Better "luck" next time...

[Ducaholic]

Sounds like you got things mostly where you want them. Hopefully some refreshing showers are also in the cards.

[Rick]

Got to visit the fellow who runs the hunting for Oak Grove, one of our region's premier clubs, at one of my grand daughters' graduation party yesterday and learned they were covered up in black jacks (ringnecks) and thanks largely to that were up some, numbers wise, from the year prior. They also took some advantage of good squealer numbers during their first split, before they left the area. (For our marsh, which was below our recent norm early on but back up to par later?) Also noted more wigeon than usual.

In more local news, Call and I were in our marsh this week doing some long overdue hillbilly carpentry to shore up a "chicken or egg" boat hide issue we inherited. Not sure whether a predecessor had tried to repair a failing 2x6 roof support with a second 2x6 that fell short of making the whole span, then added on to it without splicing the two or, for some reason, decided to add those additional lengths of 2x6 as facing and the dip that was then in the metal roof there and channeling rain into the blind through their juncture, held enough of water to rot the original roof support. Regardless, the boat hide was constructed in manner precluding that supporting 2x6's replacement without taking out most of the hide's roof and framing behind the blind, which is a headache I'd rather put off until forced to by a need to replace the fiberglass pit it entraps.

So I finally addressed the issue by kinda-sorta straightening the span with a temporary 2x4 and hammer "jack":

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(Eye-ball measured twice or thrice before cutting and still fell a bit short of level, even after adding the only "shim" available.)

Then settled on a 1x6, instead of 2x, splice to avoid making it more of a potential head-knocker for the guy on its end:

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Went a bit overboard with the chainsaw when trimming the well warped 2x6 end out of the way, but better too much than too little, thought I. And, hey, it's done.

[Rick]

Might also note that all that banging and clanging brought fire ants, quite literally I fear, out of the woodwork, so Call and I were out there the following morning with a jar of the cornbread and borax mix that wipes out tiny black house ants in a hurry, suggesting they carry it home to their nest, as well. But subsequent test results with it on fire ant mounds in our yard were mixed - which offers excuse for another ride in the marsh with "fire ant" poison.

Will also note that more normal post rains water levels allowed us to back in and prop-wash muck from under the boat hide to the end of our "island" I'm trying to expand, as well as run the smaller intra-blind trails we want to maintain.

[Darren]

Glad to hear of your water!

Those ants literally come out our woodwork as well this time of year, also routinely taking up in our prior-season's roseau stalks. Thankfully we strip most all of those at end of season and toss elsewhere.

No planned heavy-structural projects on tap for us, just need to get a floor put down in the West Blind and hope the rest of her quite old structure holds for another season. I suppose all of this pending the lease renewal docs I'm anticipating any day now, though was at least relieved to see the map they're using is same from last season that gave us some new usable ground.

[Rick]

Call and I were back in the marsh yesterday to check the last of my planned artificial Blindgrass cover improvements for fit:

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Small section breaks up the top line and inside of the blind's far end in a way I hope guests can't destroy or screw up, and the large one is a one piece cover for the gap behind me and the corner of the boat hide I have to climb onto to see and finish off birds going down behind it both quicker and safer than the combination of natural and artificial stuff I'd been dealing with:

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Can't explain how I managed to take that last shot to make it appear the roof slopes toward the blind instead of away from it, but will explain that the hide "door" is backstop netting festooned with small Blindgrass bundles that wraps around that exposed corner post to hide it.

My drill is to remove all of the cover from the dog and my end of the blind at hunt's end to clear the way for my guests to exit and enter with solid handholds and nothing more to impede them than getting stiff legs over the end of the blind. Then, since we're nearly always running late, get the cover back in place as quickly as possible for the hunt.

Saw next to no ducks of any kind in the marsh and only this year's first squealer brood sighting of note there. Did have a "should have tried for a photo" op on the drive home when we came upon a roughly 7' gator crossing the gravel road apparently intent on a pair of mottleds we'd seen (getting grit?) there on a previous trip, as well. Can't imagine they'd have let themselves be got, but the gator appeared to think so.

[Darren]

Then, since we're nearly always running late, get the cover back in place as quickly as possible for the hunt.

I tend to err toward arrival to just finish setting decoys with 5 mins to go, just enough for me to get ears plugged, calls on, and gun loaded. Johnny and others usually good about uncasing my gun for me, getting me largely all set up aside from those small tasks. Just don't have much desire to simply sit in the blind in the dark feeding bugs. Our lease partner, Will, however, loves to be there and set up waayyyy out ahead of LST, and then he just sits, usually alone with his dog for quite a while awaiting shooting time. To each their own, that has its benefits too.


