If you are not a duck hunter, you probably assume that waterfowl hunting takes place only during the cold-weather months of November, December and January. While that may be true in general, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) also offers hunters an "early" season. The special nine-day teal season opens next Saturday, Sept. 7, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 15.

Mild temperatures allow first-time duck hunters to get their feet wet without freezing them off. In fact, they will want to substitute lightweight camouflage and insect repellent for the insulated clothing and handwarmers that will be welcome during the "regular" season.

1996 has the potential to provide some excellent teal hunting opportunities. Population surveys, conducted on breeding grounds in Canada and the northern U.S., resulted in all-time record numbers of blue-winged teal (6.4 million). Green-winged teal fared almost as well with a near-record count of 2.5 million.

We know that the teal are there. Now, we need two things to get them here and keep them here: we need weather and water. Most of the teal found in this area in September will be here as cold-weather migrants from their nesting grounds to the north. We need a cold front moving down from Canada to move large numbers of the birds into southeast Missouri.

Once they migrate into the area, we need water to hold them. Teal are just one of several species known as "puddle ducks." They are attracted to shallow marshes and small lakes as both resting and feeding areas. They feed by dabbling or tipping instead of diving or submerging.

A general lack of summer rainfall through most of southeast Missouri has resulted in precious-little surface water available for waterfowl. This is where several MDC areas will play a major part in attracting ducks. These areas have the ability to pump large quantities of ground water to the surface thereby creating man-made wetlands.

Duck Creek Conservation Area (6,190 acres north of Puxico) and Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area (3,892 acres in Mississippi County) both have relatively good water conditions and continue to pump around the clock. Otter Slough Conservation Area (4,486 acres in Stoddard County) will be questionable this year. Just-completed construction work on the area hasn't allowed for pumping of water until the last few days. Hunters should contact Otter Slough directly (573-624-5821) for up-to-the-minute hunting conditions. Reservations are not required on any of these MDC areas but hunters are required to register at the respective area headquarters.

Blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal may be taken from sunrise to sunset with a limit of four teal in the aggregate of species daily and a possession limit of eight.

Shotgun shells possessed and used while hunting teal must be loaded with steel, bismuth or other non-toxic shot that has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Teal hunters should be aware of a change in permit requirements this year. The 1996 teal season will be the first in which waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older need the new Migratory Bird Hunting Permit. It costs $4 and replaces both the Missouri Waterfowl Stamp and the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program card. Hunters 16 years of age or older must also have small-game hunting permits and federal duck stamps.

In summary, I guess you could compare this year's teal hunting to a no-bake cheesecake. We have the basic ingredients sitting on the shelf: large number of teal in Canada. We just need to add water and some cool "icebox" temperatures in order to enjoy our "just desserts." Enjoy!

~Gene Myers is a Missouri Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.