Preseason 2023

[Darren]

We'll take it ! Farmer's Almanac, stone cold lock!

[Ducaholic]

Like!

[Darren]

Got few more reports of teal showing in the ag belt here and there north of I-10, nothing in the heart of Cajun country reported yet that I've heard but I'm sure someone's seeing a few.

[Rick]

Wouldn't bet many (any?) here are putting water on stubbles for second crop. Second crop water used to go on soon after the first crop was out, but I've not seen water in stubbles to date. Current trend seems to be leaving what are normally second crop stubble to fend for itself until the weather cools enough to start flooding for early crawfish and let it be green rice that's better for producing early crawfish worth more than the rice would have been. Also helps retard the apple snail crop that can be such a pain while crawfishing.

Have yet to hear the first local teal report, in any event.

[Darren]

So how does that practice's timing align (or not align) with traditional floodings that made teal habitat instead of a parched field of standing 2nd crop?

[Rick]

When they were making second crop for harvest, water would be coming on stubble as the combines were going out, so the earliest first crop would be too tall and green for much water to show without buffaloing by hunting season and only the last to be harvested would be near prime for hunting without manipulation. And we'd have to "buy" any second crop buffaloed for teal holes. Now, it's a fight to get more than a little, round "HUNTERS HERE" hole opened up in crawfish stubble, regardless of compensation. (Haven't been screwed on that part of an "agreement" since last year.)

[5 stand]

Commercial duck hunting, sure sounds fun...
"They spread them far and wide for poor Marsh to round up". Or something to that effect

[Rick]

Commercial duck hunting, sure sounds fun...
"They spread them far and wide for poor Marsh to round up". Or something to that effect

Most any fool should be able to kill ducks. The sport is in doing it with whoever comes through the door.

(Reading the above paraphrase immediately put me in mind of a fellow who called just last evening to check on availability. He heads a group who've hunted at least the first couple, and maybe four or five, afternoons of teal with me for pushing 20 years: great guys but incredible cripplers seemingly intent on giving my dogs heat stroke.)

[Darren]

Rick, are there in fact any rice prospects in the works for Sept or just will be what it'll be with the marsh situation?

[5 stand]

"Most any fool should be able to kill ducks. The sport is in doing it with whoever comes through the door." So true(for you)and I'm sure they're happy when they leave, the reason the ones below keep coming back... And you vent to us occasionally on here the way it should be...

(Reading the above paraphrase immediately put me in mind of a fellow who called just last evening to check on availability. He heads a group who've hunted at least the first couple, and maybe four or five, afternoons of teal with me for pushing 20 years: great guys but incredible cripplers seemingly intent on giving my dogs heat stroke.)[/quote]

Most of all of us fools are pretty Rusty the first few days... I have to keep telling myself shoot at them, shoot AT them...

[Rick]

Rick, are there in fact any rice prospects in the works for Sept or just will be what it'll be with the marsh situation?

I'd think someone will be hunting rice somewhere, but don't believe it will be us. (Or anyone below wherever the safe salinity line falls when the time comes that doesn't have a deep well to pump from). Maybe that Spoonbill outfit (up around I-10?) you follow on FB?

Would sure like to be wrong about the direction of things...

[Darren]

I really meant for your's/the camp's interests. Yea I reckon those who can will be pumping, though maybe not as much acreage as in wetter years.

[Darren]

Price for shells is through the roof (3 inch Winch Xpert waterfowl loads are $20/box!!!), but the lil steel dove loads I like for teal season are still a bargain. They aren’t $6.99 anymore but you can find them in the $8.00 range, these at my local Academy.

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[Duck Engr]

It’s sad I’m excited to see dub loads back down to $8/box!

[Deltaman]

Those light 6 1/2's (never seen that) steel, would make great head shot cripple loads too!

[Duck Engr]

Those light 6 1/2's (never seen that) steel, would make great head shot cripple loads too!

I had a few boxes of 7s and used them for blue wing shooting years ago. Worked great. Haven’t found any since.

[Darren]

This same load has historically been 6's, not sure when (or why?) it evolved to the 6.5's but should suit my use just fine anyway.

In a little bit of good news, sure enough that's a front coming through tomorrow into Wednesday. Wednesday morning lows shown in the second graphic, the blue's of the first map an indicator of departure to cooler than average for the lows, highs will still be very hot.

