Mixed predictions for start of teal season

Published 5:51 pm Sunday, September 17, 2017

Teal season opened last week and prospects could be good for the entire period, which closes Sept. 30.

We got a little bit of a mixed review from a couple of hunters the day before the Friday start.

Larry Reynolds, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries waterfowl study leader, was to come out with his teal prediction last week but it wasn’t ready by press time.

What we did get was a good report from local hunter D.L. Benoit who hunts the Pine Island area.

He said where he hunts the rice fields were holding a lot of teal and that the opening should make for a good start.

Benoit also gave a report on teal in the Lacassine Refuge area.

He was bass fishing in the reserve several days ago and said there were many groups of teal in his area.

Sammy Faulk, who guided for the first time in 1967, had a little different report from closer to the Gulf.

“We haven’t seen a whole lot. Just a few scattered handfuls,” he said. “Some small groups, six or seven at a time. Probably not going to see a lot of them down here until they start banging away in the rice fields.”

Faulk said from what he has learned by talking to others, the expectations are that there were going to be a lot of hunters out the first few days.

“Teal hunting is usually fast. They’ll fly early and in big bunches and most of the time you’re out and gone by nine o’clock,” he said.

l

That nice-looking pond (in the Purple Heart Memorial Park) just across the Ragley exit bridge on La. 171 will be taking on a different look on Oct. 21.

The LDWF and the South Beauregard Recreation District will be sponsoring a fishing event there.

It’s free to everyone and those 16 and older must have a state fishing license to participate. Those fishing must also bring their own gear.

The pond will be stocked with 800 pounds of adult-channel catfish. Prizes will be awarded in various categories.

The event runs from 7-11 a.m. and lunch will be served.