Season

[Rick]

He's the one I've been after.

Satisfying, that.

[Deltaman]

Good hunt yesterday evening. He's the one I've been after.

Probably the latest of gone into the season before getting one, but the teens of December are always best time of year for me.


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Congrats Eric, Nice deer!

[aunt betty]

Good hunt yesterday evening. He's the one I've been after.

Probably the latest of gone into the season before getting one, but the teens of December are always best time of year for me.


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Congrats Eric, Nice deer!

cool.picture. nice deer.

[Ericdc]

Good hunt yesterday evening. He's the one I've been after.

Probably the latest of gone into the season before getting one, but the teens of December are always best time of year for me.


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Congrats Eric, Nice deer!

cool.picture. nice deer.

You have to position headlight just right and adjust phone camera settings.

Not on the level of Instagram photo filtering but it works.


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[Ericdc]

Date: December 19 (2nd split opening day)

Time: stayed till noon to see if rain would help. It didn't

Location: bean field

Cloud Cover: mostly to sun almost peaking through to heavy

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSE all morning at variable speed up to about 8 mph

Temperature: 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: saw the most geese and ducks of the year, although 95% pintail, and they didn't want to work.

Waterfowl Activity: steady speck flight out of big snow feed about a mile north of us

Waterfowl Responsiveness: could break specks but not finish

Hunters: david and I

Guns:

Malfunctions: missed call on 1 single speck that came over david with my back turned. That's only thing should have shot and didn't.

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Kudos: geese in area.

curses: did not see a teal and couldn't do anything with very workable speck flight.

Birds By Species: 1 speck

Photo Ops:


It looks good to me??


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[Ericdc]

Date: December 23

Time: left at 12:30

Location: south blind

Cloud Cover: mostly to sun almost peaking through and back and forth. Sprinkling when we left

Wind Direction and Velocity: South 10-15 l, didn't see the 20 mph gusts

Temperature: 50's to 60's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: we decided after 2 big south wind hunts with a ton of north to south speck traffic that the couple Dozen snow and blue goose decoys on the north end of spread seemed to be flaring the specks badly. So we took them up and then cut some Baccharis, which grows in the crp cut south of blind to help break up the pit outline on north side.

Waterfowl Activity: steady goose flight between 2 big big bodies of geese, each within a mile of us to north and south. Still mostly pintails but did shoot 7 ducks today that all worked well. Just need more ducks

Waterfowl Responsiveness: just hurts that I couldn't do more with the speck traffic, that in past years would have produced a speck limit.

Hunters: me jason dakota and a guest

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: I got the guys to pull the 3 mojos after seeing the ducks not come to them for first several hours of hunt.

Kudos: we shot real well

curses: hopefully they'll do better tomorrow with the sun and wind.

Birds By Species:
2 specks
1 snow
2 mallards
2 pintail
1 wood duck
1 blue winged teal
1 green winged teal

Photo Ops:

First wood duck in several years


Geese


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[Rick]

Things are looking up there.

[Ericdc]

Things are looking up there.

What's your opinion on having 2-3 dozen snow and blue goose decoys in a big duck spread with another 4 dozen or so specks?


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[Rick]

I think anything more than a very few or less than a whole lot of light goose decoys is counterproductive. Won't draw anything but young lost or wounded light geese that could probably be called without and will make you look like a lot of blue/snow hopeful hunters, ie: a place with guns, to the specks.

If your area differs than mine and it's common to see just a couple or three dozen live blues before, perhaps, the very end of their season, your experience may differ. But when you see it here, it's a "HUNTERS HERE" sign.

[Johnc]

The days of killing specks consistently over flooded beans is over

This started at least 3 years ago,signs of it

[Ericdc]

Date: December 24

Time: left at 9

Location: marsh

Cloud Cover: unfortunately solid clouds until we were headed back in boat, but we were tired, a little cold and ready to be out of wind.

Wind Direction and Velocity: NNW 20-30

Temperature: 40's. First time I've been cold this year. (Probably due to long boat ride and getting a little wet from spray)

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: had a buddy hunt with my brother who puts in a ton of effort to make hunts like this work, and had me questioning my will if this was how I had to hunt.

