The teal migration is finally underway. The recent cold front that passed through the prairies ignited a flurry of migration activity, with record numbers of teal being recorded by the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) team.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
As we count down to the regular season openers, early season teal hunters have a reason to celebrate as duck numbers along the Mississippi river survey area tip the scales at 258% above the long term average.
While teal have taken the spotlight, early movements of gadwall, widgeon and ruddy ducks have also been recorded – which will provide some nice mixed bag action for northern hunters when opening day arrives.
Resident goose hunting continues to provide early season action in a number of states and the cooler temperatures have made outings a bit more bearable and productive.
Waterfowler.com reminds our readers that special youth waterfowl hunts are a great way to introduce young hunters into the sport and vital to the long term health of the sport. Make time to extend an invitation to young hunters for these special hunts and prepare for their first day in the field with a pre-hunt day of sporting clays and firearm safety instruction.
While the early cold front has truly provided some of the best early season shooting in years, we remind our readers that El Nino weather patters are likely to delay the major migration activity this season, so plan accordingly.
Until our next update – hunt safe and hunt often.
