Thanks to a blue-winged teal population boom over the last several years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources approved last month an "experimental" early teal hunting season to run Sept. 1-7 — the first of such in nearly 50 years.
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| Michigan waterfowl hunters rejoice! The state will have an early teal season for the first time in nearly 50 years. Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org |
According to a news release, the experimental early season is only approved for three years, with the Michigan DNR measuring "attempts and harvest of non-target species to make sure hunters are harvesting teal and not other species of ducks like wood ducks and mallards."
During those three years, if the number of attempts to shoot non-teal ducks is too high, the experiment will be "failed" and early teal season will not continue. "Because of this, hunters are strongly encouraged to study up on their duck identification skills for this season," the release stated.
To help waterfowl hunters, the Michigan DNR is offering a Teal and Early Goose Hunting Workshop in Grand Rapids on Aug. 29. A "potential teal hunting opportunity map" is also available online.
To learn more about duck identification, check out this article: How to Identify Ducks.
Michigan 2014 Early Teal Season Regulations
Species: Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal
Season Dates: September 1-7, statewide
Shooting Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Daily Bag Limit: 6 teal
Possession Limit: 18 teal
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