2020-2021 Season Log

[Deltaman]

Thanks for taking us along Rick, and kudos on a great teal season, you earned it! You manage to pack a lot of feeling in a few words, and it always makes for an enjoyable read

[Rick]

Time to put 2020 September teal behind me with a wrap-up and get on with preparations for big ducks.

Date: September 9/12-9/27, 2020

Time: every morning and three afternoons

Location: mudhole morinings and big four afternoons

Cloud Cover: Give me the clear ones.

Wind Direction and Velocity: Lots of north and northeasterly winds to keep us cooler than any September season in memory. One day of northwest wind seemed to hurt bird numbers significantly.

Temperature: Incredibly fine the whole time.

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Both big duck (woodies, mottleds, squealers, pins and spoons were seen) and teal numbers built to "best ever" for the mudhole in September before all ebbing significantly toward the end - but still enough opportunities for all but the very worst of shots to fill.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Can't say I learned anything new, only that remembering old lessons learned paid off with great responsiveness to super aggressiveness again.

Hunters: Nearly all were great guys and gals (if not always great shots) who were a pleasure to share time afield with, but I flat hated not getting to share even a single morning of such a season with friends and family. Going to have to start reserving a day or two of teal for that.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh's usually impeccable blind manners went out the window with repeated breaks and some whistle refusals on our first ag land afternoon, in part because having chips all over the place from the first volley on made taking time to reinforce manners impossible. Was a much better dog in the marsh and, thankfully, didn't balk much at being called off chipped crips in bad places.

Special Equipment: SOS and will note that the guys trying to get away with teal and dove spinners suffered from it in places known to be better little bird spots when full-sized spinners are employed.

Curses: Just that we fell eight birds short of a numerically perfect season through no fault of the birds, and that I let the final weekend's crew get under my skin and make it worse than need be.

Kudos: We were absolutely blessed with opportunity.

Birds By Species: 374 bw teal and 2 gw teal Was the highest hen to drake ratio since I started paying attention to it.

Photo Ops: Took a lot of "hero" shots but next to nothing fun other than video


Lagniappe: Still not entirely certain whether an otherwise perfect season was spoiled by piss-poor shooting on some guests' part or piss-poor attitude about it on my part. Well, I know, just haven't managed to let it go...

[Ericdc]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YVVTZgwYwVo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

Can't believe I listened to the whole thing. Four granddaughters, and I never watched Frozen.

[Darren]

Can't believe I listened to the whole thing. Four granddaughters, and I never watched Frozen.

You aren't missing out but kind of a right of passage with all those little girls.

As for the aggressive calling, guide at white lake employed mostly delicate calling with no real obvious success that I could discern (and didn't need to). While there, though, I thought on how I just knew you were wailing away at the ones within sight of the mudhole that morning, and we had plenty traffic in immediate vicinity too. Did not end up mattering, but wondered what results may have come from me getting after them louder......again, since a few birds were coming on their own accord, I didn't bother to even try calling much and the hunt was over in a blink as it was.

[Ducaholic]

Damn strong teal season for many including you Rick. Hope that’s a pre-cursor to a great big duck season. Any correlations in the regard that you recall?

[Rick]

Damn strong teal season for many including you Rick. Hope that’s a pre-cursor to a great big duck season. Any correlations in the regard that you recall?

If I could, I'd think it coincidence. 2018, for instance, was a strong September season followed by a pretty grim regular season.

[Bud]

Once again, thanks for the hunts. "Just one more morning, I have to wake up with the blues." Allman Brothers Band
Maybe not tomorrow morning!? Happy and thankful for you guys and gals out there. Best wishes.

My old partner was trying to go on flotant one morning, and he chose directly upwind from our blind facing me. Glad the wind was calm. I kept him busy for payback:
"Don't move. Do not move. Nevermind: they're turning. Wait: here they come again. Be still." "Repeat." A little calling, and eventual laughter. One boot went through on his return. I remember it as almost like walking on water in some places. Good friendships are built, and fond memories sooth the soul. Thanks for the memories.

[Rick]

Good to see you're still out there, Bud. Give Elizabeth our best.

[Rick]

Date: 11/7 Sat

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE? light

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: 60% waning

Special Notes: youth weekend

Waterfowl Activity: little moving

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most came tame.

Hunters: 2, grandson, Gauge, and buddy, Eli

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The bug had an easy one.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: My bad math screwed them out of a bird.

Kudos: The boys shot better than most men and passed a fine time.

Birds By Species: 3 bw teal, 3 gadwall, 1 gw teal, 2 mottleds and 2 pintails

Photo Ops: guys and game:

025a.jpg

bug and bird:

015a.jpg

[DComeaux]

AWESOME!

[Ducaholic]

AWESOME!

+1

[SpinnerMan]

Curses: My bad math screwed them out of a bird.

Needed to take off the shoes after you ran out of fingers.

Just tell the one that asked about getting a limit that is what happens when you ask.

[Rick]

They were planning to hunt elsewhere in the morning, but scrapped that when asked if they wanted to hunt my blind again, so I guess I'm forgiven.

[5 stand]

I like spinnerman's (limit) idea.

Coming up one short just adds to the memories.

[Darren]

Great hunt!

How are you relying on math, where'd your clicker go?

[Rick]

How are you relying on math, where'd your clicker go?

