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Tues 11/24/2020
SE La salt marsh
Will and I with Harry
Clear skies, no wind to start that built to 5+ from ENE, 50s and warming fast


Saw birds working this hole on Sunday’s hunt so did some plotting to find a way to get there, involved dragging in all our gear. Little bit warm for that but paid off. Within first few mins of LST had three belly up on the flipped over, guerilla style pirogue blind. Had our 12 by about 8:00a, with #12 being one we’d downed early and Harry initially hadnt come up with at our first mark. Took him over there later myself to root around and found a very lively drake a good 20 yards away.

(12) all grays again




Headed down with Johnny now to try them again on the good south wind we have today.

Doing what it takes to get under the birds, and scoring big!!!!!!!! Great Hunt Darren, and Thanks for the report and pics!

Wed. 11/25/2020
SE La salt marsh
Johnny and I with Harry
Wind ZERO at the pond most of hunt despite blowing on the way down, temps upper 60s, pt cloudy


Hoped for big south winds to see what might stir ahead of a front line on its way but it was dead, left us swatting gnats and skeeters AGAIN, so done with that. Got a couple quick early birds but very little moving later, everything we were seeing was just hopping up to stretch wings and going back down. Ended up seeing good many grays in total, especially on the way out in places they hadn’t been but usually are. Also saw first bunch of greenwings burning the marsh, after not seeing a duck other than a gray for a couple of hunts now.

(4) grays



Taking next day or two off with the still-warm weather, eyes on the weekend and especially next week.

At least you know they are still around

Love the hunts on the flipped pirogue. It’s the last resort but it means you’re going the distance. Good hunts


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Can't say I've ever hunted from a flipped pirogue, but there was a time when I often shot off a stool in a sunken one until the weather got too bad for the dog to stand in it behind me.

Given the short stature of the cord grass so prevalent across our marshes, getting down on a pirogue is a sure bet to not stick up above the natural cover. One thing is certain, the birds will get CLOSE when you're down that low. Our little honey hole is pretty small, so when they're in there, they're well in range........not all that different from the Mudhole.......just without the variety.

Sat. 11/28/2020
Bunkie area farm
Kyle, Johnny and I with Harry
North/NE winds 5-15, 50's, heavy clouds, some fog around, heavy rains in area yesterday

Plainly more water around than last trip thanks to heavy rains yesterday; bayous are swollen and ponds have more water too. Not as much traffic as we had been seeing but still just about enough if we made most of our chances. Shot decent overall but didn't kill them in multiples when we should have. Still great time in my preferred weather for field hunt. Looked like some duck and snow flights coming in from north and sure enough on drive out encountered big body of snows on the ground in an area there hadn't been a bird on previous trips.

(10) 2 grays, 1 spoon, 1 woodie, 3 GW teal, 3 BW teal




First big body in the area we've seen. Still very few specks



Up in air for tomorrow's plans, depends on how much rain we're talking about, looks to be a lot. Also have eye on Monday behind tomorrow PM's big front.

Darren could late Sunday and mondays North winds make your marsh water skinny?


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BGkirk wrote:Darren could late Sunday and mondays North winds make your marsh water skinny?


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Definitely, though doesn't look like the NW/N winds are lingering, it's easterly by midweek before another front comes through so that may keep it from getting too bad. It's been on the high side all season so far.

Very nice.

Called off this morning's hunt last night when local weather guy's model was showing more yellow and orange in the forecast morning radar than we'd want to deal with. As it turned out this morning, likely would have been OK but ohwell. Have plans to try it tomorrow behind this front in the big north/NW winds.

Had that happen a few too many times so I’ve started waking up, looking at radar, then making the call. Turned out a few good hunts that I wouldn’t have otherwise been on. Has also turned out a couple of drenchings after I got a little too big for my weekend weatherman britches.

Duck Engr wrote:Had that happen a few too many times so I’ve started waking up, looking at radar, then making the call. Turned out a few good hunts that I wouldn’t have otherwise been on. Has also turned out a couple of drenchings after I got a little too big for my weekend weatherman britches.

Can go either way, but at least you'll know! Next time, we goin!

Darren wrote:

Duck Engr wrote:Had that happen a few too many times so I’ve started waking up, looking at radar, then making the call. Turned out a few good hunts that I wouldn’t have otherwise been on. Has also turned out a couple of drenchings after I got a little too big for my weekend weatherman britches.

Can go either way, but at least you'll know! Next time, we goin!

You'll never know if you don't go.

Monday 11/30/2020
Bunkie area farm
Will and I with Harry
North/NW winds 10-25+, 40's, clear to heavy clouds back to clear skies, big front passage yesterday with a whole lot of rain

Whole lot of rain through here yesterday and bayous are now back to swollen, and I think that ultimately did us in today. Also noticed that we have a big moon I didn't see coming but bright as could be while setting up......and saw ducks flying by in that light. Just a fraction of the teal flight there had been and not much else low, but did end up seeing quite a lot of appearing-new big ducks that hadn't been around. Same for geese, whole lot of snow and speck activity today that we hadn't been seeing. They aren't on the farm yet but are for sure on a flight path we'd normally see when they're here. Did break a pair of pins off a wad that seemed to want to work pretty but they wouldn't finish, not sure if maybe was the spinners. Tried them iffy and couldn't get one down. Was clear skies most of hunt, and sure enough, birds flew waaaaay high, and my disdain for that condition continues. Didn't help that there's cane fields with floods and some of what was dry rice plowed ground now with sheet water......needs to get draining!!

