2016-2017 Season Log

[DComeaux]

Nice hunt.....Sucking those specks in would have made my morning.

[DComeaux]

Liked the video...I need to ride out that way to get my fix.

[Darren]

Birds on the move with incoming weather/cold? Hoping so.....giving the Bunkie field a go in the morning.

Really kicking myself for not stopping the truck to video the comparable wad of geese working in just up the road from the camp on our way home last week.

[DComeaux]

Birds on the move with incoming weather/cold? Hoping so.....giving the Bunkie field a go in the morning.

Really kicking myself for not stopping the truck to video the comparable wad of geese working in just up the road from the camp on our way home last week.

Will be waiting for your report.

[Darren]

.....hopefully something worth texting before I get full report posted.

[Bud]

Wishing all the best. Weather is looking good, even though it can widely vary. Put it this way: I'd be out there next three days if only I could. You guys enjoy. Thanks for that video, Rick, and everything else!

[Rick]

Date: 1/6

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy and sometimes raining

Wind Direction and Velocity: Screaming out of the north

Temperature: mid 30s

Moon phase: 60% waxing

Special Notes: Feeling cursed.

Waterfowl Activity: Only two teal ops (while blinds to my east pounded them) and not nearly as many big ducks as hoped showed until late in the morning.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Lord knows a lot of big ducks tried to get in.

Hunters: no hunters, just 2 nice guys who hunted

Guns:

Malfunctions: man on the business (downwind) end of the blind was inop wouldn't hide, and if he dropped a box of shells in the blind, he'd of missed the floor. So, naturally, he was the only one in position to get shooting at the birds he spooked.

Dog(s): Marsh had an easy morning after starting with one of, if not, the longest chipped teal track I've seen.

Special Equipment: Spinner on and off and finally mostly on to try to keep eyes off the sightseer on the end.

Curses: Was way too tough of a morning for my guys' level of expertise.

Kudos: No one got shot.

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

[DComeaux]

If the weather wasn't enough of a hassle.... I'm ready yo get out in the cold, and you can keep the rain.

Have you had a hot bowl of gumbo yet?

[Rick]

If the weather wasn't enough of a hassle.... I'm ready yo get out in the cold, and you can keep the rain.

Have you had a hot bowl of gumbo yet?

I'm not a big gumbo eater and passed on that and pot roast duck at the camp this morning in favor of my first or second traditional breakfast there of the season - but filled up on some kick-ass chicken and sausage gumbo Sweet Chereaux made at the house last night.

[Ericdc]

If the weather wasn't enough of a hassle.... I'm ready yo get out in the cold, and you can keep the rain.

Have you had a hot bowl of gumbo yet?

I'm not a big gumbo eater and passed on that and pot roast duck at the camp this morning in favor of my first or second traditional breakfast there of the season - but filled up on some kick-ass chicken and sausage gumbo Sweet Chereaux made at the house last night.

I'm going to get a chicken and sausage gumbo going when I get home.


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[Rick]

Rick, i've always wondered how much you get on to your guests about keeping hidden before you just give up. I know it has to be difficult walking the fine line of not hurting their feelings while still killing birds. I've never taken paying hunters so i can't imagine anything other than "hey dumb @$$ if you pie face ducks again I'm going to give you a handful of river mud in the face."

We've a little pre-hunt operational meeting during which I point out that I want them to see as much of the hunt as possible and not be studying their boots while birds work, and that the way to do that without getting caught is to ease down to the bench slowly when big birds are spotted (teal and jacks we just bow low to) and watch with their faces near the front edge of the blind, rather than cocked back and mooning the birds like the last umpteen places that shot at them. And I'll usually repeat those instructions two or three times as need be before either threatening to name names and point fingers or just give up and punch the clock, depending on the disposition of the party and my relationship with those in it. Really wanted to switch their positions in the blind to have the hopefully better shooter (though he missed a speck over me) on the critical end and the fellow who wasn't hiding next to me where he might catch on to how I was covering up and follow that lead. But I didn't know these guys, who were "good old boys" who felt they knew their business, so I gave it up, and we took our lumps.

