Teal season off to an impressive start

Consistent hunts and good numbers of birds have been the norm for many local waterfowlers enjoying the early teal season so far.  

Opening weekend of early teal season can best be described as a classic case of "have or have not". For many hunters it was one end of the spectrum or the other and no in between. Rarely will you see birds as concentrated as they are right now and that pattern doesn't look it will change any time soon. If you were one of the fortunate ones who were able to hunt on or near any type of flooded agriculture, especially rice, you probably had some fantastic shooting. A little farther down the coast in counties where rice production is more prevalent the reports were fantastic as many hunters knocked out limits in just minutes.

The conditions for hunting along the coastal prairies have been much more desirable due to some much needed rains at the perfect times. Many of the best areas last season that under normal conditions held the perfect amounts of water were bone dry and cracked. This year was different, the rains came at very opportune times and the little tropical storm we had recently just did nothing but top off most areas to the perfect level.

Opening weekend saw the folks who were able to get water either through captured rainwater or private wells have more birds than they could have ever hoped for. The combination of numbers of birds and perfect conditions translated into some ridiculously good hunting for some and empty skies for others. I got a few phone calls with reports Sunday evening that were mind boggling. Quick limits from large groups of hunters were enough to make just about any hunter jealous, especially those who struggled.

Public land hunters were also in the same boat as far numbers of birds and conditions go, the water levels and vegetation are just right in many areas and are providing some very nice hunts. Opening morning had light wind and some fog which put a small damper on the numbers but that quickly changed on Sunday as reports of large numbers of birds in those public areas were the norm.

As this column is being written the big full moon is still in the sky and most certainly ushering in new populations of teal each night. I wouldn't be surprised if the current trend holds true for the next week where those folks with plenty of water continue to take the lion's share of the birds. I do however look for those birds to start spreading out into other areas like saltwater marshes as hunting pressure on rice fields increases and forces some of those teal out. Now if we could only get a little help from the weather man and get those cooler temperatures back, that would be perfect.