Having a bad case of pre-duck season!

Al Hansen

Al Hansen

Well-known member
Early teal season will be here in 1 week and 1 day from now (Sept.12th). In just 8 days I'll be up, making a thermos of coffee, getting my hunting clothes on, filling my truck with my shotgun, decoys, waders, decoy sled, folding chair, camera and other assorted gear. Then I will double check to make sure I have my head lamp, lanyard with my calls, cell phone (that reminds me that no one who hunts ducks now, should be shooting before the designated opening anymore), license and stamp tucked away in my billfold. The final thing I do is go out to the kennel, feed the dogs and take Chip. Habi will be in our home and almost as big as a house because her pups are due mid way through the early teal season. So she will be staying behind.

How long have I been waiting for this event? Seems like FOREVER! Well, only since I was that 13 year old kid all dressed and ready to go hunting but an hour early. All I had to do is walk from my house to our next door neighbor's home. Mr. Gess was taking me on my first hunt in 1954. For you who just thought, why didn't you turn on the TV? Back then the television station stopped broadcasting at 11:00PM and didn't begin their day until 6:00AM.

Come on Duck Season hurry up and get here!
Al

Yesterday I was sitting at my desk and happened to glance about. On top of my printer were two teal decoys, next to one of my speakers draped over my dictionary was my lanyard and calls. One never knows when it is a good time to practice, so they are always handy. That's why I have another call in my Mule and one in the truck. My wife put her foot down for me having one in her car.

Last year on the first day, I was fortunate enough to have two inches of water and about 8 to 10 inches of silt where I usually hunt on the opener. My decoys were definitely inanimate objects out there but they worked. After Chip's first retrieve I had no idea what color he was. What made me really lucky was the water didn't evaporate for 5 more days.


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Good morning, Al~

Well, you will be getting a one-month head start on most of us here in New York (at least those who do not bother with the September Goose Season....). Of course, I do hope to get out in just over 2 weeks for our Youth Weekend - with a friend's 13-year-old grandson.

Question: No HIP number needed where you are?

All the best,

# 1210028553
 
Hi Steve. In regards to your question I have a form sent to me each year that I fill out and return but that is it. Now when I go to the only place in town, Wal*Mart, and buy my license, all they need is my driver's license, print a one page copy of the NM Game and Fish license and then they check a couple of boxes and I sign it. Done in an instant.

There are two places I can get my duck stamp at and that is the Post Office or Bosque del Apache NWR. I opted for the refuge because when going there I will see the pond where I will hunt teal, first. By the way the first waves of adult drake bluewing/cinnamon teal are now here. Hope they hang around for 8 more days. Odds are they will be in Mexico by next week.
Al
 
Going to get my first hunts of the season this weekend. Really excited about getting back out chasing waterfowl. Been waiting for this day since the close of last season. However, not looking forward to the projected highs of 95 all three days this weekend. Hopefully the geese and teal will arrive just after LST.
 
Good luck, Blake. I wish you well. The good thing about teal hunts is that most of the time down here when the first 90 minutes is gone, so are the teal. Then I can beat the heat on my way home. Heat also means that we have to contend with these.
Al

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Early teal season in eastern Ohio always meant dealing with snakes, spiders & skeeters. Had a hunting partners lab get snake bit while teal huntin'. Not good, but the dog survived after many operations. A young man got bit by a Timber Rattler a few months ago at Medix Run, Pa, and died. Where I live is prime habitat for them. No teal season here, but when it's hot like now, no squirrel huntin' for me til it cools down a little.

Had a good friend that used to catch them with Mr.Jake Bingle, milk them for venom and release them. Twas back in the day, when Rattle Snake Round Ups were popular in PA. They would also put rattlers in a display case in front of Hallers Store, in Tionesta, Pa. As far as I know, John only killed one and we ate it. Wasn't bad but not worth killin' em for.
 
Well Al we have 22 left days and they are going to fly by. All summer it feels like I have been playing catchup and now it is time to just put the rest on the back burner and get to the important stuff. There is an early goose season but that is just too much work for one guy. Just getting a bit lazy I guess.
 
