge

Waterfowl Activity: Either very little came by the first half hour or so or it was just too dang dark to see otherwise. Slow enough Dub whacked the first spoon to come by.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Jacks blew me off but most everything else worked well.

Hunters: 1, the owner's mom and camp boss' boyfriend, 80yr-old, Dub.

Guns: Dub said he usually shoots a 20 but brought a 12 he thought clunky - and didn't shoot as well as he probably shoots the 20.

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh is plainly nearing retirement but, while slow, was effective in the thick and prickly (fourchette city)

Special Equipment: a spinner that stayed on all hunt

Curses: none from me except how long it will take find all of the fourchettes in Marsh's coat.

Kudos: Dub was excellent company.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 8 gw teal, 1 gadwall, 1 shoveller and 1 wigeon

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Duck Engr]

Aaaaand we’re back! Had to read it a time or two to trace how Dub fits into the operation but I think I got it now. Glad to have your reports back in action.

[Rick]

No matter. Important thing is that Dub's a fine fellow, and we passed a good time I wouldn't have minded being longer, even with the rain.

[DComeaux]

YAHOOO!

[Deltaman]

Thanks for the report Rick, and happy to see that you are getting some blind time @ Cherry Ridge!!!!!

[Rick]

Date: 11/14

Time: morning

Location: 0 blind again

Cloud Cover: heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE fairly strong

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Didn't see much of anything except squealers we passed, too few teal and a few plainly local and protected mottleds. NO other big ducks at all.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Teal came as bid, but were too fast getting back out.

Hunters: 1, Dub again

Guns: Dub had changed guns and fought with both safety location and trigger pull he thought stiff.

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh did well on a couple more in the fourchettes and was again loaded up with them. Saw and removed on the edge of an eyelid.

Special Equipment: spinner left on

Curses: No one else filled, either, so one has to wonder if what's in the marsh was run off or trained and there's nothing to replace them?

Kudos: Dub's fin company.

Birds By Species: 4 bw teal and 3 gw teal

[5 stand]

Killin some ducks, and Dub is fine company, life is good...

[Rick]

Not needed at Cherry Ridge this morning and feeling even worse about it for my old partner, Marsh, than myself. Took he and Call for a coffee ride at 4:30 and about had to drag him out of the truck cab when we returned to the house, instead of heading to the marsh. First that damn puppy and now indefinite layoff, grrr...

Will try to make it up to him (and wear Call out) with some field time when the sun comes up.

[Rick]

Date: 11/17

Time: morning

Location: CR AW's blind

Cloud Cover: light to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: light easterly

Temperature: t-shirt

Moon phase: waxing 22%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: spooky slow early, then enough teal and squealers. Saw no big ducks I could ID as other than protected mottleds

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Pretty good, but not what i'm used to with my old spinner ocntrols and splasher

Hunters: 2, Kevin and Conner

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Retired Marsh after a scare at an exercise pond yesterday.

Special Equipment: hard-wired spinner with no readily accessed on/off and sure miss my splasher for putting teal "right there".

Curses: none from me

Kudos: Conner could shoot!

Birds By Species: 7 black-bellies, 7 bw teal, 3 gw teal and 1 ringneck

[Duck Engr]

Glad you had a shooter in the blind Rick and very sorry to hear of Marsh’s condition.

[Rick]

...very sorry to hear of Marsh’s condition.

Thanks. That their paths are so much shorter than ours is the part of the blessing their lives are in ours that we all hate for them and ourselves, But part of it all the same, and Marsh and I will try to make the best we can of it.

[Rick]

Date: 11/18

Time: morning

Location: AW's blind

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: waxing 33%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Still not seeing big ducks other than mottleds and a very few pintails way up.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: just fine

Hunters: 2, brothers Mark and Trace

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: Single spinner

Curses: None from me.

Kudos: Nice guys, both of which shot well.

Birds By Species: 1 black-belly, 3 bw teal, 12 gw teal, 1 ringneck and 1 shoveller

[Rick]

Date: 11/19 Sun

Time: morning

Location: AW's blind

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: East moderate

Temperature: chilly to warm

Moon phase: waxing 44%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: LOTS of teal and squealers moving just before shooting time, then slowed considerably for a while before picking up. Bunches of pintails and grays moving as we were leaving at 9:15. Saw my first mallard, a lone drake that didn't wink or blink at my call.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Lots of stuff tried to work and got spooked by activity in our blind or other blinds shooting.

Hunters: 2, father, Todd and daughter. Byanna, a beautiful blond gal every bit of 6' tall - at 12yr-old.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: Really, really, really miss my own spinners with on/off toggle and rheostat and modified Mallard Machine.

Curses: Both father and daughter were bad for standing on the bench to see what was going on behind the too tall boat hide. Miss my own blind and boat hide setup, too.

Kudos: Super nice folks who fell short yesterday were fired up to fill out today.

Birds By Species: 6 bw teal, 4 gw teal, 3 gadwall 1 pintail, 3 shovellers and 1 wigeon

[Darren]

Some very nice hunts!

So you are on retrieve these days? Very sorry to hear of Marsh stepping back.

[Deltaman]

Glad to see that you are getting some blind time @ Cherry Ridge, and killing limits despite the lack of birds. Sorry to hear that Marsh is having to get out of the game, but know he is well loved. Thanks for the reports Rick

[Rick]

Date: 11/20 Mon

Time: morning

Location: AW's blind

Cloud Cover: clear to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE brisk

Temperature: comfortably cool

Moon phase: waxing 45%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: No pre LST show this morning and started slow again before picking up. Saw a bit of everything, including a small group of mallards that got banged out by one of the upwind blinds.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Very good when not banged out.

Hunters: 2, Ritchie and Craig

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Curses: Ritchie hunts a lot but struggled some with hitting, as did Craig who was new to it.

Kudos: Great guys.

Birds By Species: 1 bbw, 4 bw teal, 3 gadwall, 4 gw teal, 2 pintails, 2 ringnecks and 2 shovellers

[DComeaux]

Great to see you back at it......