Resident goose and teal hunting has begun in a number of northern states and dove shooting is underway across most of the nation. The first cold front of the season has brought welcomed relief from the heat and clear end to the dog days of summer. Blue-winged teal are on the move in the upper Mississippi Flyway, with hunters reporting increased activity over the past few days as the cold front has pushed south.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Weather is a funny thing. After a long, almost endless summer of temperatures dancing near the one hundred mark from the far north to the Deep South, the first puff of arctic air could not have arrived at a more perfect time for early season hunters. If you spent the weekend in a layout blind chasing resident geese or sitting on a bucket along the edge of a dove field, the chill on the air surely made it feel like autumn had arrived.
Hunters in the upper Mississippi Flyway are already reporting noticeable increases in blue-winged teal number and the tremendous increase in their population this year couldn’t be more evident than it is at this time. With hunters beginning to report back from their holiday weekend adventures, it has become apparent that excellent habitat conditions in the north really fueled a successful wood duck hatch. Hunters in states that offer an early season on teal only, are reminded to take caution when identifying birds over the decoys, as it is common for both these birds to use the same habitat and even fly in mixed flocks.
The early season provides hunters not only an opportunity for quality hunting but also a much needed gear check prior to the general waterfowl season. While checking decoys, blinds and other gear is common, hunters often over look scrutinizing old ammunition and professional firearm check up. Waterfowler.com would like to encourage our readers to careful sort and properly dispose of old ammunition and have a qualified gunsmith perform a safety inspection and cleaning on your firearm this season. It should come of no surprise to our readers that high-speed, non-toxic waterfowl loads provide a tremendous amount of stress on a firearm. Barrel stress is not uncommon in guns that have provided a number of years great shooting in the duck blind or marsh. While a new gun may not be in the budget during these economic times, barrel replacements are often very affordable and a sound choice for your trusted, old gun.
As we quickly approach the start of he general waterfowl season Waterfowler.com would like to thank our sponsors and members for continuing to make this service possible. We ask our readers to support those who support Waterfowler.com by giving them an opportunity to earn your business. Please visit their websites for more information on their great products and services by clicking on a banner today.
Until next week, be sure to post your state reports and map data as often as possible.
