September teal season was good tune-up for November

This past Friday, Capt. John Saucier, owner/operator of Sportsman’s Charters in Gueydan, had to leave the duck blind early in order to go settle up with clients from Georgia, who, like us, were hunting teal during the last weekend of the September early season.
The teal season is culturally popular in this part of the state and is usually a tune up for things to come when bigger ducks arrive in November.
We continued to bang away in his absence, eventually getting our four-man limits of six birds each by midmorning. Amazing for day 14 of the 16-day season, but typical of what Saucier’s customers had experienced for much of the season in this part of southwest Louisiana. In fact, the season overall had been nothing short of spectacular for the outfitter.
At Saucier’s lodge, where we gathered after the hunt to eat a late breakfast, is a large dry erase marker board he utilizes to keep track of blind assignments each morning. Updated with our total was a number hard to grasp, 2,357.
Saucier, clearly delighted, said, “It’s been the best season we’ve ever had since I’ve been running the lodge. The most teal I’ve ever heard of taken before this was something around 1,800.”
Just days before the season opener, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists conducted their September aerial survey. The survey estimated 202,000 teal in southwest Louisiana, 16,000 in southeastern Louisiana, and 18,000 on Catahoula Lake for a total of 236,000.
Those numbers were twice the number counted in the 2019 survey and four times the 59,000 estimate conducted in 2018. More importantly, it was 55 percent higher than the most recent 5-year average and slightly higher than the long-term average of 227,000.
One of the things the aerial survey report pointed out was the marsh habitats were greatly impacted by Hurricane Laura. High water, blocked drainages, and vegetation damage from storm surge and salinity were sighted. As a result, few Blue Winged Teal were found in the marsh habitat. Instead, large numbers were counted in the agricultural rice fields around the region.
Just down the road from Sportsman’s Charter, White Lake Conservation Area Biologist Schuyler Dartez reported the teal season being a good one.
Dartez said, “Overall, it was a very good season with tons of birds from start to finish.”
Of the nine hunts held on White Lake Conservation Area, 409 teal were harvested for an average of 4.8 ducks per hunter. And, of those 409, three were Green Winged Teal.
In the southeast the harvest numbers, though much lower, still showed hunters were able to put a few teal in their game bags. On opening day, the hunter participation and harvest summary showed Coastal Wildlife Management Area hunters harvested 2.3 teal per hunter. Atchafalaya Delta WMA hunters averaged 2.7 teal per hunter.
Other good reports from the east came out of Pointe-la-Hache and Myrtle Grove, where according to LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager, they’ve had excellent hunting all season.
The thing about the early September teal season is it is always a harbinger to the upcoming waterfowl season in November. Big numbers of teal with good shoots and easy limits in September always get duck hunters excited about what’s to come.
This year’s teal season has done just that. On social media and message boards there is loads of excitement with many pictures posted of Blue Winged Teal harvested with many saying they can’t wait until the upcoming season.
This week, with the seasonal cool front arriving, one Facebook friend reported and video-recorded several flocks of White-Fronted (speckle belly) geese flying overhead. Nothing gets your waterfowler blood excited more than speckle-bellies on the wing. Particularly, so soon after a good teal season.
The first split of the 2020-21 Coastal Zone Duck and South Zone Goose seasons open Nov. 14. One significant and popular change in bag limit this year — the daily limit for White-Fronted Geese is now three, up one from last year.
With the 2020 September teal season now in the books, waterfowl hunters will have six weeks to get their gear and blinds ready for the big show in November. And, after a great 14-day teal season I “gotta tell ya,” I’m excited.
For those interested in booking a hunt with Sportsman’s Charters in Gueydan you can contact Saucier at 337-912-5966.