Looking ahead...

[Rick]

Last gator egg has been picked, and I'm on long break until time to fish their daddies first Wednesday in September, so this morning seemed a good one to work on getting Call over the fear of boating he'd self-induced by falling, or bailing, overboard as a wee pup. Paid them no mind in our yard or the Cherry Ridge boathouse, but get back in one..."Nope. No way. Ain't happenin'."

Well, not until this morning and, eventually, by force with the aid of a slip lead. But he's a dog, and going for a ride is going for a ride, and puppyhood fears were soon behind him. So the short introductory trip I'd planned to ease him into accepting his spot behind a mudboat's driver's seat was extended to tour a few blinds before quitting while still ahead.

To beat the heat, we'd met sunrise at the boathouse, and it was still too early for very many black-bellies to be back from the rice, but there was a fair show of woodies and a few mottleds about. Most eye-catching, though was just how much more vegetation had grown up since we'd picked that marsh scarcely, if, a month ago. Suppose the difference in vantage between an airboat perch and mudboat's seat had something to do with it, but still... If filling the drought dried marsh with salty Intracoastal water last fall set anything back, it's hard to see what it might be.

[Rick]

Forgot to mention the three "teal" we flushed. Would bet a dollar they were that, but not a whole lot more or that, if that, they hadn't summered over. Strange thing being their odd number. Had also thought that odd when three "sure look and fly like teal" jumped from not too distant marsh a few weeks ago. Naturally, both trios were silhouetted by morning sun, so no chance of seeing the blue-wings' trademark for verification.

Shouldn't be but a couple or three more weeks 'til sure-nuff migrants start showing up.

[Duck Engr]

Glad to hear the marsh has bounced back quickly Rick.

[Darren]

Exciting stuff !

[Ducaholic]

Won't be long...

[Rick]

11-months today - and still needing sat for still photos:

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As well as easily distracted:


But I like to think Call's maturing and/or we're making progress with his ADHD.

Know I'm tickled with how he's turning out physically. Lucked into a athletic breeding on the small end of the breed's spectrum, and the old rule of thumb of doubling a pup's 4mth weight (31lbs) to project it's adult weight looks to end up pretty close again. He's still a bit under 60, fits nicely in the niche behind the driver's seat of a Cherry Ridge mudboat and is about as right as can be for marsh duty. Then, too, there's that dark coat that I feared might make him less heat resistant than his tan predecessors' but hasn't and has proven appreciably more otter-like and water resistant.

[Rick]

Another shot from this morning that I plan on sending Call's breeder along with a complaint about being sold a vegan:

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Though I choose to take it as a good sign, since the late, great Coyote shared that taste for rice:

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[Darren]

Lot to like about all that above, uncle Rick

Glad for ya and excited to see how it goes in Sept and beyond

[Duck Engr]

Speaking of September, you have an outfit lined up for the early season?

[Rick]

Just the same extra hand deal with Cherry Ridge. Put my name in the hat with friends running Lacassane Company's hunting, as well, but it's the very best of what's left here: 26,000 mixed marsh and ag land acres managed for waterfowl bordering NWR and hunting no more than eight blinds a day. So that hat's overflowing. And it's a longer drive than I'm willing to make to the only other high-roller marsh I've a solid in with.

Don't expect any of the regulars to quit or croak at Cherry Ridge, but am most grateful for the toehold I have there and anxious to make the best I can of it.

[DComeaux]

Beautiful dog.

[Rick]

Beautiful dog.

In the "Way back when..." I could be roped into judging the Gueydan Duck Festival trial, I tried to have something nice to say about every entrant. When they did genuinely good work, I'd compliment that. And if they were out of control, "That dog's got some serious drive." But when at a total loss for a positive take, I'd fall back on "Sure is pretty."

Still cringe a bit when someone compliments one of my guy's looks. But thanks, we've known days when that might be this one's only saving grace.

[DComeaux]

Beautiful dog.

In the "Way back when..." I could be roped into judging the Gueydan Duck Festival trial, I tried to have something nice to say about every entrant. When they did genuinely good work, I'd compliment that. And if they were out of control, "That dog's got some serious drive." But when at a total loss for a positive take, I'd fall back on "Sure is pretty."

Still cringe a bit when someone compliments one of my guy's looks. But thanks, we've known days when that might be this one's only saving grace.

I laughed.... I didn't overlook his nice retrieve to your side, or his sit and hold. Something my little wild child has yet to learn. He is a good looking dog, though.

[Rick]

We've always conspired to condition retrieving to hand from the first hallway tosses on, but I only sometimes ask mine to heel first, just to insure they will.

[PorkChop]

Where’s the Louisiana accent? You sound like you are from Ohio love seeing the retrieving videos! Looking forward to future videos of Call during the season!!!

[Deltaman]

Coming along nicely Rick, and love seeing that excitement in his retrieve. Funny about his (and the Coyote's) taste for rice!

[Rick]

Where’s the Louisiana accent? You sound like you are from Ohio

Born in WVa and considered a "damn hillbilly" while in living Ohio before coming down here and being demoted to "Yankee".

[Rick]

Funny about his (and the Coyote's) taste for rice!

The real coyotes like it, too.

[PorkChop]

Funny about his (and the Coyote's) taste for rice!

The real coyotes like it, too.

