Looking Ahead to 2018-2019...

[Rick]

When looking ahead to 2018-2019 and for ways to avoid another first split like last season's, I've been looking back through past logs, compiling lists of issues I've found and becoming more and more aware of just how hide-bound and even complacent I've become in some regards and slow to realize I've perhaps taken wrong turns I thought wise in others. Is worse than embarrassing to think on how many fewer guests I might have disappointed.

Long story only somewhat shortened:

I now plan to kill the living canes on our island, as well as most of the nearby patches I've been protecting from general marsh spraying to keep those on the island from standing out, and return to the "less is more" scabby-patch concealment approach I took for my first several years at the Mudhole. As handy as I've found the living canes for big duck cover, that cover has likely come at the cost of way too many potential shooting opportunities, not just by way of hiding too many low little birds from my view as well as hiding the spinner's attraction from their view but also by necessitating more boat time in order to have line-of-sight to handle the dog to birds, large or small, falling behind them. Much easier for me to hide from new birds when out handling the dog from its stand by the blind than out in the boat. Unlike seasons past, when teal would still frequently come regardless, the guys did not shoot a single bird when I had the boat in the pond this last one. So I've also camo painted the boat to see if that doesn't help when warm/alligator water requires ferrying the dog over the pond.

Also adding a second big spinner, so one can be pegged to hopefully draw the attention of little birds currently staying well east of us, while the other flashes north and south to those following their favored more open water flyways there. Hoping, of course, that the way I'm now rigging them will still eliminate enough of the spinners' downsides that adding another won't prove more bane than boon. We'll see...

And we'll see if I stick to my guns about sharpening Marsh's handling, so our disagreements over what should be handled how and in which order don't get in the way of not just recovering downed game but potential new shooting opportunities. Peake is still the big dog at our house and in my heart, and giving him as much field time as I can has put a serious damper on what I've been able to devote to Marsh's education, but I simply must better manage that. Want to be fair to the big dog, but also need to be fair to the hunters who help pay for his feed.

Then there's the calling. I fancy myself a fair hand at that and am still learning new ways to draw game I once conceded as too this or that, but the log shows I've also a tendency to forget some things and have to "discover" them more than once - or twice. To that end, I've compiled some related notes from the logs and hope to remember to review them before and during the season.

And finally, at least for the present, I'm inching closer to my long time (decade or so?) goal of repainting the '04 and '05 Hardcore decoys the specks seemed to favor over even DSDs when I used them together in the "way back when..." they'd not lost much of their paint. That project's been expanded to doing not just they but my DSDs, Tanglefree floaters and a few GHGs for motion with the same paint for perfect match to see what, if any, effect that might have on our marsh draw. Been more than a little slow in coming, but is being spurred by the recognition that the camp's ag land speck prospects have petered to nil, and my increasing craving for finishing specks. Still working on improving both my airbrushing skills and paint scheme, but feel like some progress finally being made - if only by learning what I feel doesn't cut it.

Guess we'll also see if public commitment helps with those projects as much as it has with maintaining a log...

[Ericdc]

I am hoping that my re done speck decoys will make an improvement this fall, and better water management now that I have a year under my belt and understand how the field responds.


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[DComeaux]

Just creep em....

[Rick]

Took an airboat tour north of my blind while farm-releasing today and was surprised to see how much less water is showing than in last December's satellite photo. Really spooky how much that part of the marsh has closed in since the years after Rita and Ike opened it enough for easy Go-Devil travel. Now tiny potholes where it used to be open water with a slew of little islands, and not nearly as many of those as Google Earth had me expecting.

At the mudhole, itself, there still hasn't been enough vegetation regrowth to see how much long term good last September's spraying did in those places I tried it or how much more will be required. Only saw that I've still a few weeks before needing to make a first pass this growing season, especially given that this weekend's chill will slow regrowth again.

[Darren]

Sounds like quite the offseason game plan coming together, Rick. Work is cut out for ya......

