Early Season Teal/Wood Duck Combo

[Rick Frisch]

Guys,

We are researching doing an early teal/wood duck combo for this year. How many of each and what ratio drake/hen would you like to see in this combo? For example, I would like a pair of wood ducks and four blue winged teal. The ratio I would like is 3 drakes/3 hens.

Thanks for the help.

[James Staten]

Sounds like a great idea Rick. 2 woodie drakes and 4 blue wing teal with 4 drakes and 2 hens would do great I think.

James Staten

[Mark Brendemuehl]

Not a bad idea at all Rick. I would go for the 2 Woodies and 4 teal version myself, and don't really care about the ratio. It would be just a mixer to the spread, so not a huge deal either way.
Mark

[Wayne Radcliffe]

I like the ratio of 3 drakes and 3 hens.

[Greg Owens]

I like the idea and think it would sell well. 2 woodies and 4 teal with 3 drakes and 3 hens would probably have the best shelf appeal.

[Curt Wilson]

For me a mix of green wing and cinnamon teal would great. 2 drakes and one hen per style.

[Aaron Hitchins]

Since it is an early season pask I don't think the teal should have drakes because at that time of the year they never seem to have full plumage, but from my experience the woodies will.

Aaron

[Mallards-N-Muskies]

A pair of wood ducks (drake and hen), a pair of GW teal hens and a pair of BW teal hens would have the most appeal for me. That way you get some variety in the teal bodies.

Are the wood ducks being redone for this year?

Is there any chance you'd offer teal hen packs for the early season too?

[Christian Curtis]

I think that the 3 and 3 combo would be great.

[733SubDucker]

Since it is an early season pask I don't think the teal should have drakes because at that time of the year they never seem to have full plumage, but from my experience the woodies will.

Aaron


I agree! For an "Early Season Pack" - No drake Teal PLEASE! (drake Woodies are fine) They just don't work for us that time of year. That would be fantastic.


If people want drakes... they can always buy a separate pack of Teal. That can't hurt.

[CurrituckBoy]

I would like 3 drakes and 3 hens

Michael

[Weatherby]

A pair of wood ducks (drake and hen), a pair of GW teal hens and a pair of BW teal hens would have the most appeal for me. That way you get some variety in the teal bodies.

Are the wood ducks being redone for this year?

Is there any chance you'd offer teal hen packs for the early season too?

i would ask the same question about the wood ducks also....i would love to see it redone.

i personally like the 4/2 with 3 hens

[J Kryspin]

8 Teal, 4 Wood Ducks.

8 Drakes, 4 Hens.

[Cory Johnson]

I like the 8 drakes to 4 hen ratio.

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

Personally, 50/50 ratio on drakes to hens.

[MNboy]

6 pack: 2 drake woodies, a hen woodie and 3 hen BW teal. Redo the woodie's PLEASE!!!!

[Mike Carter]

Another vote for a six pack; two woodie drakes and four green wing teal hens.

[Ryan Vande Griend]

Would be easier to set up a poll on this to see the thoughts on chart easier.

[CamoHunter870]

A early season combo is a nice idea Rick

I would like to see 2 woodies and 4 teal. The woodies would be one drake/one hen. For the teal, I would go with 1 drake/3 hens because early in the year most birds dont have their bright plumage.

[chad belding]

I am all for an Early Season Green-Wing Teal set. The little brown hens work unbelievable on the teal around here. This is a great idea.

Good Hunting!

Chad Belding
Avery Outdoors

[Rick Frisch]

We tried this before and it did not sell. The AVERAGE customer wants drakes with their purchase.

Thanks,

[733SubDucker]

The AVERAGE customer wants drakes with their purchase.

Thanks,

If that's the case, then all the hunters I know must be EXCEPTIONAL!!! ;-)






I remember the set of teal hens you are refering to.

Why not now make an early season set of teal with more "toned down" drakes that don't like neon bobbers compared to our drab early season teal across the North. I'm sure they work in the middle of winter, but our teal 'leave' in October.

