2016-2017 Season Log

[Rick]

Hoped to try yesterday's mid field gorilla hunt again, only with Marsh and a couple decoys to take the specks' minds off the two lumps on the levee, but found a party giving hunting from a stand of canes near the back of the field a go, and had to switch to plan "D": hunting a deep water crawfish pond to be with a pretty circle buffaloed in it and a blind one of our aces had gone to a lot of trouble to brush with green cedar on a brown grass road. Couldn't have looked much more like a place with guns, even after breaking up the green a bit with dead grass from the road, but was what we had.

OK, maybe it was "plan E," because just across the too close road down flight, The Big Yat from N.O. was driving around, and around, and around for reasons the Yat only knows - if he wasn't too high. That, and a body soon formed across the too close road to the east, drawing both most of what was flying and what I gathered were bird watchers on the road between us.

Seemed a conspiracy to keep me from blooding John's gift gun, and I'll admit eventually being frustrated enough to Forrest Gump a speck, "in the buttocks" then fail to get it right twice more, as its little group became yet another to swing to the call and bump off the blind. But I did finally get one where it needed to be and drop it near the blind - prompting my pride and joy to break and spoil that small victory:


So with that bird and the photo I'd been after for John in hand:


We called it a morning.

[Rick]

Probably tough as an Army boot, so a candidate for all day pot roast.

[Rick]

Had to go to yesterday's spot again this morning, carried in some grass to help blend the blind better, set one speck decoy way the hey out "downwind" and two at the edge of the buffaloed circle "upwind" and waited for the predicted significant WNW wind and clearing skies to materialize. Which they did not.

The Big Yat was back across the south road driving laps around his piece's protection levee, this time pulling an empty banging and clanging trailer, but if it was for my "benefit," he needn't have bothered. Flight was sparse and high and generally unresponsive, but I did talk one single into landing well short of my south cut decoy without ever approaching the levee road the blind is on and another single into attempting to land with the north cut decoys. Wanted to shoot him head on and passed an easy shot behind me for what became a poke and a prayer to break something as he tried to settle in with the decoys beyond reasonable range.

And, of course, Marsh broke and chased him half way to Gueydan to ice our little cake. Read him the riot act but was most disgusted with myself. Packed it in then and there.

[Rick]

Another morning, another scratch. Most of the birds that had trafficked nearby seemed to have gone AWOL, so I did, too, after but a couple frustrations with the speck version of "Friends don't let friends go to dumb places." Keep telling myself I'm through fighting the spot and did find another unoccupied after I bailed, so I set up a little spider hole there, in case none of our guys are on the piece tomorrow. Otherwise, it'll probably be back to cussing where I've been. Pretty sick of fighting it, but not going would be worse.

[DComeaux]

If I was in your shoes, I'd be doing the same thing. Season's open..must go.

[Rick]

If you were in your old spot, you'd probably be just as frustrated as me. Until the wind change there were geese roosting on the big buffaloed piece they did where Jarren was and are some still to south, but your new neighbors to the west are doozies. Thought The Yat might be trying to jack with me when he was doing laps of the protection levee, but yesterday a new vehicle showed up and hunted the green slough there that specks like to use, and I have to wonder if he wasn't trying to screw his buddies by keeping the birds off the place.

Didn't much matter, as some birds still tried to get in - but most bumped hard off the UTV parked on top of the protection levee (next to you).

[Deltaman]

Gotta ask............who is the Big Yat?????? Just a shitty neighbor, or is there some colorful history?

[DComeaux]

If you were in your old spot, you'd probably be just as frustrated as me. Until the wind change there were geese roosting on the big buffaloed piece they did where Jarren was and are some still to south, but your new neighbors to the west are doozies. Thought The Yat might be trying to jack with me when he was doing laps of the protection levee, but yesterday a new vehicle showed up and hunted the green slough there that specks like to use, and I have to wonder if he wasn't trying to screw his buddies by keeping the birds off the place.

Didn't much matter, as some birds still tried to get in - but most bumped hard off the UTV parked on top of the protection levee (next to you).

I had noticed the activity and new people on that triangle in our last year. That little piece of land was a magnet for specks every year, and would often hold em. The first and second year we hunted there, there was a blind on the east west levee (south) that was occasionally hunted(small crawfish pond). The second year was when we experienced the azz hats that would shoot when we would be working birds, shooting one shot as they made they approached our decoys. They did this, on that particular occasion, three times in a row, to which I stood up on the seat and voiced my opinion very loudly. They left shortly after that. Luckily, that blind wasn't hunted very often.

Though I have no doubt they were a different crew then what showed up our last year on that place, but I figured they'd (new crew) would be a PITA with as much activity as they showed.

[Rick]

Gotta ask............who is the Big Yat?????? Just a shitty neighbor, or is there some colorful history?

