Duck Season 2024-2025

[Darren]

Sat 11/9/2024 La West Zone Opener
Delacroix HBFC - A51 Blind
Cousin Kyle, Johnny and I with Harry
70s, winds NE to E 15-25, ridiculously flooded marsh, mostly cloudy to pt sunny, hurricane Rafael in the Gulf

Shoved off from the camp dock with water 5 inches over it, low expectations to say the least. Stared down a DNS past 8:00a but were seeing fair few ducks here and there, more than I thought we’d see for sure. Shot well on the very few ops we got with the teal and made a little strap that saved our day. Lost one lively crip in the flooded grass.
Success today was very spotty, some had great hunts, some struggled. Will had 1 bird in our new “Redhead Blind.”

(7) 6 BWT, 1 GWT

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Did have a 6 pack of grays bail on us last second and ended up seeing promising numbers overall in the area given how warm it’s been (and still is), plus the floods. Tomorrow is TBD but feel like we salvaged the opener despite the conditions dealt.

[DComeaux]

Water, water, water.

[Rick]

Water, water, water.

If it ain't one thing...

[Darren]

Was a cruel reminder that our pond still has plenty feed as we picked up decoys, noting that it being probably 3.5 ft down isn't going to attract any grays any time soon. Hopefully later this week as the tide ranges fizzle and winds settle a bit. Just a mess down here right now.

[Darren]

Sun 11/10/24
Delacroix HBFC A51 Blind
Johnny and I w/ Harry
Nearly 80 deg, ENE winds 15-25, still crazy high water, heavy clouds and occasional rain

Had been very much on the fence about going but woke up refreshed and we decided to just go see since there was less rain around than feared. Slow to start again but pecked away and made most of what came, put together a nice stringer again. Lost a crip blue wing and I’ll presume the drake of a redhead pair that power dove down into the pond. Rode out a few squall lines that passed and birds would move as it cleared a bit. Ended up again seeing surprising numbers and that’s got us looking forward to the next trip.

(9) 6 BW teal, 1 GW teal, 1 redhead

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Cousins Kyle and Troy joined a buddy of theirs on nearby public ground and had nice hunt with grays and teal mixed.

[Duck Engr]

Whoa that’s a beauty!

[Rick]

Spiffy dresser.

[DComeaux]

Beautiful bird.

[Darren]

Storm remnants of Rafael still spinning off the coast this morning with tides down slightly at the camp but not nearly what we need. Front later this week still looking like there's some potential for help and watching next week's front looking stout at the moment.

Oh and just for fun, models are also picking up on a potential storm yet again around the Gulf next week. What a time to be alive!

[DComeaux]

Oh and just for fun, models are also picking up on a potential storm yet again around the Gulf next week. What a time to be alive!

The GFS model tends to over exaggerate things, especially over 10 days out.

[Darren]

Oh and just for fun, models are also picking up on a potential storm yet again around the Gulf next week. What a time to be alive!

The GFS model tends to over exaggerate things, especially over 10 days out.

No doubt, but others showing it too
Mostly on a sharp curve east as fronts approach

[Ducaholic]

Oh and just for fun, models are also picking up on a potential storm yet again around the Gulf next week. What a time to be alive!

The GFS model tends to over exaggerate things, especially over 10 days out.

Unless we get a real front that does not have a W in the wind direction, I wouldn't hang my hat on seeing a big push. The lowest temps for the next 10 days in SD are the upper 20's and in Kansas its 36. 36 is what we should be having on occasion. What these weak fronts will do is keep the storms away which is what we all want to see. I got enough water in my best spots to float a battleship. When it rains it literally pours. Enough already and more expected on Wednesday. Hard to stay optimistic and my season has not even started.

[Darren]

Hang tight buddy! Yea I saw that insane rain over the weekend up that way for sure.

Next week front looking legit, and models still on board with a weaker one this week. One week at a time.....

[Ducaholic]

Hang tight buddy! Yea I saw that insane rain over the weekend up that way for sure.

Next week front looking legit, and models still on board with a weaker one this week. One week at a time.....

I'd love for you to be right. Are you going to hunt your lease in Whiteville this weekend? SW Avoyelles got hammered with rain. Over 8" in Eola which is not far up the road.

[Darren]

Hang tight buddy! Yea I saw that insane rain over the weekend up that way for sure.

Next week front looking legit, and models still on board with a weaker one this week. One week at a time.....

I'd love for you to be right. Are you going to hunt your lease in Whiteville this weekend? SW Avoyelles got hammered with rain. Over 8" in Eola which is not far up the road.

Any plans for up there at my buddy's place are up in air, I'm planning on marsh Friday for sure, maybe Sat too.

[Darren]

Fri 11/15/2024
Delacroix HBFC A51 Blind
Johnny and I with Harry
Winds N/NE 15-20, upper 50s, clear, nearly full moon

Finally got a front through to get tides closer to normal and cool us off. Overall didn’t see whole heck of a lot, teal were no-shows but did see few more grays. Had a few singles and small groups not finish for us, and let one we fired on get out that shouldn’t have, otherwise took what little committed.

2 grays, 1 redhead

First gray of the season

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Have kept this project low key but today was first trip, maiden voyage, in a new duck rig I designed and had a buddy build. Outfit that J works for sold and mounted the motor. We really enjoyed it today. Probably do another thread to show the build pictures.

