Season Log 2024-2025

[Duck Engr]

May have missed it but was that the camp’s first mallard too?

[DComeaux]

Saw the first flight of snows headed to the refuge on Saturday. Have yet to hear my first speck of the year.

[Rick]

May have missed it but was that the camp’s first mallard too?

No, someone in her party killed a hen, and the little gal who actually owns the place (her mom still runs) shot the first drake last Thursday. Cliff's was the camp's third.

[Rick]

Saw the first flight of snows headed to the refuge on Saturday. Have yet to hear my first speck of the year.

The couple blue flights I've seen were both headed east, which would have been a rarity on our old marsh, where virtually all were heading toward or back from the Gulf.

Our speck doesn't appear to have heralded anything.

[Rick]

Date: 11/18

Time: morning

Location: #3 and moved to #4/Byron's

Cloud Cover: clear to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: ESE moderate

Temperature: t-shirt

Moon phase: still big, 3/4?

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Far and away the least at my blind to date, spooky dead with no prayer of even good hunters filling, let alone my new ones. Byron filled out fast to my north, and we moved there when it was plain mine wasn't apt to pick up. Had 2 spoons and a redhead when we moved. Byron's blind was surrounded by black-bellies and other ducks were coming by regularly.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: A lot of birds wanted to work, but we stayed caught. (And missed most of what didn't catch us.)

Hunters: 2, Jeff and Adam, new to the game but enthusiastic.

Guns:

Malfunctions: Jeff's SX-something quit cycling at Byron's blind, where my blind box with oil wasn't, so I gave him my Benelli..

Dog(s): Call had more faith in the guns than warranted and eventually started breaking.

Special Equipment: SOS at my blind and Byron's also had big metal wings and a switch that allowed me to flirt with the black-bellies.

Curses: Just that my blind was so dead.

Kudos: Thank goodness for Byron's black-bellies.

Birds By Species: 11 black-bellies, 2 blue-wings, 1 green-wing, 1 redhead, 1 ringneck and 2 shovellers

[Duck Engr]

Nice save of the hunt! I don’t recall you ever changing blinds at Doug’s. Was that a function of curfew or just didn’t do it?

[Rick]

Nice save of the hunt! I don’t recall you ever changing blinds at Doug’s. Was that a function of curfew or just didn’t do it?

Never gave that much thought, but guess I just didn't feel the need to move in that marsh. And while I sometimes moved folks into the mudhole, I hated that they'd so often leave birds out on the surrounding turf to tempt my dogs into messing with their remains.

Big thing about moving at Cherry Ridge in the regular season is the ability to get closer to black-bellies Ray Charles should be able to hit. How many other ducks we had ops at in Byron's blind would have been sweet lagniappe if they could hit 'em.

[Rick]

Date: 11/19 Tues

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: rained last night but clearing to clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: light to moderate northerly

Temperature: warm

Moon phase: 3/4? waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Not a lot in the way of duck ducks, large or small, but the squealers came close enough to be in trouble.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most everything but jacks worked well.

Hunters: 2, John and Cass

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Call had a good day.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Not a one.

Kudos: Nice guys, nice time.

Birds By Species: 12 black-bellies, 2 gadwall, 1 green-wing and 3 pintails

[DComeaux]

You need to share your black bellies. Shoo them south.

[Rick]

You need to share your black bellies. Shoo them south.

Can't. They've got their spots picked out and, once settled in for the day, most often just circle and go right back too them after being flushed. And since they much prefer standing on in shallows on flotant to swimming, I doubt they'd like your deeper water.

[Rick]

Date: 11/20 Wed

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: Northerly moderate during our hunt

Temperature: 60?

Moon phase: 'bout half

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Finally specklebelly day in Klondike, with several groups passing high throughout the morning. Nothing noticeably new in the way of ducks and just a flight or two of both pins and grays.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Good enough.

Hunters: 2, Flint and Mike

Guns:

Malfunctions: One of my old Mojo spinners gave way at its mounting point, and I'll be going back to replace it with the last of its kind I own and try to fish out and salvage what I can of the swimmer when I finish this.

Dog(s): Call had another good morning.

Special Equipment: SOS for a while.

Curses: See "malfunctions".

Kudos: Pleasant hunt for pleasant company, and Flint shot like the firearms exec he is.

Birds By Species: 9 black-bellies, 2 blue-wings, 1 green-wing, 2 redheads, 3 ringnecks and 1 wood duck

[Duck Engr]

Specklebelly day in Klondike! Only a month behind.

[DComeaux]

Nice hunt.....Blow north wind, BLOW!!!

[Rick]

Specklebelly day in Klondike! Only a month behind.

Eggzackly. But still nice to hear them overhead and better than no specklebelly day...

Blow north wind, BLOW!!!

Had hoped to see new ducks battling it low over the marsh when I went back, but counted less than 20 ducks of any type en route to my blind. Was beginning to think the squealers were huddled behind trees somewhere until an eagle stirred a cloud of them over Neil and Byron's area.

And I might bitch about the battle to pole my little mudboat into the wind to get to the lost spinner's pole without wiping out my spread, but I just watched Pork Chop's blizzard clip and decided it wasn't so bad, after all.

[Ericdc]

Reports from northeast Louisiana this morning were disappointing. Pretty empty skies and stale acting ducks. Arkansas opens Saturday for what it's worth.


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[Darren]

Reports from northeast Louisiana this morning were disappointing. Pretty empty skies and stale acting ducks. Arkansas opens Saturday for what it's worth.
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Neighbor showed me a video from his BIL's place in Arky yesterday evening, insane duck numbers, they're anxiously awaiting the opener.

