2014-2015 Season Log...

[Rick]

SWEET!!! I'd sure like just one more decent hunt to finish off the season. Got any openings?

You know you'd be welcome. But the wee birds will likely be gone with this weather change, and we'll be back to trying to break sky high stuff down and drag it over the top of a blind in a weather beaten island against a hard wind for the next however many days. (Which will probably be fine with the coyote, who's about used up. Tipped crips and flotant beat snot out of him yesterday.)

Would think your luck is well overdue to change, but precious few rice blinds aren't struggling for ducks this year. All of ours have.

[Rick]

Date: 1/13

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: North strong

Temperature: bitter

Barometer: 30.29 rising

Moon phase: half plus

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Some teal early, then little but high big ducks

Waterfowl Responsiveness: not good

Hunters: 2, John and Bruce

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): balky and I don't blame him after yesterday

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: nice guys

Curses: slow gunning

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 2 gw teal, 4 mallards and 1 spoon

Photo Ops:

[Rick]

Date: 1/14

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy again

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong northerly again

Temperature: bitter again

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: mostly high and hauling again

Waterfowl Responsiveness: mostly poor again

Hunters: 2, Bruce and AJ

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Baulky again - and it probably cost us a tipped gray he took his sweet time getting to. Dog is flat whipped.

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: good company

Curses: just a snake bit hunt. I didn't call shots I should have and called shots I shouldn't have. And with very little shooting in the area, it seemed like someone always did and bumped whatever we did manage to have working nicely. That, and I really, really, really would like to see the sun again.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 4 gw teal, 1 ringneck (found cripped in the run) and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops: Gray day gray:


Highlight of the morning for Bruce was likely snapping this shot of a truck tractor that's sat a while:

[DComeaux]

I think the sun will be out for a short time on Saturday.

[Rick]

One can only hope. (Friday, too, according to weather underground, but I've lost faith in seeing it again.)

[Ericdc]

I'm hunting Friday and Saturday with sunny skies forecasted. No wind Friday but at least we will have sun.

[Rick]

Should be easier to break the high stuff with less wind and to finish it in the sun. Been feeling like a coal miner lately: working my ass off in the dark for precious little reward.

[Ericdc]

Should be easier to break the high stuff with less wind and to finish it in the sun. Been feeling like a coal miner lately: working my ass off in the dark for precious little reward.

Yea I'm glad I can mostly choose when I want to go. Could never do what you do, but I know we enjoy the same things.

[Flightstopper]

Should be easier to break the high stuff with less wind and to finish it in the sun. Been feeling like a coal miner lately: working my ass off in the dark for precious little reward.

Do you find it harder to break birds under cloud cover? Suppose there are more factors to it but usually it seems like I'm peeing in the wind trying to hail birds back under the clouds. Sunny days it seems to take one lick and they check up right quick if they weren't already keyed in on another hole. We haven't had any clear days on our end either to put any more merit into my thought.

[Rick]

Ask me again tomorrow. I've been blaming the high winds for making it so hard to break the tall flights on the notion that it's just too damn much trouble for them to fight it to take a look at something that's not on their prior flight plan, and the cloud cover for the difficulty in finishing those that do break down. Supposed to have clouds without such stiff wind tomorrow, so we'll see - if the high flights we've been seeing continue...

[Rick]

Date: 1/15

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy with just a short dash of light rain, though not enough to be really meaningful

Wind Direction and Velocity: light to moderate Northerly

Temperature: still cold

Barometer: 30.2 nearly flat

Moon phase: half?

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: few more teal in the marsh early than we've been seeing but fewer big ducks.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: better than it's been

Hunters: 2, Bruce's last day and Steve

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The coyote ate his third, count 'em 3rd, bill of the season - maybe of this split. Definitely a record, perhaps in protest.

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: Good guys to spent a morning in the marsh with and got to send Bruce off on a better hunt than he'd been having.

Curses: Was a whole lot more laughing than cursing.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 11 gw teal, 1 mallard, 2 pintails and 1 ringneck

Photo Ops: Bruce and Steve:


Bad dog - again:

[Ericdc]

He looks guilty as sin

[Darren]

Look at those long tails hangin off the strap! The one we killed the other day was sans-pin

[DComeaux]

Very nicely done. Now, shoo some our way for Saturday morning.

[Rick]

He looks guilty as sin

He knew he'd screwed up when he did it, just couldn't resist a fresh, tasty bill on a nasty morning. Did a sweet job on a tipped ringneck in deep water I gave him next to no chance of recovering shortly after, so he wasn't in the dog house long.

[Rick]

Darren, Steve is from Illinois and thought hard about mounting that one.

And, Dave, Saturday's south wind should make it a teal day, so there's hope for a shootout at your blind, yet. But I guess we'll see...

[Rick]

Date: 1/16

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear, gloriously clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: dead calm

Temperature: brisk

Barometer: 30.29 rising slightly

Moon phase: 'bout half

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: few teal on our end and fewer big ducks than we've been seeing, high or low

Waterfowl Responsiveness: But the lack of wind let me break them from way the hey up, and the sun helped work them mighty pretty - until one of the umpteen blinds we could hear this still morning would shoot and bump them. (John said, "Rick's going to have us all blowing the cork out of the call." But that's what it takes more days than not at the mudhole. No one who's said "Contest hails have no place in the marsh." has hunted it with me.)

