Migration Alert: Cool Front May Carry More Bluewings to Texas Coast for the Final Weekend

As the sun rose on the opening day of the 2025 Texas early teal season, anticipation was high among hunters eager to shake off the lackluster 2024–25 duck season. Many hoped that last winter was an anomaly, and they anticipated nine days of acrobatic bluewings careening into coastal ponds and marshes. That did not happen.

Instead, many of the rice-rich regions of Texas were devoid of bluewings. Clouds of teal arrived on the early September full moon; however, they departed as quickly as they arrived, leaving opening-day hunters with only a handful of birds to decoy. "We were about a week late for the opener," says Jason Salas, a private wetlands manager in Matagorda County. "There were lots of teal here in early September, but they just left."

Fortunately, there is hope for many of these disappointed hunters. A late-week cool front pushed past the Texas Coast early Thursday morning, bringing two to four inches of rain and, more importantly, cool north winds. Salas says he watched teal pile into marshes Wednesday afternoon as the front approached Texas. He expects a strong weekend. "Our habitat is good, and we received needed rainfall, so hopefully we finish on a high note," he says.

Coastal prairie hunters near Katy and Brookshire enjoyed better flights overnight. Many hunters reported a significant increase in action over waterways that had seen few bluewings. Wharton and Colorado County hunters have enjoyed quick shoots in isolated pockets of the rice belt. "You either have them or you don't," reports waterfowl guide Ray Sexton. "There was no in-between on opening weekend. We were fortunate to have good shoots."

Marsh hunters in Brazoria County on public hunting areas saw an uptick in activity following the front. Tides rose and covered shallow flats, and incoming teal found them. "We hadn't seen many birds at all,” says Houston-based hunter Joe Cochran. "Man, they showed up the morning the front blew in—it was pretty quick and easy. We will be hunting it again through the weekend."

Waterfowlers in the field since the cool front noted more big ducks like pintails and shovelers working their blocks. That's encouraging for teal prospects, as are the gangs of hummingbirds buzzing around feeders. Hummingbirds have long been considered harbingers of a successful teal season. "I am having to fill my [hummingbird] feeders daily," reports Captain Mickey Eastman, host of the Sports Radio 610 Outdoors Show in Houston. "They are draining me. When the hummers are here, the teal usually show right behind them."

Many seasoned duck hunters say that the majority of opening weekend bags consisted of 80 to 90 percent mature drake bluewings. That's good news for the weekend’s potential, as hens that didn't hatch a brood and hens waiting on their broods to fly haven't made a significant showing yet. Typically, the hen migration peaks at the end of September and runs through October. "Our marsh bag the morning after the front was mainly hens," Cochran says. "They decoyed pretty good, even in the rain."