Season Log 2024-2025

[Duck Engr]

Mine put on a performance similar this morning, so you’re in some kind of company, Rick, just don’t know if it’s good or bad.

[Bud]

Has Call watched you pluck a duck?

[DComeaux]

Remi went nuts this morning after I tried to get a wad out of her mouth. She did laps in leg deep water for her around the blind that had Bill and I laughing. I think somome or something sent a signal to the hounds this morning.

[Rick]

Mine put on a performance similar this morning, so you’re in some kind of company, Rick, just don’t know if it’s good or bad.

Remi went nuts this morning after I tried to get a wad out of her mouth. She did laps in leg deep water for her around the blind that had Bill and I laughing. I think somome or something sent a signal to the hounds this morning.

Maybe some sort of crazy moon. Dunno. Do know Call will be collared for a while, gator weather of not.

Has Call watched you pluck a duck?

Yes, was too hot to pluck teal outside in September. But I'm guessing that stunt a holiday from being fussed over eating the pigeon feathers around the loft after their molt. Know I'm beyond thankful it was just the bird's feathers.

[Rick]

Date: 11/24 Sun

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: None to light ESE

Temperature: cool

Moon phase:

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Again, nary a squealer in our AO, But there was what felt a slow flow of (mostly spoon) this and that until we filled. (last in the camp after I dug out extra shells for them)

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Fortunately fine.

Hunters: 2, Mick and (having a brain lock)

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Cal started off fine but eventually caught a chipped mallard at the edge of the pond, took it ashore and didn't respond to recall whistles. Tried nicking him with the collar but that just made him drop the bird. Cranked the boat, met and sent him for the mallard, which he brought to me. Plainly have to get our signals straight.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Just Call's slip.

Kudos: Just that one slip.

Birds By Species: 2 gadwall, 2 green-wings, 3 mallards. 1 redhead, 1 ringneck, 1 scaup, 7 shovellers and 1 wigeon

[DComeaux]

Damn good hunt.

[Duck Engr]

What he said! Mallards showing up in any numbers or are you tripping single locals?

[Rick]

What he said! Mallards showing up in any numbers or are you tripping single locals?

A single and a pair. Missed another single greenhead. Don't know that anyone's seen more than two or three together.

Brain unlocked too late for edit and note the other hunter was a Bobby. He made some incredible golden BB shots after it was way too late to try, but neither hit worth a flip in close. Maybe turkey-choked?

Also forgot to note that Mick allowed Call might make a good house pet, which stung worse than Call's infraction.

[Duck Engr]

OUCH!!

[DComeaux]

Also forgot to note that Mick allowed Call might make a good house pet, which stung worse than Call's infraction.

That wasn't very nice.

[Rick]

Date: 11/25 Mon

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: light to moderate south

Temperature: summer again

Moon phase: waxing crescent

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Hunted until !0am, and the "flight" was a trickle.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Thankfully fine.

Hunters: 2, Craig and Bill

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Call had a really good day to include being relentless on a super sneaky tipped gwt that opted to play hide and seek at water's edge, instead of going into the grass where he'd be an easy catch.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Just the lack of game - and fear that it might always be such on south winds.

Kudos: Pleasant company and Bill shot well.

Birds By Species: 4 gadwall, 5 green-wings, 2 pintails, 1 ringneck and 1 shoveller

[Duck Engr]

Glad Call rebounded!

[Rick]

Date: 11/26 Tue

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: moderate northerly

Temperature: cool

Moon phase: Was smiling when I got up.

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Still relatively slow, but enough black-bellies eventually worked our way (eagle?) to fill with a nearly new hunter by 8.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Very good, except for two or three mottled pairs.

Hunters: 1, Wiley

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Another good morning, knock wood.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: none

Kudos: Nice guy is getting the hang of it.

Birds By Species: 5 black-bellies, 3 gadwall and 4 green-wings

[Duck Engr]

A fine day for the table!

[Rick]

***SPECIAL ALERT*** - Celebrity guest on tomorrow's hunt.

[Duck Engr]

Name rhyme with Cave Domeaux?

[Rick]

Name rhyme with Cave Domeaux?

Rhymes with "snake," though he's really a nice guy. Might have brought that Domeaux fellow with him.

[Rick]

Date: 12/27 Wed

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: overcast all morning

Wind Direction and Velocity: southerly much lighter than predicted

Temperature: comfortable

Moon phase: waxing crescent

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Better than feared after the past few days.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Generally good. Experimented with the Singleton some with generally good response.

Hunters: 2, Blake and our man DComeaux

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Call had a pretty good morning, though still not handling as he should in swimming water.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: No way.

Kudos: Worked out much better than feared (last south wind was poor) for good guys.

