Hunting in Sweetlake is terrible
 

Hunting at our blind has been absolutely garbage so far this year. Out of 7 hunts this season we have scratched 5 times. Total we have killed 2 ducks and 1 goose. We havn't had this bad of a start to the season in a long time, if ever. We only saw maybe 20 geese today, about 4 of them were specks. I really hope it picks up, its really starting to break my spirits. Is anyone else struggling anywhere?

Better be out there in the morning. Great waterfowl weather tomorrow.

tomorrow is going to be a beast !!!!

Ya were in gueydan and have struggled we haven't scratched but once.But we have only killed four ducks and three geese which is a fraction of years past.But were really hoping for this cold weather to get here

We have not done great at all yet and the last few days have been SLOW to say the least. Hopefully things will get better soon...keep your spirits up.

Passed through sweetlake yesterday and didn't see a goose anywhere, and i remember in the past driving and almost every feild was covered. I really feel the goose migration has changed big time.

1000s of geese north of Kaplan on 35. See them on my way to PI everytime. Could shoot em from my truck. Our hunting hasnt been lights out, but it's been good enough to keep me going. We have prob killed a little over 100 birds so far.

i really think the major migration of geese moved east of us due to the lack of rice and beans planted in the area.

Saw qver 500 geese siting in an agriculture field outside jackson La. last weekend????

Went to my property in Holmwood yesterday and seen thousands of geese about a mile north of Holmwood grocery.

I have seen them boddied in the area but they are always gone by the next day. We need more consistent weather. This hot cold hot cold BS sucks.

Well I sure hope it turns around for you.

Passing through sweetlake on 27 used to be full of geese. I used to think my dad should have a blind in welsh and in sweetlake. But from what I hear, sweetlake is going downhill for geese. I agree with y'all about the birds holding east of that area

They dont plant the sweetlake area like they used to. I know our spot used to be on 3 year rotation for rice planting, but now they quit planting all together and just use it for cattle.

SL isnt holding near the birds it used to thats for sure. less crops. crappy weather.

We use to be within 1/4-1/2 mile of a body for the entire season. Now its rare to have one in the area. And I'm not talking just this year, its been a downward progression. Guess I never really noticed it until now.

Out of curiosity, what does a blind in sweetlake go far? I know every field is a different price, but what is an about average?

Our hunting partner also has a blind in klondike that he has been hunting almost everyday. No specks to speak of. He has been killing ducks but it has been mostly "close to" a limit. And they dont come quickly.

Where at in klondike? They are all over us in that area

Corner of 717 and drake rd

Northeast

Yea that body to the south of us is there every year and stays all season. That area is a sanctuary

We hunt in the holmwood/bell city area. We have video footage from seasons past when October through the end of January there were bodies of geese everywhere...the last five or so years have been on that downward progression some others have discussed previously. Either way, this drought has completely dried out our marsh for the last two seasons and all of our fields are under cattle lease and have been for the last decade so I know about the lack of food in the area...haven't hunted in two years.

not sure where he hunts I havnt been there.

I think a lot of people are struggling right now.....I haven't heard from anyone on the interwebs about sabine, but we went there opening day and killed 2! That's right 2. We ALWAYS limit out opening day there. On the kinder lease we have been killing some ducks, not many. The guy south of us is doing a lot better, probably averaging about 15-20/hunt, while we are averaging 5-6/hunt.

What has been pitiful and I think most will agree is the speck hunting. Well up until this week anyway. There just haven't been that many specks. We were fortunate to kill 5 on thursday and 3 on Friday, but I count it as that. Just not seeing the bodies like I saw last year. Now the last 3 days Snows have been filtering in like crazy! This is subject to change very soon.

Who grows up outside of a farming family and says "I'll think I'll become a rice farmer" ? Has it become too hard to make ends meet rice farming? Does cattle bring in more? Are the next generations not wanting to rice farm?

Good question Sulphite, hope someone answers. You just don't see the rice fields like you used to, without them, the birds dont have a reason to come and stay.

Interesting points you're making. Seems the guberment will be scaling back their subsidies to domestic rice farmers this coming year. Most can't make ends meet without the gov. help. Most around here are turning to sugar cane and to some extent soybeans. There are many water wells that are sanding up in our area from over-use because of the drought and rice pond crawfishing. Runs around $50-70,000 to dig a deeper well using 6-8" pipe. Harder times are ahead for our local rice farmers. Too bad ducks and doves don't eat sugarcane....the face of agriculture is slowly changing in South La.

Yep, soy beans in our area.

I don't know what the answer is, but there are a lot of different factors that are driving grain farmers into the ground. Its not that you can't make a good living by working the soil, I think our culture as a nation and the mindset of the youth these days is one reason why younguns don't want to get into the business of farming.

Im from dallas fort worth area, big city boy. Down here at mcneese, majoring in general agriculture with a minor in wildlife management. Rice farming is a lot of work. Leveling fields, flooding them, managing against red rice, planying at correct depth, adding fertilizer at correct time and correct amount...it can be tough. I would not mind farming at all. Id get to be outside all day, I couldnt stand a desk job. I have to be up doing something.


Had never been on a "farm" until I came down here. Since living here, I took an internship with the louisiana environmental research center, worked with plants every day. Farmers need help. But in 2008, agriculture and .its practices accounted for 1% of the federal budget. Farmers are going to be needed forever in America, we feed the world.


ny farmers here? Would like to help out this summer and gain hands on knowledge.

Simple answer would be the fact that someone coming in without a credik line of atleast $1,000,000 would never get it off the ground. The brothers farming our place and my uncles places have been at it for many years. They make a good living tilling soil but it has not been easy and most folks just don't want to work that hard. I believe the American cycle for the next 50 years will have farmers back on top of the earning chain just as the car companies were 40 years ago. I plan on trying to hold onto my dads farm after he dies but will have to fight bros and sisters to keep them from selling it off for the quick buck.

They aren't making anymore dirt Regards,

On a good note, they are putting new infrastructure in place, particularly Lacassine. There is supposed to be a new grain loading facility built there and should be under contract sometime this coming year. The land in the sweetlake/bell city/holmwood area could end up having a whole new influx of interest. Regarding sugar cane, I'm not so sure that it will take off in SW La as some might think. If you simply observe the quality of cane that comes out of Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes against what comes out of SWLa, there is no comparison.

The mill at laccassine has not grinded n 3 yrs and the columbians r trying to renegotiate their interest rate with the state . IMO, they are losing their azzes and will never make a profit. Bob Odom should b n Angola for that deal.

You are exactly right...I also have good reason to believe that that sugar cane farming outfit by those columbians isn't exactly on the up-and-up...if ya know what I mean. There are definitely some politics involved there.

Spot on!!!!!!!!!



My Brother In Laws farm rice, expenses (seed, fertilizer, equipment, fuel) are up anywhere from 2 to 4 times what they were in the '70's, and rice prices are 40% less, do the math. You have to make very high yields these days to survive. Thank goodness for crawfish!

It is ashame we have to wait on ships and barges to deliver alot of the things we consume in the good ol' US of A, just hope we never have to wait on a ship or barge to deliver us our food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People need to quit complaining about govt. subsidies, and be thankful, because without them, they would be paying way more in the grocery store than they are now.



Back to the original post, over here to the east were we have plenty rice fields, we have plenty ducks, best it has been in several years. I,m assuming marshes may be dry or too salty?