Preseason 2016...

[Ericdc]

Name of the game for October is DRAIN BABY DRAIN. Out of yards, off of roads, and out of rural ducky areas that birds can hole up in unbothered, be it fallow fields or timber backwaters.

It's not going to drain any lower than it is right there, it'll evaporate and absorb. That clay has been sealed since last October due to our spring flood and wet summer.


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[Rick]

Historically, Louisiana's driest month, and we could use it. Took the dogs back to Jarren's old flooded pasture spot this morning, and most of what was high ground is now stinking brown dead ground, but signs of renewed life are starting to sprout. And, perhaps, the loss of seed feed will be replaced with succulent young greens that wouldn't otherwise have been. Guess we'll see.

In other news, we saw a fair number of roadside spoons and pins during our morning travels.

[Ericdc]

Heck of a September front hitting today. NNE 10-15 up here


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[Rick]

We'll look forward to it.

[Darren]

Heck of a September front hitting today. NNE 10-15 up here
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Yes indeed, love the marine forecast I'd posted in my log. That's exactly what I want right now and a number of times moving forward this month. As Rick said October usually dry but last year it got really wet on the latter half of the month and that continued into Nov, too many puddles for birds and the hunters that chase them.

[Ericdc]

Another good front this coming weekend. Saw where it was going to be in the upper 20's in North Dakota.


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[Rick]

Still plenty of bluewings in places, but not much of anything else.

[Rick]

A few have seen specks, but I'm not among them.

Meant to include this teal shot with the above post:


and am seeing a scattering of bigger early migrators, but despite lots of field time, the kick of hearing my first specks of the year remains in my future...

[Rick]

MB, I'd be envious if it wouldn't have proven just a tease from something I'd have to do without seeing or hearing again for so long. A speck sick buddy said he was pretty sure he heard some high over Thornwell yesterday but couldn't spot them. Maybe headed for Johnson Bayou...

[Rick]

Thinking of that buddy reminded me of this ride with him a few Octobers ago:

[Darren]

I remember that one, and liked it a lot !

Awfully dry around our region, I like that too

[Ericdc]

2010 season we went up to put decoys out...was really dry that year and our field near Mer Rouge was loaded with ducks. Stayed fairly dry that year with some good fronts and we had a good season. We never had many geese use our field until late in the season.


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[Rick]

Leased another blind from the family whose place had the duck salad in teal season this evening, and the son who guided there for us told me he'd lost count at 1,300 between the all the morning and afternoon parties that had hunted it. Also said they're still in there tearing up the duck salad, so maybe I ought to make a pass that way just to sit and watch a while.

[Ericdc]

1300 last duck season?


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[Rick]

This teal season. Were at least two parties on it morning and afternoon (and sometime three counting my solo hunts with the old dog and buddy hunts the last weekend). Whole lot of guns out there.

Will be in rice next year and not nearly as reliable.

[Ericdc]

Dang, that's a lot for 16 days.


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[Rick]

You bet.

[Ericdc]

So you have it for the regular season now?

Rice field?


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[Rick]

It was a fallow/set-aside field that will be planted in rice next spring. Was plowed to dust and then allowed to hold rain water for weed control in preparation for that planting, and the duck salad was good enough to volunteer in epic fashion. Outdrew the heck out of all the rice in the area, and the show of birds dropping in from the heavens in late afternoon, presumably to feed undisturbed all night was a sight. As was the show of birds getting out when the hunters went in for morning hunts that weren't nearly so reliable as the afternoons, when as many as a dozen guys might be hunting in one party.

Be interesting to see how it holds up in the big season...

[Ericdc]

New ground is exciting, imagine it was pretty expensive.


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[Rick]

Very.

[Rick]

Wouldn't call it "specklebelly day" but did see a few flights over Klondike and the river this morning. First was thirty-some (still can't help but try to count the first however-many of the first flights I see each year) followed by seven stragglers spotted headed north to the west of Doug's 717 piece, where I was running the dogs. Thought I was seeing those same two flights of birds headed up the Mermentau when we were on our way to the house to drop off the old dog, but soon saw there was also another similarly "big" flight following them. And later, while working the young gun alone behind the camp, another eight passed, also headed north.

Had my backup speck call with me for the first bunch and almost broke them despite being well out, but lost them to their original course and had no discernible influence at all on the little group following them. Last eight seen should have been the most callable - but that time the call was on the truck seat. Wasn't happy with how that backup call sounded in the open field and will be retuning it.

[Ericdc]

Got up at 4:30 and let the dogs out. Didn't hear any birds but the north wind was blowing good already. Figured they'd be moving.


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[Darren]

Wouldn't call it "specklebelly day" but did see a few flights over Klondike and the river this morning. First was thirty-some (still can't help but try to count the first however-many of the first flights I see each year) followed by seven stragglers spotted headed north to the west of Doug's 717 piece, where I was running the dogs. Thought I was seeing those same two flights of birds headed up the Mermentau when we were on our way to the house to drop off the old dog, but soon saw there was also another similarly "big" flight following them. And later, while working the young gun alone behind the camp, another eight passed, also headed north.

Had my backup speck call with me for the first bunch and almost broke them despite being well out, but lost them to their original course and had no discernible influence at all on the little group following them. Last eight seen should have been the most callable - but that time the call was on the truck seat. Wasn't happy with how that backup call sounded in the open field and will be retuning it.

Aww yea! Always look forward to your first sightings over there, just a milepost in our traditional preseason calendar. Feels awfully nice this morning

[Rick]

We didn't encounter as many or try to call any this morning, but I did snap the first of no doubt countless pee-poor flying speck photos of the new season:

[Darren]

We'll take 'em! Keep them coming; more migrants than I can see here in BR. Looking to have a Delacroix blind build day very tentatively set for next Monday

[Rick]

First three I saw this morning passed low by your blind. 'Course the guys in the center blind might have shot at them as they crossed Dolza...