Well, the lease is paid for another year and there was another price increase so I took in a 3rd hunter to help ease the sting. Blake, Randall (has a blind south of us) and I rode the property yesterday and the changes were exciting. The water was released for drying time and I haven't seen so much dry land in there in a long time, if ever.
Our blind island is high and drying out nicely and all grasses around our blind and in this marsh are bright green and thick. Our old boat ditch is now dry and grass is starting to cover it. The lack of roseau was at first alarming but it's being taken over by the natural marsh grasses and tall cord grass, which is a good thing. Was told they were going to do a complete drawdown of the marsh, but being this process involves the property to our east the crabber was not happy. The compromise was to add a few more boards back to the gates to hold water where it is now, or just a bit lower, and our new land owner allows him to set his traps in our deeper areas that were the original ponds when this marsh was a marsh. The water may continue to drop if we stay in this dry spell and we don't get a tropical surge.
We jumped a few blue wing in our travels around the property yesterday. It must be some of those that make our marsh their home. Was told by a good source that the nearby refuge holds many of those every year throughout the summer months. I haven't been this excited about a duck season in a long time, and without hurricanes this place will continue to get better. The new landowners remarks to me that he wanted to "restore this place to it's former glory" is happening. He plans to set up the most Sothern part of the property for he and is family to hunt. I just hope I remain in his plans to be a lowly blind leaser.
I didn't think of taking pictures while we were out there as I was too wrapped up in what I was visually taking in. All I have to offer is this picture taken and sent to me by Blake on the ride in. My eyes are closed, probably imagining ducks over the decoys.
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