A Brief Change in Scenery: Casting Out a Line in Saint Bernard

Flashback: November 9, 2013

Louisiana is known as the, “Sportsman’s Paradise” and this label couldn't be more spot-on.  This great state has everything the avid sportsman dreams about, all nestled in 51,843 square miles of diverse wilderness.  Deer, duck, fish, turkey, dove, coyote, alligator, hog… You name it, we got it.  If you ever want to experience the full spectrum of game and fish sport, look no further than the Pelican State. 

Told ya. 

On this particular day, my mindset shifted from chasing them orange feet in the marshes of southwest Louisiana to the beautiful, brackish waters Saint Bernard Parish.  Like its hunting counterpart, on the opposite side of the state, Saint Bernard offers world class fishing to those who throw a line into its waters. 

Just some point of reference.

But you'll never find my honey hole. 

On a frigid November morning, once again accompanied by my wonderful girlfriend, myself and two of my closest fraternity brothers pushed off with a boat full of tackle and Miller Lite, eager to catch as many fish as humanly possible. We set out across the waters of Lake Pontchartrain running along the inlets of the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge.

The Laziest Catch crew. 

Equipment Check:

-          Tackle: Live bait (gulf shrimp and storm minnows)

-          Line Test: 12 lbs

-          Gear: Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 Open Face and Shimano Open Face/Bait caster

-          Rig: Carolina

-          Brew: Miller Lite

We made our first stop at a point in a waterway immediately off the main shoreline of the lake.  We fished for 30 minutes to no avail.  Our problems were probably caused by the heavy boat traffic of duck hunters moving from blind to blind in our general vicinity.  By the short interval between their shot volleys it was pretty evident their day was starting off better than ours.  We packed up and headed to a new spot. 

Thanks for the wakes, Elmer Fudds.

Our second stop brought us about two miles east of our previous location, even deeper into the labyrinth of waterways.  We anchored on a shoreline adjacent to the intersection of two currents running perpendicular to each other.  The spot looked promising and I had a great feeling about it. If you can find a spot similar to this one, be patient and do not move.  Give it some time.  Fish love when two different currents come together at a point.  The intersection provides the perfect break in current velocity and they don't have to expend energy on drifting.  Coupled with this is the fact that food is literally brought to them on two sides conveyor belt style. The stored energy and proverbial buffet kick up their aggression and makes for a surefire catch environment. 

Current moving in from the left.

Current moving in from the right, and their meeting point.

I grabbed my rod, slapped a live shrimp on the hook and threw my line out 25 yards from the starboard side.  The second my line hit the water I got a bite.  I reeled in a beautiful 15 inch trout that exceeded the 12 inch state requirement to keep the fish.  After that catch, it was game on.  We were pulling in fish from all sides! It was unbelievable.  Over the next 2 hours we landed 23 trout, 3 flounder and 2 red fish.  The sight and experience was one for the ages.

My first prize of the day.

And hers. 

Asserting dominance. 

We started filling up pretty quickly. 

Eventually, as if someone had flipped a switch, the action ceased.  We packed up and headed due east towards a honey hole on Lake St. Catherine.  At this point, the day was coming to an end and we were catching more snags than fish, as we were fishing off a rocky point.  When we were just about ready to pack it in and call it a day, myself and a fraternity brother hooked big fish at the exact same time.  We both landed some beautiful red fish.  There was no way we were leaving now.  We each pulled in a few more reds, while Denise, my girlfriend, was sitting down trying to shake of sun burn and fatigue. However, she caught a second wind, grabbed her rod and threw out a line.  A minute later she got a huge hit, and that line ran like no other.  She freaked out and we talked her through the fight and got her back in the zone.  Slow and steady always wins the race and sure enough, she brought a monster red up to the side of the boat, grabbed the net and hauled that sucker in.  The look on her face was priceless.  She, including everyone else, will never forget that day.

My red...

And hers.

It’s always nice to get a change of scenery as a sportsman, and when you live in Louisiana the transition is incredibly easy.  For those hunters out there who find themselves wrapped up in the motions of day to day hunting, I highly recommend you set down the rifle, grab a rod and your closest friends and hit the water.  The change of pace is truly liberating.  Enjoy the pictures, y'all. Until next time, good hunting… or fishing!

