2026-2027 Preseason...

[Rick]

Just now noticed this season's logs are up. Much thanks, Duck Engr, for that and all you do here.

[Rick]

Still eerily bird barren in my neighborhood. Farmer friend let the water off his crawfish ponds and pumped just enough water onto his rice stubble to spur its regrowth for the coming season's crawfish on Call and my favorite playground, which first gave a shorebird show that included the little buggers that's migration precedes teal, then a couple days of squealers in the stubbles to play with and now nothing remains but deer flies and desperate turtles.

And the marsh isn't much more encouraging: as of yesterday, still just scattered woodies and the only concentration of black-bellies, near Neil's blind, hasn't grown appreciably since its appearance on the first of the month. A couple dozen little ducks did get up with them, but I'd not bet the size disparity between they and the squealers didn't turn woodies into "maybe teal".

[Rick]

Call and I were in the marsh yesterday morning clearing chinquapins (American lotus) from line of sight to spots that will sprout gator hooks two weeks from tomorrow, and I went back again this morning to finish up with a jug of poison in Call's spot behind my seat. Made a point of staying well clear of the only area that was holding black-bellies a week ago, and the only one little bunch seen yesterday was spotted, from a distance, above it. This morning, however, there were little flights of them scattered about the marsh, a couple of which close enough to reach and draw to my blind with distress squeals. Just shut up as they approached and watched them search for the source without revealing it. I feel much better now.

[Rick]

Wake up Marshbear!!! September teal are just a month away!!!

Learned last evening that I'd somehow managed to misplace the teal-cut reed I've been using in a serious loud Stanley Deceiver the past however-many years and had to cut a new one I can lean on even harder. Just lacks teal to test it on...

[Darren]

Just lacks teal to test it on...

Calendar says some will be along shortly to fill that void. Big moon next Friday the 28th, combining with (maybe) a cool front of some kind as models continue to hint at something (a good something, not a tropical something!) late next week.

[Rick]

No call crank can be really happy with something new until it's proven, but Call and I went to the marsh to knock down the lilies I'd poisoned for line of sight to gator sets and at least got to satisfy my ear in that environment. Still no teal, but more squealers, So there's that. Step son who's the Camron deputy on our end came by the camp while we were packing up and noted that he was yet to see more than a pair of summer teal a month ago in his extensive rural travels.

Still something to look forward to...

[Rick]

Lost Call in the marsh yesterday. Chinquapin (American lotus) lilies are in their glory and creating a canopy over much of the marsh that would block the gators' view of most of our sets if not cleared. So we were making a last pass at that when I realized I'd not opened a run to show the fellow who'll drive our skiff the route through a huge expanse of them between sets and just finished my first trip through it before discovering that Call was no longer in his place behind my seat.

Was the most gut-wrenching feeling I've suffered in a very long time. No idea of where he bailed, or fell, out and only vague memory of his presence when I'd made the turn into the vast jungle I'd never be able to see him in. Couldn't have felt sicker or more hopelessly hollow as I started my search - or more incredibly thankful when I killed the engine in a place where I'd already passed but could hear him lunging and plunging my way. Tears me up to think how he felt trying to follow the sound of our boat first this way and then that through the morass. But he was plainly as thankful for our little miracle as I.

No telling what the chances were of his finding his way to another human before a tataille of some sort found him. Or of that leading to our reunion. But, when we got home, I broke with long precedent and ordered an ID-tagged collar and a second ID plate for the e-collar it pains me more than he to see my ADHD, sometimes still wild child, wear. I hate the appearance, much less the implications, of a collar on one of my partners. And the first four of my Chessies never wore a collar of any sort, Marsh only wore an e-collar briefly after repeatedly sparring with a momma gator, and Call now periodically finds himself in that, because even as he approaches his third birthday, I'm still not confident something hazardous won't short his circuitry.

[Ducaholic]

Wow! Glad y'all are reunited. I can't imagine the angst you were feeling!

[MARSH BEAR]

I'm back - had password problems, still trying to get a log for 2026-2027

Rick - as of yesterday it is 4 weeks (28 days) until Teal Season.

Buddy won't be hunting with me anymore, his wife has severe dementia, and he can't leave her, had sitters last year, but that did not work out very well for them. We hunted together for 43 years.

I had ankle fusion surgery in early June, still recuperating - eleven weeks non-weight bearing on that ankle. I would rather crawl on the ground than go thru that again.

[Duck Engr]

Take another look MarshBear. You should have one setup!

[Darren]

Can't imagine that thankfully-brief sick feeling, so glad to hear it turned out OK.

[MARSH BEAR]

So happy for you and Call that his little adventure turned out well.

[Deltaman]

WHEW!!!!! ..........and can only imagine your feeling after noticing that he wasn't there, and unsure where he came out of the boat. Glad you noticed when you did, and can only imagine the heartfelt Thanks upon finding him. Had a buddy that was bass fishing, and the same thing happened, only he wasn't so lucky.

