The wind blew; the Blue Wing Teal flew

[GLS]

I was lucky to close out the last day of early teal season here in the lowcountry. I was also fortunate to get an invite to where the landowner’s father in the 1970’s resurrected the growing of Carolina Gold rice. Carolina Gold was the finest rice grown in America 200 years ago in the lowcountry. It had not been grown commercially since the 1800’s. This plantation is not far from the southernmost tip of South Carolina’s high ground before it ends at the marshland and barrier islands. Irma pushed a tidal surge into this 6 acre ricefield, knocking down rice and opening up pockets of open water which attracted hundreds of Blue Wing Teal. Five guns that shot limited out with the six bird limit. It was over fast. As it was a last minute invite and didn't have time to handload tss for my 28 gauge, I shot Heavy Metal 12 gauge out of my 870. Where you see open water is where the rice was flattened by the tidal surge. A bird taken the week before was banded in Watrous, Saskatchewan, over 1800 miles from here in August. Floyd cooked a helluva breakfast after the hunt. If get lucky enough to hunt it again, I'll use my Ithaca M37 28 gauge with TSS 9.

Rice:

[HunterGKS]

Joe Cool-2.jpg (10.86 KiB) Viewed 1027 times

[chuck1443]

Awesome Gil


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[OLE RASPY]

Sound like ya had fun.

[pedro]

Love teal! Good job. Fast and furious.

[el diablo]

That awesome Gil!! Smoked em.

[RapscallionVermilion]

It doesn't get any better than that. Awesome. Like the way you cooked them up too, nice and red inside.

[soiltester]

Now that's a dream come true to any wingshooter

Bet cha' are still pinchin' yerself' to make sure that it was the real deal

[GLS]

After the hunt, we gathered at Floyd's for breakfast. His house is on the other side of the pines in the field photo which is the first photo. For the two hours we stayed at his house, from the dining room's second story picture window, and less than 200 yards from the field, we saw flight after flight fly across the salt marsh and return to the field after the hunt. Rice fattened teal taste pretty good to me.

[hookspur]

Man, that looks like a great time! Congrats on the hunt and everything that went with it!!

[Waddle Whacker]

Fantastic Gil, one of my favorites. It was pretty slow in my area, and throughout much of the state, this year. Just didn't hear many good reports. I guess I know where all the birds were! We did scratch out a great hunt on the last day of the season. The only "bad" part was that I killed most of my 6 bird limit in 2 shots I love watching, and listening, to the big groups work, but I'll take 6 singles any day when it comes to shooting.

[soiltester]

Fantastic Gil, one of my favorites. It was pretty slow in my area, and throughout much of the state, this year. Just didn't hear many good reports. I guess I know where all the birds were! We did scratch out a great hunt on the last day of the season. The only "bad" part was that I killed most of my 6 bird limit in 2 shots I love watching, and listening, to the big groups work, but I'll take 6 singles any day when it comes to shooting.

[GLS]

Thanks, fellas. That day was a throwback to about 40 years ago when we had the ducks. And 40 years ago, folks were telling us that 40 years earlier they really had the ducks. The little 6 acre field was about the only game in town according to two different pairs of game wardens that checked the two hunts. Another plantation bordering the refuge had bwt's in a flooded field about 6 miles up the river but not in the same numbers. On the day we shot, we didn't hear a single shot off the premises. The ducks were in the numbers that we see on a good opening day dove hunt, but more concentrated because of field size. Gil

[hobbes]

Looks lika a great hunt. It's been years since I've shot teal.

[soiltester]

Thanks, fellas. That day was a throwback to about 40 years ago when we had the ducks. And 40 years ago, folks were telling us that 40 years earlier they really had the ducks. The little 6 acre field was about the only game in town according to two different pairs of game wardens that checked the two hunts. Another plantation bordering the refuge had bwt's in a flooded field about 6 miles up the river but not in the same numbers. On the day we shot, we didn't hear a single shot off the premises. The ducks were in the numbers that we see on a good opening day dove hunt, but more concentrated because of field size. Gil

Yup .. mid-70's to 80's in Michigan and what a time we had

Did I ever tell you and show you pics what happened after the flood in the fall of 86' ,and the time up to then

[hoobilly]

I miss duck hunting.. hoping to get out and kill some this season.

the 28 Ithaca with tss would be the cats meow for ducks