Missouri Teal Opener

[BilletHead]

Been watching a few. Started seeing them for the last four days in our area. So Mrs. BilletHead and I hit one of the ponds where they had been working. Got set up early and of course the birds had been roosting there and as we set up in the dark they were buzzzing over us. Four landed before shooting hours. Soon they left. A little after 7:00 a shoveler came in and we got to wach him. At 7:30 a trio of bluewings came in and we got them all.

The Mrs. and the first three.

Then more until our limit was met.

The final of the day plus three big puff balls to add to the pot. Cleaned the bunch and had teal, puff ball and garden peppers for dinner. Good eats for sure. Ah yes a glass of Zinfandal to wash it all down. I know some of my friends don't like the tailgate shot of the harvest but hey it looks good,

BilletHead

[Feathers and Fins]

sweeeet, looks like you have some great fixens for tonight.

[BilletHead]

The above is resting in my belly right now and I am so satisfied and content. The content part my be the extra large glass of zin speaking out. BilletHead is soooo relaxed

[moodyfour]

The opener wasn't as good as I expected with the front that came through Friday night. But did see three groups, poor shooting on the first group but the other two came in at the same time and shot much better on those. 4 hunters=10 teal. Not bad, but not great. Will dine on some of these tasty buddies later I am sure.

[Bird Watcher]

Good Job Marty. That pond with the Mrs. looks great. Looks like the rain helped the grass and the water level.

[BilletHead]

. Chris yes the rain helped a bit but still not enough. All the rain we finally got only added tow to three inches to all the water we had left. We need a gully washer for some run off . This is the mud hole where the old man with the skinny dogs live.

it was pumped dry many moons ago and really it had grass all over but still some mud. I had the decoys in two inches of water. You should of seen the shoveler land he was not expecting the shallowness and he about did an endo over his beak. Funny as heck. Today we got seven at the pig barn lake and it was messy bad. Low also. Mike has a electric fence around it and the corn and has turned cattle in it. Muck and cow poop all over the edges. On a good note when it does fill there will be to foot or more of grass and weeds along the edges and there will be fourty to fifty yards deep from where it is now to the pond bank . Action was tremendous early. We had a mix of shovelers and teal a half hour before shooting time land out front. Tight they were and we just waited them out. At sunrise there was only one away from the big ducks. We popped up and got him. No shots on the others or we would of killed the wrong thing. I cannot believe the big ducks here right now. Got a couple more and then when picking up three pintails tried to land, What the heck? One finally did and we were standing out of the layout blinds. Off they went and started going round and round over the corn, then they went down. I told the Mrs. I got to see if there is a mud hole in the field. No water but the three ducks were going down one of the rows not paying any attention to me eating. I got to within 50 yards and then up they went, flew a ways and back down. I went back and we started picking up and as we left they went down on the lake. Someday I will get a duck over a field, maybe this will be the year? We jumped a small pond on the way home and this made seven for the morning. Four of which were greenwing, three bluewing. Last year we had nothing around and this all kinds. Who knows tomorrow maybe nothing. I know I will try if I can get out of bed in the morning. Kind of over did it even with the Mrs. helping.

BilletHead

[Clayton Bass]

I had to be the best man in a wedding saturday. The groom and I slipped out that morning and shot 2 teal each and made it back before anyone else woke up to start setting up.