Preseason 2023

[Darren]

Officially in pre-season mode so will be following along as breeding conditions and eventually pond and fowl survey numbers come about.

Sure hoping the map below has yet to see impacts from melting snow, otherwise we're really going to be dancing for spring rains. Though not great, sure could be a lot worse.

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Other than the recent farm trip, not much duck-related going on down this way. Will plan to get back up there more frequently than last year to tend those dang plants that grew to be a forest around the pit. Credit Rick for telling us to spray them last year; we'll take a lesson learned and since I dont like fooling with spray, glad to go up and literally uproot them since they come up easily. Funny how we had not a single sprout of these until the pit was installed and new dirt turned over.

We don't want to see this again. It turns quite woody and makes for heckuva chore to not only take down, but then haul off too. Once the leaves are gone, it just turns into sharp stalks of zero camo value. Hoping pulling them somehow allows for johnson grass stands to return as we had previously.

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[Pennydog1]

looks like giant ragweed ,use 24d and be done with it

[Darren]

Yea that appears to be what it is for sure. Think we even have some kind of stout herbicide at the camp so may have to go that route. Hoping that by intervening at this point we wont end up with the tall, woody versions of it in November.

[Darren]

Found pic below of what we had to deal with last year on opener eve:

It turns quite woody and makes for heckuva chore to not only take down, but then haul off too

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[Ericdc]

Yea... I was very happy with my Johnson grass thicket around pit last year.


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[Rick]

Found pic below of what we had to deal with last year on opener eve:

It turns quite woody and makes for heckuva chore to not only take down, but then haul off too

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Try to warn 'em, but you know the kids today. Have to learn things the hard way.

[DComeaux]

Nip it in the bud.

[Darren]

Yea... I was very happy with my Johnson grass thicket around pit last year.
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Yea need to get back to how it used to be, the below from August 2020.

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On other end of things, I trust our marsh grass is doing its thing, haven't been down that way since January but plan to get in the fishing game starting next weekend.

This week's drought monitor looks about identical to last week's. Nebraska seems to be getting pretty ugly.

On another front, just returned from the Salt Lake City area and a local told me the lake just rose 3 feet. With record snows in the area this winter, and summer showing up really soon and abruptly, there appears significant concern for flooding like what was seen 30 -40 years ago apparently. For certain the mountains I saw during the visit appear still heavily blanketed in snow.

[Rick]

If you want your grass back, best be careful that that "stout herbicide" at the camp is like 2-4D and just targets broadleafs and isn't too hard on most grasses...

[Darren]

If you want your grass back, best be careful that that "stout herbicide" at the camp is like 2-4D and just targets broadleafs and isn't too hard on most grasses...

Thus my inclination to just pull them by hand. If we do it periodically, though regularly, can't imagine it would get out of hand. I heard the stuff at the camp literally referred to as "Burndown" so yea I figure it's basically napalm-like, anything but targeting.

Plus I'd rather not personally fool with that stuff myself anyway. Would also seem an opportunity to transplant some johnson grass clumps from near the camp and stick them in the fresh dirt we just used as fill around the pit.

[5 stand]

I like the transplant idea, you'll have seeds this fall...

[Darren]

I like the transplant idea, you'll have seeds this fall...

It comes up in clumps, at least during the fall, pretty easily so thinking wouldn't be too difficult to plant some clumps in the new dirt we've been using for fill to combat some crevices formed as dirt settled around new pit. Lil fertilizer and off we go!

[Duck Engr]

2,4-d is pretty harmless as far as chemicals go. Been around for 70 years. 1.25 ounces per gallon in a back pack sprayer with a squirt of dawn soap to act as a surfactant and give it the business.

[Darren]

2,4-d is pretty harmless as far as chemicals go. Been around for 70 years. 1.25 ounces per gallon in a back pack sprayer with a squirt of dawn soap to act as a surfactant and give it the business.

Will keep in mind, thought a surfactant would be a good idea given those broad leaves.

[Ericdc]

Granular 2-4D will kill the mess out of water lilies also. I treat my pond with it every few years when they start getting out of hand. Kills them from the roots up.


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[Rick]

2,4-d is pretty harmless as far as chemicals go. Been around for 70 years. 1.25 ounces per gallon in a back pack sprayer with a squirt of dawn soap to act as a surfactant and give it the business.

Will keep in mind, thought a surfactant would be a good idea given those broad leaves.

Don't think a shot of Dawn will hurt any herbicide's effectiveness, and it costs next to nothing. (Just be sure to add it to your mix last to avoid a "What was I thinking?" moment.)

