Quackaddict9 and Other Young Waterfowl Hunters

[Basseyes]

Keep the pictures and reports coming!

Very informative and interesting reports from the young guys.

Just curious most seem to hunt with a lot of younger guys, how did you guys get into hunting and what keeps you going at it?

Seems the DNR could glean some wisdom from interviewing groups like yours. With hunter recruitment for waterfowl hunting dwindling rapidly and the DNR wanting to know the how's, where's and why's they might be asking the wrong question with what is causing the decline and more over what keeps some in it and doing it successfully.

I started hunting with my dad and brother. They got me into it and I am very thankful they did. What keeps me at it is I just love to watch ducks and geese. I take time out of whatever I'm doing if there's a flock of birds around just to watch. Flight just amazes me.

Here's a few questions geared to the younger guys.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

[rattlem'up]

i dont post many pics on this site since i havn't had the time to do so. But i'm 24 now and started hunting when i was 13. I begged my dad to take me out on youth days and so on. I really got into hunting more and more after that. I've not established a group of about 15-20 people that i take out hunting. Get them into the sport and show them how i've learned and what i've learned. I basically started from scratch and taught myself along with tips from misc. sites on the net along with magazines,books and movies.

Price wise, yeah sure its hard to come up with the cash to just jump right in and buy decoys,clothing,guns,ammo,blinds and so on.... Every year i would slowly buy supplies. It adds up and doesnt put a damper on your checkbook right away.

Passion to harvest and eat these wonderfull animals along with enjoying the outdoors with friends and family is what keeps me going. Within the last few years i've been taking more and more younger hunters out also. With the youngest being 12. Theres nothing more exciting than calling birds or whatever your hunting in and seeing the excitement in there face whether they bag and tag anything or not. Thats the main enjoyment for me!

Getting permission(hunting spots).. Whether its private land or state land get out and scout. Put miles upon miles on and watch these animals. Get to know there habbits(roosting,eating,loafing ect.) Then make the move on where to hunt. Private land can be obtained. Be polite and courtious and you will be rewarded. If someone does let you hunt there land give them something to let them know you appreciate it. Gift cards,money, beer, game that you have processed, anything will make them happy and will help them gain trust with you. Most importantly PICK UP after yourselves along with other peoples trash that gets left laying around.

Get to know they dnr and talk with them. They are very helpful also. There are plenty of more things to be said but break is over i need to get back to work.

Good huning and be safe!

[fishuhalik]

For me the hardest part is affordability. I use to duck hunt alot in high school/college, but after I moved away from my folks house and found out I'd have to buy a boat/motor/canoe, 3 dozen decoys, a small game license, duck stamp, a case of steels, etc. etc. etc, it took a back seat to everything else I do in the outdoors (ice/open water fishing, deer hunting, atving, skiing) it just gets to be too much.

[Fred_Bear]

Yeah no doubt the hardest part is affording everything, mostly gas!! I limit myself to spending around $500 on waterfowl gear each year and only spend it when I find really good deals or I buy quality used stuff for real good prices. I give plasma twice a week to pay for the gas. The other thing that helps is having friends with the same love for hunting. We all understand that we have to contribute something to the group so when we put all of our dekes together we can make a pretty good spread. Also gas gets a little less per person then too.

Money is a big problem for me but I don't let it stop what I do too much. Paying for waterfowling, bowhunting, ice fishing, college club hockey, summer softball and musky hunting all on a college kid's budget definitely is not an easy task but as long as your smart about how you spend the money you have and take care of your stuff it is definitely possible.

[goblueM]

I'm 24 as well.

as far as affordability, I spend money on food, rent, and outdoor gear! Thats about it. No house or car payments, student loans are in forbearance until I'm done with AmeriCorps

I got into the sport in college, my uncle lived nearby and took me out and got me hooked on upland birds, I branched out to deer and waterfowl the last 3 years. I've started to fish and hunt with work friends, and people I meet thru FM. I've even got a few guys as hooked as I am, which is a blast.

as far as being successful on public, i try to take that extra portage or drag a canoe thru a swamp 100 yards, or over 15 logjams in the river to access places other people are not willing to work to get to.

i dont like paying for access to land, but rather try to cultivate relationships with landowners. has resulted in a couple nice friendships as a bonus

waterfowling will keep declining in numbers, as habitat loss and human population increases take their toll.

DNR is doing good things with MinnAqua and stuff like that to get kids outdoors.

