West Marsh Structure 2: Update #3 (& Duck Opener!)

Woodies should be part of mixed bags this
coming weekend

The only day without progress on the job site this past week was on Friday (today) -- the eve of this year's duck opener. We asked that the guys move the construction trailer and relocate the larger equipment in preparation for what we hope will be a fun weekend for our hunters.

So Friday was all quiet in the marsh -- at least from a construction standpoint. But as the photos below will show, the crew made hay in nice weather Monday - Thursday and got a lot of welding accomplished. We'll have to feel our way through the next couple weeks (first split of the waterfowl season closes October 27th), and then hopefully the weather will cooperate to really push toward completion during the break (which runs October 28 - November 8th this year).

Our lease groups recognize that restoration activities have to be priority number one, especially while pressures from high lake levels are so acute. But we still want to do all that we can to encourage waterfowl activity and successful hunting. As I've written about several times before, responsible hunting is just too much a part of this amazing place's heritage.

I stuck around past sunset one evening mid-week and saw a decent number of birds "working" the marsh -- preparing to settle in for a restful overnight. Our punters had some similarly encouraging reports. It is supposed to drop from the mid-70s (this afternoon) to the mid-30s (by sunrise tomorrow). We'll see how it goes!

Structure 2 at the end of the work day on Thursday

Cross braces and angle steel, mid-installation

Once plate steel is added to the top of this angle, the crew will move on to prep for the floor and dike crossing

Dawn of Another Duck Season

Sunrise on a dawn of a new waterfowl season

We're already more than halfway through the front end of a 60-day "split" waterfowl season, and I've yet to make it into the blind -- with a shotgun, at least. The "big duck" season runs October 13-28 (16 days) and November 10-December 23 (44 days) this year. As long as things don't freeze up solid first, we should have some time.

Due to hot weather, untimely heavy rain, and a busy schedule, I didn't make it out for any of the "early season" (teal/early goose) in September either. It's a little disheartening.

But recent photos, texts, and emails from happy leaseholders and punters help my morale a lot. Fortunately, our hunters have taken advantage of a great stretch of weather -- with consistent, below average temperatures, shifting winds (strong at times), and only a few heavier frosts (no sustained freezing temperatures). Conditions have been excellent, and the hunting has been solid.

I didn't realize until sometime in early August (when my son asked about practicing his duck calling) that literally all of my waterfowl gear had been stolen back in June when our field office and shop were burglarized. I guess I was preoccupied by the missing MULE, tools, and work-related items. I didn't notice at the time that a large camouflage duffel with literally all my calls, most of my shells, and most of my accessories (headlamps, face masks, camo ball caps, winter hats, gloves, etc.) had been taken. I assumed they were all safely tucked away in my basement at home.

Small groups of pintails (above), wigeon, and gadwall made their presence known just a day or two before Opener;
fortunately, they have also shown up in more recent reports from the blinds

Well concealed -- happy hunters in a
freshly grassed blind on the
West Marsh

Knowing that most all of your gear has been taken tends to take the wind out of one's sails. Knowing it likely was sold to outdoorsmen (and I use the term loosely in this context) who are willing to knowingly look the other way is even more frustrating.

But I think the fact that the theft coincided with my dad's passing is what really has had me floundering. I'm coming to the realization that this psychological tie is probably what has prevented me from motivating to get in the blind so far this fall. I'm at a point in my life (with four young kids) where I'm finding myself exasperated by the idea of more "stuff" -- even when it's stuff that is tied to activities that I love. The idea of having to go buy things to replace the things that have been stolen presents even more of an inner struggle.

But it's getting to be time to motivate. I have to get past the frustration and retool. I know that it's taken decades to accumulate what was stolen, so it won't get replaced with one or two trips to the local sporting goods store. But it's time to rebuild. It's time to see the ducks flying overhead and feel the adrenaline from what flies overhead. Dad would want me out there.
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Keeping watch in the West Marsh

Harvest surveys (a document that I ask our hunters to complete to report the quantities of waterfowl that they have harvested) have demonstrated a nice diversity of birds. Species harvested to date have included most all of the usual suspects -- mallards, blacks, wood ducks, gadwall, widgeon, pintails, bluewings, and greenwings. Obviously, that's good to see. A healthy diversity of birds using the marsh is a good indicator of a healthy marsh.

