Broussard hopeful second split better at hurricane-altered Grand Chenier lease

Published 8:30 am Sunday, December 27, 2020

Usually, the first split is the best split for duck hunting where a veteran Delcambre waterfowler hunts in the marsh around Grand Chenier.

That wasn’t the case Nov. 14-Dec. 6 in the Coastal Zone. So Jed Broussard is hopeful duck hunting improves considerably in the second split that began Dec. 19 and ends Jan. 24.

Broussard talked about the season at the halfway point, or, technically, just beyond.

For starters, he said, it isn’t all about killing ducks any more.

“Any day I’m in a blind with friends and see my dog work is a good day. I’m happy,” Broussard said Monday afternoon.

He was driving home after a three-day stay at the camp in Pecan Island. He hunted the first two days, including opening day of the second split a week ago Saturday, with his brother, Chris Broussard of Delcambre, a friend, Kenny Toups of Delcambre, and, of course, Meg, his seven-year-old yellow lab. Third-day hunting companions were his brother and their uncle, Timmy Derise of Delcambre.

The overall results were encouraging, he said, noting they saw a lot of ducks on Saturday, 80 percent of them pintails. The Broussards and Toups accounted for 15 birds.

There were so many pintails, he said, that after the trio had their respective limit on that species, bunches of pintails stayed and paddled around in the decoys. It’s a grand sight to see the beautiful ducks on the water.

Last Sunday, they picked up 10 ducks during the hunt, he said.

Broussard was even more optimistic after their duck hunt on Monday, which dawned with high, clear blue skies.

“This morning it was a bluebird day. We had six mallards, three teals and the rest grays,” he said, adding that strangely enough bluebird days pay off better for them in their location.

“Hopefully we get more cold weather,” he said. “Hopefully we get a push (of migrating ducks).”

The 58-year-old general manager for Armand Construction Inc. planned to find out soon enough.

“I’m probably to go Wednesday night back to the camp and hunt the big (cold) front Christmas Eve. I’m hoping we get a little push of birds to hunt this week,” he said.

Broussard has been hunting ducks on that 647-acre lease near Grand Chenier since 2012. This season has been different than any of the first seven seasons.

“It changed a lot, especially since the two hurricanes, I think for the worse,” he said, referring to Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta that smashed southwest Louisiana in late August and early October, respectively.

He barely recognizes his lease. It previously held seven permanent duck blinds in seven ponds, the biggest being about five acres.

It doesn’t look like that any more.

“Now the ponds have turned into a bunch of big lakes. Now there’s 300 acres of broken up marsh. It all changed,” he said.

The hurricanes obliterated three of the four-man duck blinds, replete with platforms, shelves, bench, shotgun shell holders, etc., the works in other words. Broussard and others repaired the remaining duck blinds.

And he has added boat duck blinds to the duck hunts out of necessity. He and his duck hunting buddies have hunted 50 percent of the time out of boat duck blinds, alternating with permanent duck blinds.

“We bought boat blinds this year. I’m not a boat blind guy but we bought boat blinds. It gives you more flexibility. (But) hunting out of boats is not for a 58-year-old man,” he said with a chuckle.

The food supply ducks count on when they’re down here is gone, also, all along the coastal marsh from Texas to Pecan Island, uprooted and blown away by the hurricanes. As a result, the ducks have no incentive to stay even a few winter weeks.

With little or no food on the table, Broussard said, “Ducks stick around a few days and move on.”