Early Teal Forecast: Expect a Slow Start, Fast Finish

By Lynn Burkhead
Herald Democrat

From the home office somewhere in Saskatchewan, here's a memo to early teal hunters heading out this weekend for the opening bell of the 2013 season in Texas and Oklahoma: remember, it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

Because by nearly all accounts, the beginning of the Sept. 14-29 early teal season on both sides of the Red River is expected to be slow.

Maybe even painfully slow.

As in negative ghost rider, the pattern is not full.

"I spent a full day of scouting on Thursday and burned an entire tank of gas but I only saw one group of teal on our properties," said Pottsboro outfitter J.J. Kent (http://www.kentoutdoors.com/ ; 903-271-5524).

He isn't kidding either.

"I'm a fairly optimistic individual and it isn't looking good for the home team on this one," laughed Kent. "I've talked to people all over the state and they are reporting the same thing - there just are not many birds down here yet. And that's true even down on the Texas coast."

How empty are the early September skies thus far?

"I've cancelled three of the four groups that I had scheduled for this opening weekend because the birds aren't here yet," said Kent. "That's fifteen hunters - as a guide, that hurts. I've never had to do that before but I've got to be truthful."

Mind you, Kent isn't alone in his assessment about the lack of blue-winged teal - and their green-winged cousins - across the Lone Star State.

"I've only seen a couple so far," says Sherman's Jim Lillis, a senior regional director for Ducks Unlimited who talks to hunters all over the state each week.

And those hunters aren't seeing much of anything yet when it comes to early teal.

"Current observations indicate good numbers of blue-winged teal still remain in the northern breeding grounds," confirms a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department news release.

Biologists with the agency also echo that sentiment.

"I am hearing of teal showing up on the coastal prairie in good numbers one day only to be gone the next,” said TPWD waterfowl program leader Kevin Kraai. “Some people are getting nervous.”

Especially waterfowl guides along the Texas Gulf Coast, a place normally swarming with the early birds. But biologists with TPWD are telling those guides to relax.

"I never get nervous about teal season," said Jim Sutherlin, TPWD’s Upper Coast wetland ecosystem project leader. “Our early bluewings are about a week or so late, possibly an effect of the late cool spring weather we have experienced.”

“We will have teal to shoot on September 14, but teal numbers will likely improve on the Upper Coast as the season plays out.”

Further down the coast, Matt Nelson, the agency's Mid-Coast wetland ecosystem project leader, concurs.

“We are seeing a few birds on the mid-coast WMA’s but nothing to get excited about just yet,” said Nelson. “(But) as Jim mentioned, nothing to get nervous about; they’ll be here at some point.”

That's what hunters all across Texas are banking on since this year's number of blue-winged teal is the third highest ever recorded by biologists.

That's enough so that waterfowl managers have given hunters a liberal six bird daily bag limit on early teal, two more than in previous seasons.

While the birds are indeed running late, they could get here literally overnight sometime this week according to Kent.

"Next week, it should get better," said Kent, who has chased early teal since the 1980s. "We've got a couple of fronts in the forecast over the next week, a couple of rain events are being talked about, and the full moon is coming. So I think it should start turning on soon."

Especially since Kent's conversations with other guides confirms that there appears to be a big wad of migrating teal stuck in the central plains around the state of Kansas.

Just waiting for a cool front to push them south.

"Things will get better, it's just taking longer this year," said Kent.

Which should mean a slow start, but a good middle weekend and perhaps a fantastic finish to the early teal season.

"Typically, the last week of the season is very good most years anyway," said Kent. "Last year, the last weekend was just lights out for us.

"And I feel it is going to be the same way this year."

Teal hunters all across Texas and Oklahoma are hoping that he's right.

Thanks

Yep...

Full thermos of coffee, and bumper for my dog... This will be my dog's first hunt of the season..

I am flying till monday.....looks like I timed this one right, lots of time off late in the month. Lots of reports boys, keep them coming.

Most of areas have increased the daily bag limit and even if it will be a slow start this doesn't mean that it will be a bad season overall. Just waiting for the cold front to start and we will see them everywhere.

im scouting this afternoon... shouldn't be a problem to limit this weekend I bet

I'm outta the country til Tuesday, so I'll miss the opener anyhow. If this article is accurate, it's at least reassuring that I won't miss too much.

Good luck, I have put some time in the last week and burned some gas in the truck and boat but the teal are just not around in numbers. I may be surprised in the morning but not expecting much, maybe 1-2 groups at best, you better be a good shot, if you can drop three in each group a limit may be possible.
Hope you find more in your area Navasot, JJ is dead on with his scouting though.

Guide canceling trips due to proper scouting - that's what's up. I guarantee you there are several guides taking customers money this weekend knowing damn good no birds are down.

I found a few groups of 50 or more this morning. Hadn't seen them before now. Sure hope they stick around 24 hours.

Good deal, that is what I was wishing for.

Brother scouted down by coast today....there are birds.

Also, I am in Illinois and this morning it was 48 degrees, stiff wind and high today is 65. Same for the next 3-4 days. Ought to send some of these buggers your way so get ready.

For sure, looking really slow this weekend. Scouting from waco to the red river and only seeing a few pockets here and there nothing I would call "huntable" might bag a few sat unless things change.

Found a nice spot with some resident canadas going to try and hit them hard.

Good luck brother.

-Matt

Cheyenne Bottoms in KS is usually a pretty good barometer for what's moving our way from the Prairie Pot hole regions. It's about 335 mile NNW of Sherman TX and during the season I find the reports there pretty indicative of what we'll see a week to 10 days later barring any extraordinary weather condition changes. Here's the most recent report from that area ...

http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/Hunting/Migratory-Birds/Waterfowl-Reports/Region-3

I've got a buddy on his way down from Nebraska right now. He called me and said it was 55° this morning when he left. He said every pond south of Nebraska on his way down was packed with teal. I bet it's only going to be a few days toget here thick. I'll be Honey Grayson County tomorrow for the opener. Haven't scouted that pond but it's one of the only ones I have with water right now. I've got one pond in Collin County that has a few groups until showing up here and there. The only reason I knows because I've got game camera facing the pond. It's for deer but it serves two purposes really

Stupid phone. Hunting***