2023-2024 Regular Season

[DComeaux]

Glad to hear it Dave, and sounds like you're gonna have to relegate him to kitchen duty/beer drinking detail this weekend

You got it! lol

[DComeaux]

The last 2023 sunrise pic from the blind. I had to share.

415290420_1086911832305394_3015388327866406716_n.jpg

[Rick]

Stunning photo, that.

Tell Blake we said "Hey".

[SpinnerMan]

Big fan of sunrise pictures and that is a great one

[DComeaux]

Stunning photo, that.

Tell Blake we said "Hey".

Will do.

[DComeaux]

Big fan of sunrise pictures and that is a great one

Thanks. We have many sunrise pictures from that location. The light seems to be perfect for this one.

[DComeaux]

Date: 1/6/2024

Hunters: Me and Bill

Cloud Cover: Mostly clear with shallow fog to overcast with thicker fog rolling in.

Wind Direction and Velocity: Puff from the NW

Temperature: Upper 30's

Waterfowl Activity: Not much moving

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Turned one small flock that did it right.

Birds By Species: 4 GW

Photo Ops

20240106_092217.jpg

Our usual pile of GW have finally showed up. There are a few hundred sitting just to our NE on some marsh that's not hunted and has no boat traffic. They are very vocal.

[5 stand]

Glad the pile showed up, probably have some more in the next 7 days?

[DComeaux]

Date: 1/7/2024

Hunters: Me and Bill

Cloud Cover: Mostly clear to high overcast

Wind Direction and Velocity: Light NW to N than NE still very light

Temperature: Upper 30's

Waterfowl Activity: Nothing moving. Nothing seen.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Birds By Species: 1 GW 1 Pintail

Photo Ops

The two birds were the only opportunities we had, and I took both birds with passing shots. The GW are still to our NE and the peeps and quacks are still rigging in my ears. I got to hear the "momma" call from some hens a few times this morning.

[DComeaux]

Hoping to see this in a few days. Turn up the volume.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/909848257398195

[don novicki]

That would be nice...and great sunrise pic you posted.

[Rick]

Hoping to see this in a few days. Turn up the volume.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/909848257398195

Hoping you do, too. Been a mighty rare sight and sound this year.

[DComeaux]

That would be nice...and great sunrise pic you posted.

Thank you. It's just a shame that I have the time to do that.

[Rick]

Hoping to see this in a few days. Turn up the volume.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/909848257398195

The past two RNWR banding parties banded 3,874 of them.

They're banding there again this evening, but I'm still on the tail end of a crud I've no wish to piss off again and may decide not to join them. Getting old, I guess.

And speaking of getting old, how's puppy parenthood going? Call finally slept all the way through a couple nights this week, but had me up and out at 1 last night, so that little pleasure isn't over for us quite yet.

[DComeaux]

Hoping to see this in a few days. Turn up the volume.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/909848257398195

The past two RNWR banding parties banded 3,874 of them.

They're banding there again this evening, but I'm still on the tail end of a crud I've no wish to piss off again and may decide not to join them. Getting old, I guess.

And speaking of getting old, how's puppy parenthood going? Call finally slept all the way through a couple nights this week, but had me up and out at 1 last night, so that little pleasure isn't over for us quite yet.

The wife bought her a comfy bed to put in her big wire crate and she is now, and has been quiet all night long. Still doing the occasional late night, always early morning, noon, and late afternoon runs in the yard. She is full of piss and vinegar and a handful. I can't wait for longer afternoon daylight and duck season to end so I can put in more time with her. I wish I or someone could be with her all day to get a better handle on the house/crate breaking. When you got to go, you got to go. She's like a little wiggly snake with sharp TEETH! Love to watch and laugh at the zoomies in the leaves. I'm really ready to get down to some serious work with this pup.

I also introduced her to recorded shotgun fire yesterday while out in the yard just to see her reaction. It was a bit unnerving when she first heard it, she was a bit timid, ears back and scurried away from me, but only then. I played it several times after that and she relaxed and starting playing tug of war with my pant cuff..... Lots of learning to do.

[Rick]

Call's been the most manic and, therefore, trying of my pups, at least in memory, and was, I felt, well behind our normal curve - then suddenly grew up over the past week or so, and we're catching up. With marsh prep for this weekend's split opener behind us, he and made a lap around a quarter section of a friend's crawfish ponds that began well upwind of a butane cannon and looped downwind before eventually passing it. Made some long, for him, retrieves in what, for him, is chest deep driving water, chased umpteen ground sparrows (wrens?) and had a big time. Was a little unnerving when Call inspected the cannon, even though I made a point of passing between its every-70-seconds blasts...

