2025 Preseason...

[Rick]

I took my 12 year old grandson for the youth hunt on Sunday, Nov 9, the wind was tough for shooting, crossing right to left. He had opportunities but not much success hitting. He did drop 2 Gadwall and 2 Bluewing teal. Did not see many teal, but the Gadwall were plentiful.

Glad it worked out for him. Always more worrisome when it's the youth hunt.

[Darren]

Transplanted buddy from back home that now lives in Lake Charles made a (field) speck hunt with one of the Boyer boys at Oak Island yesterday, report was roughly as follows:

Lot of geese around but none killed. Lot of them shopped us hard then went to grit pile. Saw a lot of ducks, mallards, grays, pins, spoons and a bunch of teal.

I'd think that a pretty good report if I was hunting nearby soon.

[Rick]

Transplanted buddy from back home that now lives in Lake Charles made a (field) speck hunt with one of the Boyer boys at Oak Island yesterday, report was roughly as follows:

Lot of geese around but none killed. Lot of them shopped us hard then went to grit pile. Saw a lot of ducks, mallards, grays, pins, spoons and a bunch of teal.

I'd think that a pretty good report if I was hunting nearby soon.

I stopped on the way home from the camp to watch a big bunch work to ground on the east end of the field their north pile is in the west end of. Pumped puddle water in a rough plowed field being what drew them in an area with tons of flooded stubble next door on Dixie.

[Rick]

In other news: blind's brushed, decoys are out, and a fat greenhead cruised by while I was standing on the boat hide's roof stabbing canes around it. Expect to take Call for a quick dress rehearsal in the morning and leave it alone Friday

[Darren]

In other news: blind's brushed, decoys are out, and a fat greenhead cruised by while I was standing on the boat hide's roof stabbing canes around it. Expect to take Call for a quick dress rehearsal in the morning and leave it alone Friday

Hard to beat that! Have plans to go do some glassing Friday mid-afternoon but plans are to stay out of our ponds. Water is currently pretty dang low which makes all our food resources available to dabblers large and small.

[DComeaux]

Oak Island

I'm not familiar with this place.

[Rick]

Oak Island

I'm not familiar with this place.

If, instead of going straight into Cherry Ridge, you'd followed the gravel lane that turns left there a little way to its end, you'd have been at the little clump of oaks Oak Island camp gets its name from. They own and hunt the Mallard Bay Co. marsh maybe a half mile west of the "island". When it's doing well, all of the marsh north of the ICW should be, as well.

[DComeaux]

Oak Island

I'm not familiar with this place.

If, instead of going straight into Cherry Ridge, you'd followed the gravel lane that turns left there a little way to its end, you'd have been at the little clump of oaks Oak Island camp gets its name from. They own and hunt the Mallard Bay Co. marsh maybe a half mile west of the "island". When it's doing well, all of the marsh north of the ICW should be, as well.

Thanks. Now I know.

[Rick]

Looks like I confirmed suspicions that I don't know my right from left, as the gravel to Oak Island turns right/west at Cherry Ridge, not "left".

[Darren]

Looks like I confirmed suspicions that I don't know my right from left, as the gravel to Oak Island turns right/west at Cherry Ridge, not "left".

Yea that aligns better with my memory, but it's been a few years!

Reminds me, still fondly, of that hunt Johnny and I made with Cole in that area a few years back. Nonetheless enjoyed it, but ohhhhhhhhhhhh man should we have hauled some specks out of there that afternoon.

[Rick]

In other news: blind's brushed, decoys are out, and a fat greenhead cruised by while I was standing on the boat hide's roof stabbing canes around it. Expect to take Call for a quick dress rehearsal in the morning and leave it alone Friday

Learned there would be enough last minute camp stuff today in time to spare Call a long morning in the truck, and while working on the extra blind beyond mine, I got to see that the bulk of our teal left with the wind change. Hopefully to rice they'll be pushed out of Saturday, but "we'll see..."

Anyway, there's not a lot left to disturb en route to the blind tomorrow, so we'll probably go long enough to re-acclimate Call with working off his stand.

[Rick]

Was an encouraging November survey in my e-mails - though what came by during Call's short dress rehearsal this morning was nearly all jacks.

[Darren]

Jacks were def well represented in the survey, and the bulk were in SE La fresh marshes, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes usually.

[13051305]

Good morning Rick and All,

Looking forward to reading all the hunting logs again this season.
All the best in safety and success.

[Duck Engr]

Was an encouraging November survey in my e-mails - though what came by during Call's short dress rehearsal this morning was nearly all jacks.

Southwest LA is alllll the way back!

[Rick]

Been away from the marsh since Monday's cleanup, so Marsh and I packed up a forgotten baker's dozen poule d'eau decoys I'd repaired and forgotten along with a couple good gray duck decoys for "Why not?" and headed out to our blind, with stops along the way to cut bushy-topped canes, itch grass and bitter weed to refurbish its cover. Well, after jump-starting our mudboat with an unidentified short that drains its battery if left idle too long without the maintenance charger I'd left under its driver's seat. Always something with a mudboat...

Beautiful morning in the marsh, aside from the lack of new ducks other than jacks and black-bellies, the later of which now being back up to their recent year norm. Even moved squealers much nearer my blind than has been the case and had jacks passing close enough to the blind while I worked on it to hear their little burr/barks.

Added a couple more Blind Grass bundles to the dividers between hunters to help disguise they and the big hole we're in:

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(And being reminded by that photo of how the how the blind looks in front of me without the Blind Grass bundles I cover it with while hunting, now wish I'd taken a shot of how I'm using it woven into sections of wire to cover the front and back gaps in a manner not requiring guest cooperation in doing so.)

Also, thinking of preventing guest bobbles, I even remembered to remount the spinners' on/off toggle I'd inadvertently installed up-side-down on the blind wall, in a manner awkward guests sometimes manage to kick into its "on" position while exiting the blind. Caught it every time to date, but didn't want to chance a future mishap.

Official "work days" start Monday, but this morning's chill wind makes me glad to now have most of my own behind me.

[DComeaux]

It's going to be bitterly cold in the morning if we keep the wind. Blind looks good!

[Rick]

Have to admit being more anxious to see how much of a mark the wind's left on the blind's cover than what birds it might have brought.

[Darren]

Johnny made some BlindGrass fillers similar to those we've been using at A51, been great. We dont go every day so it's fine for us, but we stash/store them in a repurposed folding chair bag in between trips.........to keep the local wading/perching birds from WHITENING them while we're not there, if for no other reason.

[Rick]

A little better shot of how I'm hiding suspicious spaces in a manner guests can't screw up:

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[Rick]

Was an official pre-second split work morning, and I helped Clark replace the wax myrtles he favors with fresh green ones, after which he hung out there a while and played with some of what makes his the best marsh blind I'm aware of in our area. Here's one getting ready to join five others that lit just beyond the decoys:

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Was tickled to find the cover at my blind withstood the high winds well, but disappointed by only getting to work a small handful of pintails that passed while I was there. Only greenheads seen during my short time there were "greater-billed". Still, tons of jacks in the area and saw a couple big clouds of green-wings en route.

[DComeaux]

The rare green headed duck.

[Rick]

A whole lot prettier in the sun than my poor phone camera work managed to capture.