Parker 20ga and lab. Best teal hunt I've had.

[David Borrowman]

I've been duck hunting about 10 years and have never been on a good teal hunt. Buggy, hot, and not a thing in the sky is usually the norm. I guess my GH brought me some luck this year. I set up in some shallow water where I had flushed some birds scouting the night before and by shooting light there were 100 birds on the water in front of me, some as close as 10ft. The dog was about to flip her lid, and I was holding her tail and quietly begging her not to break. I stood up, and after yelling 3 times they finally flushed. Three birds fell with the first shot (7/8 oz #5 HS classic doubles), so I held off on the second, as the limit is 4 in Missouri. One of the birds on the water got back up and I missed it twice as it flew away. The dog had an easy retrieve and then had to hunt about 5 min in the smartweeds to find the second. I took one bird each out of the next two groups to come in with 1 shot each, and was well pleased with the Parker. We hit the same spot the next morning, and didn't see a teal. However, the dog did bring me a live teal with a broken wing while I was throwing out decoys. It was either the bird I missed, or another bird that fell that I didn't see. I've been to the same area three more times and it has been, well....buggy, hot, and not a thing in the sky.

[Opening Day]

Ok Dave but where are the pictures...... Oh and by the way that sounds like a great day....

[Hammer]

Nice story. Sounded like a great day.

Dave

[David Borrowman]

Went out again this morning with two other guys and took 5 birds. Surprisingly one was a green-wing, which is rare for teal season in MO. Great morning, had about 30 drop in on us unannounced from over the trees about 10 yds to our right. One of the guys was on his first duck hunt, and this may have hooked him. Saw another small group, really balled up tight, come in over the trees with a prairie falcon or peregrine hot on their tail. When the falcon was almost on them they all splashed down in the water and the raptor went away empty handed. We were headed out, and they let us walk within 40 yds before they got airborn again. Was one of the more interesting things I've seen in a marsh.


There is no ramp to the shallow end of the oxbow, so you have to shoot the tube!


The teal are still on the water after their brush with the falcon, and the dogs are intrigued.


Some attempts at photography. I am pretty envious of the some of the photographic artists that post on this site.