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Our club partner Will and his dad hunted our west blind and took three grays that worked pretty for them. We are thinking we want to go look at something different tomorrow so maybe local public land. Our food is just now starting to be available to birds with tide falling a lot and sure enough we watched a pair of grays light in front of the blind while we were loading up pirogues in the boat to leave. That’s exactly the pattern we’re wanting to see.

[Rick]

Pretty wild that you had wind while were so calm over here.

[Darren]

Sat 11/16/2024
SE La public land WMA
Johnny and I, old buddy Canaan H. of Faulks Game Calls lineage, with Harry
Winds ENE very light to eventually 10-15+ thankfully, clear skies, full moon, 60’s, high water

Back to very high tide with the full moon and east winds, though not as high as last weekend. Hit nearby public ground to at least go look at something different. Though a long ride, was a pleasant and swift one in the new rig. Got started with a 6 pack of grays committing like it was their one goal in life, and most survived to tell the tale, chipping but two, one giving Harry one of his most impressive recoveries of his hunting life 30 yards deeper into the flooded marsh than we saw it swim into.

Picked up one or two here and there, and have to admit I botched a potential much stronger op on a wad of green wings that broke for the call but had one in front and wasn’t certain of the group’s intentions approaching from behind us, given a dog was in the decoys. Got the one.

Had a nice time, got to see some grays work pretty and catch up with an old buddy, enjoy the new boat. Just fine on our end!

(7) 6 grays, 1 GW teal

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Will took 5 grays on a solo outing also on same public tract, but was a long way from us. Neither party reported seeing much overall, seems like mid to late October out there. Hoping this week’s forecast more significant front gets things moving, including dumping water out.

Bunkie blind had strong opener yesterday, 5 man limit of mostly spoons and teal I think. May head that way to greet the front mid week.

[DComeaux]

Would love to tangle with some gadwall.

[Darren]

Would love to tangle with some gadwall.

They've been doing gadwall things; some finish as pretty as one could ever want, some are skeptical for no apparent good reason, circle and circle just to tease.

[Darren]

Front made it through down at the camp, water levels are way high but falling.

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Field hunt planned for tomorrow morning.

[Darren]

Wed. 11/20/2024
Bunkie area farm
Johnny and I w/ Harry
post-front NW winds increasing to 10-20, 50's, lingering big moon, clear skies

Frontal passage yesterday, winds just getting going, hot flight to start but too dark to see to shoot for the most part. Birds weren't working in close so held our shots. Missed a couple iffy chances, then whiffed on a small group that lit front and center but behind some grass in front of blind under the dark of the treeline. Shut down after 6:30a, was all over with, no more shooting anywhere. Saw only a few specks and snows, definitely seems early up there. Likely try again there on Sunday, but planning for marsh on Saturday.

1 GW teal

[Ericdc]

Western fronts have been empty for me before also.


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[Ducaholic]

Winds with W pas bon...

[Ducaholic]

Winds with W pas bon...

Until the last two days lol

[Darren]

Sat. 11/23/2024
Delacroix HBFC Redhead Blind
Johnny, Beau and I with Harry
Winds 0-5 from NE, 50's, clear skies

Was pretty dead overall, though some not too far from us did some shooting. We let a single gray on edge of the decoys get out that shouldn't have, and that was it for actual shooting. Did have a wad of green wings swing and return for a pass but they didn't finish for us so let them go. Saw some groups of this and that around us but just nothing but mergs committing to the pond. Had another group of grays come out the sun to our surprise, too late to do anything with.

Scratch!

New blind hunted beautifully for us, and we installed the dog stand for it before LST so it was a productive trip regardless. Was also a bit of a bittersweet trip down there in that I was able to sell my dear old flat boat/duck rig I've owned since age 16 to a nice fella who came to check it out Friday afternoon. Other positive note is water levels are right, finally, and we jumped a good wad of maybe 50 grays out of some water right near our lease on the way out and that's typical for when they're on our preferred pattern using the area, so maybe we're headed in right direction.

[Darren]

Sun. 11/24/2024
Bunkie area field
Phil, his wife and 2 kids, my wife and 2 kids, + Harry (Only 3 of us shooting, total)
clear skies, no wind, 40's to start

Some teal moving at LST but not much working us. Let a pair of spoons get out the back cut that shouldn't have but otherwise shot decent with the little that worked in. Kids had a great time and we did just enough shooting to keep them interested in the hunt for couple of hours.

5 GW teal

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Need upcoming weather in a bad way, looks promising coming up later this week and beyond. Very few geese around, and not near the ducks being seen that we usually would, but again, very early in the game there and elsewhere around here given the weather picture. One other item of note, we heard multiple blinds shooting in the woods just south of us, something there really previously hadn't been any of. Simply more and more pressure in the area........grrrrrr.

[Ericdc]

Darren, could the woods shooting just be habitat now available that hasn't been for the last few years due to drought? Public?

[DComeaux]

Another picture that made me smile.

[Ducaholic]

Darren, could the woods shooting just be habitat now available that hasn't been for the last few years due to drought? Public?

Woodies is my guess in areas that got water much earlier than normal.