Teal Season 2024

[Darren]

Sat 9/14/24 LA Teal Opener
Delacroix lease
Johnny w/ my son and I, and Harry
Wind W/NW/SW 5-10, clear skies, a really pleasant low 70s

Didn’t see any activity doing blind work yesterday mid-afternoon so we had low expectations. Ended up seeing a few nice groups including one that came for us working as pretty as could be. Took but two from the wad of maybe 15-20 and should have had plenty more on that op but it was enough to make our day. Saw a few mottleds and squealers as well. Fair bit of shooting early to out S/SW.

2 BW teal (both mature drakes)

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He got some easy work in close as we kick off his 9th season

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Will saw some action on south end of our lease but didn’t fire. Plans tomorrow TBD but good chance we just go back to same blind.

[Duck Engr]

I’m sure those two might as well have been 20 in little man’s eyes. Good stuff!

[DComeaux]

Nice outing.

[Rick]

I’m sure those two might as well have been 20 in little man’s eyes.

By the time he's my age, they may well be "20" in his memory. And he's blessed to have such mentors, in any event.

[Duck Engr]

I’m sure those two might as well have been 20 in little man’s eyes.

By the time he's my age, they may well be "20" in his memory. And he's blessed to have such mentors, in any event.

X2!

[Darren]

And he's blessed to have such mentors, in any event.

Between Johnny, Will and my dad, little man had plenty good mentorship all weekend, catching garfish off the dock all afternoon yesterday and checking crab traps. Very blessed to have that for him.

[Darren]

Sun 9/15/2024
Delacroix
Johnny with my son and I plus Harry
Winds 5-15 from WSW, mid 70s, pt to mostly cloudy and still pretty pleasant


Still no birds actually using our piece of the marsh, really nothing for them, especially with so much primo shallow stuff not too far from us and the storm-flooded pastures. Saw but a few nice groups passing again on same line from yesterday that’s just east of our blind. I did give a single a pass after initially thinking it to be a young mottled when it caught me by surprise but sure enough got awfully tealy as he toured the marsh thereafter burning at grass height, Johnny was getting the boat.

We prepped an old favorite blind on our way out that would have done some shooting had it been hunted this morning and puts us under the few trafficking birds we’re seeing on a pretty consistent line.

DNS

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Will gave nearby public ground a shot and was very disappointed, saw 5 teal, no shots fired. We are hopeful the pastures drying up this week and tides subsiding coupled with the promise of new birds on Wednesday’s full moon and small front might help us out.

[Duck Engr]

Sounds like a great weekend, teal cooperating or not. Glad y’all are scheming on them for next time. Hope they keep the same pattern.

[PorkChop]

Sounds like a great weekend, and your son’s smile says it all!

[Darren]

Sounds like a great weekend, and your son’s smile says it all!

He's got a great, positive attitude, hoping he gets a sweet one early in the regular season to keep him hooked if he doesn't see much for teal the next couple of weekends.

[Deltaman]

Love seeing your son in the game, and hopefully, your area will get some new birds soon. Dang teal, with their here today, gone tomorrow tactics, you just never know. Only LA report I saw over the weekend, was from my nephew, who hunted South of Venice and shot a limit on Saturday. Thanks for the reports Darren!

[Darren]

Love seeing your son in the game, and hopefully, your area will get some new birds soon. Dang teal, with their here today, gone tomorrow tactics, you just never know. Only LA report I saw over the weekend, was from my nephew, who hunted South of Venice and shot a limit on Saturday. Thanks for the reports Darren!

Sure thing; I'm hearing Venice overall was way down from usual.

[Darren]

Sat 9/21/2024
Delacroix lease - south blind
Johnny with my son and I plus Harry
Winds 0-10 from N, 70's, partly cloudy

Will hunted the lease the day before and didn't SEE a teal. We tried another blind on the lease today hoping for weekend activity moving them but nothing doing. On what was an awfully still morning for most of the hunt, didn't hear a single shot fired, and we saw but a single group of 8 or 9 birds passing high. Reports from better teal areas were pretty bad, with one local guide that's usually pretty optimistic in his reports calling it the worst teal season he can recall, and didn't even bother to go today, instead reported in while sitting on camp porch hearing zero shooting (Buras area). Another guide closer to us but in better teal-friendly habitat scratched out 9 so that was the highlight of the region as far as we can tell.

DNS

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Good time at the camp with my family regardless, food was great and LSU found a W at home. Have a potential mid-week outing penciled, and also closely watching the Gulf for later in the week action.

[Rick]

Yarch.

