For the seasoned duck hunter, early season teal hunting can’t come soon enough. The opener signals the annual kick-off to mornings in the blind, good times with friends, and whistling wings working the spread. Far from the regular season opener crowds, hunters can target teal in relative solitude. Teal, especially bluewings, are the first ducks to migrate, coinciding with an early September teal season. Unfortunately, not all states have an early teal season, but the ones that do offer excellent opportunities at these speedy ducks.
A successful teal season can require work, strategy, and new techniques different from those used in the regular season. Teal are easily distinguishable on the wing from their small size and quick, agile flight patterns. These little birds are amongst the first to begin the migration and do so in a hurry. A blue-winged teal can cover the length of the country in a mere matter of days, only stopping briefly to rest along the way. Tailoring your tactics specific to teal will result in success, from obvious things like decoy selection to smaller details like choke setups. This guide explores our favorite tips and tricks to kick off this teal season the right way.
1. Put in the Time Scouting:
While shooting a pile of doves in the early days of September may be tempting, scouting for teal can pay big dividends come the opener. These early-season birds can be tricky to track down, often preferring shallow water wetlands, small ponds, and flooded potholes along the migration route. Learning what water teal consistently use and when will keep you on the birds come the opener and beyond.
When you are scouting, be sure to consider the lack of water from potential summer droughts. We rely on onX Hunt and its recent imagery tool to find areas that hold water accurately. Updated every two weeks, these satellite images give an accurate depiction of current conditions and save us a trip to a place that may be bone dry.
2. Dial in Your Decoy Spread
During the regular season, teal can consistently be fooled by your typical decoy spread. However, early season teal hunting requires a slightly different setup. In general, teal start the migration ahead of other birds. This means on the wing they are looking for other groups of teal to join and rest. Running a full spread of big duck decoys simply is not realistic. Instead, we prefer to run groups of bluewing and greenwing decoys with the occasional big duck mixed in for visibility.
When setting an early season spread, it is important to remember that birds lack their regular season plumage. Our spreads consist of mostly hen decoys with occasional drakes in the mix. Additionally, a few spinners never hurt, especially during the opener. The added motion will catch the eyes of teal, giving them the confidence they need to commit. If you are fresh off of dove season, try a few dove spinners. They are brown in color, have a similar size profile, and will save you from buying teal-specific spinners.
3. Use a Teal Call
Teal can be decoyed with mallard calls, whistles, and more, but our favorite and most effective is a dedicated teal call. These calls are easy to blow and mimic the high-pitched sounds of a teal. With the lack of big ducks around, blowing a call specific to how a teal sounds can help finish more birds. Plenty of good, affordable teal calls are on the market, so don’t feel the need to spend a lot on a specialty call.
Teal respond well to calling and are readily willing to commit to a decoy spread. Instead of pass shooting these birds, be patient and work them in with the call. The result is decoying birds moving at a slower speed and closer, cleaner, and more ethical shots.
4. Choose the Right Choke and Shot Size
Teal are small and fast. To maximize your opportunities at these agile birds, you must choose the proper shot size and choke setup. When hunting big ducks like mallards and pintails, steel #2s are pretty standard. These loads have plenty of knock-down power for these larger birds but lack the number of pellets needed for teal hunting. A good shot size for teal is steel #6s. These offer plenty of knock-down power for smaller birds and the necessary number of pellets needed to hit them.
Pairing shot size with the right choke will give you the best performance. For early season teal hunting, a wider choke, like an improved cylinder, helps maximize your chances of hitting birds. Teal typically work fairly close to the decoy spread, so the added pattern width allows your shot to expand and hit birds at close range.
5. Adapt to Changing Conditions
Weather can be a duck hunter’s best friend, but not in the case of teal hunting. Notoriously finicky birds, as soon as a front comes in, teal are the first to head south. You can be scouting ponds and marshes before the season with birds everywhere, but a cold snap a day before the opener could mean empty marshes. While much of this is out of our control, being adaptable and having backup options can save the day. The birds may be gone from the spots you planned on hunting but decided to stick around in another spot you scouted. The time you put in prior to the season will directly correlate to your success during the season.
Final Thoughts
Early season teal hunting is something we look forward to every year. It’s the first opportunity to get back in the marsh and do what we love most. For those new to teal hunting and wanting to experience it firsthand, remember preparation is key. This guide gives hunters the tools needed to find birds, finish birds, and ultimately have a successful hunt. With the opener just days away, in many cases, it’s time to get out and find some birds.
