Teal

Al Hansen

Al Hansen

Well-known member
I was emailing a friend and we were discussing the upcoming early teal season. Here is something that we talked about.

"Just the sound of their wings in the early morning hours where your eyeballs seem to get stretched out of shape just trying to peer into the darkness to see them flying by, is enough to make my day a full one in the marsh."

We then began to talk about why we enjoyed hunting speedballs, little rockets, and or F-16s.

Do you guys and gals have anything to add to this thread. Why do you enjoy that early teal season that we get? What do you call teal in your area? Have you ever been so frustrated that you swore that the shell companies forgot to put shot in the shells?

Did any of you read with delight the good news of the breeding pairs that were surveyed this year? I thought it was fantastic and am looking forward to more news as the summer slips away towards the cool mornings of fall. That time that almost dictates your every move with most of them heading towards your favorite spot, where the sounds, sights, and smells bring back distant memories of successful hunts.
Al

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Before you get too excited-----this is the area where I sat down one morning, shot my limit of teal, then found out while pouring a cup of coffee that coiled up one foot from my left leg was at least a 4 foot western diamondback rattlesnake. My friend, Tim M, took my walking stick and removed her to a spot far enough away to make my heart begin beating in a normal way once again.
This is the same area where Tim and I would shoot a limit each day for the 9 day season. One time he took a banded bluewing drake. Hey, Paul M., it came from southeastern Alberta!
Now for Paul Harvey's "Rest of the Story". The Bureau of Reclamation in all their wisdom decided that this marsh was allowing too much water to evaporate, so they dug a ditch to the Rio Grande and totally drained it. This water is more important to them to get to Texas to fulfill the water rights agreement that we have with them. Then they came in with a bull dozer and a grader and made sure it was level so that no water would ever remain here again. The pictures are just my way of bringing back memories! I have no idea where I'll hunt teal this fall or if I will be able to because there isn't any spare water around here.
My dreams have been fulfilled however I will never stop looking for another spot---maybe not as good as this one was but there is always hope eternal.
Al
 
Al, I came to work today ready to sell chemicals and make some money but after looking at these now all I can do is look at my calender! Heading to LA marsh in late September. 70 days exactly! Beautiful pics....love the one with the greenies mixed in.
 
Al,,I was really enjoying those pics until I got to the snake ,,
I,m a big guy and have done things like shooting a bear at 8 feet one handed with buckshot,was a bar bouncer and a hockey fighter but I scream like a little girl when it comes to those things.
There is nothing like a good teal hunt and lots of mornings here you find them in the decoys only after you hear them peeping away.
I can limit out most days on them for the first few weeks of hunting but alot of time I don't even bother shooting them but rather just enjoy my time out in the marsh.
The last couple years the numbers here have exploded and them seem to stay alot longer than they use to.
The thing I like most is with so many of them it keeps the kids entertained when they go so that lets me stay out longer.
They may be small but they are by far one of the best tasting ducks out there,,,,,,,,Chuck
 
Doves and BW Teal, are what September was all about for me......... Until I moved to New York. They have neither, and are bass akward in that regard, by missing a PRIME opportunity to get young, and new hunters hooked. Lots of birds, good action, and just about the Best eatin' you can get. Thanks for the photo's, even of the snake. All are God's creatures meant to do what they do.
 
More great pics Al. We do not have an early teal season here in the Garden state, so we miss the blue wings, but green wings are my bread and butter duck. Lots of people like the big ducks better, but I like teal, great eating, great sport, pretty bird. Most years we have them through the winter, and since the seasons have been changed in the southern part of the state to go through mid-January, I am hoping they stay through the winter to keep me occupied in the late days of the season.
 
Y a just did it ya had to do it ,,,,now i have to go rig somemore dekes just to get it out of my system...
shermie...
 
Al, I came to work today ready to sell chemicals and make some money but after looking at these now all I can do is look at my calender! Heading to LA marsh in late September. 70 days exactly! Beautiful pics....love the one with the greenies mixed in.
Click to expand...

