2015-2016 Season Log

[Rick]

Right up front (where it's easy for me to copy), here is the template I will be using:

Date:

Time:

Location:

Cloud Cover:

Wind Direction and Velocity:

Temperature:

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity:

Waterfowl Responsiveness:

Hunters:

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Curses:

Kudos:

Birds By Species:

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Date: 9/12

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE moderate

Temperature: beautiful, coolest morning since Spring

Barometer: 29.93 rising

Moon phase: waning crescent/next to none

Special Notes: teal opener

Waterfowl Activity: scads of teal working the marsh from just after LST (6:23)

Waterfowl Responsiveness: came sweet when others' shooting didn't bing them out

Hunters: girl and boyfriend, Katelyn and Jordan

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake broke on a bird when it was raining them and swam the boat run behind the blind to get it - and read the riot act. Which he clearly caught the drift of despite being deaf. Then vindicated himself by finding everything that hit the floatant.

Special Equipment: spinners large and small and my modified Mallard Machine

Curses: Have a gator that we watched take a lively cripple in the chinquapin lilies but couldn't see how big he is.

Kudos: Gator just took one bird, the young couple was fine company and listened well, birds were plentiful and God is great. Just a grand morning to be in the marsh.

Birds By Species: 18 bw teal (15 males and 3 females)

Photo Ops: Katelyn and Jordan with birds and smiles:


Lagniappe: Asked if Katelyn was taking a lot of joshing about her name since Bruce Jenner decided to become "Katelyn". She said "Yes." but her boyfriend, Jordan, chimed in with, "Not as much as I am."

[Darren]

Looks like a grand opener, good deal!

[DComeaux]

Good way to start!

[quackhead]

Nice shoot

[Rick]

9/12 afternoon outing:

Other duties have seen my poor pup, Marsh's, education sorely neglected such that he's not nearly so ready for prime time at seven months as my last two pups, Peake and Blue, were, so we took advantage of an afternoon off to join up with some non paying shooters and concentrate on his development. His first hunt went something like this:

Found his first wild duck by scenting the upwind cripple in some young crawfish rice on the way in.

Was fine down the levee from more loud shooting than he's heard before but had to be led to the area of what should have been his first real world mark. So we moved next to the guns for more familiar vantage, and marking improved though he hunted short of his first long tipped flier which fell in high-to-him curly indigos. Again had to go get him to the area of its fall, where he again proved the nose knows.

Couldn't find a bird the guys shot and marked while we were on the above trek. Perhaps the nose only sometimes knows. Perhaps a bad mark.

Only broke once, and that was when nothing fell to a mighty volley. Played hob getting him to return without a bird, too.

All in all, Marsh (aka: "the bug") made a dozen retrieves and ended with a big dog retrieve quite similar to the first long tipped crip that required my help:


Plainly liking his new job and looking forward to more work:


But we've an awful lot of work left to do.

[DComeaux]

That's some good stuff!

[Rick]

Thanks, wish I'd had it centered from the git-go, but will likely crop to correct at some point. Was too busy being tickled with a pup that's had too little of my time the past couple months and wasn't expected to do much of anything but get acclimated to being on a hunt to focus on the camera.

[Rick]

Date: 9/13

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: mostly clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: ENE moderate

Temperature: high 50s

Barometer: 30.03 rising

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: plenty of teal and a lot of mottleds and woodies working the marsh

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Am having good luck dragging birds off the big water they want to follow by raising holy hell with them, then lining them up with momma teal assemblies.

Hunters: 3: Troy, Jerry and Dennis

Guns:

Malfunctions: bent barrels

Dog(s): Peake broke again, twice, once on one that fell extremely close and one that tipped down well out. Read him the riot act and am fixing to put a rope on him. But he did a great job on the way too many that fell outside the pond.

Special Equipment: spinners large and small and mmm

Curses: Educated a whooooole lot of teal ducks.

Kudos: Nice folks who finally filled.

Birds By Species: 24 bw teal

Photo Ops: Another poor photo, thanks to the sun's angle, but at least I thought to snap a shot of the coyote pretty much literally saving our bacon. Whole lot of birds hit the flotant I can't walk, let alone find a bird on.

[Rick]

Date: 9/13

Time: afternoon

Location: mom

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: light NE

Temperature: pleasant

Barometer: 30. rising

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: skies were scary barren except for mottleds and one apparent mallard that worked the spinners until the last 30 minutes of legal shooting time. Then the flood gates opened.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Wind was wrong for shooting without looking into the sun, but momma call helped line them up to let us do so.

Hunters: 4 shooting: annual teal regulars John and Mike and his son Blake on the latter's first teal hunt and their new to our outfit buddy Lance.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): They actually knocked down their full limits, but poor Peake's deafness cost us two birds that took too long to handle to the areas of their falls, because I couldn't stop him to redirect and had to wait for him to eventually pop on his own for instruction. Flat wore himself out on what should have been layup handling jobs.

Special Equipment: large and small spinners

Curses: Only that Peake is deaf

Kudos: After what appeared to be a scratch in the making, we got to show the guys a whole lot of birds in a very little time. And they made good on it.

Birds By Species: 22 bw teal

Photo Ops: none taken

[DComeaux]

NICE! Keep it rooooling....

[Deltaman]

Great reports Rick, and glad to see you making your daily journal entries again this year

[Rick]

Great reports Rick, and glad to see you making your daily journal entries again this year

Thanks, and I enjoyed reading of your almost-didn't-go hunt. But where's your log?

