Season

[Duck Engr]

Good to hear he’s out doing his duty and that y’all were good. Hate to hear bird flu is still around, though I haven’t heard of the large scale die offs of last year.

[DComeaux]

I've read that the LDWF was asking for fowl to check for the bird flu.

[Ericdc]

We mentioned it to warden, but he didn't seem interested. They are hanging on a stringer, not going to clean them.


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[Ericdc]

Merry Christmas gents


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[DComeaux]

Merry Christmas!

[Ericdc]

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[DComeaux]

What a feast. Looks good.

[Ericdc]

Date: 12/27/23

Time: packed up at 9:30

Location: 86 pit

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSW 5-10 to SW 10 very pretty day with good wind

Temperature: 30's to 40's chilly

Barometer:

Moon phase: big and bright

Special Notes: first time pit has been hunted since last Wednesday, but it didn't matter.

Waterfowl Activity: very very very few ducks of any kind. Specks are building to our west across tree line. Snows to the SW

Waterfowl Responsiveness: specks came pretty

Hunters: bob tom Kevin and I

Guns:

Malfunctions: forgot I had mojos on when a single speck was making approach.

Dog(s): me

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on remote and round about (what we call it)

Kudos: didn't scratch

curses: I have little hope that our duck situation will get any better.

Birds By Species:
2 specks

Photo Ops:
Bob with geese



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[Ericdc]

The guys reported mostly empty skies yesterday as far as ducks. Decent goose flight, so I'll be targeting them tomorrow in our most preferred weather conditions. At least it'll feel right, though I'll be thankful for any birds I get.


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[Ericdc]

We usually have our biggest hunts on these days in seasons past. I've had a lot of Facebook memories in last few days of some pretty straps in cold sunny weather.


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[Darren]

We going tomorrow too. Was bummed to sit out the last few days but given this weather/moon pattern we've been sitting on, couldn't justify putting the effort into making a trip. This week and into next weekend (and beyond) looking a lot more interesting though.

[Ericdc]

It is, if they'll push south. I don't feel like there's much on the coast to push back north in January like in years past.


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[Darren]

It is, if they'll push south. I don't feel like there's much on the coast to push back north in January like in years past.


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At a similar latitude to you, my cousin hunts near Paris, TX. So far this season it's been abysmal compared to last year and those in recent past there. Said it's all ringers and a few teal right now, and that's when it's been "good". Just last year it was greenheads for days, pins and teal mixed in on occasion.

[Ericdc]

With no meaningful snow cover, the mallards aren't coming, they aren't even in Arkansas.

My buddy NW of Fort Worth hunted their tanks in last week and only killed 12 gadwall in 3 hunts.


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[Duck Engr]

With no meaningful snow cover, the mallards aren't coming, they aren't even in Arkansas.

My buddy NW of Fort Worth hunted their tanks in last week and only killed 12 gadwall in 3 hunts.


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Can confirm. Two separate groups of friends did not pull the trigger 3 days straight after Christmas. One other friend killed 4 mallards one day of the 10 he SAW.

I had the green light from the wife to go hunt but decided my time was best spent at home. Turns out I was right.

[Ericdc]

Date: 1/1/24

Time: left at noon

Location: 86 pit

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: NNE 10-15 (perfect)

Temperature: 30's to 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: best weather of season to date

Waterfowl Activity: decent teal flight (3 different groups) then very few of anything else, very few geese. Did not see any spoons, 1 group of gads, couple groups of pintail, then 2 mallards.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: teal worked decent, single speck came really pretty from high but pushed off on final approach

Hunters: Austin and I

Guns:

Malfunctions: Austin's Belgium a-5 jammed on both groups of teal. Austin was also peeing when mallards came in.

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on remote.

Kudos: pretty proud of our strap, and it should have been a few birds heavier without the gun malfunctions. Easily could have had 10 birds.

curses: I whiffed on first group of teal

Birds By Species:
4 green winged teal
1 mallard


Photo Ops:




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[Darren]

Take the small wins my friend, beautiful greenhead. Old timers at the barn this AM told us yesterday was really good on just a breath of south wind, not sure if you got any reports. Said the green wings were nuts.

