2022-2023 Season Log

[Rick]

Date: 12/20 Tue

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: raining off and on

Wind Direction and Velocity: strong NE

Temperature: 40s

Moon phase: ?

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Lots of shooting on both sides of us early, while we either saw nothing or watched birds get banged out, But enough teal came by later to save our hunt, Only big ducks seen in any numbers at all were local mottleds and pintails.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Fine - until another blind would shoot.

Hunters: 2, Warren and Tyler on the former's first hunt of the year and the latter's first ever.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Lost a chipped spoon in the big water to our south.

Special Equipment: East spinner pole was bent at a 45 by high wind some time yesterday or last night and needs replaced.

Curses: Only that I couldn't show nice guys more opportunity.

Kudos: Seemed to have a big time, anyway.

Birds By Species: 3 blue-wing teal, 1 gadwall, 7 green-wing teal and 1 shoveller

[DComeaux]

Curses: Only that I couldn't show nice guys more opportunity. Kudos: Seemed to have a big time, anyway.

I'm fairly certain they had a fine time, regardless.

[Rick]

Curses: Only that I couldn't show nice guys more opportunity. Kudos: Seemed to have a big time, anyway.

I'm fairly certain they had a fine time, regardless.

Hope so, but they had to listen to an awful lot of shooting while they were not.

[Ricky Spanish]

In a public marsh every shot is assumed to be a dead duck. You go to the check-in and nobody hit a thing.

[SpinnerMan]

Curses: Only that I couldn't show nice guys more opportunity. Kudos: Seemed to have a big time, anyway.

I'm fairly certain they had a fine time, regardless.

Hope so, but they had to listen to an awful lot of shooting while they were not.

That's your high standards. They got a dozen ducks. If that's not a good time, half a dozen more wasn't going to make a difference.

[Rick]

That's your high standards. They got a dozen ducks. If that's not a good time, half a dozen more wasn't going to make a difference.

"Pay hunt" expectations are, far more often than not, mighty high, and "limit" is a mighty important word in our business. And never mind that most are shot at bars and cocktail parties.

[Rick]

Date: 12/21

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: heavy and misty all morning

Wind Direction and Velocity: nil to moderate easterly

Temperature: 40s?

Moon phase: Dark boat ride, maybe new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: First real flight day I've seen all season, but the great majority were just within vision and little ducks. Perhaps the same ones that cleared out of this area last week.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Couldn't break the high little ducks and few of the high pintails (which most of the relatively few big duck flights I thought i could ID appeared). Only mottleds that were tripped up were missed, and after turning the first woodie to pass inside-out with a speck call "sweeeeeet," the guys didn't think it was a duck and wouldn't shoot. Finally took my word for it when I brought him back around.

Hunters: 2, Andy who hunts Johnson Bayou and Jeremy, his pastor, on his first duck hunt.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): The bug really had to earn his long, chipped bird kibble and made new fans.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: None from me.

Kudos: Nice guys had a good time and shot first mallards.

Birds By Species: 1 black-bellied whistling duck, 2 blue-wing teal, 1 gadwall, 7 green-wing teal, 3 mallards, 1 pintail and 1 wood duck

[Duck Engr]

That's your high standards. They got a dozen ducks. If that's not a good time, half a dozen more wasn't going to make a difference.

"Pay hunt" expectations are, far more often than not, mighty high, and "limit" is a mighty important word in our business. And never mind that most are shot at bars and cocktail parties.

Have a guide friend of a friend who thinks it’d be the best thing to ever happen to him for the feds to cut the limit to 4.

[SpinnerMan]

That's your high standards. They got a dozen ducks. If that's not a good time, half a dozen more wasn't going to make a difference.

"Pay hunt" expectations are, far more often than not, mighty high, and "limit" is a mighty important word in our business. And never mind that most are shot at bars and cocktail parties.

Have a guide friend of a friend who thinks it’d be the best thing to ever happen to him for the feds to cut the limit to 4.

I had a guide who also does walleye guiding say the same thing. People would be happier with a limit of 4 than 1 short of a limit of 6.

