2025 Preseason...

[Rick]

Call and I went to the marsh to start clearing chinquapins from spots we'll be hanging gator lines in a couple weeks - and found water in our boat again. Same crack that had just been welded was splitting down the weld, presumably by the same ride down bad road on a stiff trailer that broke the switch and wire connection. I'm thinking crack should have been covered with a plate, but I'm no welder, just a hand without his boat again.

[DComeaux]

That sucks. Fatigued aluminum.

[Rick]

Fatigued aluminum.

Very much so. Our little mudboats are older than old.

[Rick]

Still trying to hurry September teal by reading old preseason prep and teal logs, and a 2018 "one more month" preseason notation just made me look and see that is, in fact, the case today. With the adjoining post being:

[Darren]

One my favorites from the past, mostly due to the narration, but the birds are perty too!

[Rick]

Was our "uncle Douglas" on the phone, and I can still hear his side of the conversation while watching that.

[Rick]

My mudboat returned from the ER with a small plate over its crack yesterday afternoon, so Call and I tried a test run this morning and first learned it wouldn't start again without a boost from a maintenance charger I fortunately still had in the truck. Then lost steering just short of my blind and learned Rt. 14 may have also managed to bounce the rudder shaft key(way) out of its slot and to point unfound. "Always something..."

That, and my associate, Call, drug enough water in over the side while snatching vegetation and biting our wake for the apparent joy of it, that I've no idea if we still leak.

Wood duck population seemed to be thinning some and the squealer population either growing or more present due to our late start. Not so much as a "maybe teal" seen in the marsh or with the help of the squall that followed us home through a good of fresh-cut Klondike rice.

Did get word that Darren IDed some real deal teal on his end.

[Darren]

That, and my associate, Call, drug enough water in over the side while snatching vegetation and biting our wake for the apparent joy of it, that I've no idea if we still leak.

love that

Just a few real-deal teal confirmed, lots of BBWDs and some mottleds, one large marsh hog. My visiting SW La family crew passed a big time, complete with reds, trout and boiled #1 crabs.

[Rick]

My visiting SW La family crew passed a big time, complete with reds, trout and boiled #1 crabs.

Would think so.

Neil and I put a spray lick on new cutgrass and cattails that have emerged along the boat trails since our last pass, and jumped thirty or so blue-wings from what had been my pond near Clark's and another, smaller, group passed while we were watching those. First "for sure" teal either of us have seen.

[Darren]

That'll work ! Just in time for Duck Fest.

Told Johnny to mark calendar for next summer so we can take my son to the calling contest (last weekend) and make a pass by G&H.

[Rick]

Better check the dates early, as the calling and dog trials were on the 16th this year. I found out that morning, but opted to take Call to a pond, instead.

[Darren]

Yea I wasn't aware it was the week prior til texts with Jason Campbell brought it up, as he was headed that way to judge.

[Rick]

Mention of Jason made me smile, might have driven over to say "Hey" had I known he'd be there. Guided with us in the way, way back when he was still in school and so nervous and excited some of the guys called him Foo-foo, after Doug's little Chihuahua. Even then he was so durn earnest I couldn't tease him, but can't say I didn't smile when the presumed emergency he flagged me down on Rt.99 for turned out to be telling me that he and his two hunters had just killed their speck limits. That was a whoooole lot of specks ago. And I've long admired how well he seems to have done in all regards I'm aware of.

[Darren]

Haven't seen him, much less hunted together, in many years, but have kept in touch here and there and via FB. But our last hunt together was some vintage Gueydan, where rice meets marsh, late Jan 2010. Lots of specks n ducks and had to break ice during set up.

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I also got to hunt my very first Gueydan opener that year with him and his crew, he had a piece south side of Monceaux, between Scanlan and E. Faulk roads. We stayed in camp across the street with the Tauzin crew out of Lake Charles.

[Rick]

Them was the days...

[DComeaux]

I thought of you when I saw this picture. Taken in St Landry parish. Credit Berchman Soileau See the white belly?

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[Rick]

Neat! i'm pretty jealous of the photographer.

Didn't get a photo, but did see a little bunch of teal turn into woodies in mid air this morning...

[Darren]

Poor White* Belly Whistling Duck (WBWD) going to have a target on his (or her) head.

Any experience in separating drakes from hens with them, anyone?

[Mike Jargon]

It’ll see the taxidermy man!

[SpinnerMan]

I thought of you when I saw this picture. Taken in St Landry parish. Credit Berchman Soileau See the white belly?

White wings too, very cool.

I was Canada goose hunting a few years ago. I had my limit and could have shot a whole lot more. My buddy was on his way to join me shortly. A Canada goose flew over. It had a few white wing feathers. Wasn't as cool as your photo, or my buddy might have gotten his first goose before he got to the blind

[Rick]

Any experience in separating drakes from hens with them, anyone?

Gots to spread their little legs apart and peek in the cloaca. 'Least that's what Paul did while banding them.

[Rick]

White wings too, very cool.

I was Canada goose hunting a few years ago. I had my limit and could have shot a whole lot more. My buddy was on his way to join me shortly. A Canada goose flew over. It had a few white wing feathers. Wasn't as cool as your photo, or my buddy might have gotten his first goose before he got to the blind

Was hunting blues, back when that was our area's vernacular for both snows and blues, with the fellow who's the finest human predator I've known when he pointed out a snow without black wing tips. How the heck he spotted that apparent albino snow goose in that shifting and shuffling mass of gray and white remains a mystery, but there it was. Alas, it never more than teased us with a couple "not quite" passes before pushing off with the crowd our desire to shoot it saved.

[Rick]

Cherry Ridge gator lines are out. Squealer numbers continue to build, while wood duck numbers shrink - except at my blind which loaded with them. Hoping that means my pond-scaping efforts will pay off for teal, as well...