I think they need to aqcuire habitat first, then worry about maintaining it. The only reason i say this (i work in natural resources and see what happens when you don't have a plan, or commit the money to restoring habitat) is that that habitat is getting swallowed up never to return. If we don't act fast, its gonna be a subdivision or a walmart

for me a huge part of hunting is seeing new places, being outside and being part of nature. plus the thrill of the chase, calling, hiding, etc

[Tyler23]

well like said before i dont post many pics as me and my buddies dont really do much of. but im 18 in my first year of college i work all year long to be able to afford the things i have and my parents have helped me out a bit which helps alot. this is what i love to do so i dont mind spending my money on it but i do mostly only buy stuff when on sale...i live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and try to get to know the land owners well it seems to work for me i guess and give them something for letting me hunt there land...scout, scout, scout. find areas where nobody else knows about that are secluded.. once again scout alot and do my best. i love just being out there with my friends so its not all about getting a limit althought thats nice lol... as far as i know now i will be in the sport till im gone and hope to make alot of good memories in the process...bring more habitat back and give the birds a reason to stick around. like shutting waterfowl lakes off until hunting season maybe?...i dont think its the where more as the amount. the more the better i think and i will go where the birds are....habitat, habitat, habitat. more ducks will bring more hunters back i think.

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

[Quackaddict9]

I'm 23 and started waterfowl hunting when I was 9 or 10 mostly through my dad and grandpa.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

It's not cheap, but I like to buy things in the offseason every month to keep the price down rather buying everything I want at once. Nice thing is that I have some decoys, friends have some stuff and it builds up to a bigger spread if need. But burning fuel for scouting really racks up the cost, but always hunting the same area every weekend mostly.

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

I have a farm in Northern MN with some fields and get permission for other fields I have had in the past and then my friends has some land around there and he gets permission for other fields and access to his boss- He does farming in the summer months for him. Most of my hunts are on Private, but sometimes Public.

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

There is pressure where we hunt especially on a well known waterfowl lake, I've hunted it and have had good days out. Most of my hunts this year have been private fields because almost everyone seems to be hunting water. Gets a little competitive with other hunters for field in the area though. Early Goose, is a different story.

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

Well, SCOUTING is the key...like everyone says! There are ducks!Me and the guys have been shooting mostly Mallards in fields but we've shot some other species like Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall before. We also do some hard work which is not fun like pulling a otter stealth with 2 bags full of decoys in inches of water then pass a few beaver dams where water varies in depth then finally start hitting deeper water where we can paddle- I'm talking 1- 1.5 miles. Not very many hunters want to work that hard to get back there.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

I like to get involved with kids on Youth Waterfowl Day or taking them out and experience the Aderline/Excitement of ducks and geese working the spread, decoy placement, making the shot (right yardage, patience) So I hope they have fun and want to do it again and pass it on to their buddies, families and whomever.

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

Better habitat, fundraising, events for the youngsters to get involed in the sport of Waterfowling.

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

Any refuge that provides everything Ducks and Geese need, open some more public land where duck/goose hunting can be had.

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

Use common sense, spend the money on habitat that we need. Maybe some food in water like Bio-Logic duck feed in some potholes/ponds but we would need to drain out the water? so I don't know if that would work.

[Cheetah]

29 here, hunting since before I was old enough. Got into it mMostly from my dad and a couple uncles. Few are real waterfowl guys, I got into that on my own really. I have a lot of other hobbies and stuff, they all cost money, that's just how it is.

The hardest thing for me these days is to find guys who will go with me on my trips. You'd think a 2-day weekend trip is a no-brainer, but once you add in a wife and a kid or two it is like pulling teeth to get anyone to go hunting with me most weekends. Doesn't help that so few of my friends are actually hunters to begin with.

I hunt public land mostly. I'd really like to see our DNR make a real effort to inform the public better via their HSOforum about public lands around the state. I know I can find the WMA list on the site, but it simply says the directions from nearest town and number of acres. I want to see a map that shows the size and if it at least contains some forest and lakes. When I plan our Montana hunts they have really great maps available. Why not MN?

[chub]

I hunt public land mostly. I'd really like to see our DNR make a real effort to inform the public better via their HSOforum about public lands around the state. I know I can find the WMA list on the site, but it simply says the directions from nearest town and number of acres. I want to see a map that shows the size and if it at least contains some forest and lakes. When I plan our Montana hunts they have really great maps available. Why not MN?

There are some fair maps out there. I know the DNR used to print them up for the public, and some map books such as DeLorme are pretty detailed too. I've got one(not sure who put it out), that's probably the best I've seen. It shows right down to the MM roads. It's probably 15 years old and lots of new WMA's and WPA's aren't in it, but I just add those as I find them.