Birds By Species: 5 black-bellies, 3 blue-wings, 1 gadwall, 2 green-wings, 2 mallards, 2 pintails, 1 ringneck and 2 scaup

Photo Ops: Blake and Dave:

thumbnail_PXL_20241127_151300122.jpg

Call with a runaway:

thumbnail_PXL_20241127_143118686.jpg

[DComeaux]

What a wonderful morning. You made my year. Thanks again.

Our fearless guide and captain.

IMG_2663001.jpg

[Deltaman]

What a Crew!!!!!!
Glad the birds cooperated, and know it was an enjoyable morning for all

[Rick]

My, what big muffs I have.

[DComeaux]

My, what big muffs I have.

It's the king charles look

[Duck Engr]

My, what big muffs I have.

It's the king charles look

I was thinking Fievel, but King Charles is kinda more regal. Kinda.

[Rick]

Date: 11/28 Thur

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: cloudy

Wind Direction and Velocity: NE when the front rolled in.

Temperature: chilly but not cold

Moon phase: waxing crescent wry smile

Special Notes: Thanksgiving and grateful for the past two unexpected morning's off and the chance to get Dave, Blake and Franklin out there with me.

Waterfowl Activity: Squealers were thick at LST, but not long enough after. Roughly a bazillion and twelve ringnecks blew past us right, left and sideways throughout the morning, along with a few big bunches of green-wings. Not nearly as many big ducks as hoped, but did toll the biggest mallard bunch seen to date - maybe a dozen mostly drakes. And a sweet group of mostly drake pintails.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Wind direction had big ducks trying to finish looking lengthwise down the blind, and most caught us and bugged out without shots fired.

Hunters: 1, Franklin, one of the last of our area's real marsh men at 87

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Our only green-wing was a long tipped fly-off Call eventually tracked down and caught, only to let it get away from him at pond's edge, where it eventually made good its escape.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: Seemed to me that Franklin was having significantly more trouble getting underway and then hitting than just a couple months ago on September teal, and there was seldom time for me to back him.

Kudos: Still a neat morning.

Birds By Species: 2 black-bellies, 1 mallard, 1 ringneck and 1 shoveller

Photo Ops: Franklin in his element:

thumbnail_PXL_20241128_125739239.jpg

Lagniappe: At our 10am curfew, I was thinking to myself of Franklin's struggles and wondering if he hasn't about aged out. But as he made it up out of the pit and onto the dog stand (without my help, thank you), Franklin said, "You know, as long as a man can make it in and out of a blind, he's not too old to hunt." So as long as he can manage that and I'm able, I reckon we'll keep at it.

[Ducaholic]

Job Well Done!

[13051305]

Well Rick it's taken me 3 years to figure out how to login to waterfowl forum.
I'm the coonass with the Coot Camp in southeast Louisiana that is now finally being rebuilt after Ida.Labs have always been our hunting partners so I loved following the stories of all your great Chesapeake retrievers.
At 74 I agree whole heartly with Franklin...keep on,keeping on...God bless

[Rick]

"Dr. Duck" I presume. Glad you cracked the Waterfowl Forum code. Welcome.

Damn shame that at 74, myself, I still sometimes need reminded by those like Franklin of the truth Leopold expressed as "What was big was not the trout, but the chance."

Re: my Chessies, I fear young Call and I are still in the misadventure portion of his story, but he's a great blessing all the same.

[13051305]

You are correct it's Dr.Duck;for some reason the login wouldn't let me use that user name.After way above temps and no snow for the months of October and most of November, winter has come to South Dakota.Major migration started about 10 days ago.All the small water and most lakes are iced over.
Have been having fun chasing roosters with my 8 year old Miss Delta dawn.hope to be at my Coot Camp duck hunting for the second split opener on December 14th.
Continued success with Call and your guiding.

[Rick]

Date: 11/29 Fri

Time: morning

Location: #3

Cloud Cover: cloudy to clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: whipping NE

Temperature: 40-something that felt colder in the wind

Moon phase: 2% waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: Started slow enough to have me wishing for yesterday's ringneck show and us shooting what came. Big ducks eventually showed.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Couldn't turn most teal, but big ducks were quite cooperative.

Hunters: 2, Sr and Jr with a French first name I never got a handle on

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): Call had a good day on chipped crips.

Special Equipment: SOS

Curses: no way

Kudos: One of the camp owner's businesses is a rice mill, and they were treating farmers who used them, and my guys who'd never spend such money on a hunt had a big time.

Birds By Species: 3 blue-wings, 3 gadwall, 4 mallards, 2 mottleds, 1 pintail, 2 ringnecks, 2 scaup and 1 shoveller

[Darren]

Pretty strap from today I'd imagine; the pics of you running a boat and DC and Blake's smiles did same for me for sure. Hoping to turn my luck soon, was in a funk today not being able to go this AM due to family commitments and Johnny had a big hunt with a buddy of ours.