He goes by many names in this area, but is the nephew of a fellow who founded a very successful restaurant chain you'd know and who claimed to manage a new New Orleans start-up featuring a "Big Yat" sandwich back when he hunted with our camp, so that's what we called him. Had a membership he felt entitled him to drive around the leases checking with parties to see how they were doing during prime time among other things, but which wasn't renewed due to that and "other things". Started his own commercial place "Camp Abuse," proceeded to alienate as many land owners as possible and wound up doing some federal prison time for waterfowing violations, which isn't easy unless you cop quite an attitude with the feds citing you.

Hadn't seen him in years, then passed an old Bronco with a row of lights on the cab, like he used to drive, and low and behold, a now gray version of himself was driving. They buried a new to me this year blind in the first east-west levee south of the road, which popped with the first good rain but has been re-anchored.

[Rick]

Got to hunt where I'd been wanting to this morning, and found myself within hearing of specks roosting both my southeast and north. Alas, I'm cursed, as those to the southeast all dribbled out due west well beyond my influence, while if those to the north were moving at all, I was unable to see it - at least not until a low helicopter came by and they blew out to the west, as well.

Was past 8:30, and after what seemed due consideration, I decided my worn out knees had had about enough kneeling for nothing, so I called it and went to retrieve the two decoys I'd put well out from my hide to the SE. Whereupon I turned around in time to see a low, low, low flight of eight or ten specks bearing down on the decoys I'd placed well out to my hide's NW. Absolutely had to happen. As did seeing nada, zip, nothing in the air while I hung around for the next hour and change - not even on my way out.

[Ericdc]

Come north next Saturday and kill specks with me Rick!


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[Rick]

Thanks, but no thanks. Have been passing on invites here to do it my way with my pup. What the old Cajuns would call "tete dur".

[Ericdc]

I understand. The pup would be welcome though since I don't have one.

Just wanted you to know you are invited and would enjoy showing you our little piece of heaven.


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[Deltaman]

Gotta ask............who is the Big Yat?????? Just a shitty neighbor, or is there some colorful history?

He goes by many names in this area, but is the nephew of a fellow who founded a very successful restaurant chain you'd know and who claimed to manage a new New Orleans start-up featuring a "Big Yat" sandwich back when he hunted with our camp, so that's what we called him. Had a membership he felt entitled him to drive around the leases checking with parties to see how they were doing during prime time among other things, but which wasn't renewed due to that and "other things". Started his own commercial place "Camp Abuse," proceeded to alienate as many land owners as possible and wound up doing some federal prison time for waterfowing violations, which isn't easy unless you cop quite an attitude with the feds citing you.

Hadn't seen him in years, then passed an old Bronco with a row of lights on the cab, like he used to drive, and low and behold, a now gray version of himself was driving. They buried a new to me this year blind in the first east-west levee south of the road, which popped with the first good rain but has been re-anchored.

Ahhh, know the type! We had a local deer hunter with some very similar background. Felt like laws were made for everybody else except himself, and because of $, got away with a lot of bullshit. He is sitting in a Federal Pen now, and doubtful anybody other than maybe his family could give a rat's ass. Karma will take care of your Yat, hopefully sooner than later, and thanks for the background.

[Deltaman]

Gotta ask............who is the Big Yat?????? Just a shitty neighbor, or is there some colorful history?

He goes by many names in this area, but is the nephew of a fellow who founded a very successful restaurant chain you'd know and who claimed to manage a new New Orleans start-up featuring a "Big Yat" sandwich back when he hunted with our camp, so that's what we called him. Had a membership he felt entitled him to drive around the leases checking with parties to see how they were doing during prime time among other things, but which wasn't renewed due to that and "other things". Started his own commercial place "Camp Abuse," proceeded to alienate as many land owners as possible and wound up doing some federal prison time for waterfowing violations, which isn't easy unless you cop quite an attitude with the feds citing you.

Hadn't seen him in years, then passed an old Bronco with a row of lights on the cab, like he used to drive, and low and behold, a now gray version of himself was driving. They buried a new to me this year blind in the first east-west levee south of the road, which popped with the first good rain but has been re-anchored.

Ahhh, know the type! We had a local deer hunter with some very similar background. Felt like laws were made for everybody else except himself, and because of $, got away with a lot of bullshit. He is sitting in a Federal Pen now, and doubtful anybody other than maybe his family could give a rat's ass. Karma will take care of your Yat, hopefully sooner than later, and thanks for the background.

[Rick]

I understand. The pup would be welcome though since I don't have one.

Just wanted you to know you are invited and would enjoy showing you our little piece of heaven.

Appreciate it.

