Preseason

[aunt betty]

That east facing blind was well hidden from the front and above but from the rear it looked like a garage. Stuck out that bad.
Sometimes we had to use the river (Bayou DeView) to access. First time I saw it from the backside I went "O God". Hard to believe they kill around 1500 birds per season from it. The location is why. When you got ten shooters the stats add up quick.

[Rick]

I hear that blind does ok , even without the flamingo

That's probably not the blind you're thinking of but "Nanette's blind," where Leonard now hunts. Generally does alright - but nothing like Clark's.

[Rick]

And now I'm scratching my head over where I'd found it...

[Rick]

Ah, found it when looking for the blind PJ and his crew eventually took over.

[DComeaux]

He we go boys. Gadwall are strong. Hope they come visit us. I also like the bluewing numbers.

Duck Numbers Remain High
Most populations are above long-term averages; pintails and scaup are still a concern
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today released its report on 2017 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations, based on surveys conducted in May and early June by FWS and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Overall duck numbers in the survey area remain high. Total populations were estimated at 47.3 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, which is similar to last year’s estimate of 48.4 million and is 34 percent above the 1955-2016 long-term average. The projected mallard fall flight index is 12.9 million birds, similar to the 2016 estimate of 13.5 million.

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-surveys/2017/duck-numbers

2017-chart.jpg

[Darren]

Good deal! Though, again with the "its all about your perception based on what traffics your blind's field of view". Numbers could be way down, but we could see lots! Or hopefully not vice versa

I'm all in, bring it!!

[Ericdc]

Pond numbers are up, that's important.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

Bear, I'm going to do my damnedest to make it look like all of the other roseau clumps around us,

Cattle panel slanting away from the blind is a fine way to add 3-D effect and keep canes in place through wind and rain. Will also discourage Ellie traffic through it.

Sounds good..Thanks for the idea.

do you lay the Roseau on the panel or stick it through the squares standing vertically? But the panels keep it in place


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The later, but diagonally crosswise and also away from the blind, so it doesn't interfere with swinging guns.

[Rick]

very glad you put this pic up. We have a hunting friend who WILL NOT USE wax Myrtle in the marsh because it's not naturally growing there. But have other friends who kill and that's there main concealment. This just gives me more leverage now. I assume this blind kills comparable to the mud hole yea?

All of Cherry Ridge's blinds are wax myrtle covered along with natural vegetation that has overgrown some of them. I'm not a great fan in that application, but theirs is a wonderfully well maintained marsh with the blinds circling a large holding area aptly known as "the body," and they generally do better than most in our area. Have one silly good teal blind, plus Clark's takes the prize for best big duck blind that I'm aware of in our area. Would swear it was heavily baited if the birds dropping from the heavens to it didn't also land in the holes around it.

[DComeaux]

I've seen ricks Roseau door he makes, I like it. Still have yet to try it though

Hey Rick, show me your door. Although mine would be garage size.

[Rick]

Turns out I can't thanks to photobucket's changes and boogering many of my photos so they were compressed when downloaded to my computer. But it's woven with spindles like these:

IMG_1326.jpg

which are turned half a twist to lock in a couple or three cane tops at a time placed with their cut ends and tops alternating:

IMG_1327.jpg

until you've a mat:

IMG_1342.jpg

IMG_1340.jpg

Only with cane, instead of cutgrass as above.

[Rick]

Remembered where I could find a cane shot:

P1020465.jpg

Might want Ellie to "assist":

P1020457.jpg

I hang mine with the canes/grass vertical from the hide's wire top with what are then inverted "V" hooks cut from wire coat hangers one end of which is twisted around the mat's twine and the other just dropped through the hide's wire when in use. When not in use, the mat hooks are pulled free and the mat bundled and left atop the hide.

[aunt betty]

Once you get the cane thing perfected why not make some straw bee hives?

[Rick]

Once I've got the cane thing done, I'm too busy hunting ducks. But the straw hive was a new bit of folk craft on me.

[DComeaux]

Rick, thanks for the play by play, we may just give that a go, though, I may need a crane to hang it.

[Ericdc]

Rick, thanks for the play by play, we may just give that a go, though, I may need a crane to hang it.

just know it's gonna be a hassle to open any kind of door on a windy morning, with a boat load of hunters.. unless, of course you put your door on top of hide like rick and can drive right in. We close our doors but I guess it doesn't hurt To keep it open if Rick kills like they do. I suppose birds wouldn't remember an odd looking hole in the side of a Roseau patch the next day when they pass by


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

His door faces north though too so the sun isn't shining on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DComeaux]

Rick, thanks for the play by play, we may just give that a go, though, I may need a crane to hang it.

just know it's gonna be a hassle to open any kind of door on a windy morning, with a boat load of hunters.. unless, of course you put your door on top of hide like rick and can drive right in. We close our doors but I guess it doesn't hurt To keep it open if Rick kills like they do. I suppose birds wouldn't remember an odd looking hole in the side of a Roseau patch the next day when they pass by


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

His door faces north though too so the sun isn't shining on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The opening faces south, blind faces west. The door will stay open when we leave the blind.

[Ericdc]

Rick, thanks for the play by play, we may just give that a go, though, I may need a crane to hang it.

just know it's gonna be a hassle to open any kind of door on a windy morning, with a boat load of hunters.. unless, of course you put your door on top of hide like rick and can drive right in. We close our doors but I guess it doesn't hurt To keep it open if Rick kills like they do. I suppose birds wouldn't remember an odd looking hole in the side of a Roseau patch the next day when they pass by


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

His door faces north though too so the sun isn't shining on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The opening faces south, blind faces west. The door will stay open when we leave the blind.

I was talking about ricks mudhole blind.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

Just for the record, mine's about due NE.

There are some dangerous-to-a-leaping-dog old submerged 2x staubs straight off the back of the dog stand, so I used to leave the Go-Devil tail up out of the water to block that retrieving route, and the sun's reflection off my stainless prop would bug pee out of Clyde and his hunters east of me if I forgot to cover it with a camo baggy on a stick. Shot birds, anyway, but perhaps not as many as we might have otherwise.

Could well be that an open boat-hide makes little or no difference, but it's one less thing to wonder about, and I like to think that my way of covering it is better than most others, because it conceals the unnatural horizontal element with bushy can tops.

[DComeaux]

I'm headed to the camp at noon tomorrow, alone, anyone want to go with me? Not much to do, just a little bag crete work and install a TV antenna.

[DComeaux]

Antenna??? You need Direct TV

Don't watch much TV at the camp,only need the local news and weather.

[Rick]

You can forget about Indawoods visiting if you don't get the games.