really paying any attention when a band of around a dozen teal blew right by the decoys . After that pleasant kick-off got the ball rolling , we spent the next hour taking cracks at fast and furious action . We had big bands doing fly-bys , and singles swinging in from multiple directions . Glad we hadn ’ t bet the under , as the morning ended with an actual two-man limit in the boat . And surprise again on Sunday as we were looking for more of the same . Nope , we were lucky to come home with two . Those birds were gone in a flash .
That ’ s just how wide-ranging the flocks of teal are ; here one minute and gone the next , with the notable exception for Rice Country . This time of year , your hunting buddies to the west don ’ t measure successful hunts by the number of limits produced , but rather in the number of minutes it takes to get a limit of teal ! It ’ s probably due to ideal water depth and the endless acres of lime green grass which attract teal like
moths to a flame . It also doesn ’ t hurt to have a little rice from the first cut still on the ground too ! If you haven ’ t done the rice field thing , the experience is worth the travel ( and guide fee )!
Assuming you are fortunate enough to have some teal in your local arena this year , consider yourself lucky because that ’ s all you really need . However , you may want to consider doing a few things just to get your game face on for Teal Season . One , not only do those bluewing mojo ’ s look sweet as hell , the faster-speed wing spin just looks more authentic of teal and might get the attention of those blue rockets flying over your buddy ’ s pond . On the decoy subject , big duck season decoys will work just fine . Although , if you ’ re the guy with a sackful of greenhead decoys in south Louisiana , now is probably the time to invest in a flock or two of blue-winged teal decoys ! Haydel ’ s Blue-winged Teal Call is probably considered a legit musthave , but this isn ’ t your daddy ’ s mallard call . There is no need for the long hail or highball feed call . This season , if you listen for them , you ’ ll hear the quick , sharp fivenote “ barks ” that the momma teal makes . But the truly most important , single , “ triple top secret ” tactic to employ during Teal Season is to hit what you aim at . This won ’ t be easy after the guns have been on vacation all summer ; and I ’ m not even going to be offering any advice on that topic either !
So , for the newly initiated Duck Dynasty guys out there , it ’ s not how good those new Avian-X decoys look , or how well your Haydel ’ s call sounds , it ’ s location , location , location - the location of the birds , the location of your hole , and the location of your BB ’ s after you pull the trigger . And one last tip , if your early season scouting isn ’ t producing the optimism you ’ re looking for , “ Go west young man ; Go west !” Good luck this season and shoot ‘ em up !
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September 2016 www . marshandbayou . com