Good news being that when their party returns next year, they probably won't want to hunt with me, and I'll hopefully get to hunt with yesterday's crew again.

[Ericdc]

Rick, i've always wondered how much you get on to your guests about keeping hidden before you just give up. I know it has to be difficult walking the fine line of not hurting their feelings while still killing birds. I've never taken paying hunters so i can't imagine anything other than "hey dumb @$$ if you pie face ducks again I'm going to give you a handful of river mud in the face."

We've a little pre-hunt operational meeting during which I point out that I want them to see as much of the hunt as possible and not be studying their boots while birds work, and that the way to do that without getting caught is to ease down to the bench slowly when big birds are spotted (teal and jacks we just bow low to) and watch with their faces near the front edge of the blind, rather than cocked back and mooning the birds like the last umpteen places that shot at them. And I'll usually repeat those instructions two or three times as need be before either threatening to name names and point fingers or just give up and punch the clock, depending on the disposition of the party and my relationship with those in it. Really wanted to switch their positions in the blind to have the hopefully better shooter (though he missed a speck over me) on the critical end and the fellow who wasn't hiding next to me where he might catch on to how I was covering up and follow that lead. But I didn't know these guys, who were "good old boys" who felt they knew their business, so I gave it up, and we took our lumps.

Good news being that when their party returns next year, they probably won't want to hunt with me, and I'll hopefully get to hunt with yesterday's crew again.

Yep those are the precise instructions and they work well at your blind and most any. Got to be extra careful in clouds like today.


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[Bruce Yerkes]

Rick see you Monday. I probably ought to pack (as snow falls here in MD this morning) shorts and the Thermocell according to the weather. No matter what the weather I always have fun on my annual trip to Klondike.

[Darren]

Am I the only one that kinda feels like we should send out a search party for Rick?

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Is strange for him to miss a post, hopefully just IT issues.

[Deltaman]

Am I the only one that kinda feels like we should send out a search party for Rick?

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Is strange for him to miss a post, hopefully just IT issues.

Agreed, and hope he is o.k.!

[Rick]

I'm fine, just been getting nothing but half a page of computerese when bringing up this board from my drop down list and assumed site trouble until getting a text from Dave C this morning saying he couldn't bring it up on Chrome but could with Firefox, which I use. So I tried the refresh function, and here I am again.

But thanks for thinking of me and the concern, even though the only thing wrong with me was a roaring case of dumbass.

[Ericdc]

I'm fine, just been getting nothing but half a page of computerese when bringing up this board from my drop down list and assumed site trouble until getting a text from Dave C this morning saying he couldn't bring it up on Chrome but could with Firefox, which I use. So I tried the refresh function, and here I am again.

But thanks for thinking of me and the concern, even though the only thing wrong with me was a roaring case of dumbass.

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[Rick]

Date: 1/7/17

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: N STRONG, same as yesterday
Temperature: 20s

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Next to no teal or jacks on our end but scads of spoons low and big ducks high and hauling south.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: MVP day, with a screaming "contest" hail to break followed by raucous every-hen-on-the-pond "come-back" to reel them in against the wind, with a gratifying number making it down, out front and drop-dead gorgeous in the sun. Birds finished at the same less than ideal angle as yesterday, but after a first warning for Dad, my guys showed the sense and discipline to let them in without tipping our hand and make the shooting easy.

Hunters: 2, father and grown son, Mike and Mike, who've hunted with me for years

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh learned about ice today and did remarkably well breaking it to retrieve what fell in the flotant, not that there were many such.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: None what so ever.

Kudos: Glorious morning to be in the marsh with folks capable of making the best of it.

Birds By Species: 1 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 12 mallards, 2 pintails, 1 ringneck, 1 wigeon and 2 specks

Photo Ops: Two Mikes:


Marsh displaying "poor" form while cleaning up what was on the blind's island:


Lagniappe Note the hole punched through Marsh's greenhead above, and you'll know what kind of shooting the day, and right party, allowed us to enjoy.

