The sound of gunfire could be heard from Grand Cheniere to Roanoke Friday morning as hunters took aim at more teal than any could ever remember seeing. Reports of tons of teal had been coming from all across south Louisiana the past couple of days, and the cold front that blew through just a day or two before the opener didn’t seem to scatter them at all. If anything, it actually seemed to bring more in. I was fortunate enough to share a blind Friday morning with Dennis and Cyrus Tietje in Roanoke, and there were so many birds that even this horrific wing shot killed his limit. We actually waited just a few minutes after legal shooting time just to take in the sight of thousands of birds buzzing over our heads.
Once it was clear that we couldn’t wait any longer, Dennis Tietje took the first shot and downed the first bird. Shouts of “over your head” and “hot from the right” only added to the excitement as the three of us took 12 birds within 20 minutes.
The hunting was also awesome in the marsh around Calcasieu Lake. Capt. Jeff Poe with Big Lake Guide Service (337-598-3268) took out five hunters, and they finished their limits within 15 minutes. Poe said the number of birds was more than he could ever recall seeing.
“We had thousands,” he said. “It’s was basically a slam-dunk. We had one green-wing, but the rest were all blue-wings.
Larry Shuff with Louisiana Hunting Adventures (337-526-2961) also reported having a fantastic morning. He had six blinds hunting, and every blind limited out.
“Most of them were out by 7:00,” Shuff said. “Our latest blind was 7:20. It was probably one of the best opening mornings I have ever seen. It was mainly blue-wing teal, but we had a couple of green-wings in the mix.”
Poe and Shuff are still booking for the remainder of the teal season; so if you want to get in on some of the best shooting action of the year, give them a call. Heck, the way things are going, you can get your limit and be out in time to go to work.
