I have a 2001 Ford Excursion 4X4 with 200K miles. Need to get the springs/suspension checked out. Read a little bit on it and it seems that the weak link in the Excursion was the springs off the factory line. With a good knowledgeable service tech, an upgrade can do wonders for the ride and towing. I am looking for recommendations from everyone on a competent springs/suspension technician in the Lafayette area to have the replacement done. I would appreciate any suggestions about who to go to and who to avoid. Thanks
Looking for a cull buck or doe management hunt for my kids to take a deer. Had to give up my lease this year. Money is tight but I still want my kids to have a hunt or two and put meat in the freezer if I can. Used to see several 'doe hunts' or management hunts here, but I been searching for hours and can't find any this year. Would be interested in LA/TX/MS. Any info contact me at guy741@hotmail.com Thanks in advance
After watching my son make many hunts, my 10 year old daughter now wants to kill a hog or deer too. I don't have a deer lease so I wanna put her on a hog while she is out of school. Land of Lakes is booked through New year. Anybody know of another paid hunt place where she has a great chance to put a hog down? Doesn't have to be a super challenge, I want to focus on the safety and gun handling on her first hunt anyway. Thanks in advance
Got a question for your ATV wizards out there. Sunday night at about 8pm I started my Honda Foreman 450 on the first crank and put it in the back of the truck to hunt the next morning. Got to the lease and just before 6am Monday morning, I went to start it and the battery was very weak. Turned over a couple of times, but quickly died and couldn't start the engine even with pull cord. Brought it back home and put it on the charger. When I took off the seat, I smelled gas, so I opened the airbox and saw several inches of gas in the bottom of the airbox. By lunchtime, all of the gas I had in the tank was in the air filter housing, at least a gallon. 2 days later, there was gas/oil mix on the ground beneath the bike. It looked like fluid may have come out of the boot that covers the shaft between the tranny and the rear axle. Also could be fuel dripping from the airbox above this boot, but I can't explain the greenish tinted oil, like outboard motor oil color.
Thought that the float in the carb may have stuck open, but seems like a lot of gas to flow through that carb bowl in a real short time. Also can't explain the oil on the ground below the shaft boot. Checked the engine oil in the bike and it looked good. Any help would be appreciated.
I wanted to do a little survey from the rice field hunters out there...As many of you know, I found a rice field lease this year after losing my marsh lease. I am kinda skeptical about rice fields, and as I thought, I am not having much success. To be honest, I have had to work on many of the better hunting days, but I have been able to make seven hunts so far this year. We killed 7 ducks total out of my blind so far. I have resorted to using MOJO's, which I am not a big fan of, because I am surrounded by them in the adjacent fields, but they don't do much if there aren't any ducks to see them. This past hunt, I only say maybe 10 ducks the whole morning. It seems like the ducks hang out in the rice fields until they get shot at. You have one weekend to make a good hunt, then after the opener, they are gone. In the marsh, I always seemed to see ducks in the area, even if they didn't come to my pond. It is only the first week of the second split and I am not seeing any ducks already. Then I get on here and read the reports about how they are killing them at the wax and the marsh and SE LA....Just wondering, how are you other rice field hunters doing out there?
Well, we had a rough first split, but I figured I could enjoy the few ducks we were able to shoot tonight. Breast strips with bell pepper and onion slices, topped with a little cream cheese, then wrapped in bacon and broiled to medium. Accent that with a fine bourbon on the rocks in an LSU insulated cup. Sure would be nice to put a few more in the freezer for the second split!
Finished the first split in the rice field blind with a bust. Other than opening morning, the first split has been disappointing. I saw lots of ducks the weekend before the season opened, but after the first morning of getting shot at--POOF! They are gone. Not even getting many looks. Most of the ducks I am seeing are sky high. This rice field hunting is a lot different than the marsh. Hope the second split brings more ducks that are willing to look over the decoy spread.
I have a trip planned to Natchez for my 12 year old to make a deer hunt. We went last year and saw lots of deer and had a good time. I learned yesterday that the weekend we are going is primitive firearms in MS. I was able to borrow a .444 and 45-70, but have never shot either one. Lookin for opinions from deer hunters about which one will be more suited for a 12 year old. I will be using the Hornady Leverevolution rounds. My son is pretty solid, 5' tall and 155, and he handles a 20 gauge pump with no problems. He has shot 20 ga slugs without complaints. Which round will have more manageable recoil? I don't want him flinching off target or getting pounded in the dirt if I can avoid it. Thanks in advance.
