I went on a rice field hunt last week. The guides that were there been guiding 20 years and the other 40 years. We asked just that question and what there thoughts were. All they had to say was get out there because they have seen it all. Concensus was that when things freeze over in South LA they move out all together. These guys prefer temps of 50-60 degrees. They like South winds because it tends to get birds off the coast. Some rain is good but not easy for humans to hunt in.
ONe of the guys also told the story about the two federal biologists that literally were walking thru their lease with radio equipment. They were looking for one of their pintails they had radio collared. They found the bird dead in the field. THe guides asked them what they had found so far with the study. Findings so far were birds tend to move fast and get up and go with the fronts. Some of their pintails would be in Arkansas one day and down on the LA coast with a strong North wind the next. If winds blew out the South they would ride back up to Arkansas or even further and then come back down tith the next front. The birds did this several times in a 2 month period.
The old timer that had been duck hunting for 40+ years admitted he has some experience, but things seems to change and summarized it with the more he hunts the less he knows.
Get out there and hunt. There will be good days and bad days, and you won't get them everyday. If you do you are one of the lucky ones.
Usually this time of year gets pretty tough as everything is pretty educated.