I don't like them either, Phil, but I do know they serve a good purpose and will not kill them if I am in their environment. However, if they are hanging around our home, the venomous kind, they are taken care of.
Al
 
Vince, ask your partner if his lab had been vaccinated for snake bite. All our labs are vaccinated once a year for rattlesnake bites. Thankfully so far none of them have ever been bitten. I, too, have been fortunate not to have been bitten. I should have during one of our early teal seasons about a half dozen years ago when I sat down in the brush prior to our opener and didn't realize I had a large western diamondback curled up just one foot from my left leg. She too thought this brush pile was a good place to hide. It was too cool for her to react then but she sure left me know that I was too close to her when it began to warm up.
Al
 
Good luck, Tom. I loved it when I read that part where you talked about the "Important Stuff" I agree!

One week from this morning, our season opens. The teal are now beginning to show up down here. I can hardly wait.
Al
 
Al - That hunt took place in the 1980's. The lab passed on many years ago. It is very good to know that they have a vaccine for snake bite now. I highly recommend it for all waterfowl and upland dogs.
The most rattlers I have ever seen were on the black top roads in Montana during pheasant season. Very impressive indeed. The only one we saw while hunting my buddy had to shoot as it tired to strike his Chessie. We then heeded the advice a fellow hunter gave us. "As soon as it warms to 60, stop hunting."

No matter snakes, spiders and skeeters I do miss Sept. Teal huntin' in the morning, and then doves in the afternoon. Thanks for the photo's.
 
I have quit hunting early teal and goose season due to the amount of water moccasins present in our waters. Came up on a group of 13 all sitting together last year….

Then I got bit by a copperhead in my own yard in the foot.

Just want to emphasize too about the rattlesnake vaccine. All my dogs are vaccinated as well. However the vaccine is intended to delay severe symptoms long enough to allow you to seek veterinary care…It doesn't prevent having to get the pup treated.
 
Our opener was today. I didn't go.

I cannot believe it, teal was always my favorite...

But between hot weather and no good access, I couldn't stomach it today.

I wish you the best of luck Al. I hope it is all it is in your dreams.
 
Vince, those words of warning mean a lot where poisonous snakes are. Thanks for that. With our temps running between 10F and 15F above normal ever since the beginning of August, most mornings are already 65F.
Al

By the way, I remember driving down to the lower 48 in the summer of 1973. I was driving all night in Utah just because it was a bit cooler and the black top roads seemed paved with snakes. It was an incredible sight.
 
Thank you for what you said about the rattlesnake vaccine. I sure appreciated that because that is correct. Do you live and hunt in Arkansas? Sorry to hear you were bitten by the copperhead.

The picture of that western diamondback was taken after I took a shop broom and got it off our kitchen patio. It was only 5 feet from the door and my hunting dog, Chili who was sound asleep didn't know the large female was right behind her. I called Chili into the house and luckily she got up and walked forward.
Al
 
Kevin, I appreciated your response. Thanks. Sorry to hear that you don't have some access points. Best of luck to you when your regular season begins.

As for the temps, I understand about that but down here I would never be able to hunt if I waited for it to cool down. Seems like it is always in the 80sF if not warmer.

My biggest problem right now is not having any water. The Rio Grande is now flowing at 37cfs. That is not much. The spot where I have always hunted teal is dryer than a cork. So with Plans A and B out the window Plan C will be next when Saturday morning arrives on the 12th.
Al
 
Good Morning Al,


Good luck on your upcoming Teal hunt. We are heading North to chase the birds, I will send some your way.


Dennis S. (Rio Rancho, NM)
 
Our adult opener is Oct 3 and I too have the itch. In MT, we have an opportunity to add two blue-winged teal to the daily bag limit during the first nine days of the season. The minor flaw with the "bonus" opportunity is that the majority of the B-Dubyas are already visiting Al before our season opens. Go figure.
 
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