Season

Season

Postby Ericdc » Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:12 pm

Date: November 7 east zone goose opener

Time: called it around 8 am

Location: we hunted the big south blind, other group hunted rice blind

Cloud Cover: high clouds with some sun peaking through

Wind Direction and Velocity: calm to light easterly

Temperature: upper 50's then warming up fast

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: stayed night at camp and slept till 5 AM, woke up and made coffee then headed to pits. Beats waking up at 3 am.

Waterfowl Activity: had 1 high group of specks come from south and a single from same direction. No ducks moving.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: group of specks pushed off my aggressive calling to try and pull a juvenile out of group. Turned single but never got him to lock.

Hunters: me Rod and David.

Guns: shot some doves after finishing decoy work. First shot with new beretta was on the money.

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Kudos: got most of our decoys set with water coming in from pump.

curses: bad weather and didn't seem like anyone was hunting.

Birds By Species: 7 doves

Photo Ops:

Image


Due to dry conditions, was able to drive to pit with 2 loads of decoys yesterday evening.

Image
Rainbow this morning..perhaps a good sign for the season to come?

Image
Filling in crp side with decoys.

Image
Looking northwest

Image
Looking west.

Pumping should be complete by midweek. Ready for youth hunt next Saturday.


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Re: Season

Postby Darren » Sun Nov 08, 2020 11:39 am

Doesn't hurt my feelings to hear of the dry conditions, think its been same for much of the flyway for a good many weeks now. Water off I-49 had gone down some when I traveled through there last week but still had a lot of flooded woods I wouldn't normally see this time of year.

Your set up is looking good!
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:28 pm

Here are some screenshots of our 2 fields from a birds eye view. Image
Image
2nd pic shows south blind, still a few days of pumping to go.


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Re: Season

Postby Deltaman » Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:01 am

Looking good Eric, and glad to see it all coming together for you :thumbsup: Now it's time for the birds to do their part.......
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure, that just ain't so"
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:18 pm

Got to go up in the chopper today, man that's fun. I've never been in one before, so when I told pilot that, he replied "well it's Friday the 13th 2020, good day to go up for your first time" .

Was really cool to see everything from a birds eye view.
Image

Image
Image
Middle blind. Doesn't feel like we showing much water on ground level but the proof is in the pudding when you get up in the air.
Image


South blind looks good. Had a lone snow goose in the blue goose decoys when I drove up today.
Image
Image

Landscape up here is very dry. We have the only water for many miles. East of mer rouge on the famed little Missouri loop, the combines were getting as much rice cut as possible thanks to the very dry weather we've had since hurricane delta.

Image

Can't imagine there are many birds around with how dry and warm it is, but looking forward to tomorrow morning nonetheless.


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Re: Season

Postby Duck Engr » Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:31 pm

Good luck in the AM! Cool experience! I’ve never been in a whirly bird. Fixed wings only for me.
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Re: Season

Postby DComeaux » Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:42 pm

Awesome! I flew in many different models working for Petroleum Helicopters offshore for 9 years. I left PHI 24 years ago. Was that a Bell 212? (Huey)
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:45 pm

DComeaux wrote:Awesome! I flew in many different models working for Petroleum Helicopters offshore for 9 years. I left PHI 24 years ago. Was that a Bell 212? (Huey)
I don't know


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Re: Season

Postby Rick » Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:35 am

Ericdc wrote:Got to go up in the chopper today, man that's fun. I've never been in one before, so when I told pilot that, he replied "well it's Friday the 13th 2020, good day to go up for your first time" .


Made me smile thinking of overhearing a pair of forward observers we were going to insert, as the one with time in country told an apparent cherry, "Whatever you do, don't let them know you're scared."

So you know I shared that intel with the pilot to insure a "scenic" flight.

Dave, that looks much smaller than any of the Bell "Huey," ie: UH/utility helicopter models I'm familiar with, which were all much larger. When I was with the 173rd Airborne we were the first to use the Bell Jet Ranger OH-58s, now known as Kiowas, in combat, and they're the Bell I associate with PHI.
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:27 pm

Date: November 14 east zone youth hunt #1

Time: left at 9

Location: brought my nephew, good friend lance with his 2 boys to south blind. Jason brought grandson to middle blind

Cloud Cover: partly to sunny

Wind Direction and Velocity: calm to decent SE by the time we left

Temperature: upper 50's to warm

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: jason's grandson got his first duck. Lance and his boys had a good time being boys, wading around in decoys and finding things in the pit. (Small water snakes and crawfish)

Waterfowl Activity: very slow for us, jason said they had a nice little show at daylight then it died.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: 3 green winged teal came low from west and decoyed on hunter's end. Pair of mallards came by high and didn't check up. Didn't see a goose.

Hunters:

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Kudos: teal came pretty

curses: lack of available habitat in our area, so very few birds around.

Birds By Species:
1 green winged teal
1 shoveler


Photo Ops:
Image

Plenty of time for sunrise pics.

