The “big duck” season is finally here, and not a moment too soon for the hoards of waterfowlers across the state still ravenous from September’s taste. In a drastic reversal from this time last year, many hunters are desperate for rain a year removed from statewide flooding.
Overall, however, Mother Nature is cooperating by keeping our coast storm-free along with providing timely cool fronts throughout October and early November. The most-recent front brought much-needed rain and dropped temperatures to the 30s across the state as it barreled in just in time for the West Zone’s youth weekend. And though this weekend looks to be mild, hunters across the state are reporting ducks and geese in remarkable numbers, which should make for a promising opening weekend.
Hunter Shaffett with Whispering Oaks hunting lodge (225.301.7335) near Vidalia was pleasantly surprised earlier this week.
“We’re pretty well loaded up, especially along the Mississippi River’s backwaters,” said Shaffett, known on the site as “duckduckshoot.” “There’s plenty of gadwall and a surprising number of mallards for so early in the season. The recent rains have given us a surplus of water in our fields, and we’re seeing a good many divers in addition to teal, pintails and even squealers.”
Shaffett was also very encouraged by the number of specklebelly geese holding in his dry fields.
“Between all the mallards in our timber and the specklebellies in the fields, I’m very excited to get out there,” he said.
Heading down to the southwest corner of the state, the report from Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service (337.598.4700) looks good for the fields between Hayes and the Big Lake area.
“There are plenty of ducks around holding in the flooded fields,” Rue said. “We’re looking forward to a good opening weekend. It’s definitely better than what we had at this time last year.
“I’m also seeing encouraging numbers of specklebellies so far, but only a few white geese.”
He noted the marshes to the south are loaded up with ducks in addition to fields north of I-10. Rue said he expects that once the shooting starts the birds will scatter out and will begin using more fields throughout the area.
“Overall, the outlook is very positive from what I’m seeing so far,” he added.
Rick Hall of Doug’s Hunting Lodge (800.888.0960) was chomping at the bit to get out this weekend after what he’s been seeing in and around the Gueydan, Thornwell and Klondike areas.
“It’s much better than what we’ve had at this time for the last three or four years,” Hall reported. “There’re lots of ducks and geese throughout the rice, with plenty of pintails and gadwall.”
Hall noted that, thus far, the reports are spotty in the marshes to the south but figures that once the rice fields start shooting the birds will show up in the marshes per the usual pattern. Hall was particularly excited with the remarkable number of specklebellies already down in numbers not seen in several years.
Over in the marshes of lower Terrebonne Parish, Roland Cortez of Cajun Fishing and Hunting Charters (985.414.4997) reported plenty of birds around for last weekend’s youth hunt, and he was eager to get out to the blind this Saturday.
“There were a lot of ducks for our youth hunters, with bags consisting of gadwall and teal with plenty of pintails also seen,” Cortez said. “We’re also seeing some mallards in the smaller potholes on the edges of the bigger bays along with some divers like canvasbacks and scaup; I’m very encouraged.”
Cortez also noted that his leases in the Chauvin area were holding plenty of birds, as well, with strong gadwall numbers observed arriving to the area with last week’s cold front.
Over in the Delacroix Island and Reggio areas, Mike Smith of Louisiana Marsh Guide Service (504.682.1966) is likewise eager to load up for this Saturday’s opener.
“We’re seeing loads of teal, both green wings and blue wings, throughout our broken marshes. They’re like swarms of bees,” the longtime Delacroix area guide said.
Smith also reports gadwall and wigeon starting to show up on the Reggio and Hopedale side as well.
Hunters on www.louisianasportsman.com are also reporting strong numbers of birds in the Biloxi Marsh and Caernarvon areas. Overall, Saint Bernard Parish looks to have rebounded nicely this summer with no hurricanes, and looks to be holding its share of early migrants. This side of the state is also likely benefiting from dry conditions throughout western Mississippi and eastern Louisiana allowing many birds to head straight for the coast.
The word coming out of Venice indicates that the perennial duck hunting hotbed is living up to its longtime reputation as a duck hunter’s paradise. In recent weeks, reports indicating strong numbers of gadwall, wigeon, pintail and teal have been coming out of the area, just as one would expect on a hurricane-free season. Again, as during teal season, it appears that the duck ponds were largely spared from the impacts of the BP oil disaster, so Venice should be back to its old form.
Time will tell whether or not the birds make a sufficient showing to help ease the pain of lackluster seasons of the recent past.