2018-2019 Season Log

[Duck Engr]

Kudos: Hunt ended sooner than expected when a big flock of greenwings tried to land on the MMM, and Cole missed his first shot but Scotch-doubled on each of the next two.

Wow congrats to young Cole! I’ve never seen anyone pull that feat, much less a youth.

[Rick]

Was more luck than skill, of course, but was a first in memory for me, too. Doug had Cole hunting with us long before he was old enough to keep his eyes open when he pulled a trigger and probably set him back initially by doing so, but he's a good kid, and we've had a lot of fun together. Shot his first speck, ducks (bluewings) and greenhead with me, but doubt he'll top today's numerical fortune.

[Ericdc]

Always fun to take the kids, looking forward to hunting with my wife next weekend and watching our nephews enjoy the youth hunt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

This morning's hunt with the grandson who missed yesterday's was called due to heavy rains. Pouring now, but don'tcha know it will let up by LST.

Tempted to go for specks when it does, but have plenty of other stuff to do at home.

John, I talked to JB (guides with Cade Shaw?) yesterday, and he said they had "bunches of fifty" eating them up in SE Arkansas. Guess you may have been far enough north of them that the specks were all in the flooded corn or heated ponds.

That, or it's just good to be where they decide to die when they decide to do it.

[Rick]

This morning's hunt with the grandson who missed yesterday's was called due to heavy rains. Pouring now, but don'tcha know it will let up by LST.

And it did.

Also had coffee and a biscuit with Clark who was fishing on Cherry Ridge yesterday and saw "thousands" of ducks dropping into it. Wish I could say the same for ours, but sure don't mind having birds so nearby.

Also learned from another biscuit eater who owns our Thornwell place that one of our blinds there had nine specks, so that's a plus, too.

[Johnc]

Jack wager and issac had Some geese—-I am assuming that on ground manning/sonnier half’s on?

Henning killed 16 by 8.

Elliot sale scratched,Ben page scratched in am,I didn’t think about shooting,the plant only saw 12 birds on 12000 acres,Patin scratched in bunkie ,Megan menard scratched,haiden Richard had 1,hunter bardin had a speck and blue just down road from Doug’s on land Micah farms,fastabend nothing

So three blinds did ok—henning,one of Russell mcnabbs,and wager

Rest of speck community said absolutely horrible

[Ericdc]

I was hoping John would’ve said Eric Kirk scratched in Jones..........as part of speck community




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

Jack wager and issac had Some geese—-I am assuming that on ground manning/sonnier half’s on?

Would think Wager's the blind Steve Gauthier told me had nine. He didn't know how Manning did in the back of their piece. Was just out with the dog on Klondike and saw but two flights of specks and four low blues. Blues totally ignored the fool voice yelping from the next-door farm road, but one of a half dozen specks broke and was tolling until the pair I'd guess its parents came and got it. Other specks were a mile high and upwind.

[Rick]

Date: 11/5 Mon

Time: Morning

Location: south of Gueydan

Cloud Cover: dense fog

Wind Direction and Velocity: southeasterly fairly brisk for early morning

Temperature: chilly enough in the damp breeze to wish for more than my t-shirt.

Moon phase:

Special Notes: Knew I had too much going on today to wait out the fog and enjoy what happens when it breaks, but couldn't resist what's likely my last chance for early specks.

Waterfowl Activity: Nil, ducks or geese. Saw very few ducks and only the one little group of three that tolled out of the fog. Heard next to no geese, but there was a whooper convention periodically sounding off to my south.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Birds came to mimicry, but pushed off the dog standing behind me on their first pass. Let them slide a ways, moved the dog onto the levee and down, and tried again. Two of the three pushed off the troubling spot again. Third one should have.

Hunters: just the bug and I

Guns: 16ga Model 12

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Was a little surprised he made no attempt at breaking on the year's first goose, but the bug was solid until sent.

Special Equipment: two decoy "Charlie and Agnes" "spread"

Curses: Only that I couldn't stay until the fog broke. Shot our bird at 7:15 and didn't think about working anything more between then and heading home at 8:30.

Kudos: At least they didn't start moving to rub it in when we were on our way home.