Got a Bunkie camp work day on tap tomorrow, ourselves. And I'm figuring to be making a fair many trips up there this offseason given there's not really anything to do down on the marsh lease, knock wood it stays that way through Oct.

[Rick]

Not really much off-season activity to my plan other than the decoy painting (and sand-blasting prior to it), mainly just some spraying and cutting some cattle panel to hold cut canes in place along the back side of the boat hide similarly to what I have around the blind. (And, of course, that much more brushing when that time comes.)

Biggest change will be in preseason set-up and how we operate once underway. Pretty confident I now know how to get and keep a handle on a lot of little ducks I used to concede to more open water because I didn't realize how call responsive they could be and wasn't aggressive enough. Hopefully enough will toll to more than make up for whatever less cover costs us...

[Darren]

Pretty confident I now know how to get and keep a handle on a lot of little ducks I used to concede to more open water because I didn't realize how call responsive they could be and wasn't aggressive enough.

I once took away this practice from this site, and I think specifically it was likely your input, and put it in practice during teal season and later regular season to follow. Something along the lines of "if you think you look or sound stupid from going so loud and aggressive, hit it harder...." Was surprised by how many more bunches I was able to salvage that I'd thought long gone or too wide of us.

I now plan to kill the living canes on our island, as well as most of the nearby patches I've been protecting

This sounds like some work!

[Rick]

Pretty confident I now know how to get and keep a handle on a lot of little ducks I used to concede to more open water because I didn't realize how call responsive they could be and wasn't aggressive enough.

I once took away this practice from this site, and I think specifically it was likely your input, and put it in practice during teal season and later regular season to follow. Something along the lines of "if you think you look or sound stupid from going so loud and aggressive, hit it harder...." Was surprised by how many more bunches I was able to salvage that I'd thought long gone or too wide of us.

I'm thinking the hardest part is believing in spite of the stuff "everyone knows" about calling. Or sometimes just doing it in spite of having folks in the blind who "know" better. But believing enough to tell the "too high (or wide)" ones what to do and not being too proud to look the fool doing it has made a lot of hunts for us.

This sounds like some work!

A lot less work than uncomfortable risk. I've gotten quite comfortable playing my little blinding shell game with cane patches and am only hoping I can open the view from more little duck water to spinners on the mudhole and to those waters from the blind without leaving us looking looking like turds in a punch bowl.

[Rick]

In other news, there are just five more months to the September teal opener. Didn't move any in our marsh but put quite a few small bunches and apparent pairs up in Cherry Ridge Friday. That wasn't surprising given the apparent marvel of how late many hang around but still managed to get to their breeding grounds and be back with young by late summer/early fall.

What did surprise me was sending a brood of barely flight-worthy wood ducks skittering about like gallinules across the marsh. Never seen a nest box in the area, and am having just as hard of a time envisioning any of the area levee or spoil bank willows, chicken trees or wax myrtles with nesting cavities as I am those young ones having flown in from more suitable habitat.

'Tis a mystery on the order of how Sora rails manage to migrate.

[Rick]

Found a pretty fair photo for reference to this summer's marsh landscaping project aimed at eliminating, or nearly so, the indicated cane stands:

002a.jpg

The object of which being improving both the little ducks' view of mudhole spinners from their favored marsh flyways and my view of them from the mudhole:

mudholeview.jpg

[Rick]

That's Lenard's blind on Cherry Ridge, where they brush them all with wax myrtle, which holds its color longer than most anything around. Much longer than bacharris.

What I have in mind is much less of a structure and just a scabby, largely see-through spot in the marsh that hopefully matches a lot of other such natural places. Composed of cane tops more or less along the lines of the 2007 version after Rita and Ike had opened the marsh:

IMG_3107a.jpg

[Darren]

Wow that is wiiiide open, reminds me of our marsh after Katrina......which was awful for the marsh, but productive for the hunting that followed for the 2005 season.

Are you getting rid of canes on your island in addition to the ones around the pond?