Image
Seymore boys being boys
Image
Hunter's take

Image
Lance and his boys Hayden and Andrew.


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Re: Season

Postby DComeaux » Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:43 pm

Good looking place. Your time is coming.
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Re: Season

Postby DComeaux » Sat Nov 14, 2020 6:48 pm

Rick wrote:
Dave, that looks much smaller than any of the Bell "Huey," ie: UH/utility helicopter models I'm familiar with, which were all much larger. When I was with the 173rd Airborne we were the first to use the Bell Jet Ranger OH-58s, now known as Kiowas, in combat, and they're the Bell I associate with PHI.



I do believe you are correct. I took a better look at the picture in zoom and the head on profile is narrow for a 212. Those two blades are what I caught my attention. Would like a side view. PHI had one or two 214 ST's which have two blades as does the 212. I could here them coming before they'd call 10 miles out. Those two bladed ships slap the air loudly. PHI also used the Bell 412.

As I mentioned, I left PHI 24 years ago after 9 years of employment and In that time we had a majority of Vietnam era pilots company wide. Those guy's were absolutely awesome pilots. I was at ease with them at the controls, and had some good times flying with those guy's. I had one ride near the end of my time there with a short time guard pilot that was trying to build the flight time required for the oil companies. It was an unforgettable experience, to say the least.
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Sat Nov 14, 2020 7:07 pm

Image
Side view


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Re: Season

Postby DComeaux » Sat Nov 14, 2020 7:51 pm

Ericdc wrote:Image
Side view


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That's a Bell 206.
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Sat Nov 21, 2020 4:37 pm

Date: November 21 (east zone opening day)

Time: left pit at 10:00 am

Location: me, rod, Robbie and guest Chad hunted south field. Other guys hunted middle field.

Cloud Cover: partly to clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: dead calm to as light and variable as possibly

Temperature: 50's to sweating while rearranging decoys

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: probably the lowest expectations I've had for an opening day in many years.

Waterfowl Activity: had a teal and a gadwall on the water 15 minutes early but they left before time. Had 2 teal, 2 big ducks, and a spoon work but not come in due to lack of wind. Decent but too high goose flight of specks and snows.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: got some specks attention but they circle and then go back they were they were.

Guns:

Malfunctions: none

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: none

Kudos: cooked some sausage, talked of better days to come while watching rice fields burn to our north and south. We need water on the landscape and we need it soon. Hoping by next weekend it'll feel more like November after rains. I may hunt the north wind Monday and the nasty Wednesday.

curses: felt like September in November, more dust and smoke in the air than birds.

Birds By Species: 0 for both blinds. Lease managers pit killed 2 ducks.

Photo Ops:
Image

Image


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Re: Season

Postby Darren » Sat Nov 21, 2020 5:05 pm

Tough one, Eric. Noticed in Bunkie area there's hardly any water anywhere, and farmers are working over fields that are finally now dry enough to work in. Hope the weather coming in this week gets it going. East end of our farm struggled, and they're usually the strongest part of it.
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Mon Nov 23, 2020 4:04 pm

Date: November 23

Time: enjoyed the sunny weather and chilly wind till 11:30

Location: south blind

Cloud Cover: clear all morning

Wind Direction and Velocity: 5 NE to 10-15 NE after 8 am

Temperature: 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: we shot something.

Waterfowl Activity: when we didn't have a flurry of birds around shooting time I knew things hadn't changed despite the front passing through. We had 1 spoon in decoys before daylight. 1 mixed group of about 10 gadwall with a couple mallards, and a pair of gadwall. A few high speck flights

Waterfowl Responsiveness: the mixed group worked pretty until they criss crossed us coming down levee from west. The pair came as pretty as you'd want. Specks would react to call but never full commit to a circling spiral

Hunters: Robbie, Colin and I

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): honey

Special Equipment: won't be any spinners used with my group unless we are hunting with mixed group from camp and they want to use them.

Kudos: looks like the ducks like our setup.

curses: as few birds in area as I've seen in a long time. Choking on dust driving to pits, and smoke in the air from stubble burns just doesn't feel like duck hunting.

Considering hunting Wednesday in the unsettled weather, just to see if rain and wind will bring any birds.

Birds By Species:
2 gadwall
1 snow goose
2 snipe

Photo Ops:
Image

More fire

Image
Colin


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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Tue Nov 24, 2020 8:31 pm

Think things are about to turn in my favor.

Lord willing, I'm hunting tomorrow Friday Saturday Monday and Tuesday.
Image


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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:58 pm

Date: November 25

Time: left at 9:30

Location: south blind

Cloud Cover: post squall drizzle to clear by 9

Wind Direction and Velocity: light SW to steady 10-12 wsw

Temperature: 60's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: nothing

Waterfowl Activity: nothing but very high geese headed north

Waterfowl Responsiveness: too high

Hunters: Colin and I

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Kudos: according to Jeff Simmons report, the whole area is struggling with very low bird numbers and dry conditions. Can't get worse

curses: speck and snow wanted in bad early but I didn't pull the flaps and they ended up seeing us. 3 mallards worked at 7:30 but hung up and left.