We were getting swarmed by birds at first light this morning. Well, it was Poule D'eau to be specific, but they were all over us! Didn't see the concentrations of ducks that were on the lease last weekend, but we still had a fun time. My son's shoulder is gonna be purple from blasting away at those coots! Ended up with two spoonbills, 1 teal, and 17 coots. Lost another teal in the grass. Not as many ducks as I would have liked, but had a blast with the non-stop action. That is what its all about!
I ran into a strange problem with my ATV this weekend and could use some help identifying the problem. Seems as though each time I take my Honda Foreman 450 into the rice field (water), the engine runs very rough, sputters, and dies. It cranks back up, buts goes 4 or 5 feet and sputters/dies. I had to start it up over 20 times to get 100 yards across a rice field. As soon as I get back on dry land, it runs like a champ. My first guess was somehow the water was restricting the air and choking the engine, but the water is barely to the floorboard and the air intake is above seat level. Now I am thinking that maybe there are some electrical connections that are shorting when they get wet? But the engine cranks right back up soon as it dies and the lights and gear electric gear shift keep working fine. Makes me think that if it was a connection that other electrical components would fail, and it would not stop right when I get back on the levee, but last until the connections dry out. Any thoughts would be appreciated...
Had a close call this morning!! For those of you following my blog, you know that I have moved to a new lease in a rice field and have very little experience in rice fields. We went out at dusk yesterday to put out the decoys and ran into another hunter on the lease. He said 'There's lots of ducks in the fields. Hope they stay here till next weekend!' I told him I was going get them tomorrow and he said 'You better have a youth, cuz the season doesn't open till next weekend.' Long story short, I looked at the duck zone map and assumed that the boundary between Lafayette and Alexandria was I49, but it is actually US 167. My blind is west of I49 but east of US 167, so I am in the east zone, not the west. I thought the season opened for my blind today, but I was wrong. Thank God I ran into that guy, because I was planning on having 3 guns a blazing this morning, with only one of them being a youth. As it turns out, I got to do the calling and drink some coffee while my son did the shooting. We got a late start and need to add some brush to the blind, but still got a few shots off. He took one redhead. We saw lots and lots of ducks, so we will be out a little earlier tomorrow with better brush on the blind. Will post the results tomorrow, and I bet they will be better!!
Its bad enough that I couldn't get outta work to take my son duck hunting today, but watching the sun rise on this cool morning wondering how many ducks flew by the blind is tough. Worst of all, now I see wood ducks flying down the vermilion river in Lafayette! If that doesn't kill a duckhunter, nothing will!!!
I am gonna need some new tires soon. Looking for an All-Terrain tire that can get me through an occasional muddy spot at the hunting lease, but they will spend more time on the road than in the field. I have had great success with the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/As and am considering the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac. Anybody used the new Goodyear Duratrac and how did they perform?
Checked out the rice field blind near Whiteville this morning and I was pleased. I saw several hundred ducks on the field, mostly big ducks too. They seemed happy where they were, because they just hopped up, crossed the field, and went back down. I sure hope they stay there a while.
My field has rice that was cut early and made a second head. It has plenty of standing rice, but the ducks were resting/feeding in the next field over, where the rice had been cut later and the stubble is only about 8 inches high with no rice. That puzzled me. See my latest blog entry under the Waterfowl Wonderings column for more details and to give some advice to help me out...
I am looking at some used Ford Excursions. Want to go with a diesel. I found an '01 with the 7.3L diesel and an '04 with the 6.0L. Both have about 170K miles and are the same price. I have heard nothing but great things about the 7.3 and mixed reviews on the 6.0's. Looking for some opinions...is the 7.3L that much better of an engine to give up 3 years of age for the same price, or is the 6.0L dependable enough that I can gain the 3 years of wear and tear on the rest of the vehicle and not have engine problems????
Well guys, I was getting real nervous because duck season is about 7 weeks away and I still had no lease. But good news--I found a rice field lease that was available and affordable, so I am good for the winter! I hunted mostly marsh all my life with only a few seasons of rice field hunting under my belt. I didn't have much success in rice fields, but just having the ability to spend time with my son hunting will be all I need to have a great season. I am so relieved that I have my outdoor fix!! Many thanks go out to the many friends here that offered to take us on a hunt! I may still take some of your guys up once in a while, but I am not the kind of guy that likes having to rely on others, so I am excited. Just have to see how much change of tactics I may need to put a few ducks in bag.
