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Sat. 11/15/2025 LA West Zone Opener
Johnny, Jeff M., Graham (not shooting) and I with Harry
HBFC West Pond
Wind zero, light to moderate fog, low 60's

Will put eyes on good many birds in here yesterday on his lease recon for us so my crew headed there this morning, had some fog to deal with which had us cutting it close for LST. Didn't matter, they were coming in early and often and we were ready. Hadn't had one like this in a while and so glad my son was there for it, we shot really well. Green wings were working for the call as pretty as you could want, the few grays did the same, and we left 'em landing. I'd say it was "too quick" but ultimately it allowed us to get out of there before the gnats got going. Back at the dock by 7:30 with oysters, boudin and cold beer for breakfast on the dock......as good as it gets today, guys.

15 GW teal, 3 grays







Jeff and I planned this trip in June, he drove in from north La, so glad the birds showed for him after his long drive yest



Jeff and Harry, who had huge hunt, very proud of him



Will had a quick limit in a pothole on our lease, 2 grays, 2 GW teal, 2 BW teal.

Very good. The more ducks that get to you the more can come back to me. Glad to see the GWT.


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Yessir!!!! What a great start. Glad y’all had some willing participants. Back at 730!!! What a day.

Harry looks old as me.

Awesome hunt. You can see it in the faces.

Sun 11/16/2025
HBFC - West Pond
Johnny, Jeff M, my son Graham and I with Harry
Wind zero, low to mid 60s, clear skies over the fog

Little less fog today for boat ride but little more at the pond, still can’t buy a breath of wind. Thankfully it’s still not mattering, we were raining them out early and often again and in 35 mins it was over. Teal in nice groups working pretty and a few grays as well; easy, effective shooting ops. Harry was in the pond nearly nonstop till the end.

10 GW teal, 5 BW teal, 2 grays, 1 spoon (shot in group of grays)

He was busy early


Grays falling close where they should






Will took another quick solo limit, today tho in our Heart Pond, all green wings and 1 gray. 48 ducks for the club’s opener weekend is about unfathomable given how things had been for a few years, this weekend was as good as it gets for us. Eyeing weather changes for later this week and EZ opener potential at the field.

Now Graham knows there ain't nuthin' to this duck huntin' stuff.

We need to have a serious discussion with Graham about retiring from duck hunting.

What nice opening weekend!

Duck Engr wrote:We need to have a serious discussion with Graham about retiring from duck hunting.

Little man had a big weekend, thankfully with really good guys at the camp all providing mentorship that you just can't buy. He was due a good one after the DNS he sat through in September. May get him back out there Thanksgiving week, but for now he's got to go to school.

Good Start D

Glad to see that you had plenty of birds, and they cooperated. Love the smiles on little man's face, knowing his day will come!

Deltaman wrote:Glad to see that you had plenty of birds, and they cooperated. Love the smiles on little man's face, knowing his day will come!

Had a huge weekend for sure, still talking about it.

A buddy had to call off a hunt in the region yesterday due to persistent thick fog and horrendous gnats.......typical of current weather we have.

Chance for small front this weekend but significant fronts return around Thanksgiving and beyond. We're eyeing this Friday right now, looks like fair amount of south wind and likely less fog.

I (think) Will is out on our lease this morning in the fog, should get a report little later. Station says dense fog and no wind this morning.

We're headed down later to try tomorrow in what's supposed to be a good bit of south winds and what should be less fog, then turning around and headed north to Avoyelles Parish to get decoys out at the bunkie blind in the evening for Saturday's EZ opener.

Will took a solo limit this morning in our West Pond, 4 grays & 2 BWT. Overall said not whole lot seen, fog no issue, but did see fair many grays milling about our grounds, including my favorite pond so will try to get in there tomorrow if water level allows.

Fri Nov 21, 2025
HBFC A51 Blind
Johnny, David B, and I with Harry
Heavy clouds, rainy boat ride but no rain at pond, 70s, off and on good SSW winds

Left the camp in the rain, not whole lot of fun but managed to stay dry and thankfully rain ended by the time we got to the lease. Pretty dead off the bat but when it started soon after it was pretty lively with teal buzzing around and grays trying to get in the pond but flaring off Harry in the decoys. Shot pretty well before a lull, scratched out a few more about 8:15 to finish up. Really enjoyable morning. Will said he didnt think he even saw a green wing yesterday, today they were everywhere. He got another solo limit in his opening day walk in hole.