[Ducaholic]

Risky business Rick in my estimation given your clients penchant for wanting to see everything while it's going on.

[Rick]

We shot a lot of ducks from those scabby old blinds, but history tells me I'll take some heat for it from them what fancy themselves hunters but won't help hide themselves. I'm fine with them finding another guide.

My worry is them what can't hide, and my hope is that the change will provide more new ops than it runs off. Could find myself transplanting canes onto the blind island this time next spring...

[aunt betty]

There's a fine line between hiding and sticking a bucket over your head that you remove when told to. Those blinds all look decent to me and I'm sure I could manage to see what I'm shooting at. Peeking between the reeds is what I'd do. Probably get a spankin'. Oh well.

[Rick]

My pre-hunt instructions begin with, "I wouldn't pay a nickle for a hunt I couldn't watch..." Then I go on to explain how they can without getting busted. Some listen, some don't.

[aunt betty]

Sorry Rick we've crossed horns on this issue a couple times. (peacefully of course)

One day I got out the long lens and took pics from 3/4 mile away to show the guys how bad they glowed. Pie facing.
We used that picture at the clubhouse to show ppl why you don't lean over the edge with your chin on the ledge.

[SpinnerMan]

I usually wear a face mask. I have thought about face paint when it is too warm. I always wear it when archery hunting. Any opinions on face paint.

[aunt betty]

Paint sucks. it gets smeared around when you itch your nose or wipe sweat off your face. What works for me is a wine cork.
You burn it and rub the black on.
It stays until you wash it off.

[DComeaux]

I've become really lazy with all of the in blind face cover and movement stuff over the last couple of years, and I really noticed myself doing it this past season. I think not being confident with the overall blind setup has dampened my confidence. I hate face masks, and I'm not a fan of face paint. Hopefully our plans for blind cover this year work's as we plan and I get my warm and fuzzy back.

I have to say that my blind partners are really great with in blind coverup and I noticed it this past season. It made me think about my ways. I'll be mindful of it this year.

[Rick]

I hate face masks, and I'm not a fan of face paint.

I'm with you on both counts: would rather not wear a mask and simply will not paint my face and look like I think I'm going to war with a bird. Which is why I've been calling from behind the cover of a camouflaged off arm, as Corey's seen, when my crew doesn't have masks, too. (Habitual enough that I find myself doing it masked or not.)

But masks are better, and it''s like Christmas when a party has them. Not only can everyone watch nearly all of the time birds are working, but we're not as apt to advertise our project to new prospects with the un-deadly combo of contrast and movement. Never photographed the faces, as AB has, but haven't forgotten getting a kick out of watching low bird bunches approach other blinds on Pecan Island's wide-open south marsh. Most blinds there were big brush piles built on low grass and topped with two or three bright faces, and it was a hoot to watch the seemingly choreographed little dance of bright faces suddenly ducking and birds flaring. Not nearly so funny when it's happening at my blind. Then, too, there are those feeling compelled to point at the birds before ducking and signal them twice...

Part of my hiding shtick is that ducks are like deer (as if many today have hunted them from outside a box stand) and a lot less apt to spot slow movements than fast ones, and I'll habitually ask the guys to "just hold still" or "ease down" when I see game. but... Let's just say it would be better if folks were wearing contrast cutting masks when they then jerked around to see why or quickly ducked, as reflexes not conditioned for hunting bid. So, I at least tell myself I'm going to do a better job of leading by example and wear a mask whether my guys do or not next big duck season. Probably should, but probably won't, for September teal, too.

[SpinnerMan]

Probably should, but probably won't, for September teal, too.

When it is nice, I don't wear the mask, even though I probably should.

The camo arm is a good idea. I need to remember that. But you can't blow a goose call with one hand. I'm more thinking early goose.

simply will not paint my face and look like I think I'm going to war with a bird.

I have no problem doing it archery hunting, but it just seems over the top for birds.