Great view from the bow.

My backhand technique could use some work.

Just taking it all in.

What's a trip without selfies?

We're kind of a big deal.

Moving between spots was a bit of a struggle.

Jordan Lieberman (left) myself and Marcus Davis (right). My Sammy fraternity brothers.

Laying out the spread later that night.

Filleting them took forever. Better than watching an LSU blowout at the hands of Alabama, though.

I think we found where all of our live bait was going. 

West Bound and Down: A Snap Hunting Trip to Lake Arthur, LA

Flashback: November 12, 2013

I feel like these spur of the moment hunting trips have kind of become my thing in the Deep South.  I really don’t have much of a choice though.  You see, trying to coordinate or hop on a hunt is out of my control in this neck of the woods.  I have family in Louisiana, but they do not own or lease property in this great state that I can hunt on.  That being said, my opportunities to hunt arise when one of my friends has an open spot in one of their blinds.  Fortunately, I have good friends who love to have me on-board. 

This trip came about late one evening in early November.  Around 12 AM I received a call from a close friend (we’ll call him Frank) asking if I, "would be down” for a hunt the following morning.  I, of course, jumped on the opportunity and said yes.  This particular individual hunts in Lake Arthur, LA, a small community 45 miles east of Lake Charles.  This region of southwest Louisiana is considered by many the waterfowl hunting capitol of the world.  Hunters in this area harvest hundreds of thousands of ducks every year as they make their way from Canada and the Mid-West United States to warmer waters along the Gulf Coast and Mexico.  I would be insane to pass up an opportunity as perfect as this one.

The graphs don't lie. 

Deep in the heart of Cajun country.          

In order to make it from Baton Rouge to Lake Arthur on-time, our hunting party set its departure time for 3:40 AM.  Sleep at this point was pointless, I would be more fatigued and more unfit to operate a semi-automatic firearm in close quarters, and I had slept most of the day anyway.  My excitement level was through the roof when my friend picked me up and we made our way west on I-10.  Accompanying me and Frank on this trip was his dog, Beaux, and a mutual friend I will dub, Steve. 

A man's best friend.

As we approached the hunting grounds, Frank informed the party we would need to be ready to step off within a minute of parking the truck to make it to our blind on time.  When he parked the truck I jumped out, grabbed my bag and our shotguns from the back, and hopped on the ATV he offloaded from the bed of his truck.  Frank turned the ATV over, let out a sharp, “GO!” to his dog, and we tore down a dirt road to a rice field adjacent where we parked.  About 50 yards away from the blind Frank cut the ATV and we drudged through shin-deep water to our destination.  We arrived, jumped in the blind, situated our camo, loaded our weapons, and turned to the sky in anticipation of our soon-to-arrive prey.  Within five minutes of our arrival, Steve pointed out a duck that had just landed on the water next to a decoy and opened fire.  BOOM! The first kill of the day was in the bag. 

Early hunter gets the duck.

Beaux retrieved the duck and we were in business.  For the next 20 minutes the kill zone was eerily still.  While we waited I fished my camo face paint out of my bag and applied it to my face.  Sidebar: The paint provides great camouflage and is essential to maintaining low visibility during the hunt.  When the sun comes up, my uncovered, Caucasian skin would be a dead giveaway to any duck flying overhead.  When they see a solid reflective surface, that contradicts the pattern of the foliage below, their instincts immediately raise a red flag.  I was not willing to ruin any opportunity that came our way. 

Face paint from a Northern VA deer hunt, but y'all get the point. 

Over the next 30 minutes we established shooting lanes and areas to monitor to minimize the risk of missing approaching ducks.  Teamwork is crucial to a successful hunt, especially in this aspect.  Ducks move fast and in the words of Ferris Bueller, “If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you just might miss it.” For the next three and a half hours we had scores of ducks fly in, but every group seemed to be just out of range for our shotguns. Our hunting party opened fire at every opportunity presented to us, but our attempts were mostly in vain. However, we scored a few victories here and there, but by the end of the day we left with only 3 ducks. 

