2023-2024 Preseason

[MARSH BEAR]

Has not been a good off season for me: I reinjured my right shoulder in June, Dr said nothing left to the shoulder to repair, it would take a shoulder replacement to fix it, not ready for that - I can still shoot.

Had a back injury 2 months ago, would not get better Dr thinks it is a herniated disk at L4 - L5 waiting for a MRI appointment

Wrote too many checks this old body could not cash

[Duck Engr]

Hate to hear that MB! Was this a duck season prep related reinjury or otherwise?

[Rick]

Hate to hear it. They're getting better at it, but back work always seems something of a toss-up. Hope they can find you relief. Only fellow I know with a complete shoulder replacement was glad he did it and going to have the other done last I saw him - but gather you'd rather schedule that for February or so.

[MARSH BEAR]

Rick I am hoping to go way past January. I can still do somethings, but not everything. Like the Doc said - if the right arm can't do it use the left arm.

[DComeaux]

That sucks, MB. Hope things work out for you.

[5 stand]

I agree wholeheartedly with Rick and both D's post above...

[MARSH BEAR]

Going to the camp tomorrow. The younger members are putting in a new blind on Saturday. I will hang at the camp and work on decoys. I hear the water is low in the marsh, just don't know how low. I will get a report from the blind installers and report next week.

[Deltaman]

MB, sorry to hear, and hope you can nurse you shoulder through duck season. Hopefully, your issue with L4-L5 can be resolved with an epidural. I lived with the same issue for years, nursing it with pain killers, and an epidural when needed. Hopefully, they will be able to give you an epidural for relief, and if so, the pain will be reduced, but you still have to treat it like it hurts, so that it can heal. I finally had surgery in 1998 (bi-lateral lumbar laminectomy), and considering how long it hurt me, was one of the best decisions I've made in my lifetime. Good Luck!

[MARSH BEAR]

Friday, July 14, 2023 - 9 weeks until teal season - yes it opens on a Friday

[BGkirk]

MB,

My app says my sabine got 2” last week. Curious to see what yas water levels are.


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[Rick]

Picked Mallard Lodge, next to the Coastal Club yesterday, and the manager said they'd been getting a few inches - but still quite low/dry.

[MARSH BEAR]

As I mentioned earlier I did not go into the marsh, but the reports from all who did go said the water was VERY low.
The work crew could not get into the pond to build the new blind. One of our main canals only had enough water to float the boats - if you stopped you were in trouble.
The good news is the marsh looks great. The vegetation is green and tall. We are trying to schedule another workday in August, waiting on rain to determine the date.

[Darren]

Like for Rick's purposes, hope you get what you need from the sky.

Experiencing decent rain this evening here in BR, yard is desperate for it.

[MARSH BEAR]

This is a pic of a pond close to our boat launch we do not hunt this pond but it shows how dry our marsh is

[Rick]

Pretty discouraging situation for a lot of folks.

[Duck Engr]

Woweee

[Darren]

Woweee

^^^^ that. My goodness!!

[BGkirk]

Buddy rode sabine over the weekend. Said it was pretty risky boat ride but apparently there is still a little water around


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[5 stand]

Give Rick 4 days and he could grind that...

[BGkirk]

Figured MB is a nice enough guy to let me post one of our ponds current status on his thread. You’re not alone…..
however others north of us still got water if you look close enough. Grrrr


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[Rick]

You know what they say about misery enjoying company? It's a lie.

[MARSH BEAR]

I love a blind in the middle of the pond - when you have water

[MARSH BEAR]

Tomorrow is August 11, 2023 - 5 weeks until teal season.
hoping and praying that all of you have water to hunt.

[Rick]

Tomorrow is August 11, 2023 - 5 weeks until teal season.
hoping and praying that all of you have water to hunt.

"Be careful what you wish for" comes to mind, but I'm sick enough to have been watching for storms off the African coast. Doubt this coming week's predicted return to normal summer pattern afternoon showers will be enough to do much.

[BGkirk]

Tomorrow is August 11, 2023 - 5 weeks until teal season.
hoping and praying that all of you have water to hunt.

Was told today that Aug 11 is historically the hottest day of the year.
Can only get colder from here right ?


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[MARSH BEAR]

It looks like we could have water in our marsh for teal season. It is not the water we want, but will take what we can get.
The wind on the coast has turned to south, southeast for the last week, and this is pushing water into Calcasieu Lake, from which the lease manager can open the weirs to let water in. Our marsh is brackish and this water is Gulf of Mexico salty, not the best water, but when, if, it starts raining the lease has water diversions to allow extra rain water in our lease to flush the excess salt water.
He is doing this now because our lease area also leases to commercial fisherman and they need the water to run their crab traps.
I was told this morning the water is up 8 inches in the marsh.

[Rick]

Hope that's good news.

[BGkirk]

I’d take some salt water


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[MARSH BEAR]

We had a work day on Saturday - put out decoys and brushed blinds - youth/veterans hunt Nov 4 & 5.
My boat was the first boat to leave the landing and I went to the farthest blind first so I could see the ducks - I saw 5 teal in one little bunch - that was it. Later in the morning I did see a whopping 10 teal in a bunch. That was it 15 teal riding the marsh from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Hoping this cold front brings us some ducks.

[Darren]

Sightings were scarce around our lease Saturday morning per my buddy, saw one good flight of scaup/dos gris on his way back to the launch. This front ought to do all of us a lot of good, there are birds already in numbers in Missouri, and very dry across most of flyway. Hopeful for next Saturday for my kids, but also recognize its really early.