Birds By Species: 1 speck

Photo Ops: Too little light for good action stills, so I tried video:


Lagniappe: "Real" reason I went was to see how the buffaloing went on the farm, and it was plain that someone (presumably Dusty) knowing his business spent some time on making the whole area more attractive. Almost like I'd have done it, were it my spot. (Says the old fart who generally thinks he knows best.) Kudos to whomever!

[Duck Engr]

Sounds like you made the best of your opportunities. Loved the video of marsh coming back in.

[DComeaux]

NICE!! Delicious fresh speck. Can't beat that!

[Darren]

Alright! Glad to see you chasing specks and giving us a hunt report to help pass this week

That flood looks good to me

[Rick]

That flood looks good to me

Naw, it's way too deep, but Doug dammed what should be the main drain for that side of the farm. Well, that, and he's yet to replace the broken off outside gate, so pumping off is pretty futile, anyway. But the birds don't know how deep it is until they're in it...

[DComeaux]

....but Doug dammed what should be the main drain for that side of the farm

Really, he plugged that hole? Didn't it just need a tall gate over the pipe? If I win the lottery I'm coming meet you.

[Darren]

That flood looks good to me

Naw, it's way too deep, but Doug dammed what should be the main drain for that side of the farm. Well, that, and he's yet to replace the broken off outside gate, so pumping off is pretty futile, anyway. But the birds don't know how deep it is until they're in it...

On second review it does appear on the deeper side. We are working on a replacement board for our use too. Current level is about right but board in place would let it go another 6 inches easily. Working on a shorter one........

[Ericdc]

That flood looks good to me

Naw, it's way too deep, but Doug dammed what should be the main drain for that side of the farm. Well, that, and he's yet to replace the broken off outside gate, so pumping off is pretty futile, anyway. But the birds don't know how deep it is until they're in it...[/quote
Agree, if it’s up to the dogs shoulders it’s way too deep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

....but Doug dammed what should be the main drain for that side of the farm

Really, he plugged that hole? Didn't it just need a tall gate over the pipe? If I win the lottery I'm coming meet you.

Really. He was out there playing with his little Bobcat this summer, and instead of doing something useful, like cleaning the east flood canal so pumped water would get to the east end before overflowing the south end of the N/S flood canal, he "put a board and some dirt on the pipe". IE: put a too small piece of board he found, leaving a vertical gap on one side, and a 3' pile of dirt against it, which even he knew would eventually wash out. So he built an earthen dam a few feet in front of that, which is big enough that it will take a backhoe to remove it without wearing out an old hillbilly and his shovel.

To a kid with a hammer, everything's a nail.

[DComeaux]

....but Doug dammed what should be the main drain for that side of the farm

Really, he plugged that hole? Didn't it just need a tall gate over the pipe? If I win the lottery I'm coming meet you.

Really. He was out there playing with his little Bobcat this summer, and instead of doing something useful, like cleaning the east flood canal so pumped water would get to the east end before overflowing the south end of the N/S flood canal, he "put a board and some dirt on the pipe". IE: put a too small piece of board he found, leaving a vertical gap on one side, and a 3' pile of dirt against it, which even he knew would eventually wash out. So he built an earthen dam a few feet in front of that, which is big enough that it will take a backhoe to remove it without wearing out an old hillbilly and his shovel.

To a kid with a hammer, everything's a nail.

It would have taken about the same amount of effort to do it right.

[Rick]

Occurs to me that you're who ended up fixing the flap on the pump-off pipe after he took a fit to have it welded shut, instead of repaired, so you know exactly how far he looks ahead...

[Rick]

Date: 11/10

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE fairly strong

Temperature: 45 degrees

Moon phase: waxing crescent

Special Notes: Opening morning of the regular season

Waterfowl Activity: Lots of both green and blue-winged teal zipping about, but what was thought to be a show of mallards quickly petered out. Also a few spoon flights and the Chamber of Commerce sent one nice flock of grays to see us off after we'd packed up. Saw more blues than specks, but not much of either. And it will be interesting to see how many bluewings stick around in this weather...

Waterfowl Responsiveness: The teal flew crazy spooked, as is their opening day custom, and I told the guys they'd settle down as the morning wore on. But I lied, and most flew nuts as long as we were there. Mallards, on the other hand, tolled beautifully.