Just out of range.

It became pretty aggravating. 

This was just a smack in the face.

Didn't leave empty handed!

It was a little discouraging to leave with only a few ducks in-hand, but like I’ve said before, I will jump at any opportunity to get out in the field and broaden my horizons.  Every trip is another invaluable experience to educate myself and sharpen my mind.  Even though the bag wasn’t as full as we hoped it would be, I personally left the hunt satisfied.  I have never seen the sheer volume of waterfowl moving in an area like I did that morning.  We saw hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of ducks.  Everywhere!  Ducks freakin’ everywhere!  It was humbling to see Mother Nature in her finest hour, moving organisms through an unfamiliar environment. 

That hunt was my first and last of the season, but I couldn’t have asked for more.  It was a great close to my waterfowl hunting this season in Louisiana.  Not only did it provide a great experience, but it pumped me up for my return to the Shenandoah Valley where I can hunt as much as I want.  If anything the hunt was motivation to focus on my studies in wildlife conservation, so one day I can spend as many mornings as I want on the marsh.  

Enjoy a few more pictures, and until next time... good hunting.  

The kill zone. 

Laying in wait...

My backseat buddy for the day. 

He wasn't very talkative. 

My Brother Across the Border: A Texas Dove Hunting Excursion

Flashback: October 21/22 2013

Punching that accelerator down, all the way down, due west on I-10. The reason I loaded up and rolled out of Baton Rouge really wasn’t under the best circumstances. However, I wouldn’t miss this opportunity to for the world. 

Almost two years ago my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Since then she has been spending weeks of her life with her sisters in Houston while receiving treatment at one of the world’s best hospitals- the University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center, a truly remarkable place.  My mom was visiting for a routine checkup (she had a tumor removed off of her bronchial tube about a year ago) and I decided, against her will, I was going to be by her side while she went through the throws.  I surprised her, and for the first time in a very long time, all was right in my world.  To couple this joyous occasion, I had the wonderful opportunity to go dove hunting with my favorite cousin, Dusty. 

Did I mention my girlfriend tagged along?

Dusty is 33 years old and has been a huge influence on my life.  Not only are we identical physically, we also think the exact same way.  It’s pretty weird.  But I digress.  Dusty invited me to join him on his company’s hunting lease for an afternoon and morning of dove hunting.  Before I continue I just have to say some of the wordage and images in the following are graphic.  With that, I’ll continue. 

I’ve never been dove hunting before.  I was too young to engage in the southeast Texas right-of-passage before moving out of the state. Upon arrival in Houston, I headed over to the local Wal-Mart and purchased a non-resident, 5 day hunting license. I was able to purchase this license because I have taken a hunter's education course back in Virginia and the certification also permits me to hunt in the other 50 United States. With that, we were ready to rock.

 After a drive from suburban Houston, we arrived in Katy, TX, about 20 miles north of the city.  We parked the truck, grabbed our bags, and began walking up a dirt road towards a pond at the intersection of two pastures full of cattle. It was at this intersection we set up two MOJO decoys.  These decoys are life size decoys that have a battery operated motor that flaps wings to attract birds flying over.  The decoys bring birds into shotgun range and give hunters the opportunity to harvest the birds.  I’ve duck hunted with these decoys before and I cannot sing their praise enough.  They’re cheap, easy to maintain, and will bring scores of birds into the kill zone.  BUY THEM. 

The best 20 bucks any hunter will ever spend. 

 After 30 minutes we had our first groups come in and we opened fire.  Three birds down.  From there on out we walked pasture to pasture attempting to spook birds.  Our attempts were unsuccessful but we were far from discouraged.  

On the hunt.

The next morning the story was same. Drive in, walk up, set up the MOJOs, let things settle in and open fire.  We walked field to field and shot a few more birds, but during hour 2 I experienced something like never before.  While walking up on a bush about chest height, I had a dove fly out approximately 6 feet off the ground.  I raised my Remington Express 870 to my shoulder, and pulled the trigger.  The BBs grazed the dove and it fell into a shrub a few feet away.  When I walked up I discovered the bird nesting after being wounded, but not fatally.  Dusty then told me in order to kill the dove we needed to decapitate it.  He reassured me it would be extremely easy.  Dusty held the bird; I put a firm grip on its head and pulled.  The head came off extremely easy and that was that. 