Hunters: 3, old clients and friends of the camp John and Dale, plus another guide on holiday with them, Gabe.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The coyote lost a couple long tipped mallards that made it to open water, but otherwise had a fine day. Seemed to be enjoying himself for the first time in a while.

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: Had a big time with old friends and killed a few while we were at it.

Curses: only that the flight wasn't stronger and that I wasn't faster at getting them down and in front of the guns before someone else somewhere else banged them out.

Birds By Species: 4 gw teal, 4 mallards, 1 pintail and 1 wigeon

Photo Ops: Early pintail:




late mallard:




Dale, Gabe and John:

[Rick]

Date: 1/17

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: nil to ultra light southerly

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.16 flat

Moon phase: sliver waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: several bunches of teal working the marsh and some high big ducks

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Everything worked sweet as area gunning allowed. Pins came so pretty I got caught up and let them get too close.

Hunters: 2, Kyle and Greg

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Easy morning with most everything dead in the pond and only the spoon requiring a long cross-marsh track.

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: Drop dead gorgeous morning with guys were great company and strong hunters.

Curses: Nothing to cuss but having to quit so early.

Birds By Species: 11 gw teal, 2 mallards, 4 pintails and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops: Kyle and Greg in classic tailgater:

[Flightstopper]

Great shoot Rick.

[Ericdc]

We were loaded with ducks on our farm yesterday and I guess they left last night. Beautiful day today too, clear and big south wind. Oh well, hopefully we can kill a few this last week.

[Rick]

Always a crap shoot. Bit of a south wind here now but predicted to be north again in the morning, so we can expect change here, too.

[Ericdc]

Yea I'm just jealous of your teal. We saw 2 today. TWO! Pintail are like the plague

[Rick]

We've been seeing lots of high pintails pretty much daily, but the teal come and go - mostly the later with northerly winds. Don't look as pretty as the big, slow stuff on the strap, but there's waterfowl more fun to shoot, so I sure miss them when they're gone, which I suspect will be largely the case in the morning.

[Rick]

Date: 1/18

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: none to light northerly

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.24 rising

Moon phase: waxing sliver

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: teal were nearly absent on our end, though others had more, but there were enough high big ducks to keep us interested.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: With so little wind it was no trick to break them from the twinkler zone with screaming hails, but getting them down and over the plate before someone in earshot banged them out was a booger.

Hunters: 2, twins Lou and Rick

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake must have caught his second wind, as he seemed more anxious to chase our long tipped crips hither and yon than he has been in recent weeks. Be interesting to see how he feels about it tomorrow...

Special Equipment: SOS

Kudos: Nice guys who'd had some tough hunts at our camp and needed a good one got one.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 2 gw teal, 7 mallards, 1 pintail and 4 spoons

Photo Ops: Lou and Rick - or Rick and Lou:


One of too many chipped crips:


that wasn't happy with the outcome:

[DComeaux]

Good to see you have some birds to play with, Rick.

Blake and I are going to be out there for the last 5 days of the season. I hope we're pleasantly surprised.

[Rick]

Hope you are, too. Much of our recent business has been guys like the twins with rice land leases that have been weak this season, so you're certainly not in that boat alone. Be scary to have the numbers on how badly what's been our best farm for decades has dropped off this year.

[Rick]

b]Date:[/b] 1/19

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: ground fog then clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: none to variable (but not southerly as predicted)

Temperature: chilly

Barometer: 30.19 pretty flat

Moon phase: about zip

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: grim

Waterfowl Responsiveness: couldn't say

Hunters: 2, John and Ken

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: nice guys

Curses: no birds

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 2 shovelers and 1 wigeon

Photo Ops:

[Deltaman]

b]Date:[/b] 1/19

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: ground fog then clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: none to variable (but not southerly as predicted)

Temperature: chilly

Barometer: 30.19 pretty flat

Moon phase: about zip

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: grim

Waterfowl Responsiveness: couldn't say

Hunters: 2, John and Ken

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning

Special Equipment: sos

Kudos: nice guys

Curses: no birds

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 2 shovelers and 1 wigeon

Photo Ops:

Have really enjoyed your daily hunting log this year Rick, and appreciate you sharing with us! I know you love duck hunting, it is apparent in your words, and I've often wondered if the daily grind beats you down and takes some of the enjoyment out of it. You mentioned Peake being worn down lately, very understandable with his daily workload, what about you? Is it bittersweet when the last day of the season comes to an end, or are you glad it's over for a while?

[Rick]

The only thing that really wears me down is disappointing nice folks, and there was enough of that during last year's second duck split, and particularly the final week, that I was ready to see it end. That was a first in memory. Still enjoyed the heck out of the last week or so of specks after, when I could be out by myself with the coyote and not much care whether they flew or not, and went through the usual withdrawal when that was over.

Currently dreading next Sunday and the end of this up and down duck season. But if it stays like this morning...

[Bud]

It ain't over til it's over. Good luck and skies with birds for you.