Was also noting to our crew this morning "Where are the spoons?" Don't think we put eyes on one this morning and that's flat bizarre for our locale. The more reports I read and podcasts I listen to on the truck ride up and back to the farm, the more I'm hearing that up is down this season, nothing is how it should be, how it largely was even just last season. Digging further into those tracking WSI/Weather Severity Indices for all things winter weather.


Looking ahead, when you thinking of going again? Looks like big rain Wednesday.

[Ericdc]

Maybe Thursday. First sun after rain for us is usually decent.

Won't take a vacation day for rain, but Saturday looks nasty too. I'll be glad to get it, but want to hunt in sun. We just do better and it's not close.


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[Ericdc]

Simmons duck report said they been deer hunting. Locals guides shooting geese.


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[Darren]

Yea I'm seeing more action in sun than clouds/rain this year too, giving it a chance at least!! Not sure I want to go sit in rain but I also really want to hunt to gather some more observations of what's working and what's not. Saturday does look potentially nasty, and keep watching for major cool down flyway wide next week....wondering when one of those might bring ice/snow to La.

I knew south winds were forecast for yesterday but didn't take them serious, didnt appear to me to be strong enough to matter but apparently I was wrong. Recall looking out at moss hanging in my yard yesterday morning and it was dead still. The guys described it as a "puff" of south wind at the farm........but "all the teal you wanted in swarms."

[Ericdc]

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[DComeaux]

Doug's Hunting Lodge...

[Rick]

"Those were the days, my friends..."

[Ericdc]

While we are reminiscing

1-4-13
guided hunt with Rick hall
high clouds becoming partly cloudy
NE wind 10 mph
Eric Corey perry and Rick
9 green winged teal
7 mallards
1 mottled
2 pintail
1 shoveler
lost a mallard and a mottled


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[Rick]

"lost a mallard and a mottled" Ouch!

[Darren]

"Those were the days, my friends..."

Missing those meals, and that table, with those people.

[Ericdc]

Date: 1/4/24

Time: left at 10

Location: 86 pit

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: calm to light before sunrise then 5-8 NE.

Temperature: 27 to 40's, some skim ice

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: absolutely beautiful morning

Waterfowl Activity: absolutely no birds in our area

Waterfowl Responsiveness: just a couple high flocks of mostly pintail with a few mallards and gadwall headed north. Called at 2 specks, saw very few.

Hunters: bob Tom Kevin and me

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: round about, pulsator, and 2 mojos on remotes

Kudos: hot ham sandwich was good

curses: heard 1 distant volley right at legal then nothing. Looking at next Tuesday for my next attempt. Will deer hunt Saturday after all day rain tomorrow.

Birds By Species:
First scratch of the year.

Photo Ops:




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[Ducaholic]

While we are reminiscing

1-4-13
guided hunt with Rick hall
high clouds becoming partly cloudy
NE wind 10 mph
Eric Corey perry and Rick
9 green winged teal
7 mallards
1 mottled
2 pintail
1 shoveler
lost a mallard and a mottled


Wow! That was a great hunt and great year for me personally.


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[Ducaholic]

Wow! That was a great hunt and great year for me personally.

[Ericdc]

Date: 1/9/24

Time: left at 11

Location: the 86 pit

Cloud Cover: cloudy with a hint of sun around 9 back to cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: West 15-20 with some higher gusts.

Temperature: upper 30's low 40's

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: solo hunt. Went 4 for 4 on my first 4 shots.

Waterfowl Activity: daylight flurry then just a few here and there, looked like all locals still.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: pintail gadwall and speck worked really pretty early then got tough as morning went on.

Hunters: me

Guns:

Malfunctions: after stopping for some burritos in Monroe, my truck wouldn't crank. Lease partner Bob lives nearby thankfully, brought his battery booster and jumper cables. Followed by a trip to auto zone for a new battery. Did not think it was battery due to weird alerts on dash but it was my battery. (Was original Ford battery from when I bought truck new in 2018). Glad it happened in Monroe and not at my middle of nowhere lease shop.

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: didn't put mojos out due to big wind.

Kudos: was nice to shoot big ducks fully committed.

curses: wish some new birds would have come. Maybe this weekend??


Birds By Species:
1 pintail
2 gadwall
1 speck

Photo Ops:








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