2024 2025 Season Log

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/29/2024

Direction and Velocity: NNE 20 to 25

Cloud cover: nearly overcast clearing later

Temperature: 52 to start seems it dropped later

Moon phase: didn't see it

Waterfowl Activity: saw next too nothing

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Hunters: Me, Blake,and Bill

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Remi

Special Equipment: None

Curses:

Kudos:

Birds By Species: None

Only shot fired was from Bill on a teal that landed on our east side and when jumped took the wind like lightning. We saw maybe 3 or 4 flocks of greening and a couple of flocks of gadwall. One thing that makes me feel better about this morning was the lack of shooting in the area and a well managed marsh to our NE that usually deals in daily limits only taking 2 birds.

Our water is falling nicely ànd is about a foot from where I'd like it. The strong winds we have now hopefully lesson the today's high tide effect so the low tide overnight can suck out more water. With that said, it means nothing without Waterfowl.

[DComeaux]

Date: 11/30/2024

Direction and Velocity: NNE light

Cloud cover: Clear

Temperature: 39 on the rude out

Moon phase: didn't see it

Waterfowl Activity: saw next too nothing

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Hunters: Me, Blake,and Bill

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Remi

Special Equipment: None

Curses:

Kudos:

Birds By Species: None

He'll of way to trian a new pup. Met the new the land owner at the landing. They took their 2 man of pintail and teal by 8. They hunt due south of us approximately 11/2 miles. He seemed to be in shock about our hunts the last two days. He may or maynot have any idea (or care) that he doubled the lease amount of a our gar hole.

[Darren]

Tough 2-day stretch, DC. hang in there

[DComeaux]

Tough 2-day stretch, DC. hang in there

Getting harder by the year. Despite all the crap we deal with down here, as I'm typing this I'm looking forward to being in the blind in the morning. The wind has shifted to the SE and I have a little hope that we'll get a few. It's a mental illness.


These were sweet and delicious.

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[Rick]

Poor duck spot or not, it's not like your Grand Chenier place is without it's perks.

[Darren]

Wow those look to be some stud crabs !

[DComeaux]

Date: 12/1/2024

Direction and Velocity: NNE light (SE wind of yesterday evening didn't continue)

Cloud cover: Mostly Cloudy

Temperature: Low 50's

Moon phase: didn't see it

Waterfowl Activity: Saw even less than yesterday, which was next to nothing

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Hunters: Me and Blake (Bill opted out)

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Remi

Special Equipment: None

Curses:

Kudos:

Birds By Species: None

Strike 3. I can't recall ever making three hunts following thanksgiving and not taking a single duck. Heard just a few scattered shots early then silence. The well managed lease north of 82 near us scratched as well. There is one lease about 11/2 miles to our west that seems to be the only place taking a few birds. Our landowner did not hunt his morning. He doesn't hunt his property. His blind is south of us on leased property that he sublets.

[DComeaux]

I wanted to add this picture Blake took this morning. We do get to see some stunning sunrises.

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One of the days at thanksgiving hunts from the past that I'll always remember. Memories... It's all I have left when it comes to waterfowl.

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[Rick]

Those really were the days.

[Deltaman]

Bummer on the lack of fowl in your area Dave, but those big blues sure look like they take some of the sting out of it!
We opened Friday (11/29), but I did not hunt. My stepson and two of his buddies shot a limit, and of the 18 birds, 12 of them were Scoters ( I've only killed one here in my lifetime, and thought it odd they showed up this year.). They also had 2 Wood ducks, 2 Gadwalls, 1 Redhead and 1 Bluebill. I did not hear of any other decent reports from the opener, only tales of wo (as in too many people hunting, and not enough birds). As pretty as the weather has been, I took my bride out in the boat for a little while yesterday, and did some old school crabbing with 4 handlines and used chicken qtrs for bait. The crabs were plentiful, and we boxed 4 dz (mostly huge males.....love this time of the year), in about 2 hours. We ate them last night until we couldn't eat anymore, and still have two beer flats in the fridge for picking tonight. Feeling like an imposter on the duck hunting this year, having a hard time getting excited about going, but hope to change that at some point during the 2nd split.

[DComeaux]

Bummer on the lack of fowl in your area Dave, but those big blues sure look like they take some of the sting out of it!
We opened Friday (11/29), but I did not hunt. My stepson and two of his buddies shot a limit, and of the 18 birds, 12 of them were Scoters ( I've only killed one here in my lifetime, and thought it odd they showed up this year.). They also had 2 Wood ducks, 2 Gadwalls, 1 Redhead and 1 Bluebill. I did not hear of any other decent reports from the opener, only tales of wo (as in too many people hunting, and not enough birds). As pretty as the weather has been, I took my bride out in the boat for a little while yesterday, and did some old school crabbing with 4 handlines and used chicken qtrs for bait. The crabs were plentiful, and we boxed 4 dz (mostly huge males.....love this time of the year), in about 2 hours. We ate them last night until we couldn't eat anymore, and still have two beer flats in the fridge for picking tonight. Feeling like an imposter on the duck hunting this year, having a hard time getting excited about going, but hope to change that at some point during the 2nd split.

