Iowa’s 16-day statewide teal-only hunting season begins September 1 and all indicators are pointing towards hunters having a good year in Iowa.
“We likely had good production on our marshes this spring. Currently wetland conditions vary across the state with many areas drier than recent years. This is not necessarily bad because teal often select shallow water and mud flats which should be abundant this year. But it is very important that hunters scout prior to hunting,” said Orrin Jones, state waterfowl biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Teal are an abundant species that is lightly harvested. They are a fun species to hunt because they decoy fairly easily and often will make a few passes over the marsh, which makes it a good season to bring a young or novice hunter along.”
Part of the attraction to teal hunting, in addition to more comfortable weather, is that hunters don’t need a lot of gear to have an enjoyable hunt – just a dozen or two decoys, camouflage to blend in with the background and boots or waders (or a dog) to get any downed birds.
Jones suggested hunters prepare for the season by going through their equipment and replacing any that’s worn out or broken and spend some time scouting the areas they plan to hunt.
“Scouting is an important part of waterfowl hunting. Finding shallow wetlands with vegetation is a key to success. It’s tough to predict when the birds are going to push through but hunting a wetland with water and food will improve the chances to find teal,” he said.
Because this is a teal-only hunting season, properly identifying teal is crucial.
“Set up in a place with good visibility and use the sun to your advantage either over your shoulder or at your back. Look closely to determine if it’s a teal and if you’re unsure, give them a pass – they’ll come around again,” Jones said.
The September teal season is a bonus season that does not count against the number of days available for the regular duck season. It has different shooting hours from regular duck season; shooting hours for teal season begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. Hunters are required to limit their gun to holding no more than three shells and must use nontoxic shot only. The daily bag limit is six teal with a possession limit of 18.
When it comes to actually shooting ducks and geese over water, the action is on the small places – the inland lakes, the ponds and potholes, the floodings and creeks and backwaters. Day in and day out, that’s where the ducks are, and that’s where Chris Smith takes you.
However, each of these places requires a separate technique, alternate decoys spreads and calling concepts, and different gear to use. He tells you how to approach each type of hunting for the weather and conditions. He knows when and when not to call. He describes the skills a good waterfowl dog needs to know for each place, things he’s taught his succession of Labrador retrievers over the years. Buy Now
