South Carolina’s short early teal window opens Saturday, Sept. 19, giving Lowcountry waterfowlers a nine-day run at Blue-winged and Green-winged birds before the property closes back down for the calendar between segments.
The season closes Sept. 27. Shooting hours are sunrise to sunset for the full nine days, and the daily bag is six ducks total — a limit that lumps both teal species together rather than splitting them.
Anyone planning to drop a decoy spread in a Zone 3 impoundment needs a stack of paperwork before dawn on opening morning. A current state hunting license is the base requirement. On top of that, hunters need the Migratory Bird Permit (which is free but has to be added to your license record before you shoot), the state Migratory Waterfowl Permit at $15.50, and a Federal Duck Stamp at $30.00. Anyone hunting on WMA land needs the WMA permit too — $30.50 annual for residents, $76.00 annual for nonresidents.
The federal stamp itself is a physical requirement in the field, not just a purchase record. The electronic version is valid through June 30, 2027, but the physical stamp is mailed after early March for anyone who buys electronically. Missing stamps get replaced by calling 803-734-4DNR.
Blue-winged teal are the birds most Charleston-area hunters see this early in the fall, since they move ahead of the main duck push and use the impoundments as staging water before continuing south. Green-wings show up in smaller numbers during the September window and count against the same six-bird daily total.
WMA teal hunters should double-check the specific property’s waterfowl schedule and gate times before the drive out. Some Lowcountry impoundments run on lottery draws for the regular duck season starting in late November, but the early teal segment operates on the general permit stack rather than a separate draw.
The nine days close Sept. 27 and do not reopen until the regular duck season begins in late November.
