Columns
Behold the humble hardhead
Think of what life must be like for a hardhead catfish — despised by all, loved by none. The contempt is universal.[…]
Columns
Columns
Action about to peak at Bayou Segnette
I’ll be going to the marsh this month at Bayou Segnette near New Orleans to catch pre-spawn bass there in January. The bass are starting to move out of the lakes toward the dead-end canals, where they intend to spawn.[…]
Columns
Effective duck calling
There is a big difference between “Contest Calling” and “Blind calling.” Here are the dos and don’ts for effective duck calling.[…]
Blind's Eye
Second split tactics
With the opening of the second split, every day that goes by becomes more and more challenging to get birds into gunning range. This is the traditional “late season” time.[…]
Columns
Identification dilemma
I took an opportunity this past weekend to go on a deer hunt with my son in Natchez, Miss., and we had a great time. But that means I have no new duck story to tell.[…]
Deer Hunting
Giles Island treat
Starting the back half of my six-day hunt at Giles Island, it rained all day. We got in a funnel stand at 3 pm due to a lightning delay. It was still raining the next day as we arrived at our climbing tree, and already there was a 17-inch, 3-yearr-old 8-pointer eating pecans in the road 80 yards ahead.[…]
Deer Hunting
Giles Island deer running wild
I just finished my first of two three-day bowhunts in a row at Giles Island, and it was awesome. The deer started chasing on Dec. 9, and we’ve been seeing chasing activity every day even in the terrible weather.[…]
Columns
Old-school philosopy
With a weekend off from duck hunting, I decided to look back on recent posts to see what duck hunters are discussing to fill this week’s blog.[…]
Blind's Eye
Success with fewer birds
Just because the numbers of ducks bagged are down in the marsh, it doesn’t always mean you won’t get your birds. Here we are in the latter part of November wondering where the big gangs of gadwalls and teal are, and I’ll be the first to admit that the numbers are not what they should be.[…]
Blind's Eye
First split strange
The first split has come and gone already. My personal totals for eight hunts with guests was 103 ducks. Not bad at all.[…]
Deer Hunting
Mature bucks not moving much, but rut around the corner
Seems like the deer movement/reports are mixed. I find this to be a tough time of year to see mature bucks, but I know what is right around the corner: the rut.[…]
Columns
Ask and you shall receive?
I asked for a strong cold front, and I got it. I asked for some wind, and I got it. I guess I forgot to ask for ducks![…]
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New rods aimed at young and restless
Tackle companies would like every lad and lass to get a rod this Christmas. Well, except for “Balloon Boy.” He deserves NO toys from Santa![…]
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Hull design dictates propeller type
The design of your boat’s bottom will affect the type of propeller you will need. In the simplest of terms, there are two hull designs: displacement and planing.[…]
Columns
Ruger 10-22: from caterpillar to butterfly
I remember the first Ruger 10-22 carbine I came across. Home on leave from the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, N.C., in the early 1970s, I took my father’s brand-new Ruger .22 rifle to my grandparents’ dairy farm in Tangipahoa Parish.[…]
Deer Hunting
Rut prep turns deer to natural foods
Every year I am amazed at how a deer seems to know what type of nutrition he needs at certain times of the year. It seems like flipping the light switch off: The deer just stopped eating rice bran and other high-protein feeds the first weekend of November from the Felicianas and north into Mississippi (Interestingly, it seems like the deer near the flooded river and south around Mount Pleasant and Baton Rouge are still eating the bran/protein).[…]