There's always a time to try new things. 

It may sound gruesome, but if there is one thing that hunters know, it is this- at some point, a hunter will wound an animal and to properly and humanely end its life, they’ll have to get hands-on.  In this case, the statement was literal.  We concluded the morning hunt with 4 more dove in the bag and made our way back to Houston. 

Any hunt I participate in, I use as a learning experience.  Even if I leave empty handed, I’m always collecting and analyzing data, as well as experience, ultimately refining my technique, with hopes that it will one day assist me in my future career as a wildlife law enforcement agent.  These hunts were no exception. Enjoy the rest of the pictures and videos. More to come here folks, until then, good hunting. 

This video shows Dusty and I returning to our MOJO decoys after hunting in the adjacent pasture.  When walking up we saw a dove land next to the decoy. We approached the dove, maintaining a 25-30 yard parallel interval knowing it would fly into one of our target pictures.  Unfortunately, Dusty had the drop on this guy.  

Making our way through some wet terrain, approaching a levee.

Walking hunt through Texas wildflowers.

Beautiful southeast Texas sunset with my apprentice. 

Cut her some slack, it was a pretty chili morning. What a trooper.  

This Is My Shotgun, There are Many Like It, But This One is Mine

I've researched many aspects across the spectrum of waterfowl hunting so far, but there is one important subject I have yet to cover: weaponry.  Now, I've spent my entire life around firearms and I'm very comfortable with them. Even though my political tendencies are moderate with my social opinions shading the left, I am a firm supporter of the second amendment.  That being said guns are very dangerous and should be treated with the utmost respect.  I live by the rule, "Only point your gun at something you intend to shoot." While guns seem like a main focus of harvesting wildlife, I believe its just another tool that adds to the hunt, no more important than camo or boots.  I don't hunt because I love guns, I hunt because I love wildlife and the privilege of being a part of it. 

When I moved to Louisiana and immersed myself in the hunting lifestyle here, I quickly realized I needed to buy a new gun if I wanted to be successful.  I'm used to hunting with a rifle.  The concept of firing pellets into the air at a moving target was foreign to me, but I wanted adapt.  During winter break of my freshman year I went to my local Dick's Sporting Goods and bought my first shotgun.  The weapon I bought was a Remington Model 870 Express 12-Gauge.   

According to the Remington website, "If the Model 870 were introduced today, it would be hailed as a major advance in pump-action shotgun design - the ultimate in strength, durability, silky-smooth bind-free action, and sleek classical lines. Yet this remarkable shotgun has been around for almost half a century, and has become the best-selling shotgun of any type in history, with over ten million made."

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model-870/model-870-express.aspx

This quote could not be more spot-on.  I've used this shotgun in a wide variety of environments and it is yet to let me down.  Its been rain, sleeted, and snowed on, its been dropped in mud and run over by an four-wheeler, and at the end of the day, following a quick dis assembly and cleaning, it has returned to action no different than the day it came out of the box.  

However, this gun and others of the pump-action family, make up one half of the shotguns used in waterfowl hunting.  It is perfect for the beginner hunter and is referred to as, "The All-American Gun." On the other end of the spectrum lies the semi-automatic, or autoloading, shotgun.

http://www.remington.com/en/product-families/firearms/shotgun-families/autoloading-model-1100.aspx

In 1963, Remington designer, Wayne Leek, debuted a revolutionary shotgun: it was the Model 1100 Autoloading Shotgun, a weapon system that propelled hunting into a new era.  

The shotgun uses a recoil-powered loading system to move shells stored in the magazine, into the chamber, following discharge. Let's break down the action step by step.

1. The shooter pulls the trigger, discharging the firearm.  

2. During discharge, the explosion from the fired cartridge forces the bolt to travel backwards. 

3. As the bolt moves backwards, the spent cartridge is ejected from the weapon.

--3a. Simultaneously, a spring in the magazine pushes a new cartridge forward in place of the ejected one.