[Rick Frisch]

Guys,

I am not making that statement up. We had dealers that sat on those early season teal packages for over two years. Working events, we would have people ask us, "Where are the drakes?"

I like the suggestion for toned down drakes.

Thanks,

[JEDJR]

Rick, Just a suggestion, if hunters are looking for full plumed drakes in September, Why not just package as all drakes and all hens in the quantity Avery desides on? 4, 6?
That way each hunter can build the size and ratio of the spread they want for teal season.

Curious, How many states have an early Wood duck season?

[Cole Ray]

A toned down drake would be great!

[Travis Mueller]

Here in Iowa, we have a five day whatever season. I really wish they would make it a teal hunt instead. The five days we have in place now count against our regular season!

[J Kryspin]

Travis - When in the calendar year is your "5 day season"?

[Weatherby]

Here in Iowa, we have a five day whatever season. I really wish they would make it a teal hunt instead. The five days we have in place now count against our regular season!
we should get a 106 day season like the pacific flyway

[kparrott154]

This is just a suggestion, but it seems like everyone prefers something alittle different. If it isnt to much of a hassle, why don't you guys do a mix-and-match sort of thing? Like the one guy said he wanted green wing teal and cinnamon teal, and another guy might want blue wing and green wing teal. So why not try a mix-and-watch. It might sounds wierd but you could use it for all different kinds of decoys, from your big water diver decoys to your pot hole puddlers.

Just a thought.

[Tim Trader]

Travis,

I don't believe IA is eligible for the early teal only season as it is a production state. The early "anything" season I believe must start on or after Sept.20, which is to my knowledge, the earliest date non-teal can be harvested in the lower 48.

As far as the ratio, I would like the teal hens, but as Rick stated, most consumers want drakes, they have more shelf appeal. You can have the best product on a shelf, but the one that catches the customer's eye is the one they will buy and therefore offered by the maker.

Tim

[RedBarren]

2 drake 1 hen wood, 2 hen teal, 1 drake teal.
or pair woodys. 1 drake teal, three hen teal. Our early teal have no color.

[woodiesmacker]

all hens for the teal, for the woodies make like a 1/3 or 1/2 drake/hen ratio

[GSP1]

What would the chances of oversized woodies and teal be? I have very good success with your other oversized decoys and it would be great to have these two in oversized as well.....

[JJ McGuire]

Are there plans to make any changes to the woodie body style?

[A Grant]

I have some extra teal and woodies for sale and would mix them anyway the buyer wants, but never had any takers. So make sure do enough research that the combo would be a go. There are a lot of responses to this thread, but it will take more than a few dozen people to make the thing a sucess. I don't want to be negative, just realistic. The decoys come in half a dozen boxes already. Remember early phase teal?

[Jeremy DeVries]

I'd sell them in 4 packs. 2 drakes, 2 hens.
Teal only or Woodies only.

That way buyers could build any type of arrangement THEY want.

BTW, I use the teal just as size changes in my spread, not because they'e teal. Maybe it makes a difference, but I think it just breaks up the size of your spread to mix in smaller birds. I personally could care less if they're drakes or hens. Some people WOULD care though, so......

4 packs would allow EVEN distribution of drakes to hens for customers buying DOZENS. 4 extra woodies or 4 extra teal is a great ADD ON to anyones spread and gives size diversity. Double it and 16 decoys either heavy on wood ducks or heavy on teal is enough to make a hunt by themselves.

I think Teal and woodies are going to sell MOSTLY as ADD ONS. I wouldn't FORCE guys to by a mixed up bag of teal and woodies. Split them up in 4's instead and let guys build their spread the way THEY like it.

JMO

[G Doyle]

I think that a dozen all hens would be awesome or half dozen bw hens and 3 hens and 3 drakes on gw. That is why I have never bought bluewing decoys because of the drakes.