If your sticking to a couple of general areas, get your hands on plat books for those areas. They can come in handy for a few reasons.

[Gordie]

Thanks for the responses guys and you guys are and will be the fuure of our sport of waterfowling keep up the great reports and pass the sport onto the other youth hunter to keep it alive.

[dan z]

Not sure if I fit in the young list ne more but I guess I am 28 and my brother is 30. we hunt with older guys too

Here's a few questions geared to the younger guys.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

once you have the equipment its all about taking care of it. initail cost is expensive. we didnt just go out and buy the whole spread at once it took some years to do it, we havnt bought a new set of decoys for three years now. Now its just shells and gas. no sport is cheap

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

I hunt PUBLIC water 99% of the time

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

stay later than everyone else have better spreads, and calling

and have other buddies lock up lakes or spots. stay over night to get the spot

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

just gotta go when you can, even if its not ideal conditions you have to go to shoot birds. let the decoys work shooting 30 plus yards doesnt put birds in the boat.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

I will never stop hunting ducks, it dont matter how low the numbers are. the lower the numbers go the better the hunting will get becuase everyone will be done hunting. I think when the older generation stops hunting and us young guys now 24-30 years of age the hunting will get better because of all the money we have tied up in to it, better calls, better decoys, better blinds. the lack of kazoo's in ten years is going to be amazing.

my only invovlment in caring for the sport will be cleaning up the accesses and going to some banquets here and there.

[Basseyes]

Great responses!

I'm 37 and still consider myself young but some days I feel old.

Opening weekend we hunted not to far from 640 acres a square section of private land. We heard from a guy who showed up late that a guy from the cities bought the section and put $2 million in it. Was just bare farm land before. Now the place is teaming with waterfowl.

Got me thinking which is always a scary idea.

This area is surrounded by WPA's and WMA's that get hunted but not pounded after the opener.

The amount of waterfowl using this property was inspiring.

Whatever he's done it's working and working well. If what the guy was telling me is correct the owner of the property spent $2,000,000 on habitat restoration on 640 acres. That's $3,125/acre. That initial $2,000,000 seemed very expensive till I broke it down per acre. I started wondering if the USFWS, DNR, Delta, DU and MWA could build a piece of property like that and what they spend per acre on their projects? I've never seen any of their projects attract the numbers of waterfowl like this one created by a private individual. It's not to far from a good sized refuge and it attracts more waterfowl than the refuge does.

Kept thinking. Still a very scary idea.

Are we as waterfowl hunters putting the future of the sport in the wrong hands? I've worked with DNR people and have nothing but good things to say about what they've done on our 40 acres. Very dedicated people doing the best they can with what they have.

I love the responses from the young guys and the devoted hunters who say things like I'll hunt them even if the numbers fall. There's a commitment to find birds. A commitment to find ways to spread out the cost. A commitment to an attitude of finding a way around challenges. There's not the Dennis Anderson syndrome of hunting the same areas year after year and continually complaining about all the negatives of the sport. Let's face it most hunters and waterfowl hunters in particular are very hopeful people. Next time. They'll come down next week. Five more minutes. The migration hasn't started yet. Not sure if we are trying to convince others or ourselves.

I for one am tired of hearing it's to expensive, to hard, not enough birds, the DNR's fault, farmers fault, developers fault and it's not what it was. It never will be what it was. It's a complex beast with many challenges. It is what it is not what it was. Biggest hurdle of all in my mind right now as I see it is a negative attitude spawned by the all to many writers in the outdoor publications spurring on the beast of negativity. There's a cold hard reality to the situation but it can be done. I've seen the holy grail of waterfowl hunting and have seen what I think is an idea for turning the ship around and get her headed in the right direction. Dennis Anderson is not a good compass for the future direction of waterfowl hunting or the challenges that are facing habitat. Nobody wants to hear how bad it is all the time. If your being lead into battle already convinced your going to lose your going too.

I as a waterfowl hunter wanted and needed to see some hope this year and I saw it. Not only on that property but also that the age of our group is going down. For our group of 9 the average age was some where around 30. Not bad considering the average. We had 4 under 17. The oldest was 75 and the youngest 13.

Private involvement and input from people like this landowner who I'm guessing has spent less per acre with better results than state, federal and conservation organizations. Now I know that's a lot of money and I don't have it. But I do think there is a certain dedicated bunch of waterfowl hunters out there and guys who would be willing to volunteer their time and equipment if there was a consolidated effort and most important of all the permission, liability issues ironed out and the proper permits rapped up in a way were volunteers could work on habitat and project needs without the mountains of red tape and paper work that block progress that are currently in place. I'm not sure how to go about it but there has to be a way. It could take some of the burden off the DNR and USFWS's budget through getting things done by giving private individuals and groups a list of projects that need to be done where the DNR or the USFWS doesn't have the funds or man power to do certain things that are necessary but not on top of the list with their budget short falls.

