Frigid temps not stopping Louisiana duck hunters

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - On the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, temperatures dipped down to the teens in some places. And on a frigid day when most people try to stay in, duck hunters in Madisonville loaded up and headed out.

“Got layers on... a bunch of layers, but I can’t feel my toes,” said Madisonville hunter Cory Mooney.

After shooting their limit of ducks in the rice fields below Madisonville, they say they will be back at it again tomorrow.

They say proper clothing and a well-built duck blind are key ingredients.

“We will make some roast duck and some stew and some duck gumbo probably. Better get up off the couch and get after it, or life is gonna pass you by baby I’ll tell you that,” said hunter Trey Dolan.

The cold weather froze over a splash park in Livingston Parish and froze pipes in other locations, forcing Mount Hermon in Washington Parish to issue a boil water advisory due to low pressure.

In Madisonville, officials ran a trickle from the municipal water supply to keep pipes flowing freely during a freeze that’s expected to last at least two more days.

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Hardware stores have had inventories of cold-weather supplies pushed to the limit by residents trying to protect pipes plants and pets.

“We try to be prepared by ordering a week and a half in advance but we weren’t prepared for these numbers,” said Bonnie Boettner, with Madisonville Ace Hardware.

“While some north shore hardware stores had a hard time keeping up with things like insulation for pipes they’re also preparing for an increase in foot traffic after the freeze.

“On Monday when it thaws out, we will switch over to the flipside of a historic freeze like this and switch into pipe repair mode,” said Boettner.

Though some supplies are stretched, some supplies are still in stock, Boettner says, like firewood, heaters, and kerosene.

Local hardware stores say they have only received a few reports of busted pipes on the North Shore because most problems will occur when pipes thaw out and that may take a few days as temperatures drop.

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