[Rick]

Date: 9/14

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE light

Temperature: cool

Barometer: 30.04 flat to rising

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: far less moving than with folks our stirring them over the weekend

Waterfowl Responsiveness: fortunately very good

Hunters: 1 marked my 31 season of hunting with old friend Ronnie, the most capable human predator I know.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The coyote didn't break once this morning - but he did eat a teal bill.

Special Equipment: Spinners large and small and MMM

Curses: Not really a curse, because there were enough, but I would have liked to show Ronnie more birds.

Kudos: Had a great visit with an old friend.

Birds By Species: 12, bw teal

Photo Ops: Never thought to break out the camera.

Lagniappe: Was reminded that all of my old friends are becoming just that but the greater treasures for it.

[DComeaux]

Good to see!

Ya know, I've said that the teal migration tells the story for the entire season, and if this continues things are looking good for big duck. For the 2011,2012 and 2012, 2013 seasons we had a strong teal season and good big duck seasons at our place. 2013, 2014 and 2014,2015 the teal seasons were really bad as were the big duck seasons.

Just my observations and a lot of wishful thinking...... No bubble popping allowed.

[Ericdc]

Rick, what is the "momma teal call"?

[Rick]

Good to see!

Ya know, I've said that the teal migration tells the story for the entire season, and if this continues things are looking good for big duck. For the 2011,2012 and 2012, 2013 seasons we had a strong teal season and good big duck seasons at our place. 2013, 2014 and 2014,2015 the teal seasons were really bad as were the big duck seasons.

Just my observations and a lot of wishful thinking...... No bubble popping allowed.

Then I'd advise skipping this evening's log.

[Rick]

Rick, what is the "momma teal call"?

The two note assembly call hens use to gather their young.

[Rick]

9/13 addendum: Didn't note that one of their birds was banded, and that prize went to young Blake. (Whom I'm told is now conspiring to get his own shotgun.)

[Ericdc]

9/13 addendum: Didn't note that one of their birds was banded, and that prize went to young Blake. (Whom I'm told is now conspiring to get his own shotgun.)

Nice, we shot a banded bird Sunday morning. Banded in August 2014 in Saskatchewan.

[Rick]

Date: 9/14

Time: afternoon

Location: mom then John's

Cloud Cover: heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE moderate

Temperature: warmer

Barometer: 30.04

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: what teal flew did it high and away

Waterfowl Responsiveness: ended up using another guide's teal and dove spinners that did nothing to help attract the high bunches. Was kicking myself for not packing in my big one.

Hunters: 4, Mike and Lance from last night and two others

Guns:

Malfunctions: Doug

Dog(s): Peake caught an earlier party's cripple.

Special Equipment: two little spinners

Curses: Found out the hard way that Doug had rented out the blind he let us hunt yesterday and told us we could hunt this afternoon - after we'd specifically discussed keeping it and my understanding that was the case. Found myself egg-faced and apologizing to friends of the renters hunting the spot and need to apologize to the renter, too, who thankfully knows Doug well enough to know what happened.

Kudos: My guys were better than they might have been about both that mess and the lack of game.

Birds By Species: only the coyote's duck

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: Sometimes I really just need to embrace the late Miss Gwen's example, say "That's just him." and put a resentment behind me. But don't.

[Ericdc]

So yall hunted somewhere you weren't supposed to, but you were not told?

[Rick]

Yep.

[DComeaux]

Oh wow!.... Awkward!

[Ericdc]

Man the weather this week through the weekend looks terrible. 96 degrees predicted for Saturday up here. I'll probably chase doves instead.

[Deltaman]

Great reports Rick, and glad to see you making your daily journal entries again this year

Thanks, and I enjoyed reading of your almost-didn't-go hunt. But where's your log?

Will definitely start a log when duck season gets here Rick, mostly weekend warrior style, but uncertain if I will get a chance to hunt teal again before it ends. Dove season opens this Saturday, and am hoping to get my annual invite across the bay, and with the white shrimp finally making their appearance in the north end of the bay, will be spending more time chasing fish as well. Used to love hunting mornings and going right into a fishing trip afterwards, and sometimes an afternoon hunt as well, but my energy level for doubling or tripling hunting/fishing in a day has waned over the years. I attribute it to a disease called "old fartitis". On a positive note, I did quit smoking 6 weeks ago (a mostly mental game from hell ), so hopefully, my energy levels will head North instead of South, and I will feel more like the hyperactive 58 year old kid that I am, and spend more time doing what I love

[Rick]

Congratulations! If you quit 6 weeks ago, you've got it licked - except for the part about never thinking you can smoke just one more "Because..." of whatever event or crisis would pass just the same with or without it.

[Rick]

Date: 9/14

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly to clear and back

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE fairly strong

Temperature: warming up

Barometer: 40.1 rising slightly

Moon phase: waxing crescent

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: slow starting and then just enough, much the same as yesterday

Waterfowl Responsiveness: thankfully very good

Hunters: 1 John, who's been hunting with us 20+ seasons

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake did a fine job on the flotant.

Special Equipment: 2 spinners large and small and MMM

Curses: Given much the same winds predicted, the thin flight has me worried for the rest of our hunts before weekend hunters shuffle the deck again.

Kudos: Once the cobwebs were out of his barrel, John did better than most.

Birds By Species: 12 bw teal

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[DComeaux]

Good deal. Wheres your camera?