(3) 3 green wing teal


Sunshine to the east and a heavy cloud deck moving in for a while



Was bummed Will traveled far and early to make this hunt with me but at least we didn't scratch, he enjoyed it anyway. We also picked up a fly-off gray a neighboring blind downed and brought it over to them when we packed up. Eyeing later in the week to return.

With lingering big moon (thankfully waning), couldn't bring myself to make the trip for a hunt this morning coming off a clear night. But Raymond and I are headed up this afternoon to see what tomorrow morning's passing rains and shifting winds bring. At least we won't be fighting the overnight bright moon with rain/clouds around.

Thurs. 12/3/2020
Bunkie area farm
Raymond & I w/ Harry
Winds pretty nice 5-10+ at times from NNW, heavy clouds, occasional light rain

Had hoped the weather coming through would stir them this morning and was glad that much of the anticipated rain fizzled out so as not to flood more ground. Instead, there was basically no flight at all. Saw maybe 100-150 ducks, all very high, nothing at all working the farm. Even the little flight we saw was over by 7:30 or so, we packed it in by 8:00 having not seen a single duck for some time. Did not even see a single goose! Could hear a body stir a bit to our south, but they apparently were just going right back down.

Did Not Shoot

or even think about it






Nice night at the lil camp anyway, try them in the marsh tomorrow at home in the big NW winds down there. Though there was no flight this morning, one can't help but notice how little fowl in general there is when driving in and out. There's some water around now, usually see some scattered ducks and geese. Maybe it's that we're way early in the season for this area, but man, nothing at all!

Duck hunting is virtually dead in this state.

You'll get a ball tickle here and there, but it's over.

DComeaux wrote:Duck hunting is virtually dead in this state.

Nope

Fri. 12/4/2020
SE La salt marsh
Johnny & I w/ Harry
NW winds 10-15, heavy clouds to slight clearing then back to clouds, blustery boat ride of 50 degrees

Hoped the shake up from the field let down yesterday would do us well, and sure enough we weren't let down behind the front. Killed single teal right at LST but from there had steady flight of lookin' grays for 10-15 minutes that got us to 6 birds in a hurry before a lull. Broke lull with a pair but then had a longer lull of just hardly nothing moving. Sun broke out though and about the time I was thinking to myself the birds would likely move on that sunshine, a 7 pack bought in as beautifully as you could ever want, taking our last four from that easily to wrap it up at 7:20a.

(12) 11 grays, 1 GW teal


Feet were hanging, we went to banging




On the way out saw quite a few birds in places they should be so hopeful for tomorrow with more sunshine. Clearly there are birds around that were just largely sitting today. Water should be falling a good bit today with this NW wind

DNS to 12 birds overnight............you go boy!!!!!!!! Looks like you made a good move, and glad to see your persistence is paying dividends Darren

Deltaman wrote:DNS to 12 birds overnight............you go boy!!!!!!!! Looks like you made a good move, and glad to see your persistence is paying dividends Darren

One thing wasn't working, had to shake it up. Actually, today's plan was the plan whether yesterday's field hunt was boon or bust.

Y’all brought your shootin britches this morning! 4 with 2 guns out of a bunch isnt bad!

Good shoot Darren, I'll be ready when those gadwall decide to head back north in the 2nd split.

We are in our typical week after thanksgiving lull with Arkansas being closed since Sunday.

I'll be deer hunting tomorrow. Weather saying clear cold and calm to light W wind. I'll be ready when the 19th rolls around and hunt hard on the days I go. The focus until then will be deer sausage and backstraps.


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Good deal, Neal. But you boys are putting in some road time.

Duck Engr wrote:Y’all brought your shootin britches this morning! 4 with 2 guns out of a bunch isnt bad!

Would have been criminal for anything otherwise if you'd had seen this group work in, just gorgeous, and they started crumpling right before webbed feet touched water.

Ericdc wrote:Good shoot Darren, I'll be ready when those gadwall decide to head back north in the 2nd split.

We are in our typical week after thanksgiving lull with Arkansas being closed since Sunday.

I'll be deer hunting tomorrow. Weather saying clear cold and calm to light W wind. I'll be ready when the 19th rolls around and hunt hard on the days I go. The focus until then will be deer sausage and backstraps.


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Yea I get the feel that its still just early up in Bunkie, we historically haven't hardly hunted the 1st split. Someone's making a hunt or two this weekend up there so will get reports.

Rick wrote:Good deal, Neal. But you boys are putting in some road time.

Sure are, miles piling up on the trucks but we're perty mad at 'em

Awesome.....Bet that was fun.