[Darren]

Brought here for my own records from original post by Plainsman, and included last week drought monitor. Not certain what goes into Delta's evaluation as to determining quality of the conditions but have to assume water availability to play heavily in that.

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Probably one of the better statuses of the PPR of the US that we've seen in a while (absence of any color being a positive), so maybe there's something to Delta's map indeed.

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[Ericdc]

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/monitoring-co ... 202304.pdf


Added graphic from Eric's link above, note it's older imagery from the most recent US Drought Monitor release:

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[jrock75]

Some good rain forecasted for SK over the next 7 days. 1-2" is meaningful for an area that only gets 10-20" per year.

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[Darren]

Nothin wrong with that!

Also glad to see Texas getting some meaningful rain out west.

[Darren]

Looks like conditions in SE corner of SD appear to be maybe headed in wrong direction. Note the region of SL creeping in there, having expanded northward from NE Nebraska it seems.

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[Darren]

With the Memorial holiday and unseasonably pleasant weather for that weekend, had a window yesterday morning to get back to the farm and check on some things and knock out few chores.

Found neighbor blind showing rice on both sides, cuts in between us still flooded with traps, and main cut we hunt dried out and freshly plowed. Will be curious to see where that's headed, with some hope that it means beans and not rice, as it had same prep in summer of 2021 that put it in beans for the summer. Unfortunately also found that the giant ragweed collection persists and flourishes in the 5 weeks elapsed. Though initially I feared spraying would be only option, there was also sign of some various other grasses trying to make headway so I went ahead and spent some time and effort pulling them again, as spraying will surely knock out everything good, bad or otherwise. The teal and spoons from last trip are long gone, just enjoyed some various wading birds like roseate spoonbills and egrets, couple pairs of squealers.

Found like this:

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After some effort:

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Our fill-in efforts from last trip appear to have settled in nicely. That said, still could use some fill all around, so why not give some fill that has roots and grass a shot, what's there to lose? Stomped it into place. Even if only half takes, we're headed in right direction. Will try to get back up in July to see how it's going. If there's even minimal success, will go ahead with some more transplanting, really wasn't much effort since there's available plants down the levee nearby.

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Neighbor blind's rice coming along nicely:

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Cut some logs up for firewood, limited out on wood bees, cleaned up here and there. More chores to come maybe next month and will also be looking to get in the marsh to look at a couple of new blind locations.

[Duck Engr]

Great report Darren! Thanks for the update.

[Rick]

I'd not have feared 2-4D's effect on grasses, but am a bit jealous of your getting to do blind work.

[Darren]

I'd not have feared 2-4D's effect on grasses, but am a bit jealous of your getting to do blind work.

Fear is that something other than 2-4D is what gets put down based simply on ready availability, and takes it all.

Indeed, given this place is not mine, I try to put in my share of help, but anyone who knows me also knows I love the offseason/prep work as much as anything else these days.

Always nice to head out of Baton Rouge to drive some country roads, see what's going on in the ag lands. My little boy is enjoying toting along his Red Ryder and this place affords the opportunity to shoot it in about any direction without ramifications. Packed my little .22 pistol I picked up last fall in anticipation of those that slither, but thankfully none encountered.

[Ducaholic]

Looking good!

[Darren]

Can't say I'd heard of these guys previously, but look to be some legit specks. Only $350 for a 6-pack

https://replicadecoys.com/white-fronted ... ckle-belly

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[Rick]

Been around for a few years and know at least one area speck nut bought some, but don't recall how they held up. Fairly sure, though, that they're from the same fellow who started the Hardcore brand in the "way back when..." and think I've read or heard of some sort of issues with the Replicas or CS, but wouldn't bet a nickle on it.

Lost me with the divided tail and wing feathers, which make bagging a pain, so I passed.

[Darren]

But the realism, though! Geez. (though not sure of that sentry's dark stripe on the head)

Our Dakota floaters are turning gray from sun/weathering so thinking some kind of light touch with a brown of some kind is in our future to kind of brown down that newly forming gray on the backs, necks, etc.

On Monday's camp visit, took home (and threw away) 95% of the collection of PVC stakes we'd been using for what was a standing spread. Kept a handful for any kind of change in look we might try but my thought for this season was to put more on the levees and less out in the cuts that are attempting to play a prevailing wind. The winds and lack of water control just ends up making those birds more of a hassle for each hunt when there's one or two on their side, another half sunk, etc.

This week's drought monitor, SDak drought growing it would appear:

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[Rick]

Know you've partners to contend with, but it's counterproductive over the long haul to put out any more speck decoys than you're willing to pick back up at hunt's end. End of sermon, do as you or they please.