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Made a marsh fishing trip Saturday morning, no teal seen, and it was the hottest I can ever recall while out there, had to duck under the T-top regularly.

[Darren]

The heart of the MS Flyway appears to be very dry, though I happen to know that some parts of MO are flooding so that could be changing for at least some. Nonetheless, should contribute to moving birds southward whether they want to or not. Unfortunately for some down this way, that colorful bit along La's coast could limit their options of places to go on arrival, and of course unfortunate for those trying to pursue them.

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[Darren]

Weather guys saying today may be one of, if not the, hottest days of the year so far, great. Managed to get out early for a few backyard retrieves before he lounges around for rest of the day inside.

Season 1, hunt 1, Sept 2015

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Over 1,200 birds later, seems to still have plenty of fire as we prep for Season 9

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Getting some more reports of teal showing, but what’s not showing is rain for anyone down this way nor daily highs of under 100 anytime soon. Was told yesterday by a local to the area that Catahoula Lake is “90% dried up,” and I usually hold some promise in the birds that are counted on it given they could be in my marsh the next day when the guns get going. Guess it won’t take long to count the reportedly dry lake bed.

[Rick]

Look the gray beard on that pup. Time flies.

[Darren]

Look the gray beard on that pup. Time flies.

He's had it a good few years now, kinda made him look older than he is, but his energy seems to be younger than his years. As I've been since Day 1 with him, I'm in uncharted waters having never had a dog before. Wife's prior golden's were no real measure of age/vitality given they were most always well overweight leading to inordinate troubles in their later years, and they didn't hunt.

On a slight positive note, models been pretty consistent last few days with a front next weekend. May not make it down to LA but likely move some birds. Combined with the brightening moon coming full on the 31st, should have things in motion that should be.

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[BGkirk]

That dog has a lot of experience ! Can’t replace that. I’ve been keeping up with mines numbers also and would love to see him get to the 1000 mark


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[Darren]

Got out and about on the teal grounds yesterday morning early. Checked on and cleaned up two existing blinds that were found to be in good shape. Had materials on hand for new blind and found Plan A largely overgrown and filled in, Plan B turned out to be too small and too tough to get into. Kept hunting in the critical area we know to be the trafficked areas and found a nice hole with a point on it to get a blind in, flushed a pair of blue wings nearby and also had a three pack burn by us a little earlier.

Makes a huge difference to actually see a few teal and also saw all the other indicators in the area: shore birds and mottleds. With big moon coming up later this week there should be some new birds showing. So we've got a spot or three to hit for teal opener now less than 3 weeks out.

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(before paint) We'll bring a load of canes in along with a few bushes, nice to be able to get the boat right up to it.

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With tropical activity kicking up, put flat boat back on trailer in event it needs to be hauled out soon, and we're headed to NC for a family Labor Day getaway.

[Rick]

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Pretty sure I've been to that lumber yard.

[Duck Engr]

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Pretty sure I've been to that lumber yard.

Beat me to it.

[Darren]

J had it in back of his shed; storm-resistant blind staking is a good use for that banana board.

[DComeaux]

Having water in the marsh sure looks good.

[Darren]

Just returned from a few days in western North Carolina, staying at a house along the Tuckasegee River. Lovely temps in the 50's at night and around 80 for highs, felt great to get a sneak of fall. No ducks seen but had pretty regular flights of Canada's in mornings and evenings, their honks echoing down the river well ahead of seeing them, neat deal all around.

Week and a half out from teal season, but there's some guilt given I'm flush with tidal water to hunt while so many of my peers, some good friends included, have no water in their marsh....and that flat sucks. No guarantee of trigger pulling but if anyone wants to make a trek........I (think) I can guarantee ability to float a decoy.

[Darren]

Approaching the New Orleans airport for landing yesterday afternoon from the south I was able to observe quite a bit of marsh just south of that area, 85%+ of which appeared to be completely dried up. Never seen that before. Where there was water, the marsh was beautiful, but that was scarce.

Serious storms yesterday evening across much of SE La, but of course nearly all of it missed my house. Hope it did someone's marsh some good somewhere.

[Rick]

Serious storms yesterday evening across much of SE La, but of course nearly all of it missed my house. Hope it did someone's marsh some good somewhere.

Passed too far north here.