September Teal Season

This year’s multi-segmented, multi-zoned Iowa duck season kicks off with a statewide teal-only hunt beginning September 6.  Although Iowa teal seasons have traditionally allowed for 16 consecutive days of teal hunting, the season will be trimmed to 9 days for 2025. 

According to federal [U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service] guidelines, a 16-day teal season is only allowed when the breeding population of blue-winged teal exceeds 4.7 million birds.  When the breeding population is between 3.3 million and 4.7 million teal, the season is reduced to nine days.  This year, the spring population estimate for blue-wings was 4.6 million, dropping below the 4.7 million threshold for the first time since 2005.  Wildlife biologists credit the decline to the severe and widespread droughts that have plagued waterfowl nesting areas across the northern plains and southern Canada during recent years.  Teal populations are highly dynamic, and bird numbers are expected to rebound as soon as adequate snow melts and substantial spring rainfall returns to those critical nesting areas.

Iowa’s first special teal seasons were established during the mid-1960’s.  In response to [teal] population trends, season lengths and daily bags limits have fluctuated over time.  When blast furnace droughts seared prairie nesting grounds during the 1980s, the Fish & Wildlife Service suspended teal seasons altogether during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Regardless of season length or daily bags, there is a lot to like about the Iowa teal season.  From now until November freeze-up, no duck hunting segment will offer a greater amount of high-quality outdoor recreation to a larger cross section of waterfowlers than our statewide teal hunts.  Best of all, teal seasons are a “free gift”, providing bonus hunting days that do not subtract so much as a single minute from days allotted for regularly scheduled duck seasons. 

 Always in search of an easy meal, migrating teal are dispersed across a wide variety of Iowa habitats ranging from our largest cattail marshlands to the smallest public pothole.   When given a choice, migrating blue-wings prefer to feed and rest on shallow duckweed laden wetlands, making readily accessible, public walk-in areas prime locations for tossing out a few decoys.  Since blue-wings lack the extreme wariness exhibited by most web-foots, hunter success – regardless of a person’s age or level of expertise — runs high.

It’s no wonder that teal seasons are so popular.  The September weather is mild and there are lots of ducks, being hunted by lots of people, in lots of places.  For Iowa outdoor enthusiasts, teal seasons are a recreational win.