Tough Year?

[mnhunter79]

Whats your take on the 2009 waterfowl hunting season? No rain = Very low water levels = low bird numbers? My opinion is it will be a tough year. Ive heard 1st hand that ND has alot of birds due to better water levels from all the snowfall they had last winter. What do you think?

[Quackaddict9]

There has been some rain up in northern minnesota and the water level is looking above par, but the cities area is looking dry however I think there will be plenty of birds to be had if you work for them. Good Luck, be safe, have fun and post pics!

[Gordie]

was up north near Duluth last week on several small lake and if the ducks are like that on all the lake in northern MN should be some good hunting. I dont know about the duck counters but we saw a lot of hens with 6 or more babys swimming with them and one hen had thirteen. it wasnt just one or two brudes either it was 8-12 on a lake and thats just the ones we saw.

I think it will be a good season as MN is concerned but if the wheather gets goofy we may not have great shooting for the whole season.

[ChuckN]

For the most part there has been normal rainfall here in West Central, MN. However, you go to central Grant County and it's been dry (crops wilting) but you go another 30 miles north or so near Breckenridge and they've had too much rain (flooded fields).

The northern part of the state is nothing like the Twin Cities area where all the drought hype is...

The season should be a good one from the reports I've read. Talks of a likely 60 day season again, and possibly bring a Canvasback limit of one back. Overall, populations climbed.

[BoxMN]

Overall from watching in northern TC and also up in Central (Crosslake) area, I think I see more ducks and chicks than "normal". But that is just seat of pants observation, nothing scientific or accurate about it.

I hope it will be good, as it seems to have been getting slightly better each year for us, for about 4 or 5 years now. Not saying it is great, just getting better.

[machohorn]

From my stand point I sure hope it is better then last year. Last season I had a new pup, too young to really hunt, This year he is in training as I type. I got some new gear and have plans to hunt pretty much all of Oct because I may have time off because of the economy. Last season I got out 1 time =2 birds. Now exactly getting my money out of the lic and stamps. But oh what the heck.

[Jarrod32]

Northeast/North Central South Dakota has had plenty (almost too much) rain. All the little sloughs and potholes are holding water. Lots of ducks around, too...it has been a pretty good breeding year in general around here.

[DuckDog]

Did I read right that there is a 60 day canvasback season with one per day? If that is the case it can not be that bad in canada.

[JustLOVEit]

I was up in ND and it had major flooding area, excellent for ducks (breeding) and i've been hearing good news from Canada and most of the western parts of Minnesota, but as for the metro area. If the water level don't pickup before the migration start. Most of the ducks are pretty much going to fly right thru or in one day and out the next.