by Rick » Thu Oct 19, 2017 4:44 am
Still no big speck show in places I've been, but the coyote and bug and I took a spin around the marsh yesterday and bumped four ringnecks that are certainly new. Other than that, just a handful of mottleds on the north end of Gabe's and at the back blind, maybe a couple dozen mixed woodies, teal and mottleds at Issac's and a little bunch of teal at Ed's, plus another that buzzed us before we got out of his pond. Probably about par for now.
Was pleased to see the spot poisoning I did on my blind's island is working out well, at least in the short run. Presumably because of the dog and I churning the nutrients in the flotant those canes grow on, they've been MUCH more lush and green than any other canes in the marsh and really stood out from the far less healthy and bright neighboring stands. Much better match now. And I've apparently made some lasting progress knocking the floating black dirt down. Knock wood.
The bad news at the Mudhole is that the annual fourchette bloom has begun. Too soon to know how much, if any, help pulling a whole lot more than I cut last fall has helped hold them back for this year. Intend to pull, rather than weed-eat, again this year, despite the later being so much easier, "just to see".
Thought of Dave's empty wallet photo when I checked out of Wally World with the last(?) of the considerable painting supplies needed to complete the job of revamping my decoys "right". (OK, more nearly "right".) But being that deep into it, I conquered my fear of airbrushing enough to finally begin using one I've had in an unopened box for several years. Can't say I've mastered it, but am underway and practicing on my coot raft before tackling the mallards and, eventually, specks.
Didn't break out the sand blaster, which is also years old but still new-in-box, for the coots, but expect to for mallards this afternoon..."Baby steps."