I'm not asking anyone to legally out themselves on the internet and fire up the internet armchair game wardens, but a situation on Sunday made me wonder how many birds get mud stomped or tossed in the weeds.

Sunday morning in the first minute of legal shooting time, it was very cloudy and the light was low, a flock of about eight smallish birds circled once and landed at the edge of the decoys at a range of about twenty yards. In the low light, my hunting partner and I said we would let the first birds land so as to shoot more when they jumped. As we pull up to shoot, safety off, I see bills that are way too long to be teal. As you can guess, they were shovelers. In those low light conditions, if we had decided to shoot as they crossed in front of the blind well within range, I have no doubt we would have killed a couple of illegal birds.

Anyone ever have a similar situation? Anyone ever shoot the wrong species and then receive a citation from the game warden?

I have shot the wrong species but not received a citation as I was not discovered with the wrong bird. It was over 10 years ago so I would assume the statute of limitations has run out

I saw plenty of spoonys flying right in the middle of the groups of teal this weekend... usually try and pop the lead birds first then when they flare up you can pick them out pretty easy...

I have no idea why spoonys arnt included in the early season....

My dad saw some guys during the early season several years back with their 4 bird limits on their tailgates.

Too bad they were wood ducks.

Family is in Minnesota, the state opted out of early teal season this year, but in the preliminary article it was cited that,

"The limit would include an aggregate of teal species, limit of 6, with an additional 1 'mistake duck'"

First time I read it I'm sure there will be a lot of wood duck "mistakes". I'd still love to see the warden at the ramp with a fat greenhead and say, what?! I thought it was a teal!

I can understand accidentally shooting a spoonie, the blue on the wings and the fact that teal fly with them quite a bit can cause an oopsie.

What I don't understand is people mistaking mallards for teal.
Aparrantly the dudes who set up 100 yards down from me yesterday could not tell the difference between the two species. EVERY single mallard that flew in was called at.. and there were a bunch of mallards. These guys did not stop calling for 2 hours. They were teal calling and whistling at the groups of resident mallards too and they seemed pretty confused when I would not shoot at them when they flew over me.
And it' wasn't like they were just calling to call... they were calling at birds..

Finally as they started up calling at a few hens lighting behind me I said "Mallards!" The suzies went down and got back up quacking quack quack quack

They got real, real, quiet for the rest of the morning, not even talking to each other. hahaaaa

It's kind of like watching a kid with a booger, you see the mallards headed for another group and inside you're split between,

Are they going to do it?! Are they?!

And

Noooooooooooo!

I did see a crazy amount of mallards for this early

I was kinda hoping they would shoot, the entertainment factor made up for the teal not making much of a show..

I had a member of a party shoot a wood duck about seven years ago during early teal season. Two woodies surprised us and right as I said "Wood duck!" he shot. We ate it.

If you've never lined up a spoonie during early teal you just haven't been at it long enough. The key is... did you notice the big smile or the orange legs in time or did ya pull the trigger?

I have shot spoonies that I thought were BWT during big duck season, but luckily I haven't during early teal. I wouldn't doubt if some day I do. If a group is flying directly towards you low on the water they look identical until the landing gear comes down - and I can usually identify species a long way away.

Woodies and mallards fly completely differently than teal, hard to mistake those.

We had two pintails circle us for a while and came within shooting range. We had no doubt they weren't teal but they sure did make you want blast em.

I've seen it happen, but so far I haven't done it.
My eyesight gets worse every year, so I don't know how long I will be able to say "I have never shot the wrong bird".
Now I have shouldered my gun, and had a oh crap moment, right before I would have pulled the trigger.

So who has forgot to put the plug back in their gun.
I could start a thread on that.

I watched a group of guys (teenagers) CALL at woodies Saturday morning. They dropped a few out of the first group. The second group landed in our deeks and then get up and fly right over them. They didn't shoot at the second group. Gotta think they realized what they did wrong.

Years ago I witnessed someone going over a limit. Needed one bird and shot 2 with one shot. That kinda sucked. Also saw a guy take one too many mallard hens. Sometimes it's difficult but I'd rather be safe than sorry and not shoot unless I knew for sure.

Similar thing for me, a couple years back a woody dropped out of nowhere after being constantly buzzed by teal, I shouted "wood duck" about the same time their shots broke.

Last year I dropped 4 teal during regular season in one shot, thankfully they were the first of the day but that would of sucked if I needed just one more.

If I had $5 for every mottle duck I see get killed during teal season id be able to afford a nice lease, wish the GW's would listen to my complaints and quit being lazy about the situation. It's awful where I am

Happened to me a while ago too. They fly so tight that it is not impossible to do.