Eric's log book

[DComeaux]

That sucks. I think we've all been there......Place is looking good!

[Ericdc]

Storm Friday night was good and bad. Free water is always good, but it knocked out the powerline on farm so pumps are down. We have plenty on north cut but south cut will need a little more.

I'll be going after specks Friday and bringing youth Saturday.

Pics are from 2 other lease members who brought last load of duck decoys to the pit today.


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[Rick]

In my experience, that shallow cut is the better one for birds - with the rub being keeping it at that perfect, clods showing level without a stronger hand on water control than is often available.

[Ericdc]

In my experience, that shallow cut is the better one for birds - with the rub being keeping it at that perfect, clods showing level without a stronger hand on water control than is often available.

I can keep it pretty close to where I want it, and I agree it looks good, but will have some evaporation and soaking with all the hot weather this week.
I do like the clods showing a lot.


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[Darren]

Lookin good!! Glad things went your way after the tire mishap

[jrock75]

Eric,

Are you hunting the old Poland farm between Kilbourne highway and the state line? Those tree lines look familiar.

Jonathan

[Ericdc]

We are on the south side of the highway.


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[Ericdc]

Going to deploy these in the morning and then get everything ready for youth hunt Saturday.


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[Ricky Spanish]

Man those are nice silos. I'd stick em in the ground then it freezes and they're stuck until spring which is why none of my silos ever got stolen.
Once in they're in until March or April.
Good luck.

[Ericdc]

Made a "speck hunt" get blind ready for youth hunt trip today.

Continuous stream of specks out of the north once sun came up. All high and not enough wind to make them want to get down. Still fun to watch.

Pretty good duck flight started around 7:30, saw mostly gadwall, spoons, pins, and mallards. Few flights of jacks. Didn't see a teal.

Tomorrow should be interesting for the youth.


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[Rick]

Sic 'em.

[Ericdc]

Date: 11/12/2022 east zone youth hunt

Time: stayed until 10:00 am

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: low and heavy then higher but solid cloud deck

Wind Direction and Velocity: 10-15 NNW

Temperature: low 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: tough conditions for 2 young guys first duck hunt (aside from shooting wood ducks on a creek)

They had fun though

Waterfowl Activity: not as good as I hoped
High steady goose flight. A few waves of ducks but all high.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: teal came good but gadwall wouldn't. Did get 1 speck in right but we didn't connect.

Hunters: Jacob's 2 boys Shepard and Asher, and Bob's grandson Tyler.

Guns:

Malfunctions: both young boys short stroked their pumps on the speck excitement.

Dog(s): me

Special Equipment: no spinners this year

Kudos: they got to shoot some.

curses: tough conditions for young guys and not the flight i hoped for

Birds By Species:
2 scaup
1 green winged teal

Photo Ops:

Posing




Shepard (9) and Asher (8)



With dad


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[Anotherone]

Good times.

[Rick]

That's a crew!

[Ericdc]

Looking like partly cloudy and a light NE wind for our opener Saturday. Give me enough wind to move the water and enough sun for good glare and shadows and I'll be happy.

I won't be going Sunday, but it looks like better weather day of the 2.

May go back Monday or Tuesday if I can get any wind and any sun.

We'll be headed south for Thanksgiving to hunt with my brothers in little chenier through next weekend. Would like to see the wind turn south at some point before next Saturday but we'll see.


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[Rick]

We'll be headed south for Thanksgiving to hunt with my brothers in little chenier through next weekend. Would like to see the wind turn south at some point before next Saturday but we'll see.

Most folks down here like a SE wind, but it doesn't appear we'll ever see another.

[Ericdc]

My first several years of hunting were spent in rice fields near Fenton and Elton. The guy that brought me was always excited about a SE wind. Usually meant green winged teal would show.

Up here, we've done best on N to NE winds, but I also have a fondness for clear frosty mornings after a freeze when the wind picks up out of the SW ahead of a warmup.

Weather changes are always fun, I've had days where it goes from SE to S to SW to W to NW by noon...those can be fun.

Sustained sameness isn't good though.


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[Darren]

Looking like heavy clouds for us in Avoyelles parish in AM, light NE winds. Basically same for Sunday, not much change but maybe less clouds. Opener weather hasn't mattered to us for last few years......we've had success without a breath of wind, presumably opener pressure being the driver.

At the office this morning but headed north around lunch time. Ducaholic promises me theres good numbers just south of us so it's on him if they don't show in the AM.

[Ericdc]

Date: 11/19/22 opening day

Time: Bob & Martin left at 10, Tommy and I left at 11

Location: pit

Cloud Cover: mostly clear to cloudy by the time sun rose.

Wind Direction and Velocity: dead calm then light NE to moderate NE then light again

Temperature: 30's to 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: happy to be back at the lease I enjoyed so much for several years.

Game wardens were set up on our farm early before anyone got there and watched group to our north hunt for about an hour then rode in and checked them. Word is they went through everything and found 1 lead shell to write a ticket for.

We just assumed they'd come check us when they left (they are a half mile north of us) but they left there pit and headed north never to be seen again.

Local warden has been after these guys for years, has checked their camp and now staked out on them. I have no idea why, they do a little sky busting here and there but I've never seen them do any poaching or shoot early.

Waterfowl Activity: ducks wouldn't finish due to calm wind, but the specks came in good ??

Saw a good many gadwall, spoons, and pintail, but very few teal.

Geese still flying when we left and saw 2 big bodies on highway west of us on the way home.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: early specks worked great, as clouds increased specks got less interested. Ducks would break and respond but not get in range.

Hunters: Bob, Tommy, Martin, and I (4 members of lease)

Guns: 2 berettas, an old a-5 and I forget what Bob has.

