It was Saturday on the last weekend of teal season. The alarm clock didn’t have a chance to go off. I was up and ready with anticipation. My guide Kyle, who happens to be my son, had given me reports of good numbers of birds in the flooded rice fields the previous evening. That fact made it easy to get up at 3:30 and head to the marsh. Light winds and a warm morning were on deck. A quick stop at Buc-ee’s for some breakfast tacos and down the highway I headed. I arrived at my son’s house at 5 and was greeted by his dog Goose, who was in the truck with the door open, and with a look of “come on let’s go” on his face. Kyle’s girlfriend Sabrina, with her infectious smile, would also be joining us this morning.
It wasn’t long before we pulled into the barn and loaded up the trailer with the ORV, decoys and guns. My son’s coworkers Wayne and Chris arrived, and we were ready to roll. Chris had a dog named Couchon, pronounced (Kooshon). This would be his first hunt. Arriving at the blind, the sound of chattering teal and excited dogs filled the air under the starry night. In the distance you could see the lights of other outfitters on neighboring properties arriving to their brushy habitats.
It would soon be shooting time, and we were already covered up with the lear jet whistling wings of hundreds of teal. At legal shooting time (6:42), we heard the guns of local outfitters ring in the new day, and it was game on. The action was non stop with mostly smaller groups of birds buzzing our blind and decoys. After going through a lot of shells and laughs at 8am, we had our limit of birds (30). I was amazed at the precision of Kyle’s dog Goose as he retrieved bird after bird. The time he and Kyle have put into training has really payed off as he found birds we would have never found. One retrieve was 75 yards behind the blind in the next rice field behind a levee. It was a blind retrieve and an impressive run. It was equally exciting to watch Couchon (one year old) retrieve his first teal. I truly think that a young dog can learn by watching a more seasoned dog. He seemed to get better as the morning continued. Watching dogs retrieve your ducks adds so much to the experience.
Here is a video of our Saturday hunt:
After a successful hunt on Saturday, we agreed to repeat the process again on the final day of the season Sunday morning. This hunt would be unique in that Chris would bring his son Nick, and this would be his first teal hunt. Wayne would also bring his son Justin, a fireman by trade. This hunt we had more wind, and the birds seemed to decoy better into the wind from right to left. It was a classic setup for some fun shooting. I decided to take my good camera instead of the go pro for some better quality footage. The ducks flew higher early but decoyed better later in the morning. Around 10am we had our limit of 36 birds. The good company of everyone in the blind, the cooperation of hundreds of birds, and the amazing work of the dogs all contributed to an awesome finish to a great weekend of wing shooting. Here is a video of Sunday’s hunt.
What a great way for fathers and sons to bond. Spending time with your son or daughter is a valuable experience we should never take for granted. In today’s society I see far less of this. I truly believe that if dads and moms would spend more time in the outdoors doing things together with their children, they would have less problems in the future.
Our heavenly Father also wants to spend time with you. If you let Him guide you in your earthly efforts, you can achieve heavenly results. I encourage you to get to know Him. Read the Bible, pray and allow Him to come into your life. You will find He will fill every void in your life. Philippians 1:9-10
Thanks for reading my blog and God Bless You!
Tim Lumpkin
Legacy Outdoors 