I've done a lot of pay hunts and never got upset about not getting a limit. I guess not having unrealistic expectations helps enjoy what you do get.

[Ricky Spanish]

And everyone drives the speed limit. Limits are limits and I know some of us regularly are " breakin the law" but that's fidderent.
If watwrfowl limts were like speed limits 5 over is OK right?

[Rick]

I had a guide who also does walleye guiding say the same thing. People would be happier with a limit of 4 than 1 short of a limit of 6.

That was pretty much proven the case here near the end of the point system, when 10 point ducks became 20pt ducks and the potential limit dropped from 10 to 5. LDWF's surveys showed hunter satisfaction went up, almost certainly because more folks were limiting.

[Duck Engr]

I had a guide who also does walleye guiding say the same thing. People would be happier with a limit of 4 than 1 short of a limit of 6.

That was pretty much proven the case here near the end of the point system, when 10 point ducks became 20pt ducks and the potential limit dropped from 10 to 5. LDWF's surveys showed hunter satisfaction went up, almost certainly because more folks were limiting.

People are strange critters

[Rick]

Date: 12/22 Fri

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: fogged in

Wind Direction and Velocity: SE light to moderate

Temperature: 40s

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Hard to tell in the fog, aside from more lost black-bellies looking for Cherry Ridge.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Teal whistled a lot when fog was densest, which occasionally paid off.

Hunters: 1, Steve

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): easy morning with everything close

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Aside from the lost hop of tolling big duck flights ahead of the front, none at all.

Kudos: Steve was good company and shot well.

Birds By Species: 5 black-belled whistling ducks, 1 gadwall, 3 green-wing teal, 1 pintail and 2 ringnecks

[Duck Engr]

Good company, shot well, and lost black bellies in the fog. Can’t complain about that!

[Rick]

Date: 12/23/22

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: gloriously clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: N "20 and gusting"

Temperature: 18 "feels like 3"

Moon phase: new

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Few more big ducks than we'd been seeing early, but that petered out, while squealers, teal and spoons stayed numerous.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good if you got on them downwind, but don't think much, that wasn't ever heard the call.

Hunters: 2, father and son, Troy and Camron

Guns:

Malfunctions: My old insulated hip boots proved leaky!

Dog(s): Spared Marsh the misery of frigid conditions and skim ice on the flotant skinning his front legs today, but hope the flotant ice will be thick enough to hold him tomorrow.

Special Equipment: Took the spinners down so high winds wouldn't bend their poles. (Fred lost one to his pond this morning.)

Curses: Just my wet, frozen feet and that a couple of guys didn't treat frozen throttle cables as they should have, and I had to go back out and hillbilly rig them.

Kudos: Neat day to be alive and in the marsh.

Birds By Species: 4 black-bellied whistling ducks, 1 blue-wing teal, 1 fulvous whistling duck, 2 gadwall, 4 green-wing teal, 1 mallard, 1 pintail, 1 ringneck and 3 shovellers

[DComeaux]

Nice hunt Rick.

We may try a hunt on Monday. Hoping to slip away early on Sunday.

[Rick]

Date: 12/24

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: North STRONG

Temperature: lower 20s

Moon phase: 2% waxing

Special Notes: Ice was thick in some wind-protected parts of the trail, but most of the pond was open

Waterfowl Activity: Little of everything moving around, though still not many mallards.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Pretty good, given the givens.

Hunters: 3, Grandson, Preston, his dad, Chris, and Doug's great-grandson, Cole

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Moi, left the bug at home.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Only that I broke through the flotant and went over my waders. YARCH!

Kudos: Another glorious day to be alive and in the marsh, especially sharing it with family and friends.

Birds By Species: 3 black-bellied whistlers, 1 blue-wing teal, 4 gadwall, 2 green-wing teal, 2 mallards, 2 mottleds, 4 pintails and 6 shovellers

[Ricky Spanish]

Date: 12/24

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: North STRONG

Temperature: lower 20s

Moon phase: 2% waxing

Special Notes: Ice was thick in some wind-protected parts of the trail, but most of the pond was open

Waterfowl Activity: Little of everything moving around, though still not many mallards.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Pretty good, given the givens.