4. The bolt hits a spring that sends it forwards again.

5. Traveling forward, the bolt strips a new cartridge into place on the way.  

6. The bolt locks back into position, ready to fire again.  

http://science.howstuffworks.com/shotgun6.htm

While autoloading allows the shooter to send shells downrange more quickly, the complex design and increased amount of moving parts drastically increases the chance of operator error, jams and weapon system failure.  

Shotguns have come a long way, but as history shows, the oldest weapons are still leading the way in hunting.  At the end of the day, no one system is better than the other.  What it really comes down to is preference.  Autoloaders offer higher convenience and firing rate, but require more maintenance and have increased chance for failure.  It all depends on what the operator wants.  Personally, I'll stick with my pump action.  As the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Until next time.

Good Hunting,

Gersh

Blog Entry: 7th Tuesday-- Block Num. 2

We're on a roll here, folks, and this train is not slowing down.  In my previous post, I examined Rails and Gallinules, the waterfowl that make up "block" 1 of waterbird hunting in Louisiana.  Now I'm moving onto my personal favorite, "block" 2: Teal.  The first duck I harvested in Louisiana was a Teal bird.  This species is a favorite of duck hunters throughout the bayou because of its size, elusiveness and difficulty to hunt.  I can say, first hand, these birds come in hard and fast, but with a group of experienced callers, coupled with a little bit of luck, a Teal hunt can be one of the most thrilling and heart-pounding hunting experiences.  So without further adieu, I give you the Teal bird.

There are three sub-species of Teal legally available for harvest in Louisiana, September 14th through 29th: Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon.

For this post I will be pulling information from the Ducks Unlimited website.  DU is arguably the most respected and largest wetland conservation group in North America.  With thousands of members, DU strives to educate hunters and landowners on responsible harvest practice and wetland conservation in conjunction with state and federal law.  Their work is uncontested.

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id

Teal

Blue-Winged:  One of the earliest birds to arrive during duck season, the Blue-Winged Teal leaves its home in the Prairie Pothole Region (Mid-West U.S. to Southern Canada) and migrates south.  These birds nest in a variety of fresh and brackish water estuaries along the Gulf Coast and down to Central America.

- Slate gray head and neck
- Black-edged white crescent in front of eyes
- Blackish crown
- Tan breast and sides with dark brown speckles
- White spot on side of rump
- Blue-gray wing with a green underside




Green-Winged: Widely considered one of the most extensive wintering ranged birds hunted, the Green-Winged Teal has been spotted as far north as Alaska and as far south as northern South America.  This bird is most commonly found in the Louisiana-Mississippi flyway, making its habitat in the numerous lowland, freshwater marshes and rice fields.

- Smallest North American duck
- Chestnut head with a green to purple patch extending from the rear of the eye to the nape of the neck
- Pinkish-brown chest with brown speckles
- Gray sides, back and flanks
- Dark slate bill



Cinnamon: This species of Teal spends almost the entirety of its winter months in Mexico and Central America. However, its flight path from the Mid-West U.S. brings it into the freshwater marshes of the Delta. These birds often attach themselves to flocks of Blue-Winged Teal as they have mutual breeding grounds.


                                                                                   - Cinnamon-red head, neck, breast and belly
- Dull brown back, rump, uppertail coverts and tail
- Distinct red eye
- Black bill
- Yellow legs and feet






This concludes my research on the two biggest "blocks" of duck hunting throughout the early fall weeks in Louisiana.  Until next time.

Good Hunting,
Gersh

Blog Research: 6th Thursday

So I'm just a little bit behind, but I'm taking care of that today. Unfortunately, I work, a lot. And to add to the chaos, I work at a bar. The hours I work, for lack of a better term, suck. But I digress. Let us jump into the wonderful world of waterfowl hunting in the Delta.

