2018-2019 Season Log

[Rick]

Know the big males travel a great deal looking for love in the spring, but imagine otherwise most just travel as need be for food and/or security. Don't really know.

[Rick]

Date: 9/19

Time: afternoon

Location: S of Gueydan

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: SW light

Temperature: hot

Moon phase:

Special Notes: Wanted to make a "just me and he" hunt with Marsh before I picked up my afternoon rig and cleaned up our mess, so I sat out this morning's shooting. Not that I could have helped Tom and Jacob much, anyway.

Waterfowl Activity: Flight was so slow starting that I was contemplating bagging the hunt and getting on with my chores in time to beat the evening mosquitoes when it finally did.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Had a few wise groups recognize the rig and push off early, but enough bought in for our purposes.

Hunters: Just Marsh and I.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): I chipped a couple that went farther than I wished for him, but Marsh still enjoyed a much easier afternoon than he's been having.

Special Equipment: 2 spinners, large and small

Curses: Just the heat.

Kudos: Once the flight finally started, a totally unintentional Scotch triple helped us finish in very short order.

Birds By Species: 6 bw teal

Photo Ops: A dog and his duck:

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Cujo and his duck:

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[Deltaman]

A scotch triple ...........dammit man, raining teal!!!!!!!!

[Rick]

PJ. you know I've been blessed when I've had enough to happily step away from the afternoon shooting.

[DComeaux]

PJ. you know I've been blessed when I've had enough to happily step away from the afternoon shooting.

I was wondering if the "enivie" would subside a bit. You've had an awesome start!

I've noticed one heck of a humming bird migration lately, with many people mentioning swarms around their feeders. I've also had an extremely heavy acorn drop from my trees, something I haven't seen in a few years.

[Rick]

Date: 9/20 Thur

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: just enough to feel southerly

Temperature: Not as bad as it's been.

Moon phase: waxing 78%

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Didn't see a lot of birds, but was pleasantly surprised to see appreciably more than yesterday.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most everything did as bid. And I got a kick out Blaine when I tried jumping on the first flight spotted high in the eastern sky with the Daisy Cutter and cursed about having the quiet call in hand when I needed the loud one, and he asked, "That's the quiet call?" Guess the guide they hunted with yesterday wasn't quite so aggressive.

Hunters: 2, father and grown son, Dave and Blaine

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh had another good day but did break on a flapper just off his stand and get fussed out of retrieving it.

Special Equipment: SOS, I'm extremely pleased with how my new marshscaping spinner deployment is working out.

Curses: none at all

Kudos: Nice morning with nice people.

Birds By Species: 18 bw teal

Photo Ops: David and Blaine:

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[Rick]

I was wondering if the "enivie" would subside a bit. You've had an awesome start!

I've noticed one heck of a humming bird migration lately, with many people mentioning swarms around their feeders. I've also had an extremely heavy acorn drop from my trees, something I haven't seen in a few years.

Still loving the mornings in the marsh, but the afternoon sun was killing poor Marsh and sapping the fun out of it for me, too.

Though I'm certainly seeing high teal flights, they're running both north and south and nothing like the waves of high birds I associate with major migration. Hoping that's yet to come, while knowing they'll do exactly what they do.

[Ericdc]

I hope one day someone will ask me “that’s your quiet call?


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[Darren]

PJ. you know I've been blessed when I've had enough to happily step away from the afternoon shooting.

I was wondering if the "enivie" would subside a bit. You've had an awesome start!

I've noticed one heck of a humming bird migration lately, with many people mentioning swarms around their feeders. I've also had an extremely heavy acorn drop from my trees, something I haven't seen in a few years.

Plenty hummers around me in BR; FIL didn't realize that all the squeaking and carrying on in his large oak tree bow was hummingbirds, they love it in there apparently.

Hoping it's indeed a migration indicator

[SpinnerMan]

PJ. you know I've been blessed when I've had enough to happily step away from the afternoon shooting.

I was wondering if the "enivie" would subside a bit. You've had an awesome start!

I've noticed one heck of a humming bird migration lately, with many people mentioning swarms around their feeders. I've also had an extremely heavy acorn drop from my trees, something I haven't seen in a few years.

Plenty hummers around me in BR; FIL didn't realize that all the squeaking and carrying on in his large oak tree bow was hummingbirds, they love it in there apparently.

Hoping it's indeed a migration indicator

That may explain where mine have gone. I was out of town for work. They had been emptying my feeder about twice a week. Was shocked to find it nearly full this morning and haven't seen one all day.

[Deltaman]

Yep, the hummers have shown up in force in coastal AL as well, and prompted me to put the feeders out.

[Rick]

I hope one day someone will ask me “that’s your quiet call?

If folks aren't grabbing their ears when I turn their way, I may not be trying hard enough.

[DComeaux]

I hope one day someone will ask me “that’s your quiet call?

If folks aren't grabbing their ears when I turn their way, I may not be trying hard enough.

I've noticed my guy's a couple of times with their fingers in there ears when they're hunched down in the blind. The comment was, that's a loud call........ I do have a lot of hot air. I've started to pay attention to where the barrel is pointed.

[Rick]

It's been suggested that it was my calling, and not errant muzzle blasts that prematurely deafened poor Peake. And I couldn't argue the notion.

(But I'm still currently seeking a second Stanley Deceiver least, heaven forbid, something happens to the one I'm using.)