Not rice, but one time my old hunting partner shot a coyote and when we picked it up, it had nothing but sunflower seeds still in the shell coming out of its backside. Probably did that coyote a favor by shooting it.

[5 stand]

Funny about his (and the Coyote's) taste for rice!

The real coyotes like it, too.

Not rice, but one time my old hunting partner shot a coyote and when we picked it up, it had nothing but sunflower seeds still in the shell coming out of its backside. Probably did that coyote a favor by shooting it.

My pups eat a handful of sunflower seeds every morning and evening when I feed the birds...

[Rick]

When Call and I finished our morning round, a fellow who used to guide for us was waiting at the truck to tell me I should have seen the teal coming out of our marsh and crossing the farm he was coming from. Somewhat suspicious in that there are seldom many teal in our marsh before the ag land shooting starts, and he's a "limit every day" guy. Still, he's someone who knows teal from shorebirds.

And it's given me a prod to take Call boat riding in the marsh tomorrow...

[Darren]

That front could have moved 'em in.

[MallardBay]

Saw a seven pack crossing the Bay on Sat AM. Got close enough to be sure they weren't woodies.
A couple of our guides reported seeing small groups by the rocks near Holly Beach this weekend as they were putting the North wind to use on the specks.

[jrock75]

I thought I saw my first group of teal flush up from the bottom field/reservoir at the farm this past weekend. I gave them many hard looks to make sure but I wouldn't bet on my ID accuracy staring into the sun. Seems too early.

[Rick]

Call and I met the sun at Cherry Ridge and spent a couple hours tooling around, but only saw woodies and squealers. Which is pretty much par for me, as others will see scads before I see a migrant flock, usually around the 18th, I think. Then they'll appear in force for the Gueydan Duck Festival on the last weekend of the month.

Made our way to six of the blinds, one of which was enough of an adventure feeling our way though the floating turf jungle of taller-than-me stuff last year's conditions begat to obscure the trail to convince me I didn't want to chance getting to the remaining two blinds in the little 25hp mudboat the pup and I were in. Have run that marsh in one capacity or another for over twenty years and never seen it as it now stands. Crazy how much it's grown up just since we picked eggs there a month ago.

Did give Call plenty of chance to get our "All paws on the main deck while underway." rule down pat And we used the occasion, and much of the gas can I brought, to get a start on chopping up the chinquapins (American lotus lilies) blanketing the Zero Blind pond. Not the best of spots, but it has a platform blind offering easy access for an older fellow I hope to take teal hunting and is so small, shallow and isolated that we've never caught a significant gator there. Still won't let Call swim there while the water's warm, but it's all thick stuff behind the blind and should provide him some work away from the pond.

[Darren]

Caught episode 1 of Duck Camp Dinners, Season 3 last night, which had the crew holed up at Doug's lodge and quite a bit of footage of carrying on around the camp, sitting around the table, and cooking in the kitchen.

Have to say, it was almost unwatchable for me. While neat to see on the 'big screen,' the feeling was as if a bunch of strangers had invaded my grandmother's kitchen. Hard to see a special place occupied by so many that had nothing to do with its storied history.

[Rick]

Caught episode 1 of Duck Camp Dinners, Season 3 last night, which had the crew holed up at Doug's lodge and quite a bit of footage of carrying on around the camp, sitting around the table, and cooking in the kitchen.

Have to say, it was almost unwatchable for me. While neat to see on the 'big screen,' the feeling was as if a bunch of strangers had invaded my grandmother's kitchen. Hard to see a special place occupied by so many that had nothing to do with its storied history.

Doesn't sound like something i'd want to see. Hard just to think about.

[Rick]

On a happier note, Call and I met this morning's sun at Cherry Ridge and went lily choppin'. Started at AW's and were passed by two most definitely blue-wings (our first such positive ID) as we entered the pond. It's the pond I've most often hunted and we'd cleared most of what I really wanted to for hunting Sunday, but did a bunch more to insure line of sight to where our gator baits will be.

Headed on to the northeast blind stopping to clear lilies from trail junctions and the productive stretches from past gator seasons, as well as trying to break up as much of the loose floating turf blocking the trail in places. Had made it to the NE blind the other day but a couple huge newly mobile islands forced me to find new passage. Felt like I needed an Indian guide to stick with the trail in broad daylight, but saw a little flight of 6 little-doubt teal pass, as well as jumping more and more black-bellies as we progressed east.

Left more standing lilies than I'd like at the NE blind but did knock out a hole for decoys and cleared areas for a couple gator lines along the blind island. Will have to go back to open better line of sight to those baits from around the pond and help make finding downed birds more manageable.

Somewhat ironically, I saw the morning's biggest show of teal, a dozen or so, flying over the camp headed towards Oak Island camp after I'd called it quits and was idling down at the boat house.

Still not seeing teal in the flooded stubbles and remaining crawfish water coming or going through generally prime ag land, but like to think not seeing them now means more coming through during their season...

[Darren]

Lot to like about that outing!

Less so on the episode I mentioned; while I'm generally a big fan of that series to date, I'd rec passing on this episode.

[Rick]

Had a lucky find while pumping out a blind this morning. Nothing but limpkin crap on the bench when I dropped a bilge pump in and hooked it up, but a new little turd was there when I came back to check on its progress:

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Sort of thing that might be overlooked among the debris while mucking out what the pump can't get...