# Pt Mouillee ???



## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

I was doing a little surfing and came across this pic of Pt Mouillee, or at least the caption stated as much. It has been a long time since I have been down there and heard there were major changes to the marsh conditions. Back 20 years ago you could go anywhere in the Humphries Unit with a outboard. I heard the Vermet was a bit weedy and I have never been in the Long Pond Unit, so it has to be one of the three. Can anyone recognize the unit this pic is of? The question is based on equipment necessities, propulsion basically, if the long tail is a necessity.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Humphries if I had to guess.


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

I was just wondering possibly if that pic could have been just north or to the left of the PM headquarters boat launch when the water was a little lower. I am not sure about these hover craft pics.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

Water is too shallow in the Humphries for an outboard.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Yeah, it's now a "proper marsh", much closer to what it was like before it got washed out in '73.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

Not sure why any SGA would feel the need to have more than about 18" of water in the huntable part any particular zone. Outboards have never really been a good option anywhere at PM. You are far better off in a skiff w/ a mud motor, canoe, or kayak.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Sometimes it takes more than 18" to flood an entire area. Then you have to add in the "muck factor".


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

have not been to PM yet
have hunted it once or twice a week for the last 4 years
the water was way way way way too high
but that is what they want, they say ('bring a boat' they say - few in the draw units bring boats)
forgot the dog stand in the corn (really tough to carry anyways) last year and had to move within 30 yards of the end for her to not be treading water for 4 hours - cars in the parking lot were in range all day! haha
same thing in the marsh - not fun standing in water between your crotch and your wader top, hoping the dog will find a muskrat house that does not make her stick out like a sore thumb
such a waste of waterfowl, as birds with some life left in them are gone, or dive, before the dog can swim there
not to mention very few guys at PM bring dogs
probably the highest cripple rate of the 7WWs
who gives a S if there is some dry land on the east side of the marsh? no one ever hunts those zones except on sundays, maybe
a 12" (18"?) drop does not appear a threat to dry the whole thing up


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

The marsh was ALWAYS like that, even when it was a "wild marsh". The muck there is also very "sticky". I swear that all those years hunting there is one of the reasons I needed a knee replacement. So far, at least, the new knee has not been pulled apart by the muck.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

DecoySlayer said:


> The marsh was ALWAYS like that, even when it was a "wild marsh". The muck there is also very "sticky". I swear that all those years hunting there is one of the reasons I needed a knee replacement. So far, at least, the new knee has not been pulled apart by the muck.



slayer - if you send the knee replacement bill to the dnr, feel free to use me as a witness - haha


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

TheHighLIfe said:


> slayer - if you send the knee replacement bill to the dnr, feel free to use me as a witness - haha


LOL! Thanks!


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

Not sure why PM don’t grade dry areas before the flood it? Seems like an easy fix but I don’t know


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I don't know. I really miss the "real marsh" that was once there. Those who never saw it have no idea what they have missed out on. 

I did have to laugh this year. I took part in the draw on opening day. They stated that they had 42 parties in the draw, which was a "record" for Pte. Mouillee. It was hard not to speak up, but there was no real reason to do so. 

The first, "opening day" draw I took part in, was in 1968. We had to go through 3 draws, one at 11PM, one at 2AM and IF you made it through both of those, then the REAL draw was a 4AM, and that was for a chance at one of 200 blinds.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

slayer - what a great piece of history! i did not know that - wish i had been in it! (i buy powerball tix too! haha)
were you successful?

harsens was 1976. almost missed it due to so many crossing the ferry. party #121 of 123. drawn 3rd, no idea where to go. heavy fog, could not see them until they were on top of you - glad that geese honk! picked a marsh zone and limited on ducks and geese by 10am.

best of all, at the road i saw our union steward who had asked for the day off, but lacked seniority. he ignored my wave, but had to come back that way, so we popped celebration beers and waited. he stopped, told me he had been ticketed for hunting in the refuge. called work, they nailed him for a false medical slip. even the union was ok with the termination, as he made everyone's lives difficult


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

Divers Down said:


> Not sure why PM don’t grade dry areas before the flood it? Seems like an easy fix but I don’t know



divers
agree
but some years they have not even gotten corn planted!
wet soils


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

TheHighLIfe said:


> slayer - what a great piece of history! i did not know that - wish i had been in it! (i buy powerball tix too! haha)
> were you successful?



Yes, we were. There is MUCH more to that story, but, I will not post it in here due to the way some people tend to take things out of context. It is one of my favorite memories of my life. 

I lost track of the friend I hunted with back then. That is a real shame. We were really good friends back then. Last I heard he was really sick.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

and i will bet you miss him - something about hunting/fishing friends that is a level above co-workers/neighbors/social friends

sounds like you and i should get together with old timers from FP, SGA, NP, MWW (i know one), and Allegan (tho i have stories), garb a case of beer and start writing a book on the 7WWs!


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

TheHighLIfe said:


> and i will bet you miss him - something about hunting/fishing friends that is a level above co-workers/neighbors/social friends
> 
> sounds like you and i should get together with old timers from FP, SGA, NP, MWW (i know one), and Allegan (tho i have stories), garb a case of beer and start writing a book on the 7WWs!


That would be a lot of fun.


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## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

biggest draw I remember was late 70s at Todd Farm, 357 parties!
and the limit was one goose. now there lucky to harvest 357 geese a year there.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

It is amazing how different things are now. Back then there were a LOT hunters and FAR more ducks. Now there are WAY fewer hunters, far fewer ducks, and LOTS more Canada Geese.