Hunters: 3, Grandson, Preston, his dad, Chris, and Doug's great-grandson, Cole

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Moi, left the bug at home.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Only that I broke through the flotant and went over my waders. YARCH!

Kudos: Another glorious day to be alive and in the marsh, especially sharing it with family and friends.

Birds By Species: 3 black-bellied whistlers, 1 blue-wing teal, 4 gadwall, 2 green-wing teal, 2 mallards, 2 mottleds, 4 pintails and 6 shovellers

You're the second one I know that's went swimming in the past week.

[Duck Engr]

Rough day to go swimming but hopefully that sweet bag with family warmed you a little!

[Deltaman]

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, on the fall thru the flotant in the hard North wind, but glad to see that the birds cooperated, and y'all had a fine family hunt!!!!!

[Ricky Spanish]

Three words Rick...

GettyImages-1451548271_cwi95p.jpeg

Water Wings

[Rick]

Mike, I thought of you and your Arkansas freelancing, while out airing Marsh a hair after 3 this morning when a fellow towing a tiny bateau passed on his way to Lacassine Refuge. Thought "There's a real duck hunter." and went to good thoughts of your duck gumption.

Then I opened this log and was reminded that you're also an asshole.

[Ricky Spanish]

Mike, I thought of you and your Arkansas freelancing, while out airing Marsh a hair after 3 this morning when a fellow towing a tiny bateau passed on his way to Lacassine Refuge. Thought "There's a real duck hunter." and went to good thoughts of your duck gumption.

Then I opened this log and was reminded that you're also an asshole.

And stinky.
I get especially assholicky when the marsh is frozen and there ain't no ducks. It's that time again..
Merry Christmas I'm debating on whether driving all that way to hunt in the rain for a week is a good idea.
Did it hurt much when you thought about me?
Just a slight pinch.

[Ricky Spanish]

Throw your opinion into this debate?
When will it thaw enough to get to middle stake?

I bet they'll be out with hammers breaking the boat lanes tomorrow morning.
This ditch will open first.
Why?
Remember the "it's starting to snow so I gotta go" video?
That video was shot at the border of Missouri at top of wma where the water comes in like mad. It goes down the north-south ditch I pointed at and that one has current about 3mph or better.

16719622010406516970699313785399.jpg

For reference my finger is at about Mile 7.5.
The east west ditches have names but I use the numbers.
It starts at 5 so it's confusing. The launch is at 7.
Another is at 9 but it's on east side.


I think by Thursday I'll be able to drive my boat anywhere on the wma. Here's the forecast.

Screenshot_20221225_035429_Weather.jpg

They'll bash them lanes open today all the way to 8 mile.
Guys for the north do the same thing to the same place and the entire ditch gets open fast. They race to a place called. "Crossroads" where the state did a lot of logging.
Freshly logged holes are hot spots.

I've studied the hydrology of big lake from a civil engineers perspective.
Taming that place must've taken enormous resources..if you look close at the controls like I have it's basically a very old army Corp of engineers project.
The amount of water that goes thru the wma is astronomical.

[Duck Engr]

Throw your opinion into this debate?
When will it thaw enough to get to middle stake?

I bet they'll be out with hammers breaking the boat lanes tomorrow morning.
This ditch will open first.
Why?
Remember the "it's starting to snow so I gotta go" video?
That video was shot at the border of Missouri at top of wma where the water comes in like mad. It goes down the north-south ditch I pointed at and that one has current about 3mph or better.

16719622010406516970699313785399.jpg

For reference my finger is at about Mile 7.5.
The east west ditches have names but I use the numbers.
It starts at 5 so it's confusing. The launch is at 7.
Another is at 9 but it's on east side.


I think by Thursday I'll be able to drive my boat anywhere on the wma. Here's the forecast.

