Kevin Crisp of Lawrence reports very few local hunters are participating in the September teal season.
In fact, Crisp hunted for only a few hours before sunset last Sunday, and he killed a blue-winged and a green-winged teal. Yet he saw three nice bunches of local mallards, several flocks of gadwalls, an occasional gathering of wood ducks, and some flights of geese.
However, upon arriving at his blind, Crisp was disappointed to discover the smartweeds that bordered the slough he hunts near the Kansas River had been disked.
Traditionally, ducks use the smartweeds as a hideaway. And at most area waterways this year, there are very few partially submerged weeds for the ducks to hide in. This dearth of weeds is the result of the late summer drought that has plagued northeastern Kansas.
Without some flooded weeds, area duck hunters could be in for a trying season. But since the duck populations are so enormous, the hunter still should enjoy a fairly fruitful fall despite the drought.
Last fall, there was too much water in the weedy sloughs and ditches along the Kansas River valley, and that occasionally made the hunting difficult, Crisp said.
Andy and Jim Flack of Kansas City haven't fired a shot during the September teal season. They have spent this period scouting in vain all over Kansas and Nebraska for spots to duck hunt later this fall.
Andy Flack says Nebraska, like Kansas, has been plagued by a drought, drying up all of the Flack's traditional hunting locales.
Therefore, the Flacks are heading to North Dakotas prairie pothole region to open the duck season during the first week of October.
By the way, Crisp says the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited is looking for some new leaders this fall. If interested, give Crisp a call at 843-6704.
-- Ned Kehde
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