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## Buddwiser (Dec 14, 2003)

My old man and his boss used to hunt the lower Detroit river back in the 50's and bring home a ton of Bluebills. I was only 9/10 and didn't get to go with them but I did get to clean the darn things. He had a couple dozen old wood decoys from the 30's that were stolen in '66. I know who took them as he was the only "friend" of mine who knew where they were stashed in the garage. If you didn't know where they were, you wouldn't find them. Never ran across him since that time.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

BFG said:


> How would you rate the amount of layout pressure today vs. that of the 70's and 80's? We got into layout hunting in the late 90's and had a blast for a few years but ultimately the pressure and low bluebill numbers lead us to sell everything we had between 3 groups of guys.


There was lots more hunting pressure back then than there is now. There was far fewer late fall fisherman then and much more celery. 

Today we see a lot more redheads than we did back then.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

What caused the decline in the amount of celery?


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

BFG said:


> What caused the decline in the amount of celery?


Global warming


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Divers Down said:


> Global warming


I thought Trump sent them clean coal for Edison plant. 99 percent of scientists says global warming and 1 percent say it is a hoax. do not know who to believe. As Donald made his point, why does it snow?


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

BFG said:


> What caused the decline in the amount of celery?


I believe it was due to the high pollution levels. I don't know why it is not yet as thick as it once was. 

I remember running down the west side of Celeron, on plane, and the celery shutting down my boat.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

DecoySlayer said:


> I believe it was due to the high pollution levels. I don't know why it is not yet as thick as it once was.
> 
> I remember running down the west side of Celeron, on plane, and the celery shutting down my boat.


Zebra muscles munching em?


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Divers Down said:


> Zebra muscles munching em?


I believe that zebra muscles are "filter feeders".


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

DecoySlayer said:


> I believe that zebra muscles are "filter feeders".


Was just messin


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Divers Down said:


> Was just messin


OKEE DOKEE THEN!


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## ErieH2O (Jan 24, 2018)

The decline in Scaup population is likely a situation where multiple variables crate an outcome where it is hard to pinpoint a cause. Speculation is speculation....science does not know at this point...the memories of Decoy Slayer are better than data in this situation.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

My memories are good, but they won't help with figuring out what is up now. Those were fun days. Too bad I won't likely live long enough to see it again.


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## ErieH2O (Jan 24, 2018)

The history you have is valuable information.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

ErieH2O said:


> The history you have is valuable information.


Yes, but I have no information on what the breeding grounds looked like, or what other food sources were available on the northward migration etc. 

Just a lot of info on some of the conditions here, and how fun it was. I sure wish I had something to add that would help things today.


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## Carpenter Bill (Jan 27, 2018)

You're the man Decoys slayer, Can't wait to have with you have so much knowledge Haunt with you


DecoySlayer said:


> Yes, but I have no information on what the breeding grounds looked like, or what other food sources were available on the northward migration etc.
> 
> Just a lot of info on some of the conditions here, and how fun it was. I sure wish I had something to add that would help things today.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Carpenter Bill said:


> You're the man Decoys slayer, Can't wait to have with you have so much knowledge Haunt with you


You ain't heard nuthin yet! Wait until you hear the stories that the River Wolf has. Now there is a man who is a walking history book when it comes to waterfowling in the Downriver area.


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

The clouds of Can’s coming down the river in the 60s to stony bay is one I never get tired of from my duck partner . And his mom and aunts all plucking ducks standing well over knee deep in feathers. He said the yards on MaComb street were covered in down .


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Decoy slayer tried to look you up at the waterfowl festival. Sounds like your a member of Gib water Fowler’s I was a member of Wayne waterfowler MDHA back in the day of the woodhaven shack across the canal from the silly goose (think that’s the name) fun times .


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

R.J.M. said:


> Decoy slayer tried to look you up at the waterfowl festival. Sounds like your a member of Gib water Fowler’s I was a member of Wayne waterfowler MDHA back in the day of the woodhaven shack across the canal from the silly goose (think that’s the name) fun times .


No, I am not a member of the Gibraltar Duck hunters, be we work closely with them and DU.

I am on the board at Pointe Mouillee. If you were at the festival you likely passed right by me. I work the gate, checking the vendors etc. 

Yes, it was the "Silly Goose". The "Foote Mural" has been removed, as far as I know". I don't know what the current owners have planed for the building.


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Sure was a nice mural


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

R.J.M. said:


> Sure was a nice mural


Yes it was. I don't know where it is now but I am sure I can find out. It needs to be where it can be seen.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

DecoySlayer said:


> Yes it was. I don't know where it is now but I am sure I can find out. It needs to be where it can be seen.


The Foote mural is displayed at the Erie Metropark nature center, been there for many years.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Divers Down said:


> The Foote mural is displayed at the Erie Metropark nature center, been there for many years.



Thanks, I knew that someone would know.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

ErieH2O said:


> The decline in Scaup population is likely a situation where multiple variables crate an outcome where it is hard to pinpoint a cause. Speculation is speculation....science does not know at this point...the memories of Decoy Slayer are better than data in this situation.


I have heard theories that the birds studied have high levels of Selenium. It affects breeding and brood mortality. As far as Wild Celery and especially Wild Rice, I have NEVER seen such growth in 42 years of hunting. Wild Rice is EVERYWHERE at Harsens. And it holds birds. It was literally gone until 5 years ago.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

waxico said:


> I have heard theories that the birds studied have high levels of Selenium. It affects breeding and brood mortality. As far as Wild Celery and especially Wild Rice, I have NEVER seen such growth in 42 years of hunting. Wild Rice is EVERYWHERE at Harsens. And it holds birds. It was literally gone until 5 years ago.


Read that DU article I posted, the selenium thing does not seem to pan out.


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