But what has me most excited are the personal accounts from our hunters:

The marsh is looking outstanding. We had tons of fun being out opening weekend!

Had the pleasure of taking my grandson out to the marsh on opening day!  What a joy that was -- 4th generation hunting at the Standing Rush Marsh.  Wow, how time flies! He thoroughly enjoyed the outing, the punt boat ride, all the wildlife (eagles, all the different ducks, kingfishers, even cormorants),  the whole marsh experience. He has kept telling me what a great time he had.

I've never seen the marsh so clear. You could never really see the bottom, or the fish for that matter.  There was a school of what I think were shad (hundreds...) swimming alongside the boat.  Pretty cool to finally see them!  Deer tracks in the muddy bottom, too.  Then seeing all the bulrush and cattails coming in.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see the marsh returning to it's glory.  In all the years I've been out there, I've never seen it in better shape, and it will only get better.

A Successful First Weekend

While I wasn't able to be at the marsh for opening weekend this year, I still really enjoyed getting the intermittent updates from happy hunters and satisfied punters. Despite a warm weekend with plenty of swirling southerly winds, many limits were taken. And yet again, my phone was barraged with encouraging texts and photos with full grins.

The daily bag is six birds per hunter, but as the smiling faces above demonstrate, it's not about the numbers. The only number important to these three hunters was one -- as in the first. Two of these three are lease holders, a father/son duo who have plenty of history with our specific marsh; the third -- their 11-year old son/grandson -- was just indoctrinated with his first duck (or ducks, to be more accurate). Cool to have three generations in one photo; even cooler to know that if the stars align they could have four generations hunting together this year.

We ask each lease holder to inventory what was harvested with each hunt -- e.g. species, gender, and quantity -- on what we call our Waterfowl Volunteer Survey. We fully understand that this information gathering is biased and incomplete, but it at least offers us a snap shot.

While I haven't seen much of the data yet, my hunch is that most of the weekend harvest was made up of mallards, blue-winged teal, wood ducks, and maybe a few of a few other species (e.g. pintail, green wings, wigeon, and gadwall).

A pretty solid weather front Sunday afternoon has ushered in cool, dry air with overnight lows these last couple nights flirty with 40 degrees. This is the coldest weather we've seen this season, so it will be interesting to see and hear how that alters what's flying.

A couple more happy hunters (and limits); one of the things I love most
about waterfowl hunting is that it brings friends and family together outside

Opener Eve

Weathered but ready for action: a punt boat full of decoys seemed like the perfect still life primer for the
excitement and enthusiasm that goes into duck hunting preparation

I don't feel like I'm a procrastinator, and Roy and I pride ourselves on planning ahead. But somehow, the last few days before the main duck season opens always feels like I'm running with my hair on fire. Tomorrow's the day.

The reality is we are and have been in pretty good shape. All of our major projects should be behind us -- barring something truly unforeseen. Roy is a master at anticipating the unexpected. He's been down this road a few times.

And the punters (particularly Jimmy) really make preparation for hunting itself pretty painless for the rest of us. He handles all the eager phone calls from adrenaline-infused lease holders on the West Marsh. And my guys leasing the East are very self-sufficient. Once we get the water levels where they need to be -- to facilitate access by both the hunters and the ducks, a task that is now just about complete -- punters and hunters put the finishing touches on blinds, insure access lanes are trimmed, and get the dogs and decoys ready. It's quite a ritual. But after decades and decades of fine-tuning, it's a pretty well-oiled (albeit unconventional) machine. People know what they need to do. And some of the fun of pushing finishing touches to the end is that it just builds excitement. For an avid duck hunter, the year really boils down to these few months.

The table is set. All we need now is for the weather -- and the birds -- to cooperate. Should be fun.

Much of yesterday was spent installing this 20' dock in the access to the Tower Marsh; I rebuilt itin two sections a year ago,
so I've been waiting a while to get this photo -- project completed

Our pedestaled boat blind as it is getting "grassed" (camouflaged with clumps of Phragmites and willow limbs);
the beauty of this system is the combination of mobility (it floats and pulls easily) and stability (the corner posts drop to
the bottom and make it as fixed as walking in your living room) -- it is as comfortable as anything I've ever duck hunted in 

"New #16" -- a modest 2-3 person fixed blind, now in place and ready to go near the footprint of its legendary predecessor
("Old #16"); the colors will blend as the temps drop and the surrounding vegetation continues to brown