Waterfowl Activity: lot of ducks all morning

Waterfowl Responsiveness: geese came better than ducks, but got some ducks in right.

Hunters: Corey and I

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Boone. Hope he gets to sleep by the fire tonight and be lazy tomorrow

Special Equipment:

Kudos: called in geese in the marsh, a first for me

curses: we didn't hit the geese.

Side note: I got a little spooked in the wee hours of the morning knowing we were both a little wet and told Corey he was my way home and in this weather we didn't need to take any chances.

Birds By Species:
2 mallards
2 mottleds
2 gadwall
All drakes
1 big eagle head blue that ate up my speck call

Photo Ops:


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[Ericdc]

Date: December 27

Time: left at 10

Location: Toledo bend

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSE 10-15 all morning

Temperature: 40's then 50's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: cousin hunted last week and found a place he thought looked good . Protected shallow sandy flat with done exposed humps and stumps

Waterfowl Activity: flurry of big ducks early let us know we were in right area, but not exact spot. Didn't see much after 8

Waterfowl Responsiveness: wigeon came pretty. Mallards wanted to be where they went and couldn't be changed.

Hunters: me david and jared (my first cousins on dads side)

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: 2 mojos

Kudos: had a good time and feel like it might be worth trying again. Enjoyed walking around on a nice sandy hard lake bed, and just trying a new adventure and having some success.

Same drive distance as going to marsh.

curses: didn't write a log for it, but yesterday's hunt at marsh with brother and 2 other family members was a "did not shoot".

Birds By Species: 4 wigeon 1 scaup

Photo Ops:







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[Rick]

Those wigeon are handsome birds. Thought we were seeing a little resurgence of them, but haven't seen one I could ID as such this split.

(Have to admit thinking "cans" when I saw you hunted the bend.

[Ericdc]

I had my binoculars and saw some in the distance but they stayed out on the rough seas of the main lake.

Saw a lot more puddlers than divers which was unexpected.


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[Ericdc]

Date: January 1st

Time: gave up we 11:30

Location: south blind

Cloud Cover: mostly to partly for last 30 minutes or so

Wind Direction and Velocity: 10-15 SSW

Temperature: 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: nothing special about the first hunt of 2021, to be honest I'm pretty fed up with it all and don't know what's going to change at this point. Wife texted this morning during the hunt saying good morning to which I replied, what's good about it in an unfiltered moment.

We killed ducks with this kind of weather last year and lots of them.

Waterfowl Activity: we have no ducks besides a few local gadwall, mallard, and pintail. Huge body of geese north of us

Waterfowl Responsiveness: nothing

Hunters: me hunter Robbie Michael and chase

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): 2 of them...poor things

Special Equipment:

Kudos: I'm not in a hospital with COVID...?? (Trying to count my blessings)

curses: clouds, unresponsive birds and now water everywhere.

I'm not going back until it's 100% chance of sun all morning.

Birds By Species: 0
Lost a teal that landed about 40 yards behind us. Flew off when dog got to it.

Photo Ops:
Maybe we'll kill a deer this evening or tomorrow


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[Duck Engr]

Hate to see your tough season Eric, especially with a new lease. All of my reports from my friends in Arkansas are the same as yours. I haven’t been back since opening weekend. A lot of DNSs.

[Ericdc]

Took nephew to the deer woods this morning and saw 8 deer. Back at house in 20 minutes to relax on couch until evening hunt.

Going to try the pit blind tomorrow for the sunshine, and that I've got to bring hunter to his dads camp near tensas NWR.


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[Ericdc]

Date: January 3

Time: left at 10:30

Location: hunter and I in rice, several other guys in beans

Cloud Cover: clear aside from a few minutes of high cirrus clouds from after sunrise, but clear by 9.

