OUTDOORS

State's teal hunting season off to solid start

Brent St.. Germain Sports Editor
The 16-day teal hunting season, which started Sept. 15 and ends at sunset Sept. 30, saw the numbers of ducks bagged increase at the five coastal wildlife management areas -- Pointe-aux-Chenes, Atchafalaya Delta, Pass a Loutre, Salvador/Timken and Biloxi. {Submitted]

From all indications, the teal hunting season is off to a great start in the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' Wildlife Management Areas.

The 16-day teal hunting season, which started Sept. 15 and ends at sunset Sept. 30, saw the numbers of ducks bagged increase at the five coastal wildlife management areas -- Pointe-aux-Chenes, Atchafalaya Delta, Pass a Loutre, Salvador/Timken and Biloxi.

After the 2016 opening day produced only 0.1 ducks per hunter, the numbers jumped to 1.5 teal per hunter during Friday's first day. It was the best opening day since 2012. The numbers were based on bag check by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

According to the Wildlife and Fisheries website, the daily bag limit is six with the possession limit 18. The season is for blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal.

The Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area, located in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes, produced some of the best numbers as an estimated 190 hunters shot 316 teal for an average of 1.7 per hunter. The WMA's Grand Bayou and Montegut areas led the way with 2.6 teal per hunter.

In St. Mary Parish, the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area matched Pointe-aux-Chenes with 1.7 teals per hunter, and the best hunting in the area was at the Wax Delta which produced 2.1 ducks.

Other teal numbers from coastal wildlife management areas were:

  • Pass a Loutre (Plaquemines Parish) -- 20 hunters shot 30 teal (1.5 per hunter).
  • Salvador/Timken (St. Charles Parish) -- 35 hunters shot 26 teal (0.7 per hunter).
  • Biloxi (St. Bernard Parish) -- 50 hunters shot 16 teal (0.3 per hunter).

Currently, hunting season is open for other migratory game birds in Louisiana -- rails (until Sept. 30), gallinules (until Sept. 30) and extended falconry for mourning doves (until Oct. 1).

Upcoming Louisiana migratory game bird hunting seasons are doves (Oct. 7-Nov. 26 and Dec. 17-15), ducks, coots and merganders (Nov. 4-5-youth only, Nov. 11-Dec. 3 and Dec. 16-Jan. 21), woodcock (Dec. 18-Jan. 31), rails (Nov. 11-Jan. 3), gallinules (Nov. 11-Jan. 3), snipe (Nov. 2-Dec. 3 and Dec. 16-Feb. 28), Canada geese (Nov. 4-Dec. 3 and Dec. 16-Jan. 31), geese (Nov./4-Dec. 3 and Dec. 16-Feb. 11), conservative order for light geese (Dec. 4-15 and Feb. 12-March 11), falconry for ducks (Nov. 3-Jan. 31), falconry for rails and gallinules (Nov. 3-Jan. 31) and falconry for woodcock (Nov. 2-Jan. 31).

Check the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries website (wlf.louisiana.gov) for daily bag limit and possession limit for each waterfowl species.