Experimental Teal Season

About 40 years ago, when I lived in Ohio, the FWS decided to have a 10 day season for Teal. 4 bird limit for 10 days in September. It was to sort of test the waters and see if it hurt the Teal population and to see if hunters would be honest and not just shoot up the Wood Ducks. I guess it all worked out well because now they have Teal seasons all over the country.

My Dad had been selected in the blind drawing at Indian Lake. He and all his cronies plus myself and my friend Craig Wallace headed up to the lake the first Saturday of the Teal season to hunt a little and build our blind.

Dad took the motor boat with all his friends and headed off to Bear Wallow, a large marsh at the north end of the lake. That left Craig and I to row the 'Gizmo' out to Blackbird Basin to try for some Teal. Craig and I really gunned them down. We had our 8 birds in little or no time. We took them back to the cottage, grabbed another box of shells and headed back out. We didn't get another limit, but shot a few more birds before it was time to quit and go work on our blind.

Back at the cottage all Dad's friends were out on the dock waiting on us. They hadn't seen a single duck and were very jealous of our success. For a couple of 15 year old kids we were feeling pretty fine. We told them of our hunting and shooting prowess at great length. Finally Dad said it was time to go to work so we loaded up our lumber and set out. Normally it was hard for Dad to get his buddies to do much work, but with the promise of us taking them to our 'secret spot' they all turned to and we got the blind built and grassed in just a couple hours.

Back at the cottage they all opted for a nap, but Craig and I went out and just rowed around and shot 3-4 more birds. That really had the derelicts talking to themselves. So about an hour before sunset we all headed out for an evening shoot. Dad again took the motor boat and they headed around the back side of the Basin and set up in a really good pothole. Craig and I just rowed up into the reeds out in the middle of the marsh. I thought they would really put it on us that evening.

For some reason the Teal all flew by us and left them with nothing but a squirrel to show for their efforts. Craig and I finished the day with 26 Teal between us. I know we both had swelled heads about our duck shooting, and it still feels pretty good when I think of it. Two kids with a couple boxes of reloads and an old steel rowboat had put the quietas on them.