Then I've never have birds staring me down from 15 feet away.

[DComeaux]

I too have noticed the moon pie affect from the boat while out picking up birds, or in the pirogue a couple of years ago,traveling to and from the blind. It is very noticeable, as if the faces were light bulbs in a pile of grass. Add movement to this and your screwed.

[aunt betty]

Then I've never have birds staring me down from 15 feet away.

I have. Many times.

One year I decided to recreate my first duck hunt with my father. We went to oakwood bottoms and I pretty much walked right by the warning sign (rusty old thing bent over) and walked into a farm pond. Years later I came, parked, and walked around for a day scouting. The ducks were using that pond so I set up. One side of it was flat and dry so I gathered sticks and brush and made me a little "fort" to hide in. Oh man that was fun. Had them landing at my feet.

Used to go back in the back of houseboat cove a lot. It's got some flooded timber and is only 32 miles from my house. It's the only flooded timber for well over 100 miles and well I like hiding in the trees. That timber back in the back of the cove is all starting to fall down now. Once it's gone it's gone. Had ducks almost landing in the boat back there.

Another time on a Thanksgiving trip to the mother in law's I launched at Lithia Springs boat launch. Drove across the "bay" and there are like 50 coves in coves of coves. It's pretty weird but one of the big coves, first one I came to, had 3 or 4 hundred greenheads way in the back of it. Jumped them then drove to where the feathers were and tossed out decoys as fast as I could trying to set up before they came back. Hell I was sitting in the boat still tossing decoys and here they are landing all around me like I wasn't there. Picked up the gun and boom boom boom tripled. They actually came back after I shot at em and I killed one more. It's not that easy usually but there are days when you get away with some serious blind violations. It was cloudy which totally goes against my theories. Ducks can see you better on cloudy days imo. No shadows makes hiding hard.


I've had some bizarre hunts. It's called "adapting". If it works it ain't crazy despite what anyone else says.

Now WMA X. Oh God I had hundreds and hundreds landing all around me every day for weeks. Spoiled me bad. Do you guys remember that picture of the hen mallard that got turned inside out at point blank range? It was self-defense.

[SpinnerMan]

Picked up the gun and boom boom boom tripled.

I've had them in spitting distance as well, but the huge difference is that you can just pick up your gun and shoot them and don't care if they see you move.

With deer, if they see you move, they are normally gone. It is especially exciting when the deer has a clue something is not quite right and is staring right at you and then either starts the head snap or foot stop maneuver to try and get you to move.

The cutest thing was I had a young doe bust me. An old doe would have gone for sure. The young doe slowly crept closer staring right at me. She had her twins with her. She started the foot stomp. The little ones had no clue what was going on, but they started imitating momma Unfortunately for momma's little girl, momma was not that bright. Momma actually busted me again as I tried to draw before she got into the brush, but still didn't bolt. Just gave me more of the stare down and then finally walked slowly into the brush giving me just enough time to draw and shoot her little girl before she was screened by the brush.

A couple years later I had an old doe catch something (my head turning) when she came up behind me. She didn't mess around, she stared at me while easing back the way she came. Normally what happens when they start staring you down.

[Rick]

The camo arm is a good idea. I need to remember that. But you can't blow a goose call with one hand.

One of my camo ploys at the Mudhole is cutting down on the size of the blind's black-hole from above by using camoed burlap as a curtain hanging down into it, so the dark spot is more like the top opening's two feet wide, rather than the blind bottom's four feet:

001.JPG

That photo was a sneak shot of one of the reasons I hate seeing double barrels there, but in the bottom right hand corner, you can see my goose calling hide. If the birds are where I can't call from behind the top edge of the blind, I'll flip that curtain end up with my elbow, root under it and call with everything but my eyes and hat under/behind it.

[Rick]

I have to say that my blind partners are really great with in blind coverup and I noticed it this past season.

Can't help but smile when I think of Black's Cowardly Lion mask, but it probably makes him a better hunter than most of us...