The teal have arrived

Saturday marked the first time in years that I saw out a teal season opener.

There just didn’t seem to be a compelling reason to go sit in the marsh. While bird numbers were above average on the Illinois River, all those blue-wings were sitting at the Emiquon Preserve, where hunting is not allowed.

Closer to home, The Farmer scouted Snakeden Hollow and saw only one wood duck. My cruising through strip-mine country came up empty, too. Plenty of geese, but no teal.

So I sat home. But no longer. Sometime in the past 24 hours, teal have arrived in central Illinois. The Farmer saw them while fishing at a strip-mine club near Toulon. He heard a hunter shoot at some at Snakeden. I just saw a flock of 20-30 a few minutes ago in strip-mine country here.

And then when I popped on the e-mail, there was a picture of Drake Whitehurst, Garrett Whitehurst, Dennis Whitehurst, and Adam Mottaz who killed nine teal today after a flock of 40 came into their goose decoys outside of Yates City.

Needless to say, I will not be sleeping in and getting the kids off to school in the morning.