[Rick]

Date: 1/8/17

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE STRONG

Temperature: 20s

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Still few teal on our end and still a strong high big duck flight.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Wind was better for getting finishing birds to swing around the west end of the blind, instead of over it, like the past two mornings, which was a blessing, because my guys didn't help hide us well. Same super aggressive calling broke impossibly high birds and got them in against the wind.

Hunters: 3, nice guys who hunted

Guns: One fellow, "Daniel the Giant," was shooting a short O/U ported behind the choke tubes that was flat brutal to the rest of us.

Malfunctions: One guy joked that they'd brought crippling guns, but neither Marsh or I found that as funny as his buddies did.

Dog(s): Marsh took a real beating hunting down chipped gosh knows how many chipped birds in the 1/2" thick ice over the flotant, but was a trooper about it.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: They were nice guys but horrible shots, and we could have filled pretty readily, even with those they mooned away, if I'd not been out of the blind working Marsh on distant chipped birds so much of the morning. Though they did manage to call and kill an addled spoonie while I was out and screaming, "Spoon, spoon, spoon!" from the boat.

Kudos: They had "the hunt of a lifetime" and I was reminded that it's not always about taking best advantage of the birds we're offered. That, and we shot the blind's fourth true black duck. (And botched what I'm pretty sure was a flight of five or six more of the same.)

Birds By Species: 1 black duck, 3 gadwall, 3 gw teal, 13 mallards, 1 spoon and 2 specks

Photo Ops: Tailgate shooting:


Pee poor photos of a hen black duck:

[Ericdc]

Neat black!

I hope the south wind brings some of our birds back after being locked up Friday afternoon to today some time.


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[Rick]

Date: 1/9/17

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: fairly strong easterly

Temperature: 40s

Moon phase: 90% waxing, but still plenty dark going in, due to cloud cover

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Expected to the flow of high migrating birds to have abated with the wind shift, but it hadn't and we were again treated to a high bird show. And a few more low teal.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: One of my guys was a local friend who's hunted with before but not seen the kind of wide-open calling that's done our good the last few days before, and I don't know but what I eased up some to keep from looking the fool in front of someone used to working birds more subtly. Do know I struggled to break as many flights as I had been and had more trouble getting them all the way down before they'd kick it back in gear to points south.

Hunters: 2, friend and camp regular, Kent, and WFF browser and long time annual camp regular, Bruce

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh seemed tickled to find the flotant ice free and - relatively - easy to get around on. And did a sweet job of snagging a chipped Susie that flushed on him from the air.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Only that I apparently choked on my call.

Kudos: Beyond that, it was another mighty sweet morning in the marsh.

Birds By Species: 3 gadwall, 5 gw teal, 8 mallards and 2 shovelers

Photo Ops: A thoughtful greenhead shielded Marsh's eyes from the one brief shot of sun we enjoyed:

[Rick]

Neat black!

I hope the south wind brings some of our birds back after being locked up Friday afternoon to today some time.


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It should, but the nearest thing I've seen to a "grand passage" in some years continued here today. Been nice working big ducks from way the hey up, but I'm starting to itch for teal gunning again, and a south wind may flood the marsh with them for a day or two...

[DComeaux]

Really nice hunts Rick.... I can remember a time........

[Rick]

Might add that the guys there when we shot the black couldn't have cared less about it, but were hopping happy about getting mallards to mount.

[Rick]

Really nice hunts Rick.... I can remember a time........

We've been blessed.

[DComeaux]

Might add that the guys there when we shot the black couldn't have cared less about it, but were hopping happy about getting mallards to mount.

One mans treasure...

[Ericdc]

Neat black!

I hope the south wind brings some of our birds back after being locked up Friday afternoon to today some time.


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It should, but the nearest thing I've seen to a "grand passage" in some years continued here today. Been nice working big ducks from way the hey up, but I'm starting to itch for teal gunning again, and a south wind may flood the marsh with them for a day or two...

I watched a big big passage while we hunted Friday. Not near as many Saturday, but some.


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