Teal Tips

…teal season is almost here and it appears decent numbers of these small webbed-footed birds are making use of our Nebraska waters…teal hunts can provide some fast-paced action that takes place in some of the most “alive” habitats – even when the shooting is slow there is often still plenty to see and hear…teal season may be just days away but there is still time to get out and join the fun…for the newer teal-chaser here are some thoughts to help you on your way…

* Find the Food:  Teal feed on wetland plants & these (non-diving) ducks are small so they need shallow water areas to feed in…focus your scouting & hunting on the small water and don’t over look a good nearby mud-flat either…

* Avoid the Sunny Side:  Looking into the sun is never fun when trying to connect on a twisting teal…worse yet it can make identification of your target extremely difficult & id is critical during this special hunt  (only blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal may be harvested)…so keep the sun to your back whenever setting up…

* Late can be Great!:  Evening hunts during teal season can be very productive as the birds shuffle around the wetland one last time before the end of shooting hours at sunset…

* Brown it Down:  Most teal (as well as other ducks, too) are still in their eclipse plumage at this time of year, which means they are brown…to help replicate this use mostly hen decoys in your spread…include hen mallards for size as they can be easier to see in areas with lots of vegetation…

* Make Some Motion:  Early season wetlands can be very calm thanks to the still living vegetation found in them – this won’t help your spread of fakes…add some motion with use of  a jerk string, spinning wing decoy or simply kicking your feet in the water…

* Eat & Drink!:  What waterfowl hunt does get even better when you add food?…teal season can mean some warm weather, too – especially when you jump into your neoprene waders…so be sure to have something to cold to drink…  

* Scout Some More:  The length & timing of  the teal season means a good chance that new flights of teal will make their way into your hunting areas – so be sure to scout around for the best locations and new birds…keep an eye on even the smallest of weather fronts coming from the north…

hershy

Trail Cam

…as mentioned last winter I am the proud owner of a trail camera (or two) now and I am putting them to use for some pre-season scouting…I have not learned the best methods of their use quite yet but from time to time get a picture that shows an honest-to-goodness deer on it…this past weekend my son and daughter helped retrieve one of the them and we enjoyed viewing several dozen photos of the farmer’s cows and one picture of a deer – I do believe it is a male…

hershy

Trifecta of 3D's

…just three more weekends sit between us and the start of the archery deer season…if you are like me you still have a few stands to hang, maybe a spot or two left to scout and in need of some last-minute practice with the ol’ bow…thank goodness there are several archery clubs across the state getting ready to host a 3D shoot prior to the Sept 15 opener…my goal is to hit three of them myself here in eastern NE…

August 28 & 29 – Golden Arrow Archery Club (Omaha) – http://www.archeryclub.com/
September 4 & 5 – Big Indian Archers (Wymore) – http://www.bigindianarchers.com/
September 9 & 10 - Nebraska Challeng (Fremont) - http://www.robinhoodarchery.net/Calendar_Announcements.html

…3D’s are wonderful for hunters as they provide some near-to-hunting shot scenarios, using some pretty creative (maybe sneaky) layouts, where you have to make distance judgments in the great outdoors …3D’s are great for the entire archery family, too…

…if only these archery clubs would help me get my stands up…

hershy

Only 4 Months!

…do you realize that there are only 4 shopping months left before Christmas?!…if you haven’t already gotten the outdoor enthusiasts on your list a gift – think about getting them a permit for this fall’s hunting seasons…just don’t hang on to it until December…

hershy

The 'If's' of Dove Hunting

…if things go the way I imagine them - I will be feasting on the grilled, fruits of my dove hunting labor at this time in exactly seven days…but there are a lot of “if’s” that need to be addressed prior to that time – for example:

…if my scouting pays off I will have zeroed in on the location of some dove-concentrating habitat such as a watering, feeding or loafing area – I prefer food in the morning, loafing in the midday and water/food at night…I hope the doves do, too…

…if  the doves are there I  hope they decide to fly when I am ready for them - hidden behind the bush in my camo & not when I am sipping my soda, eating my snack or ridding myself of the morning coffee I drank on the way to the field…

…if they fly in range of my beretta I hope my pre-season practice has been sufficient – the only thing more humbling than trying to connect with a dove, is the next dove…

…if my wingshooting is up-to-par I hope the birds keep flying until I have enough for dinner – usually I am one-box of shells short of a meal…

…if this does all come together I will need more shotgun shells – I hope Leslie brings enough!…

hershy