By Wade Bourne Imagine taking a handful of stirred-up hornets
and throwing them in front of a hunter. This is similar to what
the latter faces when a flight of blue-winged teal swarms over
his decoys. The main difference is, with the birds he’s not in
danger of being stung, except perhaps by the embarrassment of
empty shell hulls floating on the water with no feathers beside
them! Truly, these little ducks are tricky targets. They come in
a darting mass rather than a graceful formation like mallards or
pintails. While bigger ducks glide with natural grace, teal
scramble like a midget hockey team. In September, waterfowlers
take to marshes, ponds and sloughs to try for these feathered
rockets. Bluewings, especially, leave their northern nesting
grounds at the first hint of fall, heading toward wintering
areas in Mexico and Central America. Most of these birds are
long gone by the time later, regular duck seasons open. Thus,
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service allows a special early teal
season in years when the p