texas – Gentleman Farmer

Texas Waterfowl Hunting – Early Teal Season

Texas waterfowl season is approaching rapidly. It’s time to start scouting general locations and getting the gear cleaned up and repaired. While the USFWS hasn’t set the final dates for late season waterfowl, the Early Teal Season dates have been set. Time to get ready for some hot mornings, mosquitoes and another season to Texas waterfowl hunting!

Scouting Texas Waterfowl with the Duck Dog

White Brittany and Green Boat Scouting for Texas Waterfowl — Time to Start Scouting for Texas Waterfowl

In my opinion, it’s never too early to take the dog on the duck boat and scout likely locations for Texas waterfowl hunting- especially in parts of the river that I haven’t hunted before. I like my “known locations” and “honey holes” but I also enjoy finding new places and giving them a try. If I can find at least one new waterfowl hunting location each year then the chances of successful hunts increases. ANd who would even consider scouting for new duck hunting locations without taking their duck dog?

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Two Adjacent Areas for Salt Water Texas Waterfowl Hunting

Google Earth Image of an Ideal Spot for Texas Waterfowl Hunting — The Ideal Spot for Texas Waterfowl Hunting

Early teal like salt water estuaries and I like to hunt them there. My experience tells me they tend to like open areas more in the morning and closer, more protected areas for late afternoon hunts. I found a nice little spot that accomplishes both – open areas for the morning and some closed ponds for late afternoon. We’re fortunate with Texas waterfowl hunting to have so many choices.

Ready for the Teal!

Grey Teal Decoys against Dark Blue Storm Clouds while Texas Waterfowl Hunting — Storm Approaching While Texas Waterfowl Hunting

I also like that early teal season doesn’t require a ton of decoys. In Texas waterfowl hunting on the salt water, it seems that about a dozen decoys works just fine to bring in small flocks of tasty birds. I also like that teal decoys are smaller and lighter. That salt water sure eats up a decoy though.

Redneck Texas Waterfowl Hunting Blind

Another cool aspect of hunting early season teal on the Texas Gulf Coast is red neck blinds. Teal don’t always cooperate real well and come to the nice dry wooden blinds. No problem! A couple of palm fronds and some lawn chairs is usually plenty of cover for the fast moving little guys. It also makes it much easier to scout and locate birds in new areas.

Mostly Male Texas Waterfowl Harvested

7 Blue Wing Teal on Green Grass Texas Waterfowl - Early Season Teal — Early Season Teal Harvest of Texas Waterfowl

I just noticed this last year and found some online information that seemed to back it up. Most of the birds harvested during early teal season in Texas waterfowl hunting are males. While their plumage isn’t the best, I do find it very itneresting that most of them are males – very seldom a hen harvested.

Summary of Texas Waterfowl Hunting – Early Teal Season

Texas waterfowl hunting season is almost upon us. Early Teal season starts in less than a month and it’s time to start getting ready – stock up on mosquito spray! I love scouting new likely locations with my duck dog – even though there aren’t any birds yet I can always identify likely locations to give a try. Texas Gulf Cost water fowl hunting is also a blast as it provides a variety of open and closed areas for different waterfowl preferences. Building new blinds or using last year’s blinds isn’t necessary with early teal season – just use a redneck blind! Most birds harvested in early teal season are males – seldom a hen to be seen – which is fine. It’s really tough to tell drakes from hens on teal when they swoop in early in the morning and I really dislike harvesting hens.

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Summer Practice for Quail Hunting in Texas

Summer doldrums – time for some practice for quail hunting in Texas. My dog is a naturally bred pointer but those pointing dogs can also develop some nasty and unsafe habits if they aren’t trained on a regular basis. Particularly, breaking from steady to wing and steady to shot…read more

A Bird Launcher to Practice Quail Hunting in Texas

: Bird Launcher for Training Quail Hunting in Texas

A bird launcher looked to be a very good tool for training the dog to be steady to wing and shot. My dog trainer used it very successfully…read more

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Pigeons are Not a Texas Pheasant Hunt

: Pigeons for Practicing Texas Pheasant Hunting

I don’t have a ready source of quail in the Spring and Summer so I had to go find some pigeons. I don’t have any access to pheasants either and I do enjoy a Texas pheasant hunt…read more