Anxious to see if next week's weather sends us some birds, but not keen on the effect icy water may have on our puppy progress. Am thinking Remi and your timing may prove just about right in that regard.

[DComeaux]

Anxious to see if next week's weather sends us some birds, but not keen on the effect icy water may have on our puppy progress. Am thinking Remi and your timing may prove just about right in that regard.

I asked for a report from the refuge yesterday via text and was told the numbers are low. They flew it on the 10th and his word was "horrible". He did mention that they are seeing a lot of courtship flights and other mating behavior with those that are there. He made comments about the late January closing dates as well.

It disturbs me to shoot into those flocks of fowl this time of year. I have to block the thought. I would sure like to see the season end either at the end of December or first week in January.

I can still remember how it affected me when I took a pair of mallards mid January in Pecan Island a few years back. I was somewhat glad I had taken both. Pairing was on my mind and I was determined to get both. Not that it made any difference.

I wish more people felt this way about the fowl but the battalions of younger hunters are gung-ho. Some older as well.

[SpinnerMan]

It disturbs me to shoot into those flocks of fowl this time of year.

I've heard a similar argument for shooting doe. "If you shoot a doe in late season your likely killing two fawns as well." My argument is that the impact on the population next year makes no difference if you shoot a specific doe October 1st or January 15.

Geese form long term pair bonds, so are we creating a life long widower who never remates? I've never seen good data on this, but more likely to cause a goose to not nest the upcoming season.

Mallards are pretty much sluts. I think other ducks are not that loyal like geese.

https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/understanding-waterfowl-courtship-and-pair-bonding

When a paired bird is harvested by a hunter, its mate must find a suitable replacement. Most waterfowl establish new pair bonds within days or weeks after losing a mate, but the timing of the loss can have an impact on the birds' survival and productivity. In recent studies, female black brant that lost mates during the hunting season subsequently found new ones, but experienced higher mortality than birds that did not lose mates, likely because of a greater vulnerability to harvest and predation during the courtship and pairing process. In another study, researchers used controlled experiments to demonstrate that among female mallards, the loss of a mate in late winter may reduce annual recruitment by as much as 7 percent. The increased time and energy costs associated with finding a new mate were believed to have been responsible for the decreased productivity in these birds.

7% on the upper end for the small fraction that lose a mate. The impact is negligible. Remember the decline in recruitment for each hen shot is 100% while shooting her mate is only 7% max. You'd have to shoot 14 mates to have the same impact as shooting 1 hen. I wouldn't sweat that, but definitely no hen ducks at all if you are going to worry about it because like my argument on doe. If you shoot that hen in September in Canada or in late January in Louisiana, she will have the same success next breeding season.

[DComeaux]

I understand all of that and agree with it, but it still doesn't make me feel any better about doing it.

[5 stand]

Yesterday I had three gadwalls coming and they did everything just right, bang bang bang, three dead ducks on the water... Then I start looking a little closer to that one in the middle don't look like a Gadwall, sure enough Mallard hen... I try to avoid them Brown ducks, in the heat of the moment, you can see how well I identify...But I'm pretty sure that did not change the mallard population in the future... It kind of took the wind out of my sails, from a triple to a mallard hen... I understand DC... The mental games we play...

[Rick]

I asked for a report from the refuge yesterday via text and was told the numbers are low.

Perhaps they were all on the banding bait. Paul texted that they planned to band last evening, but I'm still hacking up flem from a lingering case of the crud and didn't join them. Hasn't been much in the way of real ducks beyond some mottleds and teal scattered in with the squealer mobs at Cherry Ridge this week.

[SpinnerMan]

I just wish I shot more ducks. I've got 2 in Illinois this year which is probably above average for the last 5 years or so

I head for Maryland on Sunday. Hopefully, I can triple that number on Monday. We hunt 3 days, so fingers crossed we can get one or two good days. Weather looks good on Monday, wet on Tuesday, and blowing on Wednesday. All three days a little below freezing overnight and a little above for the highs. If there are ducks there, we should be good, but they have been warm too, so I'm a bit nervous. But they had winter weather in the east so maybe piles of new birds for us Maybe a little sketchy on the roads Tuesday morning.

