2015-2016 Season Log

[Deltaman]

Glad you are still seeing enough birds to make it worthwhile. We do have another front coming through this week, so hopefully, it will reload your marsh for the weekend!

[Rick]

Wheres your camera?

No excuse, drill sergeant, no excuse.

[Rick]

We do have another front coming through this week, so hopefully, it will reload your marsh for the weekend!

Doesn't appear to be much of one, but we'll see. Usually just having the weekend hunters out in the rice is enough to give us a bump.

[Ericdc]

Glad you are still seeing enough birds to make it worthwhile. We do have another front coming through this week, so hopefully, it will reload your marsh for the weekend!

Not seeing a front?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1442335224.594983.jpg

[Rick]

Date: 9/15

Time: afternoon

Location: w Scanlan

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: southerly moderate

Temperature: warm

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: fair teal flight over the farm to our north, but little nearby

Waterfowl Responsiveness: skittish, skittish, skittish for teal

Hunters: grandson Cole

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh

Special Equipment: spinner

Curses: no shooting ops

Kudos: enjoyed the visit

Birds By Species: scratch

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

Addendum 9/15 morning Photo Op Took this shot of a mottled sitting with a working spinner, because it's something one won't ever see here come the big season:

[Rick]

Date: 9/16

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE or south to east moderate

Temperature: still cool enough to be comfortable

Barometer: 30.1 rising slightly

Moon phase: waxing cresent

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: gets slower every morning with no weather change in sight

Waterfowl Responsiveness: thankfully strong or we'd be without

Hunters: 2, Jeff and son Cody down from Alaska to hunt gators and teal

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): the coyote did the do to include a spooky long track

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: just that we didn't have more birds

Kudos: super nice folks and good company on a slow day

Birds By Species: 11 bw teal

Photo Ops: Jeff and Cody with birds:


Lagniappe:

[Deltaman]

Addendum 9/15 morning Photo Op Took this shot of a mottled sitting with a working spinner, because it's something one won't ever see here come the big season:

I've noticed the same effect here with spinners, damn Mottles are wary as hell of them and will typically take a pass, while Gaddies, Mallards, and most other ducks will come in and damn near try to hump'em.

[Rick]

That spinner is painted to match the dark pond water because while I leave it on for teal, I kill it when big ducks are spotted and would rather they didn't see it at all. Just like my chances of putting them where we want them better without.

[Rick]

Date: 9/16

Time: afternoon

Location: Thornwell

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: variable and moderate

Temperature: warm

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: saw several mostly high bunches that acted like they knew exactly what we were up to.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Nil, had a couple strafe the spinners and a pair actually work, but were otherwise mostly ignored

Hunters: Buddy hunt with friend James

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): James brought Chubs and I bored Marsh

Special Equipment: 2 large and 2 small spinners - more wasn't better

Curses: just the lack of birds in general and working birds in particular. Don't know if they've left the country or are all holed up in safe places, but with no weather change in sight, it could be a tough season.

Kudos: Wasn't on the couch and had a nice visit.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Bud]

That mottled duck checking out the snazzy paint job, I wonder? Good thinking with the color.

[Rick]

Date: 9/17

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: light SE

Temperature: warm

Barometer: 30.2 rising slightly

Moon phase: waxing crescent

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Nothing moving early and very little later.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Still coming to the rig and call like they should in the marsh, with next to nothing feasible that didn't do as told.

Hunters: 2, Barb who does a lot of online women outdoors writing and editing and DIL, Tracy, on the latter's first duck hunt.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake did some sweet cripple work, but mostly chauffeured.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: No complaints from this guy, other than the lack of game.

Kudos: The gals did absolutely great and made the most our opportunities, including a six bird volley.

Birds By Species: 12 bw teal (11 drakes and 1 hen)

Photo Ops: Becky Lou's huntress crew has to be the picture takingest our camp ever sees:


Straight shooters who made their own hunt, Tracy and Barb:


"Little help":


Lagniappe: Been my experience that most parties bring their hunts with them and find whatever it is they're really looking for. This was one of them, and the gals and I passed a mighty fine time on what could have been a bad day.

[DComeaux]

Doug's getting double sugars......

[Darren]

Doug's getting double sugars......

Very nice! On a marginally related note......Jenny Rose or no Jenny Rose?

[Rick]

No Jenny Rose. Now have Jeffery, who can cook, and his helper.

[Darren]

No Jenny Rose. Now have Jeffery, who can cook, and his helper.

Look forward to his creations, we'll have a crew descending a few days after Christmas.

[Rick]

Date: 8/17

Time: afternoon

Location: SS

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: light easterly

Temperature: hot

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: more big duck than little moving, and no big groups of teal, high or low, spotted

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Nothing but lost singles about, and they craved company.

Hunters: 2, Sid and Bradley

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake's still deaf but aces when he sees them go down.

Special Equipment: spinners large and small

Curses: no game

Kudos: nice guys made it a good time

Birds By Species: 3 bw teal

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Ericdc]

Man that's tough. I'm not going to even bother going this Saturday up here anywhere with the hot weather and no wind predicted.

[Rick]

It's my hope that they're just dug into safe places, and weekend hunting pressure will shuffle that deck some. Am taking a fellow who'll whine over anything but a limit and his friend this morning, so it's going to be a very long one...

[Deltaman]

"Am taking a fellow who'll whine over anything but a limit and his friend this morning, so it's going to be a very long one..."

Ugh ..........know the type.......nothing like additional, unneeded pressure.............good luck Rick!!!!!

[Bruce Yerkes]

What a let down Rick after taking the ladies the day before. In that photo, it had to be real early in the am for all that hugging of Doug, or real late at night. Hope all is well in Klondike.

Bruce.

[Rick]

Date: 9/18

Time: morning

Location: Mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: Easterly very light

Temperature: hot

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: about what it's been, which isn't good

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Lord knows they tried to do as bid.

Hunters: 2 Drs Charles and Kent

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Peake lost at least one - just burned out from working the flotant in the heat I think

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Lots of crowd control woes, and I wasn't as patient about it as I might have been.

Kudos: Charles was on the high side of his shooting roller coaster this morning and got to say they got their almighty limit.

Birds By Species: 12 (thank goodness) bw teal (9 drakes, 3 hens - highest hen ratio to date when checked)

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

[Rick]

What a let down Rick after taking the ladies the day before. In that photo, it had to be real early in the am for all that hugging of Doug, or real late at night. Hope all is well in Klondike.

Bruce.

Doug's health isn't what we'd like, but otherwise we're about as you left us.

[Ericdc]

Crowd control problems don't get invited back, obviously something you can't do. They tip u well?

[Rick]

Among the very tightest, perhaps "the". And while the criticism and second guessing of my setup and shooting decisions began about as soon as Doc C was in the blind, he seems attached to my ass for life. (Coming back Monday.) Really not a bad person, just a hard one to hunt because of all the whining and inability to hold his water until I've got the birds where they need to be.

[Ericdc]

Dang, I felt like we tipped pretty well and we weren't Dr's for sure.

[Rick]

Can't say I remember, Eric. I dang sure don't do this for the money; just passing a good time in the field means a whole lot more to me.

[Ericdc]

Can't say I remember, Eric. I dang sure don't do this for the money; just passing a good time in the field means a whole lot more to me.

Yea that was 3 years ago. What do you deem a good tip? Like a percentage of the hunt cost?

[Rick]

That's a question I won't answer.

[Ericdc]

That's a question I won't answer.

Fair enough. I googled it, seems tipping a percentage of the hunt cost is most common. Kinda like going out to eat.