Preseason 2023

[BGkirk]

Dave, seeing Rick talk about the Friday opener reminded me of 17’ teal opener when we made a trip to meet ya that fri evening for some crabbing since we were staying at camp that night.
Would like to try that again. I need some red fishing tips… I only know about green trout


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ericdc]

Dave, seeing Rick talk about the Friday opener reminded me of 17’ teal opener when we made a trip to meet ya that fri evening for some crabbing since we were staying at camp that night.
Would like to try that again. I need some red fishing tips… I only know about green trout


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Im down. I've already scheduled off that Friday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rick]

Party at Dave's camp!

[5 stand]

Cool, y'all can shoot the teal... I want to watch this crabbing, and I've never caught a redfish...

[DComeaux]

Dave, seeing Rick talk about the Friday opener reminded me of 17’ teal opener when we made a trip to meet ya that fri evening for some crabbing since we were staying at camp that night.
Would like to try that again. I need some red fishing tips… I only know about green trout


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I plan to make a hunt that Friday morning and we can get together afterwards if you guy's are in the area. We'll go out by boat.

[DComeaux]

I posted this picture earlier of our launch area that I took on July 3rd. Look to the right of the pilings and you'll see the water in that pond in the distance.

July 3rd.jpg

Fast Forward to August 4th. Notice that the pound to the right of the pilings is now dry. I was told by Randall that in his 30+ years on that place he has never seen that pond dry. It seems the work and control structures to our south are doing their job.

8 4.jpg

8 4 (2).jpg

There is the option of opening the control structures to let in salt water if need be, but they are being advised to let it fill with rain water. I'm all for that even it it means missing teal season for lack of water, but I'd doubt that is the consensus for that area and surrounding marshes that share the control structures. I want to see widgeon grass in there come big duck season. I was told that our place is completely dry except for the ditches that were cleaned out. This marsh really needed this drying time.

[Darren]

It should be healthier as a result of the dry spell...........eventually when it refills.....hopefully sooner than later!

[DComeaux]

Shortly after I posted the pictures above I received a text with this very recent high altitude shot of our lease and surrounding marsh. I'd say we are now cut off from the salty monster. Just add water.

IMG_6577.jpg

This is a google earth shot of the same area in 2017. It was pretty much the same this past season....Too much water. It will be an interesting season.

Screenshot (140).png

[Duck Engr]

Glad to see the land work is paying off Dave!

[BGkirk]

Cool photos. I was wondering if ya had water. We rode atvs across our place today.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Deltaman]

Sure hope Ma Nature let's go of some rain soon for y'all!!! Been pretty dry here as well, but we did get a good shower yesterday afternoon with this front, and some lower humidity, Thank God!!!!!

[Darren]

When you do get water, the birds are going to be drawn to the absolute shallowest stuff you've got. Upside is it will help draw numbers to your periphery, downside is if their X isn't yours, could be tough. We've seen this first hand with restoration activities on public land by Lake Pontchartrain, etc. Given an offseason, it'll also grow all sorts of new food sources that will flood up with rains....duck magnets.

[Rick]

Light show over the Gulf last night, so Grand Chenier might have gotten a sprinkle.

[DComeaux]

When you do get water, the birds are going to be drawn to the absolute shallowest stuff you've got. Upside is it will help draw numbers to your periphery, downside is if their X isn't yours, could be tough. We've seen this first hand with restoration activities on public land by Lake Pontchartrain, etc. Given an offseason, it'll also grow all sorts of new food sources that will flood up with rains....duck magnets.

Our place was once part of the "X" before the saltwater intrusion and loss of land. I had known the guy hunting this property way before we stumbled into this place. Before and during our time in Gueydan I would get reports from him of his morning hunts and they were impressive. The year before we grabbed this place I had a blind on the adjoining property to the west. Our current lease was covered in widgeon grass that year and they did well. That was the last time we saw it. It has gotten progressively worse ever since.

The "X" in our area now is just a couple of miles to our SW where we can hear the shooting and watch those guys drive out with limits not long after LST, year after year. Every season we watch flock after flock coming from the north headed to that area. One of those blinds back there is my former lease/property manager who is now the landowner of our current lease property. I'm hopeful that these changes made will once again make our lease more inviting, and just maybe we can entice a flock or two to check us out. A little taste of fresh water may make the dormant widgeon grass excited this fall.

ANTICIPATION!

[DComeaux]

Light show over the Gulf last night, so Grand Chenier might have gotten a sprinkle.

I hope so, but I think those storms were east of Chenier. I'm checking with some locals now.


Edit
Nope, none. She said she could smell it, so it was close. LOL!