I took pictures of ring necks swimming in our decoys this weekend.

[DComeaux]

We bought 36 more decoys this week to refresh the spread and another case of shells....... I am mentally ill.

[Rick]

Laughing as I type. It's most definitely a sickness.

[MARSH BEAR]

DC - next split will be much better

[DComeaux]

I don't like cold weather. It's uncomfortable. Especially when it doesn't translate into waterfowl numbers.

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[SpinnerMan]

I was in Florida the last 2 weeks. I came back to Illinois. I got the cold I was hoping for. Every pond and lake is froze solid. Unfortunately I didn't get the snow I was hoping for and there's nothing but a dusting in the forecast. Tomorrow I should find out if the ducks went to the cooling lake. Maybe even some geese since I haven't seen more than a dozen since I've been back. The refuge they normal use was empty when I drove by yesterday. I would have expected hundreds if not thousands on the ice. Geese normally will happily roost on the ice so it takes snow to push them south, but they don't seem to be here so maybe they moved to the cooling lake. Fingers crossed. High of 28 with NW 20 winds gusting into the mid 30's. Going to be a cold one, but I'm pretty optimistic that the ducks should be there. Haven't reached out to anyone so I have no intel.

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[Mike Jargon]

Intel says the birds are on the rivers.

[MARSH BEAR]

Dave our water dropped about 18 inches in our marsh last weekend, hope it was the same for you - it can only help

[DComeaux]

Dave our water dropped about 18 inches in our marsh last weekend, hope it was the same for you - it can only help

It was on it's way down last weekend and I hope to see land around the blind this weekend. I want to get rid of the temp dog stand I made. This high water has been a pain in the butt. Maybe the shallower water will bring and keep some green wing and gadwall. It was good to finally see mud in the propwash.

[Rick]

Meanwhile, having sent our rental pump back, we're hoping for significant rains. So it goes...

(Should have a serious permanent pump of our own next year. When you got it...)

[DComeaux]

Meanwhile, having sent our rental pump back, we're hoping for significant rains. So it goes...

(Should have a serious permanent pump of our own next year. When you got it...)

Probably a good investment.

[Duck Engr]

Meanwhile, having sent our rental pump back, we're hoping for significant rains. So it goes...

(Should have a serious permanent pump of our own next year. When you got it...)

7 day rainfall model says you’ll be gettin it. 3-4” in the next 7 days.

[Rick]

7 day rainfall model says you’ll be gettin it. 3-4” in the next 7 days.

Guessing a couple inches fell in the past two or three hours. Enough to keep us afloat (Get it?) until Sunday's soaker.

[Darren]

Woke up to what looks like at least an inch or more at my house overnight here in BR.

[DComeaux]

Date: 12/6/2024

Direction and Velocity: ENE 5 to 10

Cloud cover: Mostly Cloudy

Temperature: 45

Moon phase:

Waterfowl Activity: Saw very few birds

Waterfowl Responsiveness: N/A

Hunters: Me and Blake

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Remi

Special Equipment: None

Curses:

Kudos:

Birds By Species: 1Bw 1Gw

Still nothing around. Very little shooting in the area. Even the managed stuff struggled. We had a wall of rain approaching from the SW so Blake and I decided not to wait it out. We left around 8 from the blind and made to the camp just in time. Typing this to the pitter patter of rain drops.on the roof. What a dishearting duck season.

[DComeaux]

Blake and I had decided yesterday evening to pass on the hunt this morning to avoid packing up in the rain this morning, as did many down there. We left the camp 25 minutes before LST and didn't see a single duck or goose in the hour plus drive through the marsh and ag fields. The rush to the blind traffic in the mornings we usually see was as light as I've ever seen it this time of year.

I got a text from a guy this morning who hunts the Thornwell area, and has for many, many years. They scratched on both hunts this weekend and really struggled this first split. He surprised me by saying they may drop that lease after this season. If this lack of ducks continues for the remainder of the season there may be a good number of leases opening up next year.

[Darren]

While the above is sobering, it at least gives me some comfort in knowing some of the state's historically-strongest areas are also slow this season, and not just my end in the southeast.

We're seeing ducks, its just only a small percentage of what would be a typical hunt, and I'm moving between two different areas, given my lease and the public ground, a span of about 18 miles as the (pelicans) fly.

Is it a blip? A trend? Other? Time will tell, but a lot's been pointing lately in one direction for sure.

[Duck Engr]

Ducks get too pressured, ducks leave, hunters quit, ducks return??? Pendulum may be getting ready to swing

[DComeaux]

Ducks get too pressured, ducks leave, hunters quit, ducks return??? Pendulum may be getting ready to swing

I've seen this swing in the past and was able to get on once unobtainable land for us to hunt until the next upswing in waterfowl numbers had me priced out again. This current swing seems pretty bad, though.

I saw a post on FB recently from a local outfitter that said he was not going to post their success as much on social media anymore due to others coming in and trying to outbid him on his leased property's. Duck hunters are vultures.

[Duck Engr]

Yeah I’ve seen several guides that lease land up near where I hunt do the same thing.