2026-2027 Preseason...

[Rick]

Just now noticed this season's logs are up. Much thanks, Duck Engr, for that and all you do here.

[Rick]

Still eerily bird barren in my neighborhood. Farmer friend let the water off his crawfish ponds and pumped just enough water onto his rice stubble to spur its regrowth for the coming season's crawfish on Call and my favorite playground, which first gave a shorebird show that included the little buggers that's migration precedes teal, then a couple days of squealers in the stubbles to play with and now nothing remains but deer flies and desperate turtles.

And the marsh isn't much more encouraging: as of yesterday, still just scattered woodies and the only concentration of black-bellies, near Neil's blind, hasn't grown appreciably since its appearance on the first of the month. A couple dozen little ducks did get up with them, but I'd not bet the size disparity between they and the squealers didn't turn woodies into "maybe teal".

[Rick]

Call and I were in the marsh yesterday morning clearing chinquapins (American lotus) from line of sight to spots that will sprout gator hooks two weeks from tomorrow, and I went back again this morning to finish up with a jug of poison in Call's spot behind my seat. Made a point of staying well clear of the only area that was holding black-bellies a week ago, and the only one little bunch seen yesterday was spotted, from a distance, above it. This morning, however, there were little flights of them scattered about the marsh, a couple of which close enough to reach and draw to my blind with distress squeals. Just shut up as they approached and watched them search for the source without revealing it. I feel much better now.

[Rick]

Wake up Marshbear!!! September teal are just a month away!!!

Learned last evening that I'd somehow managed to misplace the teal-cut reed I've been using in a serious loud Stanley Deceiver the past however-many years and had to cut a new one I can lean on even harder. Just lacks teal to test it on...

[Darren]

Just lacks teal to test it on...

Calendar says some will be along shortly to fill that void. Big moon next Friday the 28th, combining with (maybe) a cool front of some kind as models continue to hint at something (a good something, not a tropical something!) late next week.

[Rick]

No call crank can be really happy with something new until it's proven, but Call and I went to the marsh to knock down the lilies I'd poisoned for line of sight to gator sets and at least got to satisfy my ear in that environment. Still no teal, but more squealers, So there's that. Step son who's the Camron deputy on our end came by the camp while we were packing up and noted that he was yet to see more than a pair of summer teal a month ago in his extensive rural travels.

Still something to look forward to...