Preseason

[MARSH BEAR]

Not a very good forecast - however our main ducks are greenwing teal and gadwall. I will be there to see what comes down - Lord willing

[DComeaux]

Blake and I spent this weekend at the camp to get the one I-beam welded back on to the mainframe tubing. We got everything prepped Saturday morning while waiting on the local resident to show up with the equipment, who is also a Cameron parish sheriff deputy. He had a welding machine and happened to have this excavator for the weekend to do some dirt work in the camp area. He saved me a whole lot of rental expense.

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While waiting Blake and I took a ride to our lease landing and noticed the tide was up and that there was water over the mud flat in the outlet cut. I called our lease holder to let him know and was going to ask him to use his boat to cut it up, but I didn't have to. He told me to go get his boat and "let it eat", and we did just that. We made several passes fully trimmed down churning it up, and blew throw there slightly trimmed up blowing mud everywhere. Hopefully it stays open for teal season.

We rode to the blind after we finished up and jumped a couple of teal on the way out. Word is that there are plenty out there at the moment.

This is the blind at the moment. It's barely hanging on in this slim piece of mushy marsh. The vegetation on what's left of the exposed soil out there is struggling to take hold and grow.

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This is looking north from the blind. The view has changed dramatically. We've lost a lot of soil.

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This is looking east. It's opened up a lot. The grass you see were on fair sized elevated islands with small shallow potholes in between. Some of the islands are gone.

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..and this looking due south. The wood structure you see on the right in the picture was our old drive-in blind from two years ago. The little sliver of land past that was where I would stage the pirogue. It has downsized tremendously.

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None of this marsh has had any type of restoration work done and what you see for land is either remnants of islands or what was higher sections of marsh. Where our blind is now was once the eastern edge of a smaller pond with only a small cut off of the main ditch to get in. I've looked at pictures of that marsh that Randall (Lease holder) has going back thirty years. It's disheartening.

On a brighter note, the shrimp, fish, and crab situation is excellent. We took a little time to fish a hole late yesterday afternoon with the tide falling and now have redfish for the grill this evening. We are planning to set traps on the lease next weekend. Our marsh is holding a good bit of shrimp which we could see. Randall set 7 traps out Friday mid day using a different entrance to the property and took roughly 8 dozen large, beautiful clean crabs after a one night soak. If we can avoid hurricanes and our duck season sucks we'll still have plenty of things to do once leaving the blind.

[Rick]

Being as how I have a frozen pizza in the oven, all that sea food sure sounds good. But your marsh sure has taken a lick.

[BGkirk]

We ran into another hunter in the area and claimed the next ridge below us was loaded. He commented on something I’ve seen for myself and a few others have talked about also which is the amount of wild millet that seems to be absolutely everywhere. Glad to see you spotted some as well


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[DComeaux]

Grilled redfish, seafood stuffed mushrooms, and cilantro lime rice. It was pretty damn good.

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[Duck Engr]

That’ll eat right there! A lot better than my leftovers did tonight.

[Darren]

Food sounds top notch!

But sure is a sobering picture (literally) of marsh loss

Know of any restorations planned for the area? Seems like there's been quite a few, some that build the terraces, etc.

[MARSH BEAR]

We have lost a lot of land in our marsh after Hurricanes Laura and Delta but does not appear to be as bad as yours.
Over the past 8 - 9 years we have put interlocking vinyl seawall panels around 6 of our islands where blinds are to help with the erosion.
That fish really looks good. We cannot fish in our lease - waterfowl hunting only.

[Deltaman]

Grilled redfish, seafood stuffed mushrooms, and cilantro lime rice. It was pretty damn good.

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Glad to see you are not starving while getting prepped for the upcoming season Dave, and good to see your camp coming together!!!!

[DComeaux]

Food sounds top notch!

But sure is a sobering picture (literally) of marsh loss

Know of any restorations planned for the area? Seems like there's been quite a few, some that build the terraces, etc.

The land owner is not in the mood to do anything with that marsh after loosing everything along hwy 82 on the north end of this marsh section. He's 70+ years old and had a cattle operation there. All fencing, barn, and equipment are gone. I'm going to just keep hunting here until it's a lake and will definitely need to move the blind further south and west for next year where more land is still available, for now.
Terraced properties are not attractive to waterfowl. I remember Larry Reynold and I having a conversation on this subject some time back. He mentioned use studies conducted on these areas that showed what I mention. I've hunted in some of these areas in Pecan Island recently and can tell you first hand that they suck.

With that said, it would be up to the hunters investing large amounts of money into someone else's property for the sole purpose of duck hunting. Me and my posse aren't in that financial category. This investment would take millions.

This is a link to a restoration project (fresh water diversion) that would affect our marsh but it went out for bid twice and both times were over budget. The second bid round dropped the sand dredging and land building portion. Phase 1 funding (engineering and design) was given in 2002. Construction funding was requested in 2013, and the marsh is disappearing still today. This squeaky wheel is not loud enough.

https://www.lacoast.gov/new/Projects/In ... ?num=ME-20

[Darren]

"land" owner soon to be a water owner, sounds like. Would agree the terraces aren't great for ducks but seem to show promise in holding ground and in some places building.

[DComeaux]

"land" owner soon to be a water owner, sounds like. Would agree the terraces aren't great for ducks but seem to show promise in holding ground and in some places building.

