Cool Fronts Signal Start of Teal Season in Alabama

Recently, a series of cool fronts have swept through Alabama, bringing a sense of optimism for the upcoming waterfowl season. The teal season kicks off on Saturday, September 13, and will run until September 21.

Reports indicate that blue-winged teals are migrating in response to the changing weather. However, the latest data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) suggests teal populations are not recovering as anticipated. An early nine-day teal season is planned for next year, but overall duck numbers have remained stagnant since last year, with blue-winged teal numbers declining by 4% compared to 2024, sitting 13% below the long-term average.

Despite the decline, Alabama hunters still have a chance for a productive start to the season. During the early teal season, hunters can bag up to six birds per day, with hunting allowed beginning half an hour before sunrise.

Seth Maddox from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is part of the Mississippi Flyway Gamebird Technical Committee, which meets this week in Bloomington, Indiana. The committee will analyze recent data and offer technical guidance to the USFWS regarding waterfowl management across the Mississippi Flyway, which stretches from Canada to the Gulf Coast.

“The survey data is about the same as last year, aside from the number of ponds,” Maddox noted. “The decline in ponds suggests that habitat conditions haven’t improved since 2024, likely leading to lower production this summer.”

Waterfowl hunters will need to ensure their blinds are in good condition, given the current bird population dynamics.

“This fall, we might see fewer male birds than usual,” Maddox mentioned. “Males tend to be more inexperienced, adding to the hunting prospects because they aren’t yet aware of the dangers.” His assessment hints that pond numbers in the Prairie Pothole Region in Northern US and Canada may reflect challenges in nesting success for the estimated 33.98 million waterfowl this year, only slightly down from 33.988 million last year.

“If you observe the increase in ponds at a specific time, it doesn’t fully capture the situation,” he explained. “The habitat may have been poor initially but improved with late summer rainfall, allowing for some recovery among early birds.”

Maddox speculates that fall migrations might be somewhat limited; however, hunters who are persistent throughout the season may find rewards similar to last year’s outcomes.

“Last season was notable for being late,” he recalled. “Mild weather lingered until January, and it wasn’t until a snow event in Northern Alabama that we noticed a difference. Bird numbers didn’t really pick up until mid-January.” He cautioned that if someone gave up too soon after a slow start, they probably had a disappointing season.

For hunters and managers, mallards typically serve as the benchmark for waterfowl populations and hunting success. The adaptive harvest management framework relies heavily on mallard counts in the Mississippi and Central Flyways in both the US and Canada, which directly influences season lengths and bag limits for ducks. This isn’t quite the case in Alabama, according to Maddox.

“Gadwalls have become more prominent,” he observed. “They are now an essential species for the state. Mallards seem to wait until absolutely necessary to migrate south, while gadwalls are more flexible.”

The duck season for coots and mergansers will be split into two segments, running from November 28-29 and December 5 to January 31, 2026. Just like before, the daily bag limit remains at six ducks. However, there’s a significant change: the daily bag limit for pintails has increased from one to three.

“We’re testing a new approach for pintail hunting,” Maddox remarked. “The Pacific Flyway, especially in California, has an abundance of pintails.” He pointed out that currently, there are more males in the population, as hunters often have the luxury of targeting males more easily. This experiment aims to assess whether the population can handle an increased harvest.

Maddox clarified that hunting’s impact on waterfowl populations is relatively minimal compared to habitat conditions, especially for pintails. “Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion often compromises their nesting success,” he noted. “I believe we can increase male harvest due to the excess of males out there.”

For many Alabama hunters, wood ducks are the key species of interest. Their forest habitat complicates traditional hunting approaches, prompting the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) division to rely on banding data to track their populations.

“We wrapped up our banding efforts across all districts,” Maddox explained. “The results look positive, and it’s been seven years since we limited bags to just three birds. Back then, we felt the population could sustain that extra harvesting opportunity.”

While sandhill cranes are technically outside waterfowl regulations, Alabama hunters still have a chance to hunt them through a limited quota permit system, with registration currently available for 750 permits.

“The sandhill crane population is doing well,” Maddox stated. “Three states along the flyway have crane hunting seasons, and their numbers are increasing, expanding their historical range over the past century. I’m optimistic about another successful crane season.”