Screenshot_20221225_035429_Weather.jpg

They'll bash them lanes open today all the way to 8 mile.
Guys for the north do the same thing to the same place and the entire ditch gets open fast. They race to a place called. "Crossroads" where the state did a lot of logging.
Freshly logged holes are hot spots.

I've studied the hydrology of big lake from a civil engineers perspective.
Taming that place must've taken enormous resources..if you look close at the controls like I have it's basically a very old army Corp of engineers project.
The amount of water that goes thru the wma is astronomical.

That has fascinated me since I started traversing those greentree projects. Some really incredible feats of engineering and some outside the box thinking.

[Ricky Spanish]

Throw your opinion into this debate?
When will it thaw enough to get to middle stake?

I bet they'll be out with hammers breaking the boat lanes tomorrow morning.
This ditch will open first.
Why?
Remember the "it's starting to snow so I gotta go" video?
That video was shot at the border of Missouri at top of wma where the water comes in like mad. It goes down the north-south ditch I pointed at and that one has current about 3mph or better.

16719622010406516970699313785399.jpg

For reference my finger is at about Mile 7.5.
The east west ditches have names but I use the numbers.
It starts at 5 so it's confusing. The launch is at 7.
Another is at 9 but it's on east side.


I think by Thursday I'll be able to drive my boat anywhere on the wma. Here's the forecast.

Screenshot_20221225_035429_Weather.jpg

They'll bash them lanes open today all the way to 8 mile.
Guys for the north do the same thing to the same place and the entire ditch gets open fast. They race to a place called. "Crossroads" where the state did a lot of logging.
Freshly logged holes are hot spots.

I've studied the hydrology of big lake from a civil engineers perspective.
Taming that place must've taken enormous resources..if you look close at the controls like I have it's basically a very old army Corp of engineers project.
The amount of water that goes thru the wma is astronomical.

That has fascinated me since I started traversing those greentree projects. Some really incredible feats of engineering and some outside the box thinking.

There are weird "things" abandoned in weird places.
One hole has a very large tank you see off to the side as you go in. I'd say 5000 gallon size.
There's more too.

[Duck Engr]

I won’t further muck up Rick’s log except to say there’s a spot I’ve hunted everyone calls the school bus hole, because there’s an old schoolbus there.

[Rick]

Date: 12/25/22 Sun

Time: morning

Location: mudhole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: nil to light NE

Temperature: mid 20s

Moon phase: 8% waxing

Special Notes: Christmas

Waterfowl Activity: Still not the mallards we would have liked, but plenty of birds for our crew in "ducks is ducks" mode.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: 3 callers was often too many but did help when Gauge clucked three specks close enough to shy from our iced pond. I was about to try buzzing when Warren John started in yelping and got a pause out of them, so we all tried sounding like a happy, happy flock, and they came back a running to the party. All three dropped stone dead within a few yards of the blind. Credit to Gauge and WJ.

Hunters: 3, step-son Warren John and grandsons Ethan and Gauge.

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Marsh got to go today but wasn't allowed to swim in the iced-over pond, just handle what was on the flotant at hunt's end. And danged if he didn't take a plunge in the hole I broke through yesterday.

Special Equipment: Ran the spinners some, but the splasher's prop was locked by ice.

Curses: Only that it was over too quickly. Well that and someone had "borrowed" my boat and broke its throttle without telling me.

Kudos: Absolutely splendid Christmas morning.

Birds By Species: 2 black-bellied whistling ducks, 1 blue-wing teal, 1 fulvous whistling duck, 3 gadwall, 2 green-wing teal, 1 mallard, 1 pintail, 2 ringnecks, 11 shovellers (tying the blind record) and 3 specks

Photo Ops: Ethan and Gauge:

005a.jpg

[5 stand]

Mighty fine !
I was curious if Ethan would get a chance to catch up with some of those teal...

[Rick]

Ethan's coming on. Killed his first mallard, gray and mottled when it was just the two of us earlier this year, and shot his 6 birds this morning, though most may have been greater-billed blue-wings. Said he got a speck, too, and I couldn't dispute it.