[Rick]

Edit
Nope, none. She said she could smell it, so it was close. LOL!

Tease.

[Darren]

Was flat out ugly in SE La yesterday afternoon into the evening, lightning for days and days, band of heavy rain.

[ryan_k]

Went right under us in Gonzales


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Duck Engr]

Looks like a little something may try to spin up in the gulf. Hoping rain is all it provides…

[DComeaux]

Looks like a little something may try to spin up in the gulf. Hoping rain is all it provides…

I have my eye on it..... May be just we we need. My yard is crispy.

[MARSH BEAR]

My water bill might be higher than my electric bill this month

[MARSH BEAR]

My water bill might be higher than my electric bill this month

[Darren]

Looks like a little something may try to spin up in the gulf. Hoping rain is all it provides…

I have my eye on it..... May be just we we need. My yard is crispy.

Looking like that one's just not going to happen for us, sadly.

[DComeaux]

Was told today that the boards in the gates will remain in their current position which means we will need rain to fill the marsh. If it means we miss the teal season, I'm really okay with this. I have no doubt that we'll get enough to bring us up to level by big duck season.


Found this on FB. Geese in lower Iberia parish circa 1900. I would say Marsh Island. I think they still visit that place in fall and winter today.

368460916_881808833945802_1062934107098267271_n.jpg

[Rick]

"Blues" was still the term in general usage when speaking of both color phases of their species when I moved here in '83, and that photo illustrates the reason why.

[5 stand]

I have heard y'all use the term "blues"... It took me a while to understand it, always mixed around here and in South Dakota when I see them...

[Rick]

I have heard y'all use the term "blues"... It took me a while to understand it, always mixed around here and in South Dakota when I see them...

According to the circa 1960(?) hunting encyclopedia I dang near memorized as a boy, blue geese nearly all wintered deep in Louisiana's coastal marsh, while snows nearly all wintered deep in the Texas coastal marsh, where both foraged on three-corner grass and such. So while they nested together in the arctic, they were separated while choosing mates on the wintering grounds and stayed genetically pure, or nearly so, in terms of color phase. (The then rare mottled gray and white bird featured in the photo likely being the reason for its taking.) That old book made trekking deep into the Louisiana marsh for blues sound so neat that it was a boyhood dream hunt of mine.

But by the time I got down here in '83, both color phases had discovered rice, which apparently brought them out of the relative isolation of their deep marsh habitats and together at mate choosing time. Though there were still six or eight blues for every snow in this area, and white-bellied blues were still rare enough that killing a then-five bird limit of them was a mighty big deal. Even had a pair of Canadian biologists come down and camp out in our guide shack while collecting hearts for DNA study of the phenomenon. Though a friend with permits to raise them (Bud, I'm referring to Ronnie) commented that he could have saved them the trip, if they put some change in a phone and called him.

These days they're a pretty even mix here, as well, but I've largely chosen to hang onto the old way of labeling them all "blues". (Guess old guys have old ways.)

[Pennydog1]

old school rules i call them blues here in illinois also

[Bud]

Sir Rick, my last hunt there with you and Ronnie was at the old farm. It was our first visit out there. I was more than excited with all the noise of ducks and geese all around in the darkness. I was in between two guys that became some of the best of friends a man could have.

You were on the levy getting things ready. It was legal time for the moment, overcast and raining, and I had loaded my gun per your request. Looked back up at you and there was a goose flying right at you over the levy. I said hurriedly, "Rick, is that a goose?"
You said, as you were getting down quickly, "Yeah. Shoot him." It was what I called an eagle head goose. Have the picture at hunt's end on the dresser a little enlarged. It was about duck number 15 when Ronnie said, "Bud, you'll want to take this one." My first mottled duck from LA I came there for. He's mounted with a pellet hole through one of his feet as he was sticking them out. Taxidermist asked if he could fill it in, which I said "No! Hellllll no". Best hunt of my life.

While you are talking about these geese staying pure a hundred plus years ago, what exactly was that eagle head, anyway? Was he pure? Shot him up too bad to mount him. Was he a blue? The lagniappe we took home with us, you guys, Doug and Mary, Warren John and the rest of the crowd made us feel at home there. Why we tried to hunt every season until our parents' health started going south. Any of you guys have an idea of how to hunt with a left ear hurting through sound protection? Elizabeth loved it there as much as I did. She loved talking with Miss Mary about cooking a recipe books. She loved Doug, you, Ronnie, and the entire crowd and experiences. Still does.

Bluewings starting to show up excites me all the way over here. Thank you for sharing Ronnie with us, and showing us a good time rolling.

[5 stand]

"best hunt of my life"...

Great story, nothing better than that...