TEAL HUNTING TIPS

from 2020 Christian Waterfowler Magazine - Fall Issue

ANXIOUS PREPARATION

BY ANTHONY WADE SMITH

Insert jet sounds! You know...Jet sounds, like when a jet screams by at mach 1. Do you get where I’m coming from? It’s the sound you hear coming, and you nearly break your neck as it zooms by....that’s the sound.

God’s creation is amazing. So amazing that he created something the wise men of this world tried to duplicate in a jet sound. The sound of a Green-winged Teal coming into a spread of decoys in the early morning hours sounds just like those jets you imagined. God created this little creature called a Teal; who’s power, size, and speed have amazed many men. There are over 20 species of Teal world-wide. Here in the U.S., we mainly harvest 3 species, each unique and amazing on its own. The three species consist of: the Cinnamon Teal, the Greenwinged Teal, and the Blue-winged Teal.

Teals are amazing creatures, but when I think of Teal Season, I have a mixture of emotions. In Tennessee, we are able to hunt Teal and Wood Ducks during the first 4-5 days of the early season. We hunt mostly public ground so finding these waterfowl and working for these waterfowl doesn’t start a few days before the opening day. It starts weeks and months ahead.

In our house we live and breathe the outdoors. We build calls, build blinds and speak at seminars on waterfowl and deer hunting throughout the year. We also work for companies who sell hunting products. We scout! Opening day is like a holiday for us, so we prepare. So how do we scout you ask? He are a few high tech tips to finding those mini jets this Teal Season.

TIP 1

One of the new ways to scout are by drone. If you comply with local, state, and federal laws when it comes to UAV operation you can use them for scouting purposes. Some areas may also require authorized clearance. Please check the laws of your area before attempting to scout for any wild game. If you are able to scout by drone, here are some tips for to help you make the most of your scout. 1) Know your limits and always use a visual observer. This is a person who is monitoring the drone in case of an issue. Never lose visual site of the drone. 2) Don’t disturb the waterfowl; use the quietest props available for your drone and check with your drone/UAV manufacturer to find the right quiet props. 3) Stay high and move slow - there are a lot of times where you can spot waterfowl when reviewing your footage later

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

that you did not see while in flight. A good distance is 300’-400’which will help in not spooking the wildlife. 4) Don’t just look for just waterfowl, look for potential hunting spots and food. Learn what duck weed/smart grasses look like from the air and find the feed; then you’ll find the ducks.

TIP 2

A second tip for scouting is to not forget that there are other things that fly. Always remember your camo face mask and mosquito repellant, especially if you are hunting in the South. One tip for fighting off the mosquitoes is to move out somewhere off the island or land. Most large congregations of mosquitoes will be found on or around land. If you can hunt 10-20 yards off the island or land, the threat of mosquitoes will not be as large. There will still be mosquitoes but hopefully not as bad.

TIP 3

Third, decoys are not always necessary and trail cameras are beneficial in scouting. If they have feed and you know you’re on the mark, you will not always need decoys. They are going to come there and know it. Timing and location are what matter in this tip. Using a trail camera can be an essential part of food or rest area scouting. Not only can it tell you when the birds are working the area, how many birds, and what part they are feeding in. It can also tell you if they are still there or if they have moved. Some tips for using trail cameras for hunting early season. 1) Mount cameras 10-12ft or higher in a tree overlooking a field hole or resting hole. This will keep it out of reach of most people who would want to steal it. 2) Don’t forget to turn on time lapse mode if your camera offers it. On most cameras that offer this mode, it takes an intermittent picture at a set time

when motion is not detected. 3) Go cellular if you can afford it and setup a cellular or WiFi trail camera. This will help you keep the scouting location updated in real time. There are also new universal cellular adapters that turn your non-cellular trail cam into a cellular device. This a convenience but does save time especially remotely receiving the information. Once you have all of these checked off, decoys may not be as necessary. Especially if you need a quick shoot before or after work or school.

TIP 4

Fourth tip: Motion! I don’t think I could write a waterfowl hunting article with writing something about motion. It’s that important when decoying waterfowl. When hunting with decoys in early Teal Season, my spread normally consists of a large jerk spread of 4 to 8 decoys on the jerk and 2-3 spinning wing decoys.

I hope these tips can help you enjoy hunting the amazing creature that is the teal. Spend some time in the great outdoors and implement these tips to help your teal hunting be an amazing experience.