[Duck Engr]

May have been discussed here but Alabama dnr sent an email saying 9 day teal season next year due to low population counts

[Rick]

It's my understanding that will be the case, but can't recall where I read it. Know there's a count above which the season is 16 days and below which it's 9 and guess they fell under it.

[Darren]

It's my understanding that will be the case, but can't recall where I read it. Know there's a count above which the season is 16 days and below which it's 9 and guess they fell under it.

Count was 4.6 MM ducks (BW teal), the threshold for keeping 16 days is 4.7 MM ducks. Local outfitter over that way I'll leave unnamed seemed to welcome the prospect of a reduced teal season in 2025 in hopes of purging some of the out-of-state outfitters that have come to town to capitalize on the teal boon we've had for a while.

A buddy had a stellar hunt with Grosse Savanne this morning (SW La) and hearing of others seeing "new birds" so maybe it's headed in right direction for the 2nd half of our teal season. Strap photos I was sent had juveniles and hens mixed in, so, maybe.

[DComeaux]

A buddy had a stellar hunt with Grosse Savanne this morning (SW La) and hearing of others seeing "new birds" so maybe it's headed in right direction for the 2nd half of our teal season. Strap photos I was sent had juveniles and hens mixed in, so, maybe.

Pockets of birds here and there. Here today gone tomorrow.

[Darren]

Wed. 9/25/2024
Delacroix
I joined local outfitter Mike S. and his buddy LJ for a play hunt
Wind mostly zero then eventually north 5-10, mostly clear, 70s

Unlike my end of Delacroix that's salt marsh, Mike hunts some super shallow mostly-fresh stuff about 12 miles due NW from me that's super lush, and been having decent hunts all season so far. Off the bat we had traffic and shot pretty well before it quickly fell off after 7a. We stuck it out until 9:15 or so when we kept guns loaded while Mike went to start gathering decoys, and LJ and I managed to take four from a surprise flock that came in (and gave us a safe chance) despite the guy in the pirogue. Super enjoyable hunt with great company playing on a weekday. Lost 2 long off lively crips the abundant alligators have already gotten to. Ace shooting and we probably get to 18 but we were all more than thrilled with the take. Saw lots of squealers and the mythical teal season "early grays" (families of mottled ducks), great to see so much fowl around in general, even if the teal numbers weren't anything to brag on.

14 BW teal (9 drakes, 5 hens w/ fair many juveniles in the mix)

Not the fastest rig but sure spoiled me with the comfort and convenience

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Mike and his buddy LJ

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Something of a local legend, still at it as if he was much younger, and refused to let me jump in the pirogue. Great to see him still getting after 'em !

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Critical path for this weekend is to get new blind installed on the lease so we're planning for a brief hunt Saturday AM before turning our efforts to construction. We'll be hauling lumber and hunting gear alike out to the marsh Sat morning. Regardless if we kill anything, if we head home Saturday with the new blind in, it was a win.

[Rick]

Glad you got to enjoy a new venue.

[Darren]

They got them pretty good in the same location again today on a nice north wind, pretty easy 18 birds.

[Darren]

Sat 9/28/2024
Delacroix lease
Will, Johnny and I on a too rare occasion where we’re all together, plus Will’s lab Loki
SW wind 0-10, clear skies, very pleasant low 70s

Multi-purpose trip to hunt and install new blind, we converged on the lease each in our own boat to haul everything. Had a few early groups pass plenty near to hear and see us, and all three groups flat ignored us. Heard some shooting in the distance early on but it fizzled before long. Called it at 8:30a to start building after not seeing anything after maybe 7:10a.

DNS


But, upside being it was nice to be together and blind came out sweet inside an existing Roseau patch that no doubt was started by just a few canes used to hide a prior blind there.

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Even did a little corralling and staking of the Roseau we’d pushed back while building in hopes of encouraging it to grow back toward the rails, in theory anyway. We’re all done with the teal, decoys put away, but optimistic for November. Until then, watching tropics….

[DComeaux]

Looking good. I love building and brushing.

[Darren]

Looking good. I love building and brushing.

The prep is a growing part of it all, we all really enjoy all the scheming and prepping. This was our first build inside of an existing roseau patch and that should bring additional sturdiness/storm resistance to the blind given we stake the four corner posts (each with "barbs") deep into the ground, and the root base should help hold it there in event of a big storm surge that makes it want to float.

Added bonus being it'll require minimal brushing in a few weeks to be hunt-ready. Few bushes and extra cane and we're done. In the mean time going to start on a dog stand for it.