by John Jefferson

Last week I wrote about deer season calamities — things that go wrong, causing a bad day of hunting.

A PROUD LIMIT OF TEAL on a cold winter day. Special Teal Season closes September 27, but teal may also be taken during the regular duck seasons later in the fall and winter. Don’t call a game warden if you count more than six teal in the picture. Another hunter added his two birds just as I shot the picture. I promise I stopped shooting when I downed the sixth one. Honest! (Photo by John Jefferson)

One event happened to also be my personal best day of teal hunting but wasn’t included in the deer derailment story. But before I get into that, let me say that SPECIAL TEAL SEASON just opened Saturday. It’s a 16-day season in which ONLY the three species of teal may be taken. Shooting anything else may co$t you. That special season closes Sunday, Sept. 27. The annual waterfowl survey was suspended this year, so we don’t have species numbers, but the areas that feed the Central Flyway received good precipitation, so ducks should be plentiful in Texas.

I admit to dove hunting instead of teal hunting last Saturday. Where we hunt, teal arrive later, seldom in September. It was a beautiful opening day for all hunters, though: 68 degrees, no wind, songbirds calling, and cattle lowing in the distance. I hope teal hunters elsewhere had good hunting.

There’s another front already in the Dakotas bringing lows in the 50s, so cooler weather is coming. Maybe teal, too.

Teal can also be shot during Regular Duck Seasons later in the fall and winter. Teal shot then must be counted as part of the six-duck limit.

During the Special teal season and the Regular duck seasons – a Texas hunting license is required along with a Texas Migratory Game Bird endorsement and an endorsement indicating you purchased the federal duck stamp. Kids under age 17 need only have a Youth Hunting license ($7), and no endorsements are required except Reptile and Amphibians. BUT all hunters must have the Harvest Information Certification on the license when obtaining a license.

Shotguns must be plugged to a three-shell capacity unless they permanently hold three or fewer.

The teal calamity omitted last week involved a manufacturer’s rep who accompanied us on a hunt once. He hit the bar several times the night before the hunt, which possibly contributed to his downfall – and FALL he did. It was the proverbial “good day for ducks”—intermittent cold rain fell. Water was standing. Ditches were full and flowing. We had to cross one ditch and the man lost his balance and went all the way under with a loaded shotgun. When he came up, a weed draped from his gun barrel. We helped him out of the muddy water — only later learning he had forgotten to unload his shotgun. There are two lessons in this story. He never should have walked with a loaded gun after hunting. And the bar may have been another problem.

After shooting geese to begin with, the guide moved us to a small lake for ducks. I chose a spot at the far end of the lake. Most of the ducks and shooting were at the other end. The shooting moved all the ducks out and directly toward me. Incoming shots are my best. A limit of six teal was easy – for a change.

JJ