[Rick]

Date: 9/21 Fri

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly w/storm to our west early on

Wind Direction and Velocity: southerly light

Temperature: hot

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Not "a lot" of teal moving but more than enough.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: We had the lion's share of the gunning in the area.

Hunters: 1 long time regular (before my own time with the camp), Buckley

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Made a sweet long distance (and boat to AOF) mark and tracking job on a tipped bird.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: none whatsoever

Kudos: Might not kill another bird, but I've sure been pleased with how the changes I've made this season have worked out so far.

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

Photo Ops: Mottled on the pond:

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Ringed teal escapee another blind shot (have a call in to the fellow I think raised it):

018a.jpg

[DComeaux]

What an awesome teal season you're having. You'll be covered with them when the weekend warriors come out in force tomorrow. I sure hope we get at least a few shots in the morning.

[Rick]

I think I have the tricks to getting little ducks to the mudhole figured out - so they're little doubt about to show me how little I really know...

Hope you guys in the deep marsh get even with them this weekend.

[Rick]

Date: 9/22 Sat

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: partly to cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: nil

Temperature: warm

Moon phase: waxing 91%

Special Notes: Had rained much of the night and began again after our hunt, which may have helped account for there being far fewer hunters at the Tiger Mart than expected on a weekend.

Waterfowl Activity: Thought we'd see a lot of birds with the weekenders out stirring them, but we saw very few woodies or mottleds at all, and the teal were very slow getting started.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully very good, as it was spooky sparse for a weekend.

Hunters: 2, Buckley and BIL Lonnie

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The bug had another good day.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: None other than the apparent lack of new ducks.

Kudos: Guys shot well and made hay on what would have been a slow day for most.

Birds By Species: 18 bw teal (14 drakes and 4 hens

Photo Ops: Our gang, the bug, Buckley and Lonnie:

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[Rick]

Took the tour of our new high dollar Thornwell farm with one of its guides and another wanting to work a new dog this afternoon and saw about, if not, the least teal movement I can recall in that area. And there was next to no shooting within earshot. Hard to believe there was no evening flight from the refuge to rice.

Made me mighty thankful to have done my hunting elsewhere.

[Rick]

What James talked Doug out of on the Thibedeaux farm was the SW blind under flight between the then unhunted Gauthier farm on the south and then unhunted Watkins farm on the west, both of which are now hunted. When we lost that, Manning and the SWLA Hunting Lodge rented the Gauthier farm ($50,000 for three blinds), which Doug bought into when SWLA let their share go. Garrett Cole (who used to guide on the Thibideaux piece for us) will guide on Gauthier for us now along with his buddy Jack Wagar, who I finally got to meet and tour a bit of that farm with last evening. Nice fellow.

Didn't mention above that I also got to meet a new-to-me State Warden, Zack Meche, on the way out. Another nice and ambitious young guy out hoping to catch late shooters on a night when the bad guys might think him home watching LSU. We were a disappointment.

[Rick]

Date: 9/23 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: light southerly

Temperature: still summer

Moon phase: waxing 96%

Special Notes: While our sky was nearly empty, a couple guides buddy hunting S of Gueydan had an easy hunt and watched a serious big flight headed south just before shooting time. So maybe some fresh birds there?

Waterfowl Activity: One of the slowest mornings to date with next to nothing moving for a very long time.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: When some birds did start showing I could break most groups, but as often as not they'd then bump hard off us, the spot or the spinners, leading me to believe they've been well trained by past adventures.

Hunters: 2, Buckley and Lonnie again

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The bug is making fans, as the guys were asking about his lineage and availability.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Birds are plainly stale.

Kudos: Guys shot well enough to fill a strap where most would have been light, light.

Birds By Species: 18 bw teal (16 drakes and 2 hens)

[Ericdc]

What James talked Doug out of on the Thibedeaux farm was the SW blind under flight between the then unhunted Gauthier farm on the south and then unhunted Watkins farm on the west, both of which are now hunted. When we lost that, Manning and the SWLA Hunting Lodge rented the Gauthier farm ($50,000 for three blinds), which Doug bought into when SWLA let their share go. Garrett Cole (who used to guide on the Thibideaux piece for us) will guide on Gauthier for us now along with his buddy Jack Wagar, who I finally got to meet and tour a bit of that farm with last evening. Nice fellow.

Didn't mention above that I also got to meet a new-to-me State Warden, Zack Meche, on the way out. Another nice and ambitious young guy out hoping to catch late shooters on a night when the bad guys might think him home watching LSU. We were a disappointment.

I bought some decoys from Garrett 2 years ago when his outfit switched decoy brands, he’s no longer running his own guide service?


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[Rick]

I'd not want to bet the farm that Garrett didn't try a season on his own (or w/Manning) between working for us and SWLA. But wouldn't bet it that he did, either. Great guy and strong hunter who should be a good mentor for Jack in any event.

Isaac's working for Helena (ag) Chemical now, but their busy season is behind him and has managed to hunt with us most mornings with his little brother, Joe, filling in when he can't. Which has broken a couple hearts expecting to vie for the move into our marsh's sweet spot. Aside from my preferring it were either of those two in position to cut the flight of what specks off Amaco/White Lake Comp might come my way, that's a very good thing.

[Ericdc]

Gotcha.


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