30 Nebraskaland • August-September 2020
A
s a youngster, I cut my teeth
duck hunting on small marshes
in northwestern Iowa. Before the days
of fancy decoys, acrylic calls, robo
ducks and all the rest of modern-day
technology, I would not sleep just so I
could get to my favorite duck "hole."
It was there that I experienced my
fi rst encounter with this majestic bird
that I would later term the "blue dart."
Although it's been over 40 years since I
harvested, or at least tried to harvest,
my fi rst teal, I can still recall it like it
was yesterday. In early fall of 1977,
my older brother, Tim, dragged me to
places in the dark that I never thought
existed. That morning on opening day,
we set out for what would become our
favorite hole.
They came in bunches, fast and
furious and darting by like mosquitos
on a hot summer night. Before I could
say a word, my brother said "take-em."
I did and missed, and missed again. My
brother loved to joke about that day and
my inadequate shooting. I was neither
prepared nor experienced in the art of
teal hunting, but I knew from that day
forward that besides the mallard duck,
they would be my favorite pursuit.
I've hunted teal on small marshes,
large reservoirs and river systems.
Here are some tips for stepping up your
game when going after teal.
Find Vegetation and
You Will Find Teal
You don't need much water to fi nd
teal. They thrive in fl ooded grass and
marshland where food and resting
spots are plentiful. Spend a day or two
scouting in late August before the teal
season opens and you're likely to fi nd
birds. The Rainwater Basin wetlands
scattered throughout Nebraska provide
wonderful teal hunting opportunities.
Although teal prefer marshes, they will
also frequent river systems that have
vegetation.
Take a Kid With You
Teal are the perfect education tool
for the young hunter. The weather is
nice and they tend to decoy almost to
perfection with little to no expertise.
And since the majority of teal are done
moving an hour or two after sunrise,
there is no time for the youngster to
get bored. Bring plenty of shells and
mosquito repellent, though. Fighting
IN PURSUIT OF THE
BLUE DART
STORY BY TODD MILLS
PHOTOS BY DOUG STEINKE
OPPOSITE: Blake Steinke makes a mid-hunt move to a better location in
Hamilton County.
