Gear Up For Early Teal, Duck Season

The early teal season has opened and runs through Sept. 27 in Texas.

Projected weather conditions on the plains show the best hunting should be the last 10 days of the season as more birds are pushed down by cool winds on their nesting grounds.

Teal are small and offer a challenging target, but they are easy to hunt during the September season. They are creatures of habit, so you can generally count on them to feed both early and late.

The first thing to consider is setting up a blind. In the case of teal, this does not require a lot of effort. Teal are certainly not blind-shy during the early season, so hunting out of a boat draped in camouflage netting or covered by roseau cane is more than adequate. Or you can simply wear plenty of camouflage and sit still.

The right gun and load is crucial for teal which is why you should check out the gear at Guns.com.

Most hunters prefer a .20 gauge for teal while some hunters like me stick with their .12 gauge.

When you do get a shot, make sure not to use a heavy load, which can destroy the meat in their tiny breasts. I use number six, but fours will work as well. Improved cylinder or modified chokes work great for teal, especially in close quarters.

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For years, hunters brought dozens of decoys for the early season, but that is becoming outdated. A dozen decoys of any kind of duck set out in the marsh will give these sociable birds an inviting place to land and you a place to shoot.

I usually bring only half a dozen teal decoys, a few shoveler imitations, and a “robo duck,” and have no problem scoring limits of teal.

There’s still time to get guns for duck season. Click here.

Calling teal is rather simple, although many hunters on public lands tend to overdo it. Simple teal whistles sounded a few times at the sight of birds is enough to lure them. Too much calling spooks them. I have been in areas where hunters a few ponds away called too much and pushed birds right to me.

And while teal season is happening now, it’s not too early to gear up for the general duck season. You can check the dates below and make plans for what should be a good season with promising reports from the nesting region of the American Great Plains and Canada.

Season	Zone	Dates
Regular	High Plains Mallard Management Unit	Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 & Nov. 6 – Jan. 31
	North	Nov. 14-29 & Dec. 5 – Jan. 31
	South	Nov. 7-29 & Dec. 12 – Jan. 31
Youth-Only	High Plains Mallard Management Unit	Oct. 24-25
	North	Nov. 7-8
	South	Oct. 31 – Nov. 1

It’s a good time to get a new shotgun or consider some new chokes for specific hunts you will be taking this year. Let the early teal season inspire you to get out and take advantage of Texas’ lengthy duck season, whether or not you make it out for teal this month.

And finally, have you ever considered using premium nontoxic shot like Hevi-Shot or Bismuth? You can get it all at Guns.com and shipped right to your door. Use their simple to use search engine and find everything you need in terms of gun and ammo for waterfowl hunting and more.

Chester Moore