Good teal hunt this morning.

[MCgunner]

Well, good for me anyway. I limbered up the old Mossberg this morning. I'm going to have to take my son-in-law to the range. He ain't doin' something right, not sure what. He ain't hit squat.

So, got out there, had to take a spot that was a long hike across the slough in knee deep water and boggy mud. Wish I'd taken my kayak. I will, next time, if Brandon ain't along, just in case I have to take that spot. I can't gripe, though, lots of birds there.

Well, it started slow. All the birds were coming down the slough in such a way as to bypass us. Lots of shooting from other spots. After sun up, though, when I'd about decided it was hopeless, I started seeing big groups of blue wings and they were responding to the call. Conclusion is there's been a bunch of fresh birds come down with that front last week.

I shot out at around 8:30, but Brandon ain't hit squat, yet! Actually, my last bird....s, a group of three came in and as two crossed, I fired on one and hit the other, too, a two for one. That one I called Brandon's. So, he got one bird. I called several bunches over after that, but Brandon couldn't connect. I think it's time for some range work. :banghead: I'm going to get him out there and work with him with some clays, though he don't know it, yet. I don't think he's swinging, think he's trying to point shoot, theory, anyway.

So, well, we came in with 5. Actually, one I put down kinda far out in the slough Brandon went after, a cripple. It was a long shot, about 45 or so yards. It was flapping and Brandon was about 20 yards from it when a gator came up and ate it. He says, "DANG, I think a gator ate it! It was big and green!" ROFL! I told him to get his butt to shore if he didn't wanna be next. That's why we left the dog at home, right there. There's been a few labs ate out there over the years.

Anyway, it was a fun hunt and Brandon's first taste of ducks. He was raving about how much harder teal were to hit than doves. Well, they're out there, they're hauling butt, and dodging and darting. He just needs some practice on clays, though, I think.

We got back to Brandon's house and he let Ruger (the dog) loose. Ruger kept jumping in my van wanting to go hunting. I think he was a little POed we didn't take him, but he'll get over it.

 

[interlock]

mcgunner, have you got some pictures of where you go teal shooting?

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Sounds like a good day to me.

I've found teal to be a bit harder to hit, more than all the rest of em.

 

[MCgunner]

mcgunner, have you got some pictures of where you go teal shooting?

Ya know, I've been hunting out there for 25 years and don't have a pic. I guess I never think about it and being marsh, I don't wanna carry cameras or electronics with me when hunting.

I can sorta describe it, tall Spartina spartinae (gulf cord grass) and assorted salt tolerant marsh reeds and rushes and pot holes here and there. It's the delta system of the Guadalupe River and bordered by the upper bay system of San Antonio bay. On the TPW site http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/wma/find_a_wma/list/?id=37 THIS is where I we were yesterday morning and where I usually hunt, though I've hunted tidelands, wildlife management areas, and national wildlife refuges where legal up and down the Texas coast from south of Corpus Christi to near Galveston. I know the pothole where this picture was taken and have hunted it many times. That blind is no longer there, was there when the state and ducks unlimited bought the place from the previous land owner in the early 80s. Eventually, they tore it down, but I did quite a few excellent hunts out of that blind.