(18) 13 green wing teal, 5 grays






Saw quite a few grays today, more than we’d been seeing on the property in recent years, lots using small secluded holes which has long been our strength since they are undisturbed. On way up to Bunkie farm to get decoys out and pit tightened up.

Don’t know what this morning holds but can confirm that portions of this farm were holding thousands of ducks yesterday evening as I tossed decoys and brushed the pit. They weren’t on the cuts we hunt but just east of us, like mosquitoes, which are also plentiful here under these warm temps. Time to put boots on and walk out to the blind….

Sat Nov 22, 2025 La East Zone Opener
Bunkie area farm
Chris, Phil, Tom, Adam, Ben with dogs Reb and Bella
Zero wind, light fog, heavy clouds, 70s

Dead still conditions, and overall the action was relatively dead. Shot only at singles and pairs, no groups worked, comparatively very little shooting in the area compared to past openers. Shot decent, got burned a few times, but could have been worse. Saw some decent numbers but mostly high, saw only a few dozen specks cruising mostly high.

(12) 5 GW teal, 4 BW teal, 2 spoons, 1 grays



Good report from marsh lease neighbor this morning, may try to make it back out there tomorrow.

Sun 11/23/225
HBFC A51 Blind
Johnny and another David B. and I with Harry
High clouds to start that gave way to sun, NNW winds 10-15, low 60s

Small front made it through over night and sure made conditions more pleasant. Green wings were again out and about but no big groups today, then started seeing more grays and they largely treated us well. Harry worked hard in the pond too shallow to really swim but rounded them all up and clutch on a few in the grass. Note David was running a DC triple threat (triple reed) call that the grays were doing cartwheels for, may need to field test one myself. Really nice morning, hadn’t hunted with David in good few years and nice to have someone join that flat knows the gray duck game.

(18) 10 grays, 8 GW teal





Likely try again Tuesday

This will probably jinx you but you’re off to an amazing start!!

Sweet.

Get em!

Solid hunt Darren

Tuesday 11/25/2025
HBFC A51 Blind
Will and his trusty girl Loki, and I. (I let Harry sit out and rest, also he kept young Indy occupied at camp)
SSW winds 5-15, 70s, pt cloudy to clear skies

Again not much for first 15-20 mins but eventually saw teal and grays moving, less than last hunt here though initially but then eventually saw fair many birds. Early grays gave us fits, just not finishing right and appeared hip to our game. Have to also admit I made a bonehead call on a hot 25 pack of green wings coming in, I thought, with the wind so I wanted to let them pass….but I had wind backwards (Sundays wind in mind) and that WAS the pass we wanted. Thankfully more ops eventually came and I closed us out taking both of a sweet pair of finishing grays on my side. Boat ride in saw some nice gray numbers just north of us, and some mondo wads of green wings a few miles north of us using some broken marsh the nutrias tore up. Really nice one with Will and Loki did great.

(12) 8 grays, 4 green wing teal





I carried her on way to the blind but she swam the way back to boat, which apparently is her norm


Have plans to try them again tomorrow in the north winds and then take Turkey Day off.

Really good hunt's, Darren. Love to see the gray ducks.

Well done again, and again, and again

He keeps on keeping on! Well done!

Shush, you'll jinx him.

Wed. 11/26/2025
HBFC West Blind
My wife and son and I with Harry back in the saddle
N/NW winds 10-20, a brisk low 60's, mostly overcast with occasional sun, frontal passage overnight

Love the bumpy boat ride down to the lease, at least we know we'll have wind. Nothing for first 15 mins but had a couple of nice wads of teal get in tight soon after. Not many grays overall, especially given the new weather I'd hoped we would see more. So glad the birds showed for this crew and my wife got to let it rip on my old 870 20-gauge. Two regular hunters get their 12 but I'm not griping one bit on this one. Of note, I continue to see an apparent hen/drake ratio on green wings that's very heavily hen-leaning; not sure if anyone else has observed. Guide buddy not far from us has noted same.


(10) 6 GW teal, 2 spoons, 2 grays

Another stud gray coming in










Will had just 2 birds on his solo effort in our Heart Pond, just not much trafficking this part of our lease, but he did say he saw quite a bit of activity toward our SE corner. Taking off tomorrow, back at them Friday. Heard of some other good hunts in the region, more grays apparently showing with the front there.

Awesome family affair Darren, and what a great pic of you three at the end