I thought this might be interesting to some of the deer hunters. While watching the LSU game Saturday, I cut into a piece of BBQ pork steak from a hog my son shot with a Remington 30-06 CoreLokt. The shot struck shoulder blade on entry and stayed in the opposite shoulder, but dropped the hog. Take a look at how well the round mushroomed, but still held its base and probably most of its weight intact. I put it into a .30 cal brass, and the base is about perfect as when it was shot. Just my opinion, Core Lokts are excellent performers!
A fun trip to Cypremort Point turned ugly when the blistering rain limited vision. Got a little off track and caught the rock jetty at hi tide. Bad news-punched a hole in one lower unit and cracked the other. Good news is-everyone got back safe/sound. Been wanting to repower with a single for a while. Powerheads and gears/shaft are still good in case anybody is looking for parts/repair project on 94 Johnson Oceanrunner 120s. They are posted on classifieds if you wanna take a look.
I am still looking for a duck lease. A couple spots that I bid on went too high for my budget. If anyone is looking to cut costs on their marsh lease, I would be willing to pay a fair share and put in more than my share of work. If you have a little pothole or corner of a lease and wanna make a few dollars on it, let me know. I'll take what you got, set myself up, and stay in my little spot, won't bother anyone else. I don't need a honey hole or have to limit everyday to enjoy it. I appreciate the invites from friends to make a hunt here and there, but I am the type that would rather put in the work on something I can call my own and not have to be a moocher on friends. I prefer Vermilion/Iberia/St. Mary parish marsh and would also consider the east side of Cameron. Got my own decoys, boat/godevil, and gear. Don't need much help to set up, just need a spot to make memories with my son. Thanks in advance
Considering a PTO powered generator for use during storms to power the house. Currently have a 7KW LPG generator that can't keep up with the demand. Since I have a tractor and transfer switch already, I figure the PTO unit will give me more power to the house and I can use it in other situations too. How 'clean' or consistent the power is coming off a tractor PTO? I lost a few appliances due to spikes from my current unit. Anybody use a PTO gen set and how consistent is the supply? Considering a 22KW unit. Thanks in advance.
How big is the fish? Sounds like you are talking about cooking one large fish. If it is over 20 inches, you might as well throw it away. It will be FULL of worms in the meat. 16 - 20 inch black drums are not bad, but when they get large, they will be full of worms. I am sure thorough cooking would kill the worms, but no joke, there will be as much worms as meat when they get big. I have seem worms as thick as pencils in black drum. If it is big, and you insist on cooking it, I would fillet it first and if you still wanna eat it, grill it or bake it WELLLLLLLL DONE.
I think it is a great idea. I haven't put a hog or deer in my freezer since my son starting shooting at them! I have fun spending the time with him and doing the coaching. I got an invite on a trip to MS a couple years back and took him on stand. He passed on some does, and the bucks we saw weren't in the clubs rules, so we were about to leave empty handed and a doe walked out. I had packed up the glasses, and didn't have much time to really check her out, so I told him to take it. Turned out to be a small yearling. I felt bad taking it back to camp. Nobody came out and said anything but I shouldn't have to feel that way. I know he showed respect for their rules and the game by passing on several deer earlier, and I made the call to pull the trigger.
I would enjoy a place where I could take my kids to shoot their 1 st deer of choice. I personally would then teach the conservation part of it and pass on lesser deer than the one already down. But I also would not have a problem with a kid shooting 2 or 3 deer if he is having fun with it. I don't have lots of cash in the bank, but if you are serious Wes, keep me posted, I would work some OT to put it aside. I got a girl that wants to shoot now and a 1 yr old to plan for in the future! Merry Christmas
Thanks Boots, will give Porky's a call. And Wes, you are still a class act. Thanks brother! We will be at the range this afternoon, we'll see if I got a little Annie Oakley on my hands!
I tried cooking them in a gravy last year. Breasts were good, but leg 1/4s have lots and lots of bony tendons. Hard to explain, but what looks like meat on the legs cooks down to tough bony splinters. I would suggest throwing the leg 1/4s away. The last ones I cooked I just filleted the breasts off the bone, wrapped each one in a piece of bacon, with a slice of bell pepper, onion, and cream cheese. Stuck toothpicks in to keep it wrapped tight and put it on the pit until the bacon was cooked. Came out GREAT! Breast was tender and had a great flavor.
I am thankful for my healthy family and that they all live close by so we can enjoy the holidays together. I am also thankful for the great pleasures in life that Louisiana has to offer! There is no place I would rather live! Happy Thanksgiving everyone
If that is from the file I sent you, lemme know which one it is. I may have the aerial pics and topo map already. If not, Mr. Soileau will send it to you.
That thing is toooo purty! Needs some blood on the deck!
