Wrap up of 2015-16 coastal duck season

Just more than 60 days ago, my oldest son and I found ourselves hunting White Lake Conservation Area on opening day of the first split of the 2015-16 duck season.
I personally consider White Lake to be one of the crown jewels of the Mississippi Flyway. Drawing out for this particular Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries hunt is special in itself, but on opening day? Let’s just say it doesn’t get much better for a waterfowl hunter.
The hunt took place just days after the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted aerial surveys, where reportedly duck numbers were 61 percent lower than the previous November. To put in perspective, in November 2014, the aerial survey showed 3.13 million ducks. This season’s November survey was 1.21 million.
Needless to say, I wasn’t too concerned. After all, this was White Lake. You always limit out on a White Lake Conservation Area marsh hunt.
When legal shooting light arrived, my son and I weren’t disappointed. A front had moved in and heavy rain was expected around 10 a.m. The balmy conditions had ducks on the move.
We shot at and watched wave after wave of ducks pass over the decoys surrounding our blind where we limited in short order.
However, one thing stood out. Our bag contained a mix of 11 blue and green winged birds and only one big duck — a gadwall.
On White Lake hunts that I drew out for in the past, the bag showed a much better ratio of big ducks to teal. Though a great hunt by any measure, it gave me pause.
By the second week of December, duck numbers had improved, according to aerial surveys, but numbers were still 18 percent below the previous year.
January aerial survey numbers are due out any day, but as of this column, haven’t been reported by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
No matter, with the coastal zone duck season now closed and all indications from the anecdotal reports I’ve received, the season looks by most accounts to be below average.
Opinions attributed to the less-than-average year range from warm weather to high water and a lack of feed in some areas.
Lafayette resident Danny Womack annually hunts the Forked Island area below Abbeville. Womack was one of those whose duck lease was inundated with water much of the season.
Rating his season on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being best, Womack said, “I’d have to rate it about a 2. Our lease had high water much of the year that just never went down and all in all it was one of the poorest I’ve experienced. In fact, last weekend was the first time ever that I didn’t hunt closing weekend. It was pretty much hit or miss. One day the weather would blow in a bunch of ducks, and the next day they’d be gone.”
Bill Lake, owner and operator of Bayou Guide Service, hardly hunted his lease off the Intracoastal Waterway below Gibson this winter. Lake said with the high water and lack of available feed, it left him with a dearth of ducks.
Lake said, “On my personal lease, we didn’t do anything on it this year. My lease is located near the 70-mile Bayou Copasaw area. Everyone along the Intracoastal located within a mile of it, with the high water, had no feed this year. Even before the duck season, the water was high.
“Because of the water being high all summer leading right into duck season, none of the ponds and none of the leases all up and down the Intracoastal from Bay Wallace to the Orange Grove had any feed. There was nothing to attract ducks. The ducks we did see were diving ducks like canvasbacks and ringnecks. I didn’t shoot a duck on my lease this year.”
Lake salvaged his duck season, making hunts with a few friends on the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area, the Blue Bird Canal area south of Bayou Black Marina and a special treat from a friend who happened to be a member of the Lacassane Club in southwest Louisiana.
But, overall, Lake says he gives the Bayou Black area below Gibson about a 3 out of 10 rating this year.
Patterson resident and diehard duck hunter Corey Toups makes most of his duck hunts on the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area’s Wax Delta. Toups, year in and year out, makes the most out of whatever the delta has to offer. This year, Toups indicated it was slightly below par.
After having an above average September Teal season out on the wildlife management area, Toups said, “The big duck season this year was quite a struggle. Even though we managed to have one of my best hunts to date ever, the season on a whole was a slight decline from the previous year. There were a decent number of birds, but the majority was diverse. But, the mud-motors are really taking their toll on the management area. There’s a lot of pressure out there now.”
Canaan Heard, marketing manager for Faulks Game Calls, hunts the Sweet Lake area south of Lake Charles. Heard reported the first split as being really bad with high water, too much rain and hot weather.
Once the second split opened the third weekend in December, Heard said it did pick up a little.
The goose season is something else all-together when it comes to waterfowl hunting. And though there are a few more weekends left to hunt geese, depending on who you talk to, the season ranged from below average to a good one.
Josh Sonnier, owner and operator of Feet Down Guide Service out of Lake Arthur, said, “I’d rate the speck season as slightly below average in numbers killed compared to previous years. The season has also been very inconsistent. The good days were great, and the bad days were terrible.”
Goose hunting in the Welch and Thornwell area were similar to Sonnier’s, says Russell McNabb, owner and operator of Specklebelly Hunting Club.
McNabb, whose operation strictly hunts geese, said, “Goose season has been pretty spot-on in one of my blinds and hit or miss in the others. But, the duck-hunting season in our area never did come through. I suspect that’s from a lack of artic fronts to push birds down. And overall, it’s been a salvageable season for geese, but I’m glad I’m not a duck hunting service.”
World Champion White-Fronted Goose caller Jack Cousin says this year, so far, has been one of his best goose seasons ever. Cousin guides part time for Easy E’s out of Gueydan. Gueydan is known as the duck hunting capital of America.
Cousin said, “Just like for ducks, hunting pressure plays a huge role in how successful your season is. Considering our blinds have been hunted nearly every day, we’ve had a good season. We’ve just stayed on our toes keeping our blinds and overall set up looking sharp. Your preparation can’t be half way when it comes to specks. I don’t care who you are.”