Migration Alert: Mixed Results for Louisiana’s Early Teal Hunters

Louisiana’s statewide early teal season opened on Saturday, September 14. In the preceding weeks, conditions across the state were much better than what hunters faced last year when the area was suffering extensive drought. With no prior tropical activity and sufficient rainfall, hunters’ expectations were high.

However, in the few days before the opener, Hurricane Francine unexpectedly formed in the western Gulf of Mexico. Beginning only as a tropical storm on the morning of Tuesday, September 10, it quickly intensified over the warm Gulf waters and became a Category 2 storm. Francine slammed into Terrebonne Parish on the central coast Wednesday afternoon. Localized flooding, wind damage, and several inches of rain affected many locations in the state.

Due to the weather conditions, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) cancelled the aerial waterfowl survey scheduled for that week. “We only got one day of flying in, and it didn’t cover enough ground to generate an estimate. We have no plans to continue surveying during the September season. We will be back at it the week before the West Zone opener,” says Jason Olszak, LDWF waterfowl manager.

Due to hurricane-related issues, many hunters found themselves with no electricity and clean-up tasks and were unable to make the teal opener. Those that did went in without the benefit of the Louisiana survey. However, while the 2024 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey released in late August showed a 5 percent increase in total ducks over 2023 estimates, blue-winged teal, which make up the majority of Louisiana’s teal harvest, were down 12 percent.

Brian Windsor hunts coastal Louisiana on the west side of the state. “We hunted until 8:30 on opening morning and got three birds, which was more than expected. We were dealing with super high water and a bunch of high-flying teal. All in all, a great morning and much better than the drought conditions and bone-dry marsh we experienced last year,” he reports.

Also hunting in southwestern Louisiana, Steve Stroderd has put in more time chasing teal this season. “I’ve hunted the Creole area nearly every day this season. Overall, the first week was spotty, considering the habitat conditions we have. I feel we lost a bunch of birds with the front and the big moon as the season was about to open. The second Saturday, things picked up again for both marsh and fields. Lots of new birds showed up,” he says.

Over to the east, in the Delacroix area, Captain Scott Dennis with Fanny’s Family Guide Service has been busy chasing alligators in the marsh, and teal sightings have been slim. “I haven’t made any teal hunts myself. Some friends have had some decent hunts. The marsh looks good. There is still some grass, but not as much as three to four years ago,” he notes.

To the north, Jon Despino and crew with Shell-Shocked Guide Service in the Catahoula Lake area filled straps with bluewings on opening day. “We had some fog on opening morning that delayed things a bit, but once it cleared, we had some great shooting,” he says.

A little weary from Francine, Louisiana will dodge what is expected to be another major hurricane aimed at Florida’s Big Bend area in the coming days. Much of Louisiana is expected to only experience some higher sustained winds. Some southeastern coastal areas may experience above-average tides, which could make water levels less than ideal for coastal marsh teal hunting. However, the final weekend’s weather should be pleasant with a slight feel of fall.