Hey Blaine,
I can remember those days, Blaine, when all of a sudden there was something else (like August 10th when Dall sheep season used to open in Alaska) that came into my mind. Now that I'm retired I think of duck hunting a lot----I mean a lot. Glad you liked those pics.
Al
 
Al,,I was really enjoying those pics until I got to the snake ,,
I,m a big guy and have done things like shooting a bear at 8 feet one handed with buckshot,was a bar bouncer and a hockey fighter but I scream like a little girl when it comes to those things.
There is nothing like a good teal hunt and lots of mornings here you find them in the decoys only after you hear them peeping away.
I can limit out most days on them for the first few weeks of hunting but alot of time I don't even bother shooting them but rather just enjoy my time out in the marsh.
The last couple years the numbers here have exploded and them seem to stay alot longer than they use to.
The thing I like most is with so many of them it keeps the kids entertained when they go so that lets me stay out longer.
They may be small but they are by far one of the best tasting ducks out there,,,,,,,,Chuck
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for posting this, Chuck. I really got a kick out of what you had to say. To this day I still have nightmares about that particular snake. I can remember wanting to see one so badly when I first moved down here and then when it ended up on our patio not but a few feet from the kitchen door, I had a tougher time than I thought.

This is what you wrote so well: "There is nothing like a good teal hunt and lots of mornings here you find them in the decoys only after you hear them peeping away. " I can't begin to tell you how many times that has happened to me, also.
Thanks for taking the time, Chuck.
Al
 
Al, Great pictures ,,,, until I got to the snake!![/repl

Thanks, Fred.
Well, now I want to know, did you stop looking at them when you got to the snake, or did you hurry up past those three?
Al
Click to expand...
 
Doves and BW Teal, are what September was all about for me......... Until I moved to New York. They have neither, and are bass akward in that regard, by missing a PRIME opportunity to get young, and new hunters hooked. Lots of birds, good action, and just about the Best eatin' you can get. Thanks for the photo's, even of the snake. All are God's creatures meant to do what they do.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear that you don't get that opportunity, Vince. I liked what you had to say about God's creatures. It is so true.
Al
 
More great pics Al. We do not have an early teal season here in the Garden state, so we miss the blue wings, but green wings are my bread and butter duck. Lots of people like the big ducks better, but I like teal, great eating, great sport, pretty bird. Most years we have them through the winter, and since the seasons have been changed in the southern part of the state to go through mid-January, I am hoping they stay through the winter to keep me occupied in the late days of the season.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for those comments, Greg. I, too, happen to really enjoy getting into greenwings. I like calling them F-16s! One year we had them in the area that I hunted by the thousands. It sure was fun.
Al
 
Y a just did it ya had to do it ,,,,now i have to go rig somemore dekes just to get it out of my system...
shermie...
Click to expand...

Ah, that was music to my ears knowing that you'll have to go work on your decoys. (insert smiley face) Say Hi to Mickey and tell her that more puppy pics are coming.

Shermie yesterday I thought about you when I went outside. I damn near got my winter coat because the high for the day was just 80F. We had a cold front move in and was it ever nice. I even have my truck loaded with a full cord of wood to deliver. I had planned on doing it yesterday but then we got something even better than cool air-----RAIN!
Al
 
Al, I made it past the snake picts,,,, , the rest of the pictures were great, we don't get an early teal season here but, my oldest son Hunter got to hunt in Nebraska a couple years ago and shot some blue wings.

Oh well we do get to make up for it the rest of the season!

Fred
 
Al, my favorite way to describe teal to people is that they fly like a handful of checkers being thrown into the wind. I love to be staring into the darkness of the background when all of a sudden they appear in front of you going in numerous directions as they climb and silhouette themselves against the morning sky.

dc
 
Dang Al! You're killing me. I love those little speed rockets! Nothing like a group of blue wings setting their wings into your decoys while the sun is hitting them.

Only 51 days til early teal season here in Illinois. Can't wait...

Thanks for sharing your goodness brother! Pat
 
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