I've witnessed large sections of terraces disappear over time on the adjoining property to our west and in Pecan Island. If you don't completely block constant large wave action you have nothing.

I found this update for the restoration project. Will dig more into it later.

• Project Features:
 CWPPRA; USFWS federal sponsor – NRCS design
 Benefit 430 acres of marsh by building two 200+
acres cells with sediment from the Gulf of Mexico
• Construction Cost : $17 million (estimated)
• Project Status:
 Project was bid twice (2017 & 2018); bids
rejected due to being over budget
 Project redesigned – preparing to bid early 2021

[BGkirk]

What’s the deal with terracing not being attractive to ducks? Seems like it would be no different than random levees throughout the marsh


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[DComeaux]

What’s the deal with terracing not being attractive to ducks? Seems like it would be no different than random levees throughout the marsh


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No feed - Water depth. They have to dig to build levees.

[BGkirk]

What’s the deal with terracing not being attractive to ducks? Seems like it would be no different than random levees throughout the marsh


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No feed - Water depth. They have to dig to build levees.

Surely there spaced out far enough to where there is still some shallow spots in between , just my thoughts


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[DComeaux]

What’s the deal with terracing not being attractive to ducks? Seems like it would be no different than random levees throughout the marsh


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No feed - Water depth. They have to dig to build levees.

Surely there spaced out far enough to where there is still some shallow spots in between , just my thoughts


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This google earth shot is from 2017. This project was completed in 2003. I was in this marsh just months back and it looks nothing like this. The large gap between the east and west terraces has grown wider and many terraces are completely gone. Between these terraces there's an average of 4' of water.

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In observation, If one was to use terracing the first south and north terrace should have rip-rap, and the gaps between terraces should not allow for large wave action. This would still take 20+ years to build new marsh.

[BGkirk]

First terracing project I’ve seen that like. Seems they’ve changed the design in them based off the more recent ones I’ve seen


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[MARSH BEAR]

Dave - you watching the weather

[DComeaux]

Dave - you watching the weather

Yes I am, and I'm shaking my head in disgust. This will be the straw that breaks the camels back.

[Darren]

Just hang tight, always better to be the projected target EARLY than late. Long way to go on this one

[Duck Engr]

Models are tightening up. Dave you’re on the better side, for now.

[DComeaux]

I sure hope this thing moves due west. Hover over or click the yellow X.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/


With the storm and other things going on, this morning I had an oh-s$%& moment realizing that teal season is just 11 days away. I haven't done a damn thing to prep.

[Darren]

Local guys weren't worrying about that one, Dave. Models aren't doing anything with it.


BUT from a model track location perspective for all, you can bet that I will keep in mind that the models were all in agreement that the initial life of what would become Hurricane Ida was going to southern Mexico. All the models showing same track there. Then they slowly crept northward to north mexico into Texas, etc.



And then she made landfall at Port Fourchon

[MARSH BEAR]

Darren you are right - that is the same area Hurricane Ida started and they said not to worry about it.

[DComeaux]

you can bet that I will keep in mind that the models were all in agreement that the initial life of what would become Hurricane Ida was going to southern Mexico. All the models showing same track there. Then they slowly crept northward to north mexico into Texas, etc.

And then she made landfall at Port Fourchon

My cousin was going on and on about how accurate the forecasting was for Ida until I pointed out that until it formed and began it's counter clockwise twist the models showed just what you mention. Local forecaster should hold there comments and spagetti noodles until we have a solid formation. The National weather service just put that area of disturbed weather on their map today. Tracks of this weather have been on the internet for a couple of days now.

[DComeaux]

Blake and I spent a couple of days at the camp this weekend and made it in the marsh late Friday evening to set out a few crab traps. I had forgot the cane knife so we didn't get to brush the blind but was able to bail the water. We went out very late on Saturday evening and saw couple of good bunches in the dim light. We checked and tied weights on decoys this evening and we'll be back in the marsh on Friday to brush and put out just about every decoy we have that floats. It looks like the disturbed weather near the Yucatan may not amount to anything more than rain for our neighbors to the east.


The majority of the crabs we're of the LARGE variety.

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Adding the crabs to the "stew" base.

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Did a few on the grill as well.

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[Rick]

Grilled crab is a new one on me, but they sure look good.

[DComeaux]

Grilled crab is a new one on me, but they sure look good.

It's known as BBQ crabs. I had heard about this a couple of years ago when our camp neighbor loaded their pit with crabs and basted them with a sauce. I melt a couple of sticks of butter and add slap-ya-mama, garlic power, and onion powder. I brush the crabs with this sauce and place on a 300 degree grill top side down for 10 minutes. I then flip them over and fill the cavity with the sauce and cook for another 10 minutes or less. Baste again just before removing..... It's really good. The cooking time I mention will be a bit less on the next batch I do, though.

[Darren]

Great camp trip, DC!

The lil disturbance is looking just fine for us, and with a little front coming through tomorrow PM to boot. That stew got me with the envie to make one myself, headed down friday to go see what we've got at the blind to work with

[Deltaman]

Those crabs look Great!!!! Grilled crabs are awesome, once you figure it out, and as you mentioned, easy to overcook, but done correctly, delicious!!!!! I am jealous, as we have not had a strong crab influx this year, due to the continuous freshwater coming down the river system from all of the summer rainfall upstate.
Glad to hear that you are seeing some teal in your area as well, and hope they eat you up over the next few weeks