Iowa’s duck hunters will notice that the 2025 special September teal season opens later and for fewer days than in recent years. The nine-day season opens Sept. 6.
The 2025 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service population estimate for blue-winged teal is just below the 2024 estimate, which follows its downward trend over the past decade. The Fish and Wildlife Service released its Waterfowl Population Status Report Tuesday afternoon online at https://www.fws.gov/story/migratory-bird-annual-status-reports.
“The population is still within the parameters that allows for a nine-day season, but below the threshold that would allow for a 16-day season,” said Orrin Jones, state waterfowl biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With the nine-day season, Iowa law requires it to open on the first Saturday in September, which is Sept. 6. The season closes on Sept. 14. These are bonus days and do not impact the regular duck season.
The Iowa DNR issued its first migration report last Friday and Jones said while the teal counts were low, the weather forecast over the next week calls for some low temperatures that should trigger teal migration into the state.
“We haven’t had the big push of migrating teal yet,” Jones said. “Wetland conditions are better than last year. Many have been recharged, which is encouraging to see. Areas that have had abundant rainfall recently may have some sheet water on low lying prairie or hayfields that may be attractive to teal as well.
“So scouting will be important to know which wetlands are holding teal, as well as what other ducks are using it. Only teal are legal during the special September teal season,” Jones said.
Shooting hours for the special September teal season begin at sunrise, which is later than the regular duck season. That change is intended to help with duck identification. “Hunters need to really be mindful of species identification when they’re scouting and before they pull the trigger,” he said.
Hunters are reminded that if they hunt migratory game birds that they are required to register for HIP annually, either through the Go Outdoors Iowa app on their smartphone or through a link at www.iowadnr.gov/waterfowl. Migratory game birds include doves, ducks, geese, coots, woodcock and snipe.