My math sucks with or without the clicker, which was in my shell box in the shed at the house. Just took calls and a strap

[Rick]

Date: 11/8 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy (scattered showers pre hunt)

Wind Direction and Velocity: easterly moderate

Temperature: cool in the damp

Moon phase:

Special Notes:[/b youth weekend]

[b]Waterfowl Activity: Hoped for big slow squealers for young Ethan, but had just one big duck op. More easterly marsh was so loaded with jacks this morning that we got a little of their overflow.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Just about everything came when called, except a very few local mottled pairs.

Hunters: 2, cousins Gauge and Ethan

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Another easy morning.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Big ducks were virtually absent, high or low, and little ones were far from plentiful on our end.

Kudos: Ethan was very safe, Gauge shot "lights out," and while the shooting was much slower than yesterday's, the birds were good about falling.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 2 gadwall, 3 gw teal, 4 ringnecks and 2 shovellers

Photo Ops: Ethan, Gauge and an ugly, but full, strap:

010a.jpg

[Darren]

How are you relying on math, where'd your clicker go?

My math sucks with or without the clicker, which was in my shell box in the shed at the house. Just took calls and a strap

Certainly isn't the prettiest strap the Mudhole has produced, but full is full, especially for the 'will we limit crowd' ! Great couple of days

[Deltaman]

Glad you were able to put those boys on some birds Rick

[Rick]

Glad you were able to put those boys on some birds Rick

Me, too. Was so scary slow that I can't help but worry about how the opener's going to look without meaningful weather. Know folks will be out stirring whatever's down, but there will also be enough banging and clanging to spoil most potential ops. Fearing a repeat of last season...

[Rick]

Opening morning sure doesn't feel like it. Made two trips to our marsh yesterday without seeing a single boat on the landing road that "always" hosts a Friday parade of them headed for camps in the marsh. Did see one with two pirogues in it pass the house while airing the bug just after 3 this morning, God bless and good luck to 'em.

Nothing beyond jacks and poule d'eau to report from my marsh time, though Cherry Ridge has teal I hope they'll share.

Goin' anyway and guess we'll see...

[Rick]

Date: 11/14

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: easterly light

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: sliver

Special Notes: 1st split opener

Waterfowl Activity: So much shooting on the east end early that 15 or 20 minutes in one of the boys asked if we could shoot, but it was a while longer before the war calmed down enough for us to see something low and doable. Mostly high and wide jacks seen early and teal later. Saw very few grays and my first mallard pair of the year, plus a pair of wigeon.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: We ran nearly all the big big ducks off, but teal saved our morning.

Hunters: 1, One weekend a year hunter Richard Sr., with sons Richard Jr. and Jack along for the ride.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh had a good morning.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Couldn't get either boy to try shooting something.

Kudos: Dad did better than expected, and a fine time was had.

Birds By Species: 2 bw teal, 8 gw teal, 1 ringneck and 1 wigeon

[Rick]

Addendum 11/14
Photo Ops: Our gang, Jack, big Richard and little Richard:

001a.jpg

[DComeaux]

What a nice hunt.

[Rick]

Date: 11/15 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear to cloudy and back

Wind Direction and Velocity: south to west (to north after we got to the boathouse at 9)

Temperature: comfortably cool

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: teal had left the AO, which was very quiet compared to yesterday's bang-fest Had one big bunch of grays work and catch us and a pair come to die, but that was it for big ducks.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Actually turned and returned a few jacks with burrs, though none tried to land. Chance's good shooting saved made theirs the marsh's "big" hunt.

Hunters: 2 father and grown son, Joel and Chance (Joel's a one weekend-a-year hunter, but Chance has saved his own hunts with me before by being much more serious.)

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The bug acted deaf at times when he thought he knew more than me, but caught some jacks I thought would beat him. One chipped one did.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: teal split

Kudos: Could have been much worse.

Birds By Species: 1 bw teal, 2 gadwall, 3 gw teal, 7 ringnecks and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops: Pair of grays:

002a.jpg

2020:

015.JPG

Lagniappe: Hadn't tried eating a hooded merganser since rubberizing one in a microwave during my starving college student years, but I called the shot on this morning's straight-in-comer, so I had it for lunch. Fillets weren't "bad" simply sauteed in olive oil, one skin-on and one skin-off. But not "good," either. Won't start shooting them intentionally.

[Darren]

"ducks with teeth......"

Sounds like you gave him a fair shake at becoming something not to be passed on but he didn't quite deliver.

If I had a dollar for every time I said "merg" this weekend......beautiful hooded's burning this way and that through our spread and all around.

[Duck Engr]

Yard darts! I’ve quit shooting them. My dog doesn’t even like picking them up. Spends the next few minutes licking her butt trying to get the taste out of her mouth.

[Deltaman]

Ouch on the merg, it happens, but good on you for not wasting Glad you had enough birds in the marsh for your folks to kill a mess, and hope some big ducks show soon. Thanks for the reports Rick!

[SpinnerMan]

Lagniappe: Hadn't tried eating a hooded merganser since rubberizing one in a microwave during my starving college student years, but I called the shot on this morning's straight-in-comer, so I had it for lunch. Fillets weren't "bad" simply sauteed in olive oil, one skin-on and one skin-off. But not "good," either. Won't start shooting them intentionally.

I accidentally shot one maybe 10 years ago. A bunch of woodies zipped by and went into this corner. Here comes one zipping back. "Ha HA!!! I got you" Not one of the woodies Did more or less the same as you did and had essentially the same reaction with one minor difference. You won't ever notice them in the sausage pile. So I shoot 'em when I see 'em which is rare but they go in the sausage and you don't notice the difference.