Call it CPR (Chores for Public Restoration). The slogan could be "Breathing life back into public habitat".

[Set n Hooks]

Im 15.. Started with my dads old coast to coast 12 gauge.. Bought a new Mossberg 500... Painted it up.. Bought Waders.. That really put a dent in funds.. Borrowing decoys from my uncle.. No dog.. No boat.. Buddys got a boat, I hunt with.. Brokenline.. Not in any school sports, I'd rather be on the water.. hunting,fishing,ice fishing,ski,wakeboard, worth every second.. Never hunted private land.. I've gotten.. 9-10 birds.. Thats 'bout it..

[broken_line]

im 16 have been duck hunting for 4 years.. i started my self with no deks, a green coat and a 870.. 4 years later i have a good 30 duck decoys, 23 goose decoys, waders, nice duck boat, nice calls and every bell and whistle to waterfowling. i pay for it by setting about $500 of my farm work money aside each year. i hunt with set n hooks and heat checkers kid alot. havent had a great year but ill take what i get. 2 geese and 12 ducks have fallen to my 870 so far this year..

[smallies24]

Here are my thoughts. I'm 26 and have always spent my own money on the sport save for a couple dozen mallard dekes my dad had when I started. I started hunting in the Twin Cities and now chase critters in southern MN since I live in Mankato.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

When I was younger I paid for toys by mowing lawns, babysitting etc. It really doesn't have to be that expensive. You don't need a $1000 gun and all the best gimmics. A couple dozen dekes and time on the water/in a field will do a lot. Of course now that I make more I spend more, but that's do in part to addiction and not necessarily need.

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties? This has been addressed well.

Put time in to meet landowners, maybe offer to do some work for a farmer. With that said most of my hunting is on public and I have reasonable results.

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

Choose your specific location on a body of water with pressure in consideration. You can have success in a less than obvious location by getting away from the crowd. When there is a prime location get there first like Dan Z said. Get up EARLY.

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

Scouting and timing hunts with the weather.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it? See my last statement.

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

I don't think it's up to the DNR alone. In my view it's supply and demand vs cost. It's no coincidence to me that more people fish, greater tourism dollars are received from fisherman and the DNR stocks walleyes most every body of water over 6 ft deep. There aren't enough waterfowl hunters putting money into the sport to provide funds to simply turn around the habitat depletion and decrease in water quality over night.

It's going to take more involvement in the sport to generate the funding to greatly improve habitat. With that said I don't think we're in too bad of shape right now. The reason I say this is I think the pressure in our state has impacted the birds numbers and not just changes in habitat. Bringing significantly more people into the sport will also bring significantly more competition. There is a lot less pressure in the Dakotas. Do you want to play bumper boats why duck hunting like a lot of people do for walleyes every year?

I think important thing to do is take care of what we have and make some improvements where possible. This will require bringing new people into the sport. Individuals picking up after themselves and educating others will also go a long way.

I would like the DNR to continue and expand their recruitment of young outdoorsman. The take a kid hunting days are an excellent example. Not only do you give kids the first crack at uneducated birds with reduced competition but you raise awareness about including younger people throughout the year.

Perhaps the state can help further by restricting and enforcing current restrictions (although I generally appose more restrictions by the government) regarding the use of land on and adjacent to waterways and wetlands. Do you really need to perfect green lawn on the lake at the expensive of the water quality? Are the cattails on your lakeshore really so ugly that you have to remove the lake's natural filtration system?

Just my two cents. Take care and safe hunting!

[Lunker]

I am 24 as well. Grew up grouse and deer hunting since I was old enough to walk into the woods with my dad and older brothers. Started waterfowl hunting seriously in college where I became friends with other waterfowlers that were the same natural resource programs I went to school for. I really loved it, and it just took off from there.

Here are your answers.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

What else am I going to spend my money on?

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

I hunt almost completely over water. It helps that I live a half mile from the WI river, and 20 minutes from the Mead Wildife Area, a 30,000+ Acre wetland. I also have friends that graduated and moved on in northern and southern WI that have spots.

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

I hunt some pressured areas just because I love to hunt. If I only shoot a couple, o well. Also, big spreads and lots of Mojos help

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

I hunt mostly WI, which has the same problem. I'm not gonna give it up because of poor migration reports. There are always birds to be found.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

Not sure. As with most of the hunting sports, numbers are down, but there is a lot of good being done by groups trying to involve younger and more female groups. That said, I still expect fewer hunters in the future. As a hunter, I plan to still be here in the future, and since I went to school for wildlife management, hopefully on the "frontlines" of management.

