Very little wind this morning as we crossed the Mississippi River. We got into the pond and got the teal decoy spread set out. This effort went without issue and we had a long wait till legal shooting time. We visited and waited with anticipation for that magic hour to arrive. It was slow at first as not much was moving. We had a single Mottled duck get too close and got that one in the bag. A few teal started to buzz around and we picked up a few more, but it was painfully slow. We waited it out, but the flight did not happen. We did not limit today, but it was fun nevertheless. Tomorrow is the last day of the season, but it is predicted to be bad weather so we will not hunt. Overall it has been a fantastic season on ducks in the Mississippi River Delta, will miss being out there. Chasing turkeys will be next in the que.
Buras Duck Hunt – 1/27/2023
Teal time continues in Buras. Light winds out the Northeast greeted us as we crossed the Mississippi River. We sailed into the pond and began to set out the teal decoy spread. Unfortunately I ran over a decoy string and it got wrapped up into the propellor shaft. I had to cut it out and then limp to the bank and get out of the boat to get it fully cleared out. Cost us some time, but we were able to get the rest of the spread out and get into the blind and set up before shooting time. Day break brought not much flying. The ponds were full of ducks as we could hear them quacking and whistling, but just not flying. As the shooting started around us, the birds started moving and we limited on teal in short order. Good shoot and we will be back after them tomorrow. Good luck out there!
Buras Duck Report 1/20/2023
Stiff breeze out of the Northeast this morning made it a little lumpy crossing the Mississippi River in the early morning hours. We picked a blind on the north side of a big pond. We placed out only Blue Wing and Green Wing Teal decoys in 2 groups one upwind and one downwind of the blind. We got settled into the blind and awaited legal shooting hours. We could hear Bluewings quacking and Greenwings whistling all around us as the darkness started to turn to the light. The shooting started on adjacent leases and the birds started to get up and move. A pair of Mottled ducks got a little too close and the drake found his way into the boat. Once we shot, then the groups of teal got up and started buzzing, a quick flurry of action and we had a few Greenwing and Bluewing Teal on the pond. The action really slowed and we just had a few small groups cutting through the pond. Seems the birds did not want to fly unless jumped up. We waited it out, and other hunters started to pick up and leave. Once they started running, the action picked up and we were able to finish it out strong. Will be back after them next week. Good luck out there!
Buras Duck Hunting Report – 1/16/2023
Mild temperatures and light winds at the start of the hunt this morning. The birds did not fly at first light as usual. We could hear them calling on the water all around us, but just not flying. As the first shots started to ring out in the distance, the birds began to move. We had a few teal start to buzz the decoys and we quickly decided it would be a teal kind of shoot. We began to take the teal that ventured too close to the blind. We ended up with limits of Bluewing and Greenwing Teal. Teal are a very challenging target and excellent table fare. We did not see very many big ducks during this hunt, it looks like they may have moved on. We will be back after them this week! Good luck out there!
Buras duck report – 12/28/2022
The duck action was slow this morning. We still got limits, but it took a couple of hours to get our birds. Greenwing Teal, Bluewing Teal and one Pintail drake. It seemed that the birds just did not want to fly. We jumped hundreds on the way out of the pond. Hope for quicker action o the next trip. Good luck out there!
Buras Duck Report – 12/27/2022
Light winds and cool temperatures this morning in the Mississippi River Delta. We crossed the Mississippi River and headed into a big pond that has been holding birds. The water was low due to last weeks artic front. Luckily, the tide came up last night and was just starting the fall as we got set up. Tried a different look with the decoy spread, put out scattered pairs thinking the set up might work with the light winds. Shooting hours arrived quickly and the teal were buzzing everywhere. My guests unleased and we quickly got limits of Bluewing and Greenwing Teal. We picked up and made a loop for Nutria Rats. We saw 3 and collected one. We saw 7 hogs along the way, more than I have seen in quite some time. We will be back out tomorrow. Good luck out there this week!
Buras Duck Report – 12/17/2022
The Louisiana Duck Season second split in the West Zone opened this morning. The boat launch was a zoo this morning with a lot of hunters getting out into the Mississippi River Delta. The breeze was stiff out of the Northeast as we headed to the blind. The birds started working the pond well way before shooting time. The decoys were alive with the whistles of greenwing teal that had landed. As shooting time arrived, the big ducks were not working. We could see them up in the sky, but they were not interested. The bluewing and greenwing teal were buzzing everywhere. We waited and got a couple of Mottled ducks to commit and picked them up. A lone gadwall swooped in and stayed. We decided we better take what was available and we finished quick with bluewings and greenwings. We picked up the ducks and started to pick up the decoys and saw that the big ducks were starting to work the pond. Should have waited…Good luck out there this week!
Duck hunting report 12/1/2022
The duck action continues to the hot. The wind was ripping 20 mph from the Northeast after the passage of another front. We decided on a blind on the north side of a big pond. We could hear the birds moving before morning light. As shooting time arrived, the teal were buzzing by in large groups. We could see small groups of Gadwall, Pintail and Mottled ducks working us. We waited and started to get decoying shots on the big ducks. We limited on pintail quick. Then started picking up gadwall. We rounded out the bag with a couple of greenwing teal nd one bluewing teal. Lots of new birds on the property and we will be back after them soon. Good luck out there!
Buras Duck Report
Excellent action on the ducks for the opening weekend of the 2022 Louisiana season in the Mississippi River Delta. There were plenty of birds and they worked very well. Saturday had light winds out of the west and low water conditions. We did not shoot the hundreds of Greenwing and Bluewing teal that were buzzing the decoys. We held out for big ducks and limited on gadwall and mottled ducks. Sunday was different story with the passage of a front during the night. The winds picked up significantly and the water level jumped way up. The blind that we chose was on the lee side in a big pond. The wind was whipping and the first few shots were misses as we tried to figure out the lead in the wind. Once we got the sight picture it was on and we limited on Pintail, Gadwall and Bluewing and Greenwing teal. Great hunts. We will be back out there soon! Good luck out there!
Captain Jeff
Buras Teal hunt
Opening day of Teal Season is always a special time to get back to the delta to enjoy the first opportunity for wingshooting on early migrating teal. The birds did not dissappoint and quick limits were on the water in short order. It would have happened sooner, but rusty shooting skills made the first passes difficult. Once that was out of the way, we capitalized on most of the chances and limits were done. My hunting property was largely spared adverse conditions from Hurricane Ida. All of the blinds are intact, the ponds have plenty of submerged vegetation and the bull tongue and delta duck potato that ducks love so much rings all of the ponds. The water did get up over six feet and flushed most of the floating vegetation out. We got lucky as the devastation to Plaquemines Parish was most evident in the daylight as we headed back up river toward home. Here’s to a quick recovery for South Louisiana! Cant wait to get back to the delta for more teal action. Be careful out there this week.
Captain Jeff