Lookin good though !

[SpinnerMan]

I tend to err toward arrival to just finish setting decoys with 5 mins to go, just enough for me to get ears plugged, calls on, and gun loaded. Johnny and others usually good about uncasing my gun for me, getting me largely all set up aside from those small tasks. Just don't have much desire to simply sit in the blind in the dark feeding bugs. Our lease partner, Will, however, loves to be there and set up waayyyy out ahead of LST, and then he just sits, usually alone with his dog for quite a while awaiting shooting time. To each their own, that has its benefits too.

I mostly hunt at two clubs with defined arrival times which pretty much precludes me from going on my schedule. I'm all with you for not showing up way early.

The one club has a jump time an hour before shooting time. If you are happy with your blind for the week, you still need to be there early to claim it and if your decoys are already out, you have nearly an hour to kill if you are in one of the drive up blinds. We are usually too cold to worry about bugs, but I usually hang out in the sign in shack shooting the breeze until I have just enough time to get out and be ready at shooting time. If you don't like your blind, you can jump unclaimed blinds. If you do that, some of them are a long boat ride with an electric motor, so you are hustling to be ready to go by shooting time.

This also applies in early goose. I put a small spread out of the back of my pick up in whichever field I get. The goose fields are all on the edge of one of the lakes. Still have to be early to draw, but I can be set and ready to go in about 15 minutes. Been doing it awhile, but don't know why I didn't always do it. I set up and then go fishing in the dark until I hear the first goose and then hop in the blind. Usually my best fishing all year.

The other club is for dry fields after everything is froze up. The birds can be quite predictable when they fly and it can be quite late but draw time is the same. So it's not unusual to go set up and then drive to a restaurant and have breakfast. One year, it was really cold. Canada geese tend to be nice. The colder it is. The later they fly. If you have your own field you can sleep in. When driving to the field on a very cold morning, we saw a sign for a pancake breakfast. We went and set out the spread and then drove to the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. They were probably wonder if we were ever going to leave. Finally somebody said we should probably go. It was still a couple hours before they started moving in any numbers.

[Rick]

Our lease partner, Will, however, loves to be there and set up waayyyy out ahead of LST, and then he just sits, usually alone with his dog for quite a while awaiting shooting time. To each their own, that has its benefits too.

On the rare occasion it's just the pup and I, I'm wit' Will. Love watching and listening to the marsh wake up.

[Rick]

In other news, another seasonal milestone: the rice is starting to head out, and crawfish ponds are warming up to the point that Call, like those before him, is shifting his self-exercise time from pushing driving water to messing around in the tall grass, where evaporating dew apparently does a better job of cooling belly and flanks.

Just a couple or three more weeks before he's stuck at the house, while I mug momma gators for their eggs. Thinking he's as ready to come out of that midsummer layoff in shape to ramp up for September teal as we could make him.

[Darren]

Did not manage to do much Indy training at all this weekend, hoping to make up for that during an evening or two this week and maybe at the camp this weekend. My lagging on focused training kind of dawned on me over the weekend, though its proven more difficult than for Harry given he's around and she's got to be solo to train, hard to leave him out but she does not focus at all with him in sight.

Only upside, though, being she's seemed to hit some milestones a bit quicker than he did, so I suppose I'm kind of banking on that continuing.

[Rick]

I ran into much the same when Marsh was a pup: didn't have the heart to leave Peake at home, and while Marsh's focus wasn't a great issue, keeping his deaf uncle out of his school work was. Handling development suffered enough that Marsh's puppy season was limited to just he and I or family and friends' hunts, but he had some fun:

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And, more importantly in retrospect, my old friend Peake got to enjoy the lion's share of another season.

Now thinking of handling, I like to think that my ADHD child, Call's, is progressing nicely. Then, out of the blue, he'll find occasion to prove it false hope.

[Rick]

Call and I went for a joy ride in the marsh this morning "just because" and encountered the sort of woodie mob that I suspect account for many super early "teal" sightings. My theory being they're mostly young birds Moms bring to the marsh for its high protein invertebrates. This wasn't the biggest bunch we'll see while egg picking in area marshes next month, but the 50 or 60 in the #5 blind's pond some 670yds NE of mine were a special treat after seeing nary a duck of any sort on the way to my blind. (And only 2 fulvous and 3 black-bellies from #5 on around the main trail and back to the camp.)