Birds By Species:
0

Photo Ops:
Image

Image


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Re: Season

Postby Rick » Wed Nov 25, 2020 2:51 pm

The photos of your lease look so darn good that it's hard to believe nothing's found it yet.
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:34 pm

Rick wrote:The photos of your lease look so darn good that it's hard to believe nothing's found it yet.

Yea, we had a few birds around beginning of the month then it warmed up so much for 2 weeks after youth hunt that I assume they went back north or went somewhere.

It makes it tough when it's a new place and new guys. The few ducks that have come by looking have worked really well, and that's the positive I'm taking from it.


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Re: Season

Postby Darren » Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:05 pm

I think it's got to get right for you with the weather we have coming for next week given the rain and cold, looks absolutely legit and has staying power.

Wed morning next week
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:14 pm

Darren, I've already scheduler off for Monday and Tuesday.

Going to hunt with my brother Saturday in the little rice field that hasn't been rolled yet.

My younger guys are real concerned with not having the field roller yet and that they won't kill ducks in it like it is.

Due to the warm weather, it's got a lot of green in it. Next weeks temps should take care of that.

I hunted a rutted, unburned, unrolled rice field in 2009-10 season where we had a very slow start but hammered them all the way through 2nd split.
Image

Image

2009 field^

Image
Image
This years field.


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Re: Season

Postby Darren » Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:26 pm

Yea I think the field part will be fine for you; the farmer rolled us a hole this year and I've been impressed by the birds wanting it but still look forward to it opening more.

I've got an eye on Monday myself :beer:
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Sat Nov 28, 2020 3:06 pm

Date: November 28

Time: Simon hung till 10 then I decided to call it

Location: we were in rice blind after it got rolled yesterday.

Cloud Cover: partly to hazy to solid high clouds

Wind Direction and Velocity: NNE 10-12

Temperature: low 50's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: I think this was my nephews first pit blind hunt, and his dads dogs first also

Waterfowl Activity: lot more birds in air than have been. Mostly geese medium to high but nothing low and easy yet

Waterfowl Responsiveness: mallard came pretty, specks would look and go on to big body northeast of us

Hunters: me brother Ryan and 8 year old nephew Simon

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): goose. After a little bit of running around he caught the scent and found our bird.

Special Equipment:

Kudos: mallard worked pretty.

curses: just discouraged by the slow start but now that we've got better water showing and weather things should improve. We are definitely under the main drag of the north to south flyway.

Birds By Species: 1 mallard

Photo Ops:
Image

Rolling job yesterday evening.
Image
Simon and Goose.

Image
No deer yesterday evening, hope they move this evening.


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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:58 pm

Date: November 30

Time: Robbie and I left at 12:30, other 2 left around 9:30

Location: south blind

Cloud Cover: mostly clear to clear by sunrise

Wind Direction and Velocity: 10-15 NNW with occasional 20 mph gusts then becoming WNW around lunch

Temperature: upper 30's to low 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase: big and bright

Special Notes: I cannot remember a duck season when I didn't shoot a green winged teal, a shoveler, and a speck in the month of November

Waterfowl Activity: big medium to high to ultra high goose flight of all kinds from all directions. Probably didn't see 100 ducks

Waterfowl Responsiveness: specks still not interested in any where but their planned destination. Not many ducks but what we are seeing work really well.

Hunters: me Robbie dakota and jason

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): honey

Special Equipment: dakota and jason had 3 lucky ducks that stayed off more than on due to goose traffic

Kudos: we put together a respectable and pretty strap. Other blind shot 13 (7 green wings) ducks and 2 specks, between 3 of em.

Today took some of the anxiety and pressure away from a slow start at a new farm.

curses: mixed bunch of mallards and wigeon early didn't get right....specks being tough and no teal in our end.

Birds By Species:
3 mallards
2 pintail
1 gadwall
1 wigeon

Photo Ops:
Image

Bright moon 30 minutes before shooting time
Image
Honey seemed to know she was being photographed
Image
"Good" ducks right?


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Re: Season

Postby Darren » Tue Dec 01, 2020 8:34 am

Ready for that big moon to get to slimming. Birds flew by in the pre-LST light
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Re: Season

Postby Ducaholic » Tue Dec 01, 2020 2:06 pm

Darren wrote:Ready for that big moon to get to slimming. Birds flew by in the pre-LST light



Heard a similar tale from one of my favorite used to be hot spots on public land. The gads were thick for the first hour this morning and then nothing.
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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Tue Dec 15, 2020 8:39 am

Deer are moving really good this week so far. Teens of December is always prime deer time for me.

Saturday looks like clouds, little SE wind and maybe some rain. Not my favorite but if the teal show up I'll be happy.


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Re: Season

Postby Ericdc » Wed Dec 16, 2020 9:06 am

Image
Good hunt yesterday evening. He's the one I've been after.

Probably the latest of gone into the season before getting one, but the teens of December are always best time of year for me.


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