The focus of todays posts are the two major "blocks" of Louisiana waterfowl species hunted in the fall months.  The spreadsheet for Migratory and Waterfowl Game Hunting Seasons can be found on the LDWF Website here:

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/waterfowl/seasons

So lets break down "block" number one... The bulk of the species harvested occurs from September 14th to the 29th.  During this two week span waterfowl hunters throughout Louisiana's three designated hunting zones can harvest Rails and Gallinules.  These two species belong to the same order and family. As a student devoted to the study and conservation of wild game species I fully understand that the nomenclature associated with the animals can get way too scientific. In the interest of my sanity, and the understanding of you, the reader, I'll try to keep things as uniform as possible in regard to the jargon used.  

Rails

Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae

Rails are a diverse species of waterfowl.  These birds have many sub-species throughout their family tree due to the environment they live in. As I mentioned in an earlier post, animals that live in the Delta thrive in one of Earth's most diverse and dynamic biomes.  Because of this, the species has many different relatives each with its own adaptations unique to the environment they live in.  (This fact is reflected in Charles Darwin's study of Finches in the Galapagos). The Rails that are legal to harvest in the Delta include King, Clapper, Sora and Virginia.

King: The King is a large Rail that thrives in freshwater marshes.  While some communities fly north during the summer to breed in the Mid-Western United States, others can be found year-round along the Gulf Coast from Texas, throughout the bayou, into the Florida panhandle and down it's Atlantic coast line.

- Medium-size
- Compact body
- Short tail
- Long, downward sloping bill
- Reddish chest, neck and back
- Black and white stripes along flanks



Clapper: The Clapper is another relatively large rail that dwells in saltwater marshes from Massachusetts to South America.  Their southern-bound migration brings their flight path directly across the Delta where they are able to seek refuge among the thousands of coastal marshes across Louisiana.

- Medium-size waterfowl
- Chicken-like
- Compact body
- Short tail
- Long legs
- Long, downward sloping bill



Sora: The Sora is a small bird that makes its home in the cattails of freshwater marshes.  This bird is one of the most common and widely distributed Rail in North America.  While this bird is extremely vocal, its small stature and tendency to walk along the bottom of the marsh makes it extremely difficult to hunt.

- Small size
- Triangular body shape, deep rear end
- Slaty gray body
- Short, yellow bill
- Short tail, white underneath
- Black face and bib



Virginia: This is probably my favorite Rail, not only because it shares the name of my home state, but because of its beautiful adaptations that make it bane of the predators who hunt it.  This small waterbird lives among the freshwater marshes of the northern U.S. and southern Canada. However, during the winter months it migrates south to the warmer waters of the Gulf Coast.  A laterally compressed body, long toe structure and flexible vertebrae allows this organism to sit flush with marsh undergrowth making it extremely difficult to hunt.  Undoubtedly, the Virginia is the most difficult Rail to harvest.

- Small size
- Compact body
- Short tail
- Rufous (reddish-brown) throat and breast
- Gray cheeks
- Long, slightly curved, red bill



Gallinules

Order: Gruifromes
Family: Rallidae

Purple Gallinule: This waterbird, of the Gulf Coast and Tropical North America, is the personification of beauty.  Its extremely long toes allow the bird to walk across marsh vegetation without sinking.  Like the Sora and Virginia Rail, the Purple Gallinule eludes predators by bedding in thick vegetation.

- Dark purple head, neck and underside
- Green back
- Triangular, red bill with a yellow tip
- Light blue forehead
- Yellow legs




Common Gallinule:  Claiming the title as the most widely distributed member of the Rail family, the Common Gallinule lives in marshes and ponds from Canada to Chile.  The waterbird can even be found from northern Europe to southern Africa, with large communities thriving across Asia and the Pacific.  This territorial bird makes its presence known throughout the world's ecosystems, boldly strutting across vegetation, calling to others, marking its territory.

- Dark, with a white flank stripe
- Red bill and forehead
- Swims like a duck
- Triangular bill
- White stripe on sides of undertail




As you can see hunters in Louisiana have a wide variety of waterbird to harvest in the season's early weeks.  All of the information on Rails and Gallinules above was pulled from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse_tax/49/

Hope y'all enjoyed.  See you shortly.

Good Hunting,
Gersh