Just How Smart Are Teal Hunters?

[BilletHead]

I know one thing I am just a little smarter than one teal, not much but a little.

I knew where a bunch of teal were as photos show in my previous thread but cannot and will not fight a bunch of people on public ground especially where this season like last there is limited water for hunters and birds. Saturday morning the Mrs. and I hit a large irrigation lake and got to watch the sunrise together with out any birds seen. No problem quality time with the wife! Sunday morning found us up early for a drive to the public ground to see what pressure was going on day two. Found five trucks on two access points plus an empty game warden truck at five minutes before legal shooting hours. We waited and at LST Sunday 6:53 AM we were there to hear some gunshots. Could see birds with binoculars buzzing around. Seen what I wanted to see there, pressure and a bunch of it as I expected. Then we drove to another area. No hunters that morning but evidence there had been the day before by the trash laying around. Did see three birds there in the marsh and then another fifteen or so dump in on them. Cool I thought. Not much there but a plan started to unfold. Now this morning up early and off the launching pad I go. Got to where I wanted to go, unloaded the kayak. Slid it down the bank and began to load some gear. As I shove off another truck drove by. Plenty of time to set up. paddle to the spot of yesterdays bird landing and set up. No good place to make a hide but I had on a leafy bug proof top and set up beside a bush in the water that had some leaves on it. paddle the kayak away from the hide and proceed to stumble to the set up. Get set down and wondered how close to shooting time it was. Crapola no phone in pocket. Back to the kayak and paddle back to the truck. Get the phone, alright several minutes until sunrise and shooting time at 6:54 this morning at my location. I walk closer to see a teal in the decoys. I keep going and the little bluewing keeps one eye on me and the other eye on his new found plastic friends. I get as close as five yards of the bird as I set down again. Look at the phone, three minutes to go time. Pull the mesh hood over my head and face. Teal gets nervous and starts swimming away. Then from the heat and moisture my glasses fog up. Cant see the teal any more. Pull glasses down on nose and peek over them, bird there farther out. Look at phone, two more minutes. Hold phone and watch the time and the bird. When time hit I stood up, put phone on seat as bird took off. He is a bit far and I shoot once. Miss! Shoot again, Miss but third time was the charm and he went down. Yes I know three shots? Yep it was three so I reload and proceed to get my prize. Then he decided to swim away and he could swim faster than I can stumble sooooooo a fourth shot put us both out of our misery. May try again in a couple of days.

The hide,

The set up,

The hard earned gift,

BilletHead

[Feathers and Fins]

Nice morning no matter what... But to answer the question. NOT VERY! We get up early to sit in the marsh in the heat of summer with every biting critter out to get us sweating our privates off and then if that aint bad enough we are trying to shoot one of the hardest game birds to hit. Yup we loose our mind and sanity and I blame it all on withdrawls from the season before!

[Bird Watcher]

Good job Marty. You get an A for effort. At least you didn't get skunked. I think that public area is going to hunt pretty tough this year. What do you think? Did the flooding wipe out the crops?

[BilletHead]

Yes Chris all the low stuff was under the water too long. A couple of weeks ago it smelled so sour it would turn your stomach. Smartweed and native plants with seeds look good. Planted crops are a bust. Some high stuff might be ok but not sure how high they pump those spots?

BilletHead

[Bird Watcher]

I really think that is going to impact the duck hunting around you this year. I think it's either going to make it really good - the ducks have to disperse out into the countryside, or really bad-the ducks never really build big numbers in the area without the refuge full of corn. We'll see I guess.

They will fly a long way for food each day. I know that. Those ducks that we hunted last year down by G.C., a friend of mine followed them to that field from the Little Sac arm of Stockton Lake in a plane one afternoon so maybe they will still use the refuge since they are imprinted on the area, but disperse more to feed.

Who knows, it might not amount to anything. It will just be different, that's for sure.

[Flysmallie]

Maybe we should get you one of these.

[BilletHead]

That would work Ronnie but I could only use it if it had a plug to limit my shells. Chris I wonder the same thing as I pondered what I was really looking at while hunting this morning. I know one thing is if they do what you took me to experience late last season and want company again you know where to find me

BilletHead

[BilletHead]

He scores again!

But I won't try this again in this place. OK finally went to where I had seen all the birds a couple of days before season. That day I was able to paddle the kayak all the way back to the honey hole. This place had been hit pretty hard by others. One word evaporation. Able to paddle this morning about 2/3 of the way. Should of turned around. I will be paying for my mistake. Had to pull part of the way. Pulling not too hard but walking in the mud was. Got to where I wanted to go and got set up, again glasses fogged up. Seen two rather large flocks of teal. Sky high one bunch going North and the other West. A flock of eight big ducks and numerous woodies. At least five other hunters besides me. One shot taken by all and it was me with one teal. A single came right in. You heard it here BilletHead only had to shoot one shell. A guy could of had a heyday on snipe, they were everywhere a few rail too. Only one skeeter tried to bite and one cotton picking horsefly got me on the ankle at the truck. When driving off you could hear the big black horseflies pinging off the truck as they attacked it.

These two guys had to drag their rig more than I. I had to ask the young buck to help me load the kayak, like I said I over did it and will not try this again.At one time I watched these fellows trying to get to there set up. One was in the boat running the motor and the other was trying to drag him. Teal hunters are sometimes not too smart. That was me this morning and it fit me well,

My bird and todays transportation to the marsh,

BilletHead

[Bird Watcher]

Marsh Monster! Way to Go. That guy has a look on his face like he knows that you know that he knows that this was a bad idea:) The guy in the back looks like he is saying $&%^&* heavy $%& layout out boat and mud motor!

[Feathers and Fins]

Nice pictures as usual Marty, What camera are you using?

And here is something to ponder. I am at 8.25 teal. Figure that math out lol.