We were supposed to get up to a foot of snow today. I was looking forward to goose hunting tomorrow. We did get about 4 inches over night, but now we are getting pretty steady rain and it looks to keep doing that for the next few hours. I just watched a bunch of geese pour into the big lake by my house. I don't think this is moving anything to the cooling lake. I'm definitely not going to go down and schlep through the mud to see tomorrow. Everything will be froze up when I get back from Maryland, I'll give it a go when I can drive out into the fields.

[DComeaux]

Date: 1/13/2024

Hunters: Me and Garlynn

Cloud Cover: Mostly clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: Light E to SE building 7 to 10

Temperature: 35 frost to start the morning

Waterfowl Activity: We have next to nothing in the area,

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Birds By Species: 2 GW

Photo Ops

Lots of didn't shoot reports to one and twos, even in some of the better managed areas. I'm ready to bid this season farewell.

[Rick]

Date: 1/13/2024
I'm ready to bid this season farewell.

Seems hope is about all we've got this season, so I'm hanging onto it. But, while pouring my first cup of coffee this morning, I did catch myself thinking this has been the least fun season in memory, despite being blessed with greater opportunity than most in our region.

[DComeaux]

Date: 1/14/2024

Hunters: Me and Garlynn

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: ESE light early then 5 to 10

Temperature: mid 40's ?

Waterfowl Activity: We have next to nothing in the area,

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Birds By Species: 1 spoonbill

Photo Ops

Saw a few high flocks of big ducks, mostly pintail. Had a few flocks of teal go by headed for the refuge.

[Deltaman]

Hope..........we've all been living it this season, and the big front coming thru this week may be our last gasp of it this year.........and Hoping it actually brings a few birds with it!

[DComeaux]

I didn't have anyone willing to hunt this weekend, so I had set up to hunt solo. Late afternoon on Friday I got a call from a camp neighbor asking if I'd like to hunt with him as he was going solo as well. He hunts on the well managed marsh just 2 miles to the west of my blind. I took him up on the offer and we took 3 ducks. We called it around 8:30 due to the strong cold wind and body parts that were beginning to ache.

There were definitely a few more birds seen than what we'd been seeing at our place but not an overwhelming amount by no means. They've had enough waterfowl to hold on their 900 acres, with a large chunk of the lease in the middle kept as a rest area that allowed them to harvest more than most in the area throughout the season. They've also had water since September when all other marsh was dry. They had a levee breach from a high surge event and was able to repair the levees quick enough to hold some saltwater which got diluted when we started getting rain in early December.

I had launched my boat on Friday so after the hunt Saturday I suited up later in the day when the sun made it a bit warmer and ventured out to clean up the blind and pick up the decoys. Blake had come down to the camp on Friday and was at the camp when I got back. He helped me with bagging the decoys and getting some gear cleaned up.

We're done for the year and I'm hoping we don't see another lease increase this year. That may just put the final nail in the coffin for me. On a lighter note, I'll be curious to see the transformation in our marsh when the growing season begins. The water in our marsh is very clear which will allow the sunlight to penetrate to the bottom, which should be a good thing for plant growth. In the 7 years we've been down there the water now is the clearest I've ever seen it. Weather forecast for this week has our blind area in the 4 to 7 inch range for rainfall. We need to dilute the salt as much as possible. Then it may become more favorable for gators as well....... Another issue.

[Darren]

Hoping for the best for your spot now till September. Have to believe the growing season is going to be a whole new world out there this year.

[DComeaux]

Hoping for the best for your spot now till September. Have to believe the growing season is going to be a whole new world out there this year.

I hope so. A big determining factor for me will be in June, that's when I receive my lease paperwork. After that if all goes well I will be out there to take a peek at different times during the summer.

[Deltaman]

Thanks for the report Dave, and frustrating more new birds didn't show for you. Good news on your clearer than normal water, and hope it spans lots of new growth!
I didn't hunt this weekend, as a hard North wind puts any birds we have in the open water at the north end of our bay, in areas too deep to hunt. Of the three reports I received, two of them were reports of no new birds, but one report said they did see a few new birds, but no big numbers. We usually see a small influx of mostly drake Gadwalls the last week of the season, typically looking for love, and will respond to a call. Looks like the weather will be factor, but the wind will be right, and hoping to get away one day during the week, we'll see!