Pre Season

[Ducaholic]

Finally took the time to take to connect the dots if you will. In the last 5 years during the January survey when you would expect the most mallards to be in state La. hosted and average of 55 thousand mallards. Conversely from 2006 to 2010 we averaged a respectable 170,000 mallards. The dots do not tell the entire story.

[Duck Engr]

I made a quick trip in the marsh on Saturday to bail a couple of blinds and deploy some decoys in-between big rain showers, with one bearing down on us, so it was a quick in and out. Saw 3 mottled ducks and that was it. The water is extremely high in our marsh. Not expecting much on Saturday even with "Loaded" reports just to our east.

I had lost one of my speck floaters early last season and found it Saturday on the side of the boat run south of our blind. I had searched for it a couple of times during the season and was always on the lookout. It was on an adventure for a few months and decided it was time to come home.

Hopefully that’s a sign of good luck this season DC!

[Ricky Spanish]

Finally took the time to take to connect the dots if you will. In the last 5 years during the January survey when you would expect the most mallards to be in state La. hosted and average of 55 thousand mallards. Conversely from 2006 to 2010 we averaged a respectable 170,000 mallards. The dots do not tell the entire story.

January? I was at the refuge. Around the time I had to leave the mallards showed up.
The ditch along 7-mile road was packed with greenheads but hardly any suzis. Is that one of the missing dots?

[DComeaux]

waterseptember2022_Page_1.jpg

waterseptember2022_Page_2.jpg

waterseptember2022_Page_3.jpg

[Deltaman]

Looks like you have some birds in your area!!!!
Good Luck tomorrow

[Duck Engr]

Pretty interesting chart. The lower the count, the higher the harvest. Assume those years correspond to low water with less places for them to hide.

[Ericdc]

Pretty interesting chart. The lower the count, the higher the harvest. Assume those years correspond to low water with less places for them to hide.

Not exactly, limit was 4 birds prior to 2013.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Duck Engr]

Pretty interesting chart. The lower the count, the higher the harvest. Assume those years correspond to low water with less places for them to hide.

Not exactly, limit was 4 birds prior to 2013.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ah, good point.

[DComeaux]

I had looked at historical satellite photos of the area we now hunt to remember what it once was. It is disappearing before our eyes.

1985 - This is the furthest I could go back in time with google earth in that area. It's blurry but you can see the amount of marsh still intact. The red and green areas are an overlay I received of restoration projects. The areas in red are completing, or have completed. The green area has been approved and is looking for funding. Take note of the adjacent property to the west of our blind and watch it open up.

1985.png

2003 was the next available shot.

2003.png

2006

2006.png

2009

2009.png

2012

2012.png

[Duck Engr]

Wow.

[DComeaux]

2017

2017.png

2019

2019.png

2017 wider view. Compare this to the 1985 shot above to see the loss. There is even less land visible today than in the 2017 shot, and most was lost during the last two hurricanes.

Screenshot (113).png

[Anotherone]

Damn shame what is happening.

[Ducaholic]

Wow!

[DComeaux]

It's heartbreaking. The Pecan Island area south of 82 has a much larger area with now open water. There are several fresh water diversion plans from White Lake in the works for this area.

[DComeaux]

Screen area update.

My sister who has free time during the week made a couple of stays at the place and finished the priming and all painting. As I mentioned in Ricks thread, we are going to have the screens and doors in this weekend. We still have a lot to do to get it the way we want it but it will happen in time. I hope duck plucking doesn't allow us to do work after the hunts. All but the main structures, including the doors and screen panels will leave with us during a hurricane evac.

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

4.jpg

[MARSH BEAR]

Dave - I looked back on your previous pictures, and progress is being made , It really looks good, like you said hope you don't have much time after the hunts to work on the camp - busy cleaning ducks.

[Duck Engr]

Lookin good Dave! And kudos to your sister for being willing to go paint. Not a lot of people I’d do that for, my siblings included!

[DComeaux]

Dave - I looked back on your previous pictures, and progress is being made , It really looks good, like you said hope you don't have much time after the hunts to work on the camp - busy cleaning ducks.

Thanks MB.

Lookin good Dave! And kudos to your sister for being willing to go paint. Not a lot of people I’d do that for, my siblings included!

Thanks, and I'm very appreciative; I can tell you that. I hate to paint.

[Rick]

I thought about stopping and getting down for a closer look, but figured someone would see my little old truck and peg me for a crackhead casing your stuff.

[Ricky Spanish]

I thought about stopping and getting down for a closer look, but figured someone would see my little old truck and peg me for a crackhead casing your stuff.

In all my years hunting ducks I've met all sorts of users.
Crackheads do not hunt ducks.

I've known a few crackheads because of my construction job. In general...they get a paycheck, run go get a crack rock, I mean run.
They get that first rush. Ahhhhhh....
Then they spend every penny they have trying to get another ahhhhhh. It is how it works you get one n done but these idiots will chase the "ahhh" dragon until they spent all their money and pawned their moms TV.

A crackhead waterfowl hunter would sell all his gear very cheap on his first binge.

You ain't no crackhead

[DComeaux]

I thought about stopping and getting down for a closer look, but figured someone would see my little old truck and peg me for a crackhead casing your stuff.

You could have stopped with no issues. Anthony Swire the local Sherriff's deputy may have stopped to check you out but it would have been okay.

[DComeaux]

We installed the screens and doors today and will get the stove and other items carried down there over the next few weekends, when room will allow...It's time to hunt.

312801678_5686600671400787_6311676307363243680_n.jpg

Driving in this morning we were near the camp (5 or 6 miles west) at LST and saw several flocks of fowl crisscrossing the road and dancing across the marsh, both large and small birds. When we arrived at the camper, and I exited the truck I thought I heard a familiar sound, so I stopped to listen. It was what I thought I had heard, and I got to listen to a very vocal group of gadwall on the water just to our south...... I had a smile on my face for a while.

We had just started to install the screens early this morning and our camp neighbor drove up telling us that the shrimp were running. I told him that we had not brought an ice chest and had no ice. I had the net and basket in the porch, so he gave us both the chest and ice and we left the work for 20 minutes or so and took our 25# limit...... I think it's going to be a good season.

thumbnail.jpg

[Duck Engr]

Great report Dave! Sounds like things are looking up in your area!

[Darren]

Shrimp and grays....

good

to

go!

Oh and a camp to boot, looks great

[Deltaman]

Glad things are looking up for the upcoming season Dave, and your camp looks Great!
Sweet Shrimp break too

[PorkChop]

Awesome looking camp!!

[DComeaux]

Awesome looking camp!!

Thanks!

[DComeaux]

I'm so glad I don't have to deal with this crap. Though I wouldn't have set up that close to a different, posted property with birds on it, either.

Caution: FOUL LANGUAGE.

[Rick]

Didn't watch but enough to gather they set up on a property line - which is seldom wise.

[Deltaman]

That was painful to watch, and at least the kids were smart enough not to escalate further. Dude was a Richard in a big way, and surely could've approached them in a better manner. When he started asking for $, that just added to his azz-hole-ishness.