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Practice for Texas Bird Hunting

: Pigeon Training for Texas Bird Hunting

Pigeons are big birds and my dog really got excited about the idea. It was actually great training…read more

Launching Practice Birds for Quail Hunting in Texas

: Launching Pigeons for Practice Quail Hunting in Texas

I loaded a single pigeon in the trap and set it. I then hunted the dog around the area until she went on point. Once she went on point, I released the bird and corrected her if she broke from point when the bird launched. It only took once to remind the dog what the program was. Following that, I used a starter pistol with blanks to mimic shooting at the bird. Again, she only broke once with a reminder before she remembered that part of the game as well. On all subsequent birds, she did her job when it was evident to her that I had missed again – she stayed on point and then looked back at me with a disgusted look on her face as I missed yet again. Nevertheless, it was good training as an occasional reminder during the Summer to keep her memory fresh about the rules of the game of quail hunting in Texas.

Summary of Summer Practice for Quail Hunting in Texas

There is a long dry stretch between the seasons for quail hunting in Texas and a dog’s memory regarding the rules of the game – steady to wing and steady to shot – can get a little rusty since our last time Texas bird hunting. I purchased a bird launcher and a few pigeons to give a try at some backyard training for a Texas pheasant hunt. The training went well – although I wouldn’t do it often as it was labor intensive – and the dog’s memory was successfully refreshed and she’s ready again for another season of quail hunting in Texas.

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Summer Preparation for Duck Hunting in Texas

Duck hunting in Texas is right around the corner. Early Teal Season in September is the start of duck hunting in Texas each year. OK, it’s a ways around the corner, but still around the corner. Actually, we’re still waiting for the season dates to be set for duck hunting in Texas. Summer is a great time to get everything prepared and tested prior to starting the season. Texas duck hunting early Teal season starts in about 90 days which should be plenty of time to get my equipment repaired, replaced and checked. My list or things to do to prepare for duck hunting is Texas is pretty long so I have my work cut out for me.

The Work Begins for a New Season of Texas Duck Hunting

Summer Preparation with Brown and White Boxes of Decoys for a Texas Duck Hunt — Summer Preparation for a Texas Duck Hunt

I lost quite a few decoys last year when I was duck hunting in Texas. I hunted mainly in the rivers on the shallow, swift places and the current dragged some of my decoys downstream too far to retrieve. I can’t help but imagine that there is a place where the river dumps into the Gulf that has huge rafts of lost decoys from other guys losing them while they were duck hunting in Texas. I watched the online sales and coupons and when the time was right, I pounced – sort of like another kind of Texas duck hunting, only decoys this time!

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New Decoys for Duck Hunting in Texas

I prefer 2 basic set types when I’m duck hunting in Texas. I like a good sized spread of only teal (blue wings for me) for early teal season. During the full season, I’ve really come to like the mix in the puddler pack of gadwalls, pintails and widgeon – exactly the most popular ducks we see during Texas duck hunting. I also really prefer the Greenhead Gear brand because of their combination of light weight, keel weight distribution, life likeness and price when I can catch them on sale with a coupon.

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Texas Rigs for Duck Decoys on a Texas Duck Hunt

Grey Lead Weights and Clear Poly Line for Texas Rigs for Texas Duck Hunting — Texas Rigs for Texas Duck Hunting

I’m also a big fan of the Texas Rig for my decoys that I use for duck hunting in Texas. The Texas rig makes it very easy to pick and manage a dozen or more decoys. I also like that I can string them with a clip or wrap them for the times I have to backpack into a hole with my decoys in a sack. Yeah, I know I could make the Texas rigs myself but it’s just as easy to buy them ready built from Mojo.

Summary of Summer Preparation for Duck Hunting in Texas

The season for duck hunting in Texas is coming soon and I have a long list of things to do to be prepared. First on my list is repair and replacement of my decoys. I’ve been watching for sales and coupons and that has paid off. Another kind of Texas duck hunting you might say. I’m a big fan of Greenhead Gear and Mojo Texas Rigs. When the boxes arrived in the mail, I just left them boxed in my living room near my chair. It makes me smile every time I walk by as I think about my next adventure duck hunting in Texas.

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