I bought it used a few years ago, but it is pretty much straight stock. I assume the snorkle you are talking about are the large obvious air intake tubes above the handlebar level. If that is what you are describing, there are none. I had a small issue with the carb vent tubes dangling down near the footpegs earlier this season and it would create a vacuum when I went in water over 12 inches deep and starve teh carb for fuel, but since then, I moved the vent lines up near the top of the frame and haven't had any problems since. Until this...looks like I went from starving for fuel to running the whole tank through the carb in no time!
This post is from 08, but since Mr. Reynolds asked, I brought it back up
I posted on this issue a few years ago and still think we could create an ideal season with 3 splits covering all of the holidays seasons. The post is here...
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lpca/index.php?section=reports&event=view&action=full_report&id=35793
I have hunted mostly marsh all my life and haven't seen a ton of mallards, but I have seen many a gray duck. I can tell you that the gray duck is the one I am most successful at calling in and getting shots over decoys. Year before last, we had five grays come in to the decoys and we dropped three of them. The other two flew a couple hundred yards and started a broad circle. I called a few times and sure enough, the last two came back over the decoys and fell right next to their friends that just got shot. Now that ain't too smart in my book. In my opinion, mottled ducks are the most wary I have seen.
Dem Georgia boys know how to do it right...check it out.
I always freeze my ducks in water. I find that they keep much longer that way and I don't have to worry about spoilage. I have kept ducks in ice for as long as 3 years and had no problems cooking them. If they start to show freezer burn I will throw them or cut that half off, but I don't usually have that problem frozen solid in ice.
Other meat like deer/hog I use a foodsaver and seal them airtight. As long as the seal holds, the meat holds for up to two years in my book. Again, if I see freezer burn I throw it or trim it off.
Maybe longer than the food experts recommend but I hate to lose any game and haven't had any problems with cooked food I have prepared. Honestly, you can see if the food is freezer burned before you start to thaw it. Just use your judgment when you take it out and you'll be OK. Good luck.
I think you are right Cajunfan. I have a friend that hunted Whiteville many years ago and always talked about the number of ducks. I also hunted Gueydan/Kaplan area for 4 years and saw first hand the number of blinds in the rice fields. There are lots of people willing to pay for a blind, and the landowners are willing to squeeze as many as they can get into their fields. End result is lots of pressure and fewer birds. Not sure what to do about it, unless you are wealthy enought to lease a large tract that you can manage on your own. I'd imagine not many of us can do that, so we just have to enjoy the good days we get and accept the slow days.
Looks like some new ducks are in town with the cold front. Shot 7 spoonies this morning and could have had two limits, but we are a little rusty with the little bit of shooting we have been doing this season. Looks like the ticket to the rice fields is hunting the weather.
Went again this morning and came home with 0 ducks. Walked the levees and shot a few poule d'eaus for fun.
As far as the field I am hunting, the farmer left the second head rice standing and I had a 60yd by 100yd pond opened up to hunt at the start of the season. Figured the ducks would love the feast, but only shot a few while most of the ducks piled into the next field over with no stubble at all, just open water. Now the rice is starting to die back and the water is opening up on my field, but there are no ducks to be seen. I am new to the lease, so I don't know where the ducks like to fly in this area, just have to take a few lumps the first couple of years until I learn it a little better I guess.
The farmer won't allow pit blinds on the levees so he can maintain the levees. Our blind is in the field and standing above the rice. Brushed pretty well, but starting to need a touch up. Before you say my blind is the problem, I watched ducks pile into a similar blind just 300 yards away, so I don't think that spooked them totally. But if I can find a way to sink a blind, I certainly would like to try..
Thanks again for the input....Keep it comin!
Yep. Cazan Lake.
I am hunting between Ville Platte and Whiteville. Seems like the opening weekend, I watch flocks and flocks dive into the open water fields with mojos....last couple of hunts just not even seeing ducks anymore...I'll keep at it and maybe have a good trip before the season ends.
Awesome job there! Thats what the holidays and southern sportsmen are about!!
In Louisiana, only the trailer will have a title. It is possible to have a boat that is used on a private pond only that has never been registered with the state. Boat registration is required if you use it on any public waterway, but in a pond on your private property, you don't need to have a boat registered. When you buy a flat boat, you get a receipt from the store. The only title you will get with a new boat purchase is on the trailer, because it is intended for use on roadways. The boat only needs a registration if you use it on public waterways. It is possible that the guy is legit, if the trailer has a title. If he is willing to sign a bill of sale on the boat with a notary, it is probably legit.