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): me and Martin

Special Equipment: no mojos will be used this year, will be rigging up a jerk rig.

Kudos: I'm going to enjoy hunting with these guys. We started the year by shooting 3 specks over the decoys, and these guys keep telling me they've never hunted with anyone who actually knows how to call specks. They'll probably be wanting ear protection on the bright windy flight days

curses: no wind early when ducks wanted to work and very few teal. Great weather forecast tomorrow that we needed today. I won't be able to go tomorrow but I hope guys do well.

Birds By Species:
4 specks
1 gadwall

Photo Ops:



3 young birds and 1 mature bird 


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[DComeaux]

NICE!!!

[Ericdc]

NE Louisiana
Due to mechanical issues with the aircraft to be used for the transect survey early in the
week, it became apparent that the intended regional coverage would not be achieved. Therefore, the familiar one-day cruise survey was initiated on Friday 18 November. Additionally, two days of transect surveying with limited geographical coverage were performed. Results presented here are from the completed cruise survey.
Habitat conditions were notably dry, yet overall improved from 2021. Pumping was noted in many traditional duck locations. Because of this, waterfowl were limited to impoundments where water delivery was possible and ongoing. Some limited crop harvesting was underway during the
survey. A total of 102,000 ducks and 135,000 geese were counted in the core areas that make up the northeast Louisiana cruise survey route. These estimates represent a change, from November 2021, of (+200%) for ducks and (+82%) for geese. Estimates were (-4.6%) and (+5.5%) the most recent 5-year average for ducks and geese respectively. Gadwall (38,000), green-winged teal (27,000), northern shoveler (15,000), mallard (12,000), and northern pintail (5,000) were the most abundant duck species observed. The mallard estimate is 500% greater than the 2,000 that were counted last November. In addition, there were 3,600 divers, nearly all ring-necked ducks. The majority of ducks (64%) were observed between Bunkie, Echo, and Lecompte with the rest being spread throughout the region. Notable concentrations of ducks were also seen near the predominantly agricultural habitats along Hwy. 15 and east of Bayou Lafourche (8%), near Bonita and Mer Rouge (7%), east of Hebert (6%), and Saline Farms near Brouillette (5%).
The largest flocks of geese were observed, near exclusively, in areas where ducks were most abundant including Bonita-Mer Rouge (47%), the Bunkie region (21%), Hwy. 15 east of Bayou Lafourche (20%), and east of Hebert (10%). Goose species composition of flocks was 23% greater white-fronted, and 77% light (snow & Ross’s) geese


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[Anotherone]

My optimism has just increased. Thanks for the info.

[Ricky Spanish]

My optimism has just increased. Thanks for the info.

And some day assateague will kill a pintail.

[Ericdc]

Date: 11/25/22

Time: left at 10:15

Location: friends place west of sweet lake

Cloud Cover: heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE to ENE 10 mph or so

Temperature: constant low 60's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: first time I've been back at this place in 10 years and they've done a lot of work on it to make it better.

Waterfowl Activity: pretty steady flights of scaup and pintail with teal, gadwall, wigeon and mallards mixed in. Pintails and scaup still flying when we left. Good goose flight but couldn't get specks committed.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: teal and gadwall worked in pretty. Pintails weren't interested

Hunters: me, Corey, Kyler and Carson

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Kyler's dog Cole

Special Equipment: 3 spinners on remotes

Kudos: we shot pretty well. Passed on scaup and tree ducks

curses: none really, other than couldn't get the pintail to work

Birds By Species:
1 mallard
1 mottled
1 wigeon
1 shoveler
4 gadwall
4 blue winged teal
8 green winged teal


Photo Ops:




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[DComeaux]

In can't see your pictures.

[Anotherone]

Wishing I had dos gris and Mexican squealers in my area.

[Ericdc]

In can't see your pictures.

I didn't post any


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[Ericdc]

I woke up to the pouring rain south of DeRidder this morning at 4 AM and decided to let my younger brothers and cousin brave it without me. Had hoped they'd have a quick shoot but they called the hunt early with storm approaching and reporting very little moving.


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[Ericdc]

Date: 11/30/22

Time: Bob and Tommy left at 10, I stayed till noon to enjoy my first hunt with sun and wind this year

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: stiff NNW 15-20 sustained then NNE 10-12 for the last hour

Temperature: left house in 60's, 40's at shop

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: close to my favorite conditions, except for id rather it about 29-32 degrees and a NNE 10-15

Waterfowl Activity: teal and gadwall covered us up 10 minutes before LST. Decent big duck flight till 8:30 or 9. Off and on goose flight till about 11:30

Waterfowl Responsiveness: responsive yes but we lost a lot to hanging in wind and eventually deciding it wasn't safe to get close.

5 pack of mallards (4 drakes and a hen) worked and worked until 1 of the drakes bought in but other 4 let him die and didn't follow. Bird in hand yes, but man I wish they'd stay together.

The 2 specks around 11:20 did it right and gave me a much needed confidence boost after having so many bail on final approach

Hunters: me Bob and Tommy

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): me

Special Equipment: as I've said, just decoys and calling this year, no electronics

Kudos: we didn't miss anything we shot at

curses: teal flight which would have helped us get a lot closer to a full limit came too early
Lost several specks on final approach after getting a real good initial break response

Birds By Species:
2 gadwall
1 wigeon
1 pintail
1 mallard
2 specks
1 Ross

Photo Ops:







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[Duck Engr]

Eric any signs of avian influenza in your area? Have talked to several buddies with fields north of you who’ve reported 10s to 100s of snows dead or dying from it.