[DComeaux]

Blow north wind, BLOW!!!

Had hoped to see new ducks battling it low over the marsh when I went back, but counted less than 20 ducks of any type en route to my blind.

I was thinking only of our water situation and the draining of the excessive water from our lease. Waterfowl migration for this state to me is a thing of the past. We'll just shoot what we can and move on. I've been out early in the mornings and just before dusk in the evenings this week scanning the skies and listening for the sounds of migration.... NOTHING! It's an empty feeling. So quiet.

At least if we get our water down we'll have a more comfortable time at the blind. I'm wondering if this front has pushed the teal to the tropics?

[Darren]

Have to believe a lot of blue wings headed south with this weather change.

[Rick]

Date: 11/21 Thur

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: northerly zip to moderate

Temperature: low 40s to warm

Moon phase: 64% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: No big post front show but enough of this and that kicking around to make a really nice hunt.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Remarkably well in some cases. Had not just redheads but ringnecks working to the cutdown's diver barks, both mallards came stupid without more than half circles and the specks must have had their eyes closed.

Hunters: 2, Jason and Ryan

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): relatively easy morning

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Only that we'd finished with ducks, and I was in the boat with gun in its sock when the specks came by.

Kudos: Specks worked slick, anyway, and nice guys had a big time.

Birds By Species: 4 blue-wings, 1 gadwall, 2 green-wings, 2 mallards, 2 redheads, 3 ringnecks, 3 shovellers, 1 wood duck and 2 specks

Photo Ops: A too rare greenhead:

thumbnail_PXL_20241121_145420014.jpg

and a fly-off speck we were lucky to recover:

thumbnail_PXL_20241121_151433599.jpg

Lagniappe: Ryan had never shot a black-belly and was anxious to, so, naturally, we couldn't buy one close enough to work for him.

[Duck Engr]

Sweet morning!!

[DComeaux]

Great hunt. Love the specks.

[Deltaman]

Nice bonus birds!!!!!

[Rick]

Addendum 11/20: Finally took a good look at the fallen spinner and see that it was shot off it's pole. Nice pattern: 29 hits.

[Rick]

Date: 11/22 Fri

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: zip to light

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: waning 1/4?

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: We passed on squealers, of which few came by, and didn't see a lot of any ducks but jacks. But there were quite a few flights of high blues and specks both.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Most of what came by, aside from jacks, tried to work.

Hunters: 2, 84yr-old Richard and Scott

Guns: Richard is one of the largest Beretta distributors in the country, but his was broke and a borrowed Benelli M2's rear safety probably messed with him.

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Call had a bad day that had us doing remedial training after.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Wish Richard didn't have to leave at 8:30, but that's not much of a bitch.

Kudos: Pretty morning and nice guys..

Birds By Species: 3 gadwall, 4 gwt, 1 mallard, 3 pintails, 2 ringnecks and 2 sovellers

Photo Ops: Dirty gray:

thumbnail_PXL_20241122_143750052.jpg

[DComeaux]

8:30 with what's on your strap is a great hunt.

[SpinnerMan]

8:30 with what's on your strap is a great hunt.

And passed on squealers. And had to learn the rear safety. Definitely nothing to complain about there.

[Ducaholic]

Nice! We picked up a few mallards and quite a few GWT last two days!

[Rick]

Nice! We picked up a few mallards and quite a few GWT last two days!

None of us at CR are seeing more than a very few mallards, but that beats none. Had forgotten how big, slow and gullible they can be. Little wonder they're so popular.

(Which isn't to say my guys never hear, "Crap, those were supposed to be the easy ones." when they blow me off.)

[Ducaholic]

Have to believe a lot of blue wings headed south with this weather change.

Haven't seen one since opening day.

[Rick]

Date: 11/23 Fri

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: nil to light easterly

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: 45% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Slower than needed on our end this morning.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully good.

Hunters: 2, John & and another John called "cracker"

Guns:

Malfunctions: Boat lost power on way out, turned out to be that the throttle cable slipped in its bracket. Fixed in time to make LST. Later, when I tried to go catch a crazy dog, the cable popped out of its carb linkage hole, which I lacked the 10mm wrench to remove the air cleaner assembly to reach. Neil brought me the 10mm and took my guys back while I fixed it at 9:30.

Dog(s): Call lost his mind and went rogue. Blew off my cast on a relatively easy blind and went wilding spree around the pond paying no attention whatsoever to the whistle and didn't return until seeing us drop a chipped jack, which he caught and brought in. Then made a long mark on a gray, which he chose to take to the bank, instead of retrieve. Must have spent nearly an hour in the grass with it, which made me fear he was eating it. But, again, he saw us chip another bird he chose to catch and bring me. Tied him. Was balky yesterday but haven't seen him take a fit like today's since spring, and thankful he didn't do so in warmer, gator weather.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Don't believe I've ever been so embarrassed on a hunt. Maybe at all.

Kudos: My hunters may not have been good shots, but they were absolutely great human beings who took my boat and dog woes incredibly well

Birds By Species: 2 black-bellies, 2 green-wing teal, 1 mallard, 4 ringnecks and 1 shoveller

Lagniappe: With the boat repaired and what I could find of our birds, I just had to go see how much duck eating trouble call and I were in. Found the drake gray where Call had spent most of his time and found just a few loose feathers - around a virtually undamaged duck licked nearly clean of most of its body feathers. My dog ain't right.