Adozen years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave Michigan sportsmen a gift for which I’d been longing for decades – the opportunity to have an early teal season.
I was introduced to September teal hunting in the late ‘70s, when I moved to Mississippi and continued to enjoy it when I relocated to Texas throughout the ‘80s. In both states, the season opened in early September, usually the first full weekend of the month, which gives you an idea of how early teal (especially bluewings, which winter as far south as Peru) get out of the north country.
When I moved back to Michigan (in 1989), I decided to campaign for such a season here.
For several years, I’d call a federal wildlife official and plead the case. And his answer was always that waterfowlers in “production states” were not adept enough to identify teal from other waterfowl.
Ron Levitan, (lt), and Joe Robison show off their morning success of early season teal.
Michigan had enjoyed an early teal season for four years in the late ‘60s, but in 1970, when North American teal populations plummeted, the early teal season was canceled.
I argued with the feds, that the situation had changed dramatically, that the number of Michigan waterfowlers had declined significantly since then, partially because many dropped out when steel shot became mandatory, and the remaining duck hunters were a different breed than duck hunters of the 1960s, more knowledgeable and more dedicated. My argument fell on deaf ears. Finally, I gave up.
But not everyone did. The late Dr. David Luukkonen, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources research biologist, in conjunction with colleagues from Iowa and Wisconsin, pressed the case. The feds relented, allowing a three-year experimental season, which required the DNR to study it (by using spy blinds and checking up on hunters) to document hunter behavior. Because hunters were generally not shooting at non-target species, the season became operational and we’ve had it since.
It’s been my opening-day ritual since 2014. I hunt with Joe Robison – with whom I’ve been hunting for waterfowl (and other things) for more than two decades – the southeast Michigan biologist, who, among other things, is in charge of the managed waterfowl areas in most of the state. He’s among the best, most knowledgeable waterfowl hunters I know.
Some years we have excellent hunting, when the teal are so numerous, it reminds you of dove shooting. Some years it’s nada (though goose season also opens on Sept. 1, so we usually get some shooting). It all depends upon the weather. Teal — mostly blue-winged, but some green-winged as well – are the earliest migrating waterfowl, beginning in August. I remember one year, two days before the opener, Robison told me he had five different places scouted (in Lake Erie marshes) that had between 50 and 150 teal in them. By Sept. 1, they were all gone.
“That’s what happens when the temperature gets down in the 40s overnight,” he said.
But I remember another year (2020, I think) when we hit it perfectly and our four-man party all killed our limits (six apiece) in less than two hours. I remember it well as I killed a triple that morning, which is not something that happens for me very often.
“You never know what you’re going to have,” Robison said. “But it’s a great time to get out there, get your dogs out there, get them freshened up. It’s a great time to train a puppy – warm weather, shallow water.”
The key, Robison said, is finding the right habitat. Teal like shallow water – mud flats or wetlands with only inches of water in them. If you’ve got more than a couple of feet of cord on your decoy anchors, you’ve got more than you need for teal hunting.
Teal are small, fast-flying ducks that often come in low over the water. You don’t often see them drop into the decoys from the heavens. More often than not, they’re suddenly right there, zipping over the dekes like fighter jets coming to an aircraft carrier to land. You snooze, you lose.
We’ve got a nine-day season this year (it’s been 16 in recent years) because the teal population is down. But that’s enough to warm up your shooting eye before the other bird seasons open and it eases the pain of not having a dove season, which, of course, is ridiculous.
Were it not for the corresponding opening day of goose season, I’d shoot an open-choked 20 gauge with No. 6 or 7 shot, but because of the possibility of some goose shooting, I stay with the 12 gauge and keep a handful of No. 2 or larger shotshells in my pocket. Generally, you can see the geese coming and have enough time to swap out shells before they get there.
If you don’t have proper habitat for teal where you duck hunt, most of Michigan’s managed waterfowl areas are good bets. The managers in those areas don’t start raising water levels until later in the month. Little potholes in otherwise wet meadows are perfect, especially if they’re grown up in smart weed or other seed-bearing plants.
“Harsens Island had a pretty good year two years ago, but last year was pretty much a bust for everyone,” Robison said. “The teal begin migrating in August and last year they were here in August, but by September all the teal were gone.”
Early season is not like most waterfowling experiences. It’s not all that unusual for the thermometer to hit 90. If you’re wearing insulated neoprene waders, you’re setting yourself up for heat stroke. Think sunscreen and bug dope. And have a good time.
