Headed out from the ramp, temp was -1 degrees. I think it got up to 5 degrees or so during the day. These kind of temps put the birds in a feeding frenzy, so I headed for a spot where I knew the vittles were and the water might still be open. Fog rolling across the water after we set up. Had a nice fog hunt for a couple of hours, then fog burned off to reveal a spectacular sunny day with picture postcard beauty of trees covered in snow (we got a foot of snow on Thursday before the temps went sub-zero). The hunting turned off for 45 minutes and then he birds started pouring in.

Two mallard limits (mine all green with one banded bird) plus a bonus honker. As we were picking up the sky was alive with multiple groups of birds in the air and trying to get into our spread. We were certainly "on the X". I must have jumped 10 downed logs with the boat, but we came back none the worse for wear. Having the right gear and being willing to brave the elements can definitely have rich rewards.

What a way to end the decade. Happy New Year to all.

That's cold!!! Years ago Henderson lake here in south Louisiana, froze; one could walk across it. A very rare event 1980's I think it was. I hunted such a spot where mallards had congregated in one of the few unfrozen spots. We had to sneak them; first get there in pirogue and then belly crawl 100 yards. It was a mallard fest once we were in range, and they kept coming back. Never since have I seen so many greenheads. It was so cold there were ice flows in the Atchafalya River which my father and grandfather had never seen before.

dGuidry--If my 34 year old mind remembers correctly, that was 1983. I grew up in MS and there people riding 3 wheelers on frozen MS river oxbow lakes. We hunted one time on the lake but the ice was so thick in the backwater we couldn't break it to get to our spot.

I was thinking more like 1985. I lived in Grand Isle then and the saltwater bays froze over night.