Wind Direction and Velocity: dead calm to 6-8 out of south by 9 (plenty good enough to kill)

Temperature: 30, pretty good frost

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: 2nd time this season to hunt the smaller pit in the smaller rice and thought we'd kill something

Waterfowl Activity: we were west of the low goose flight. Saw high bunches of pintails and only 1 good group of mallards.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: broke a mixed group of pintails with 2 mallards and they made 2 rounds and left, this was while it was still calm

Hunters: hunter and I, I believe there were 5 of them in the south field.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: I'm 2nd guessing my decision on spinners, this farm doesn't get the lower traffic that my old place had, or at least it hasn't yet and this year is probably a bad year to judge it because it's been so slow in our area. Wondering if spinners would have helped any today with the high birds, especially with no workable goose traffic.

Kudos: other blind had 9 ducks and 3 specks last time I heard. Pumped the shin deep water out of pit with quiet bilge pump for first hour or so of hunt.

curses: 2nd DNS in a row for me and nephew didn't shoot either, he's usually a good luck charm.

Birds By Species:

Photo Ops:



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[Darren]

Other blind happen to use spinners today? Just curious if anyone’s using them up your way with any success. Haven’t been using mine but might try on next sunny hunt in field.

[Ericdc]

Other blind happen to use spinners today? Just curious if anyone’s using them up your way with any success. Haven’t been using mine but might try on next sunny hunt in field.

Yes, they used them. That's why I am 2nd guessing my no spinner approach.. especially on sunny days.

They got several groups of ducks in and we didn't touch our guns. I'm not stubborn enough to tank my season based on my personal preference, they are just a pain in the rear, but so is not killing anything.


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[Darren]

No doubt. We've not been using ours in field since first week and been getting a few birds but wonder if it may help with some of the green wings a little wide of us.

[Rick]

Difference for teal at the mudhole is night and day. Which isn't to say that some aren't pushing off them now...

[Darren]

Difference for teal at the mudhole is night and day. Which isn't to say that some aren't pushing off them now...

What's been your observation on sunny vs. cloudy days for spinners? (specifically, with regard to little ducks).

[Ericdc]

We don't have any teal to speak of, more interested in breaking high mallard and pintail flights on sunny days especially. Remotes are a must have.


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[Darren]

We don't have any teal to speak of, more interested in breaking high mallard and pintail flights on sunny days especially. Remotes are a must have.


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Oh yea no doubt, remote on my Lucky Ducks has been flawless. Wasn't upset to not have a spinner out when that wad of specks came looking last week but at least the remote is reliable when I can get to it in time.

[Rick]

What's been your observation on sunny vs. cloudy days for spinners? (specifically, with regard to little ducks).

Can't say I've noticed a difference, but will try to pay more attention. Not that we've been seeing enough teal on my end to make such observation meaningful...

[Ericdc]

Date: January 7

Time: left at 11

Location:

Cloud Cover: clear before shooting time then cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: W to WNW 15-20

Temperature: 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: best hunt of the year for mr

Waterfowl Activity: pretty good early them not much after 9 or so.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: pretty early then they started ganging up south of us and it was over. Thought I had some marsh specks but they bailed

Hunters: me Corey and jared

Guns: beretta browning Winchester

Malfunctions: none

Dog(s): Boone did great l, we dropped em all close

Special Equipment:

Kudos: i shot 4 shots and killed 4, Jared's first shot of morning put 4 green winged drakes on our strap. Highlight was decoying a nice bunch of pintail and we each took a nice drake.

curses: lost a mottled

Birds By Species:
4 green winged teal
2 blue winged teal
2 mallards
3 pintail
1 wigeon
^all drakes
2 gadwall hens


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[Ericdc]

Update: I started feeling sickly Thursday evening at Corey's house, so I felt it best to cut trip short and come home. Got a rapid test on way home and I'm positive.

Slept great last night and feel good today.

Tricia tested positive today, she had real mild symptoms earlier this week.

So I'm grounded for a while, may go sit in deer stand next week, but probably no duck hunting anytime soon. I love hunting in the snow but Monday I'll have to watch it from the house.


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[Duck Engr]

Glad you were finally able to enjoy some good shooting Eric.

Did I understand correctly that you were describing a scotch quadruple?

Hope your bout with covid stays as mild as mine was!

[Ericdc]

Glad you were finally able to enjoy some good shooting Eric.

Did I understand correctly that you were describing a scotch quadruple?

Hope your bout with covid stays as mild as mine was!

1 shot 4 teal... on the water


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