[Rick]

I truly am cursed. Got to hunt the dry laser-leveled piece again but tried the NW corner in hopes of tripping the little bunch I muffed yesterday, only to have forty or so come from the south shortly after LST and drop in near the hard road due south of where I'd been then. And everything from the south went to them, even though someone was burning levees or fields on the farm to our south and doing their level best to smoke us all out with the southerly breeze.

Finally had a little string come from the north, which I was set up facing, and bounce back and forth between the big bunch well behind me and my call and little bunch of decoys before tripping up and swinging close behind my right shoulder, which turned out a fairly safe place to fly by an old fart with his knees and toes dug into the mud. I finally got around enough to chip one, whereupon Marsh broke to chase the bird and I broke to chase Marsh. He caught the bird, but I called him off it, read him the riot act and pretty much literally drug him back to where he was supposed to have awaited my release. Which, it turns out, gave the bird quite a head start, and its scent trail led to an alligator deep drainage, where I made Marsh await armed guard before proceeding.

Which, in its turn, led to this carnival:



That behind us, we slipped back into our little spider hole just in time for the farmer's son to show up with a tractor and proceed to ditch the piece we were hunting.

[Ericdc]

Marsh deserves to eat half that speck breast when you cook it!!


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[Rick]

If the dipstick hadn't broke at shot, he'd not of had to do all that, and we might have gotten another. Grrr...

[Ericdc]

If the dipstick hadn't broke at shot, he'd not of had to do all that, and we might have gotten another. Grrr...

Haha, yea. Tough morning for the youngster.


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[Rick]

I really expected him to dive for it, as I've seen him do for ducks, but it could be the Mudhole's inches of water over feet of sludge has broken him of that.

Pretty frustrating, in any event, as cranking up the volume would reveal that more birds were flying while we were piddling around, and it wasn't but a very few minutes after we got back to our hide when the tractor showed up and started in our cut.

[Rick]

Oh, and Dave, I'd neglected to mention stopping off after at the crawfish pond kitty-cornered to your old place to wash the mud off Marsh and my feet and having our new neighbor, The Yat, stop to chat. Seems he just bought that piece on your west. "There goes the neighborhood..."

[DComeaux]

Oh, and Dave, I'd neglected to mention stopping off after at the crawfish pond kitty-cornered to your old place to wash the mud off Marsh and my feet and having our new neighbor, The Yat, stop to chat. Seems he just bought that piece on your west. "There goes the neighborhood..."

HA! Build a wall!



That is a neat little clip. I watched Ellie do that a time or two this season on those divers. She made some long journeys, and I don't remember but a couple giving her the slip. She'll wear em down, and wear me down with worry during the warmer days.

[Rick]

Rick are any birds still hanging around our piece? Thinking of going lay in the mud one more time before it's over.


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There were a mess of birds using the piece across Dolza and some working around your spot last Friday, though they were long gone by the time I last hunted that farm Sunday. But I've been hunting too far away to see what's happening in your area since then.

While the blues have pulled out, there eem to be little pods of specks here and there throughout the area, and I did see a few that probably crossed your piece while talking with The Yat to your south on Ellis Bridge. Know they showed from a new direction and in new numbers where I've hunted the past two days, and it could well be you're loaded. But I went out to the west, instead of up Dolza and just don't know.

Will try to make a point of going by that way this afternoon and/or in the morning.

[Rick]

SOS this morning: I chipped the first bird I shot at, and when I looked to see if Marsh was marking it, he was halfway to Cameron chasing another one in the wrong direction. And when I looked back at the chipped bird that was angling down when last seen, it was somewhere below line of sight. Pretty sure Marsh had actually jumped the gun literally, as birds that were plainly on a suicide course flared just before I rose to shoot.

Soooo we spent prime time doing an extended largely blind search that yielded nothing. And Br'er Marsh, who'd been so steady while teal hunting off similar levees in September, at the Mudhole all regular season and broke just once on late season speck hunts last year will be quite literally screwed down in the morning with a screw in dog chain stake .

[Rick]

John, my knees have gotten old and cranky. Wouldn't have gone this morning at all if I'd not accidentally left some stuff I'd not want to see burned on the levee, and only gave it an uneventful hour and watched a couple bunches drop into their spots without getting a look before I let them talk me out of what we were doing.

Very much want to try a new "spider hole" setup with tomorrow's new wind, but may go back to a less promising pit for a while after that unless the knees quit squawking.

Really frustrated with how it's been going with both the new-to-me Model 12 and young Marsh Fire's new behavior when hunting this way. Aside from a couple stupid shots, I've held what very few shots I've taken to the ranges and presentations where I'll normally stone most specks with 20ga loads lighter than the 16ga's, but have yet to kill a bird outright with it. Suspect both the gun's operator and his pup really need the kind of reps we'll not get until September teal, but even that is a very different game than the one we're currently trying to play.

Know I'll eventually get Marsh squared away, but am seriously wondering if this is the right role for a gun too neat to let languish without use.