Thought we might sight another summer seasonal marker, wood storks, among the gangs of white herons and egrets swarming the first couple crawfish ponds we've seen being drawn down during our ag land travels, but it's apparently still too early for them to show.

DaveC. your friend's camp that we spoke of yesterday is now called B&G Hunt Club. Was "Zealous" something before that and after LaCoix's, Shot's, Whitney Broussard's and perhaps others. Also has a Taco Bell logo on the sign, and may have when it was Zealous. Don't know if one of the partners has Taco Bells or if, like the old country stores with Coke or Pepsi, Taco Bell will provide a sign in return for the advertising. If the later, you ought to get a sign for your camp, probably be the only Taco Bell ad on 82.

Oh, also talked to Ronnie after we spoke, and the Ostalet's 799.37acre place can, in fact, be yours for just $4mil.

[Rick]

Seems a small check off our summer "to do" improvement list, but since Call never took the practice up on his own, I needed to teach him the valuable time and, especially in marsh like ours, energy saver of gathering multiple marks on the same trip when practical. Had to let a lot of the cork out of a pair of fire hose "puppy" bumpers to ease his path, but it finally took:

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[MallardBay]

Good looking pup! Nice retrieve.

[Darren]

Those twofers can surely help save time/trips/wear & tear.

For anyone on your end still needing rain/marsh water, looks like plenty more on the way this week.

[Rick]

Was in the marsh this morning, and while it has dropped a bit, we've still plenty of water. Am thinking having bought the new pump will keep us in rain.

Robbie, thanks, but - a million or so years ago I got roped into judging the Duck Festival trial and tried to have something nice to say to everyone who helped support our Cajun HRC by entering. When Pup did nice work, I said so. When Pup was out of control, I complimented its desire, and when Pup was hopeless, "Sure is good looking."

And I've found myself assuring poor Call that he's good looking more than a couple times...

[SpinnerMan]

And I've found myself assuring poor Call that he's good looking more than a couple times...

[MallardBay]

Was in the marsh this morning, and while it has dropped a bit, we've still plenty of water. Am thinking having bought the new pump will keep us in rain.

Robbie, thanks, but - a million or so years ago I got roped into judging the Duck Festival trial and tried to have something nice to say to everyone who helped support our Cajun HRC by entering. When Pup did nice work, I said so. When Pup was out of control, I complimented its desire, and when Pup was hopeless, "Sure is good looking."

And I've found myself assuring poor Call that he's good looking more than a couple times...

Well, with all honesty it was meant as a true compliment, he is a good looking dog! But, I'd like to share that I have ran HRC and AKC Hunt test this spring. As I was leading my chessie to the line the judge says loud enough for me to hear, " I hope you can get that thing to work for you". (I've watched just a few Chessies run at test and almost all seem to do OK) but talk about unsettling to someone that hadn't ran a Hunt test since the early 2000's. But same judge thought enough of our run to tell me to keep doing whatever we are doing because it's working. And now I've jinxed myself because I'm staring at our first Finished next weekend and hope we can keep it together for a pass. Regardless it keeps us training with something to look forward to not called duck season.

[Rick]

And now I've jinxed myself because I'm staring at our first Finished next weekend...

It's called "Duffy's Law" at our house for a setter that was plainly the finest ruffed grouse dog to ever grace Appalachia's hills and mountains - until I so much as hinted at it: "The dog you brag on is about to mess up."

But congrats on the Seasoned work and good luck with Finished.

[Darren]

Was in the marsh this morning, and while it has dropped a bit, we've still plenty of water. Am thinking having bought the new pump will keep us in rain.

Robbie, thanks, but - a million or so years ago I got roped into judging the Duck Festival trial and tried to have something nice to say to everyone who helped support our Cajun HRC by entering. When Pup did nice work, I said so. When Pup was out of control, I complimented its desire, and when Pup was hopeless, "Sure is good looking."

And I've found myself assuring poor Call that he's good looking more than a couple times...

Well, with all honesty it was meant as a true compliment, he is a good looking dog! But, I'd like to share that I have ran HRC and AKC Hunt test this spring. As I was leading my chessie to the line the judge says loud enough for me to hear, " I hope you can get that thing to work for you". (I've watched just a few Chessies run at test and almost all seem to do OK) but talk about unsettling to someone that hadn't ran a Hunt test since the early 2000's. But same judge thought enough of our run to tell me to keep doing whatever we are doing because it's working. And now I've jinxed myself because I'm staring at our first Finished next weekend and hope we can keep it together for a pass. Regardless it keeps us training with something to look forward to not called duck season.

Keep on keeping on, no one knows your dog like you. Best of luck!