[MallardBay]

We had a lab not return from a mark on the Thursday before the season closed this past season at one of our blinds.
We spent alot of time looking, even flying a drone trying to get a glimpse of where he may have went. Deep marsh. Then we had that cold snap right at the end where it went below freezing. We figured he was gone for sure. 17 days after he went missing, a couple of bass fisherman in the bay thought they saw a pig along the shore and went closer to take a look. Bet that was a happy pup, ober 3 miles of marsh where he went missing. Did have a name tag with guides number. Guys said he came out of a Roseau pile. Imagine he holed up there to stay warm and dry. Not sure what he had been eating but was in about the condition you'd expect after that many days missing feed time. Made a pretty quick recovery so a happy ending. I said right there that mine wasn't going to make a Hunt this year without some tracking gear. Hadn't ordered any yet so Call's episode is a reminder that I need to add it to the list.

[Rick]

...I said right there that mine wasn't going to make a Hunt this year without some tracking gear. Hadn't ordered any yet so Call's episode is a reminder that I need to add it to the list.

Being one who hates seeing a plain, unobtrusive, collar on a dog, much less one with an e-box, I don't know that I'm ready to add a GPS antenna to one. But you can bet I've given it more thought this past few days than ever before.

(Your bass fishermen's "hog" put me in mind of a Labra-"bear" one of our Doug's blinds recovered.)

[Rick]

Call and I got to see our biggest bunch of mottleds of the summer on our way home from our last meaningful gator-free training water this morning:

mottled road crew.jpg

Given the givens, I'm guessing someone found a nest while mowing hay, raised the clutch and didn't get the pen door locked this morning.

[DComeaux]

Interesting.

[MARSH BEAR]

First time I have seen Mottled ducks eating by the road side

[Rick]

A blue-wing teal was positively IDed as such while crossing a Cherry Ridge boat run in front of a reliable source yesterday morning. Time to clean the guns, tune up the dogs and gather your grip...

[Darren]

Getting any decent rain with this little storm passing along in the Gulf?

[Rick]

Getting any decent rain with this little storm passing along in the Gulf?

Not yet, just a breeze and sporadic light rain so far. Had to postpone setting gator hooks until Friday for my partners' work related reasons, which I thought might be a good thing because of the weather, but there hasn't been enough of that to keep Call and I from enjoying some field time this morning.

[Rick]

Finally started fishing yesterday:

PXL_20260905_141217436.jpg

Ended up with an even 20 for the morning that, aside for the old toad above, was run of the mill for our marsh with the most notables from my vantage included 2 from Call's blind plenty big enough to take him down plus 2 more such from the boat run sets on either end of its passage through our pond.

Oh, and "Go tigers." Felt bad for the Clemson kids but loved seeing the Kiffin haters enjoy a moment of silence.

[Rick]

Our other boat took this out of Call's pond just before we got there this morning:

Calls pond.jpg

Hoping he's the dude I've so often heard, but never seen, roaring about how big he is. No others there today, but he bumps the pond and near run sets' total to seven of worrisome size this season. Gonna be bummed if, like last year, another biggun and challengers serenade us during teal again.

[Darren]

Oh, and "Go tigers." Felt bad for the Clemson kids but loved seeing the Kiffin haters enjoy a moment of silence.

Yep !


Flight home from Seattle yesterday took us on a particularly southern course to avoid storms in the area getting into the state, but right over heart of Cajun country, and right over your stomping grounds. No teal seen......from probably about 20,000 ft, but I did wave

[Rick]

Made me smile. Call and I made a marsh run to finish gator clean-up and start on the blind. Still no teal but it seems more squealers. Doubt we'll hunt what black-bellies are here unless they swamp the place between now and then.

[Rick]

Tealz!!! Been to, from and in the marsh most every steaming morning renovating my blind and marshscaping its pond and finally saw my first for-sure ag land swarm of teal on the way to camp and had a little group of four do a low fly-over as Call and I backed out of the boat hide yesterday. Went by myself to toss decoys, hook-up my gizmos toss some brush on the hide roof this morning, and no sooner had my electronics sorted out than a sweet flight of, maybe, 40 birds came by to test that and the call that's been dormant in my pocket the past however-many weeks. Couldn't resist drawing three plenty good enough passes before letting them slide off, hopefully, little the wiser.

Finally hearing some good, reliable, area ag land reports, as well. So we'll see...

[Darren]

Tealz!!! Been to, from and in the marsh most every steaming morning renovating my blind and marshscaping its pond and finally saw my first for-sure ag land swarm of teal on the way to camp and had a little group of four do a low fly-over as Call and I backed out of the boat hide yesterday. Went by myself to toss decoys, hook-up my gizmos toss some brush on the hide roof this morning, and no sooner had my electronics sorted out than a sweet flight of, maybe, 40 birds came by to test that and the call that's been dormant in my pocket the past however-many weeks. Couldn't resist drawing three plenty good enough passes before letting them slide off, hopefully, little the wiser.

Finally hearing some good, reliable, area ag land reports, as well. So we'll see...

Great first-hand report!

Latest 3rd? hand report I got from Delacroix outfitter was "LDWF's Jason O. emailed me and said they didn't see much on the coast." Said outfitter is seeing them himself though, just hope we all still are on Friday and of course Saturday following this little "humidity front" tomorrow into Friday.

[DComeaux]

Good to read. We'll go sit if we have water. I'll find out Friday morning.

[Darren]

Good to read. We'll go sit if we have water. I'll find out Friday morning.

Wish I could send you some of mine, waking up to gages way up with the persistent easterly winds coupled with large tide range. And when's high tide? Right at key hunting time. Grrrrrr

Always something