Hunters: 2, Ben and Chance

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh has been nuts to hunt since Youth Day, so I let him swim for everything that fell, dead in the pond or not. Still had an easy morning with nothing remotely long.

Special Equipment: Two big spinners and the modified mallard machine, hereafter known as "SOS".

Curses: Not a one.

Kudos: Neat morning to be in the marsh. Tried waiting out more big ducks that never showed, but still had plenty of teal ops to fill on when that proved fruitless - and enjoyed a sweet bird show in-between. Always nice to share such mornings with nice folks.

Birds By Species: 7 blue-wings, 5 green-wings, 5 mallards and 1 wood duck.

Photo Ops: Ben and Chance:

008a.jpg

The bug with our last greenhead:

003a.jpg

[BGkirk]

Does marsh have a ramp to get onto his stand?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

Has to. That's the front one he's coming up there.

026.JPG

When he goes out the back, he has to come and go through the boat, but I've also sunken a platform with a ramp at the spot he gets in and out of the boat, or he couldn't manage that without my help, either.

Thought we'd done exceptionally well on mallards this morning, as no one else took more than one from our marsh, but heard a little bit ago that the eastern-most Cherry Ridge blind, Donny's, shot 10. Talk about jealous, we didn't see 10. His spot is a mallard show after the season, but Clark's nearly always out-shoots it during. Maybe Clark got all 12...

[Rick]

Maybe Clark got all 12...

Turned out Clark had one, which was about par for their camp, except Donny. Bet he was pumped.

Doubt we'll be passing much of anything in hopes of bigger ducks again in the morning. Well, unless the first four in are big ones again...

[DComeaux]

Very nice Rick!

[BGkirk]

Has to. That's the front one he's coming up there.

026.JPG

When he goes out the back, he has to come and go through the boat, but I've also sunken a platform with a ramp at the spot he gets in and out of the boat, or he couldn't manage that without my help, either.

Thought we'd done exceptionally well on mallards this morning, as no one else took more than one from our marsh, but heard a little bit ago that the eastern-most Cherry Ridge blind, Donny's, shot 10. Talk about jealous, we didn't see 10. His spot is a mallard show after the season, but Clark's nearly always out-shoots it during. Maybe Clark got all 12...

rick does that bottom
End of ramp float or on hinges?
Or does it stay that steep of an angle? I figure the water is low in this pic


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

The pic was taken during this summer's drought and chosen because it showed all of the ramp, except its bottom support. It's stationary at that steep angle, which four of my dogs to date (including a little Brittany) have readily handled with the aid of that fatigue mat's deep holes for traction. The ramp's bottom is supported by a 2x4 cross member (just out of sight in the pic) on a pair of 2x4s driven into the actual bottom well below what appears that in the photo.

Guessing you're thinking of building one, in which case, I'd not suggest going as steep without a very similar traction aid. If all I were using were wooden slats like so many do or some-such similar, I'd want much less angle - and worry about the nails/screws holding them eventually rusting out and becoming a safety hazard.

[Rick]

Date: 11/11 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE mostly moderate

Temperature: mid 40s

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Must have broke 'em of sucking eggs yesterday, because it was mighty slow by comparison. Only big ducks we saw were single, presumably mottleds, dropping straight into their spots, saw a few high thought-to-be jack bunches, a few spoons and mostly, mostly blue-wing, teal.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Spoons and a much better percentage of teal than yesterday worked just as we'd want them to. Only group of woodies seen (4) absolutely ignored my best squeals.

Hunters: 2, Ben again and Brian

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh had to work harder than yesterday on some chipped birds.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Only the dearth of ducks a fear for the days ahead.

Kudos: Despite what sure seemed a whole lot more banging to our east, only Clyde got out ahead of us, with the help of a mess of jacks, and at least some fell short, so our hunt could very well have been worse. Good that we were in "ducks is ducks" mode from the onset.

Birds By Species: 10 blue-wing teal, 5 green-wing tea and 3 shovellers

[Ericdc]

Big front coming, I would think midweek you should see new birds because fields up here and further north will freeze for 2 nights.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darren]

Freeze em out!

[Ericdc]

Gonna be a lot of backwater up here now


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk