I used to hunt Big Sam years ago, but haven't in a long time. But I'm not able to get down to my place in Sargent and I've got to put my 6 y/o on some birds between Christmas and New Year's.

What's the scoop? Any birds in the area, and if so what part of the lake?

Note - Please don't interpret this as me attempting to backdoor one of your holes. Be as general as you need to be (eg. around Harvey, north of Jackson Hill)...I understand completely. All I'm looking for is some info. that will at least limit the areas I need to scout, nothing more.

Never hunted there, but I'm hearing that there are quite a few birds at the Anuach (sp??) Wildlife Refuge. I hunt pretty close to the Refuge and we're seeing alot of birds. I suspect Rayburn is holding birds too. Good luck and let us know how you do.

Also Long Island Bayou holding birds.

Rayburn is practically my back yard, grew up hunting there, and it does normally holds a good amount of birds. i prefer the morth end on the Attoyac River side. If you put in at Jackson Hill and head across I have some good luck in the pass on a creek we call Wood Duck Creek, local name. Now I stick to the Attoyac River bottom in the flooded timber, mainly mallards and woodies but I love timber hunting. Good luck and let me know how you come out

(edit: I shouldn't have been so ill-mannered and appearing to be ungrateful in response, sprig. I apologize and appreciate the help. I'll certainly be sure to let you know how it turns out...especially if my son caps one on his own! Hell, you and everyone w/n 250 nautical miles will most likely hear me shout for joy!)

I've got a buddy who runs the Sabine Ranch (it's 15,000+ acres from Hwy. 73 all the way back to the Big Ditch, about 15 miles east of Anahuac as the crow flies), and they're having an awful year...hardly any birds whereas White's Ranch (halfway in between the two) is chockerblock full of ducks.

I am glad to hear that the High Island marsh is finally holding some birds. The last 5 to 6 years have been nothing short of pitiful compared to the '90's. When I used to hunt that marsh, we'd set the alarm on our watch for 9:45 and take naps in the blind. And almost on cue, around 10:00 you'd hear "mank, mank" and from then on it'd be a fire sale on grey ducks.

Go get and leave some for seed.

[This message has been edited by Pontificator (edited 12/20/2006 12:16p).]

oneag:

I live in Nac. as I write. My grandpa's place is right north of Jackson Hill, right on the water (just south of the highline, right where the east bank makes that hard 90* right turn back to Sutton Hills...I imagine it's right across from what you're calling Wood Duck Creek). I used to hunt between the highline and Townsend Park (mostly the east side), and we'd shoot many a mallard. Problem was back then there's no hunters, so the birds would move and stay for the rest of the day.

My trim carpenter lives in Chireno/San Aug. and has some Attoyac riverbottom access, though I'm hesitant to ask him for access even though he doesn't duck hunt (he's a helluva deer hunter though...great fella, lot's of fun and as full of **** as ever).

I figure I could put in at 103 and head up, but I'd sure hate to ruin some ol' boy's hunt.

Is it worth my time to run my old haunting grounds, or should I stay south of the 147 bridge?

Pontificator- I know your carpenter, as a matter of fact I am probably related to him. I have not been on Rayburn yet this year but hope to get out next week. I have been trying to deer hunt this year on a new lease in Broaddus, but hope to get out there this week.

I have never hunted south of 147 mainly stay in that Jackson hole area and north on the river. If you know where La Gruer creek is off the Attoyac there is a network of sloughs that you could check out mid day and hopefully try to find some birds. As far as other hunters, by this time of year they usually won't navigate up into the river bottom and, just take a compass.

I used to put in at 103 mid day and run down the lake to find birds, this usually avoids anyone and you can tell at the ramp how many people are hunting. I hope I have helped.

Metteauer

Pontificator, don't worry about it. Hell, I know that I don't know it all, so I doesn't bother me if someone tells me so. In fact you and bigdm seem to know ya'lls stuff more than anybody when it comes to whackin' the ducks, so I love to hear what you have to say. I love learn about new spots what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Just don't say anything bad about my dog and we won't have any problems.

Pontificator, don't worry about it. Hell, I know that I don't know it all, so I doesn't bother me if someone tells me so. In fact you and bigdm seem to know ya'lls stuff more than anybody when it comes to whackin' the ducks, so I love to hear what you have to say. I love learn about new spots what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Just don't say anything bad about my dog and we won't have any problems.

Holy Deliverance, Batman!

Sprig, I'm the last person on earth you have to worry about when it comes to saying or doing anything bad when it comes to another man's dog.

Another man's dog is just that: their dog. And unless he and I have been through hell together, the only thing that's coming out of my mouth are compliments.

And I appreciate your own compliment more than you know, but I'm not the hunter I used to be because I don't get to hunt near as much as I used to, want to, and frankly have to now that I'm the father of 3 sons. My "skills" are nowhere close to being as sharp as they once were. And coupled with my once in-shape, well-toned 20 y/o body being housed in a fat, out of shape, gooey 39 y/o body as well as my now thinking thrice about the perils of a hard hunt whereas I was once all too willing to walk through hell and back to shoot ducks, suffice it to say that I'm not near the tuned-in hunter I once was. Put it to you this way: whereas Shannon T. used to call me for a report to put in the Friday Beaumont Enterprise(before he went to the Chronicle, he and I would hunt public land when I didn't have a client booked), I'm now forced to ask questions of strangers on a bulletin board!

To be a good duck hunter, one has to devote a lot of time and a fair amount of money to stay on top of things on a pretty much daily basis. And one has to really pay close attention to doing the little things that often are the difference between good hunts and great hunts: picking up hulls after every hunt, grassing your blind at least three times/week and making sure not a single 2x4 can be seen from above (there's no such thing as a straight line in the marsh/rice field), getting the feel for knowing WHEN to call as opposed to HOW to call (ducks are like people: they each of their own voice...timing, the "when and what you say" of calling, is far more important that the tone/tenor of your call). All those things sound like you can up and do them, but there's a certain "feel" to it that can only come from doing it a lot, each and every season.

Nowadays, I just don't have the time to do it like that anymore, like I used to be able to do it. But the way I've been dealing with that was to not do it all, my rationale being "if I can't do it 100%, there's no point in even showing up." But the other night, I realized that's not only stupid, but completely unfair to my 6 y/o. Even if I can't do it like I used to, it still beats the hell out of moping around all day, wishing I was in the marsh. Moreover, I've got a moral duty to get my oldest up and going now that he's six...and together we're going to get his two little brothers in the game when their time comes. In the end, I'll have the satisfaction of sharing a duck blind with my 3 sons who, if I do my job correctly, will have done all that it takes 100% while getting to know their brother and our God at the same time.

And that, my friend, is what it's all about. No more, no less. Shooting good birds is just the cherry on the sundae.

I'll say this: that epiphany was one of the most liberating, motivating events I've experienced in a long time. So my sincere thanks for giving me the opportunity to share.

And I certainly will report back, good or bad.

one_ag:

Yep...I remember that conversation. I'm speaking of John...but you knew that already.

I'm hoping to be out and about the same week you are, starting the 26th for the full day.

Shoot me an e-mail if you don't mind.

dbertin@cox-internet.com

sprig, that goes for you, too. I have some...let's say "information"...that you might find beneficial for Anahuac.

[This message has been edited by Pontificator (edited 12/20/2006 2:05p).]

Pontificator - Good to see you posting your gems of wisdom again. I was starting to worry about you. Merry Christmas.

great post pontificator. I hope, Lord willing, to be in your shoes someday sharing the sun rise and buzzing of ducks overhead with my kids. I don't have any yet, but that would be a dream come true to be able pass down the love and passion I have for hunting to them.

bigdm, I didn't report back to you last weekend, but we had anothere pretty good hunt. No limits this time, but I got to share the blind with my older brother and my dog, and shot a few birds to boot. 5 teal, 1 mallard, 1 banded motled duck. The only down side to the morning was we couldn't get a group of about 25 pintails to come in. We got'em circling just out of range with our wistles and some soft calling, but they just didn't quite get into range before someone a couple of hundred yards off shot and flaired them. Oh well, can't have it all.

bigdm:

Thanks. It's good to be back.

How's the season been so far for you two? Where y'all hunting, what are y'all seeing...anything different this year that's got your hopes up in contrast to the last 5 or so?

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, Internet scouting... way too easy.

I think this is why I quit hunting Sam.

See what I mean?

We used to rag the hell out of folks for doing what I'm doing; called 'em "haoli" or "yankee" (where I'm from, a yankee was anyone born north of I-10).

I feel so...cheap, dirty, used and abused.

Someone hold me...

A mott w/ jewelry? Congrats!

Is it a USFW band or a TPWD band?

We now call you "Barney"...

Can't you go up to the WMA on the Angelina and hunt there? I think you need one of those WMA permits though, and there's only something like 50 slots for that area. TONS of squirrel and duck from what my uncle tells me.

And TONS of people, too.

I've fought Haoli before, and I'm through w/ that....that's for the birds (no pun intended).

I'd rather enjoy a spot to myself and shoot half the birds I normally would as opposed to worrying about Joe Nimrod ripping at birds wearing gas masks and flaring what may be working my dummies.

Nope...not for me.