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

Though many don't, I think the DNR and the USFWS are going in the right direction. Groups like DU and Delta are also crucial.

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

Everywhere! I don't think there can be too much public land. I also think there should be an effort towards larger parcels of wetland to promote successful breeding areas. I would also like to see more of a push for privately owned land trusts made public. The larger associations(DU, Delta, Deer hunters associations, etc) could purchase land, and place it into a trust to be made public. I'm sure there could be deals made with the State/Feds to have these lands included in the management plan and probably get additional funding through a partnership.

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

I think the youth hunts and mentorship programs are a step in the right direction. More access to public hunting areas would also help.

[Scott M]

BassEyes, great post. Not too often you read something that provokes thought rather than reaction. Also some interesting thoughts here, good reads.

I'm 26. Sometimes I feel and think 66 and sometimes feel and think 16. My first hunt was a youth hunt when I was 15 with one of my basketball teammates' father. I grew up in a non-hunting family. I was pretty active in sports in high school, so I didn't hunt then much at all, didn't have the gear, and didn't have anyone to show me. In college, I met some friends and in particular one friend, that did a ton of hunting. I really got hooked on waterfowling, although my personal thoughts are the fire that was there was finally stoked by someone with some experience and knowhow. I think there are a lot of kids out there in that situation.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

Acquire slowly and hunt with others. Only add a few pieces of gear each year and keep your gear in good condition. Patch waders, repaint decoys and boats, buy stuff when its marked down in the off season.

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

I mostly hunt public waters. I have some private options from my past, and I've maintained connections with some folks by the family cabin for another piece of private property. I'm young enough to (and quite often have) bust my butt working for birds. However, I realize that at some point I won't want to go through heck and back to only shoot a duck or two, and when I get that old mentally or physically, I am going west reguarly to the Dakotas.

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

Scout. Or have others scout for you. Watch the weather. If you can't get away from work to hunt, you won't be able to avoid the pressure.

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

Hunt them when they are concentrated, pick your spots, or be prepared to have lowered expectations.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

The trends will continue. Bird numbers will continue to slowly erode. We're in no danger of seeing these birds become endangered or threatened, but their abundance compared to 40-60 years ago will today be a shell of what it once was. Hunter numbers will continue to dip as society becomes more urbanized. I will volunteer for DU, donate to Delta, MWA, DU, and do my part locally. I will teach firearms safety and mentor kids through the youth hunt, but I also recognize what our society and landscape is doing and know that no matter how much good I do, there are just some things I cannot change. I will keep hunting ducks, in fact I dream of retiring and taking a fall off to follow the migration from Canada down to Mexico, hunting along the way. When I want to kill ducks, I will buy a nonresident NoDak license.

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

Not a whole lot. I hate to see the DNR banging its head against a brick wall. Minnesota may end up being the what-if state. What if the state hadn't developed so quickly and turned the plow on millions of acres of land? You would still have good grouse, deer, turkey, and moose hunting, plus prairie chickens, way more pheasants, and better waterfowl hunting than the Dakotas. But, as it turned out, few people settled in the Dakotas, the land wasn't tiled, ditched, and plowed, and now all the habitat is over there. The point is, we can never go back. The DNR is trying to sell a lot of hope (go read the cover story of the most current Conservation Volunteer) about the Dakotas potentially going into longer term drought and the success of lake reclamations for waterfowl habitat. In-lake work doesn't get you very far when it comes to habitat improvement. And its often extremely short term if you only treat the symptoms and not the problem. Ask people at Geneva, Christina, Heron, Swan, etc. I just don't have a lot of faith in the DNR duck plan and I don't, even with LSOHC dollars, have a lot of faith in this state being able to quickly add more habitat, especially with CRP lands coming off the books and others opting out to plow it up, even with fiscal penalties. Sorry that I can't offer a counter-suggestion, I just think things are sunk and the best we can hope for is to slow the decline.

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

Buy some prime uplands instead of all the cheap lowland cattails. Lots of people are more than willing to sell land they can't farm and that's what we get that becomes WMAs...land mostly unfit for development and mostly poor for ag. What if the DNR bought the expensive upland lands near wetlands, broke the till, and let it flood? While more expensive, you at least can get some duck production here.

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

There needs to be a more aggressive mentoring program in place. I went to DU Greenwings events with my non-hunting uncle for years and years. I got loads of mismatched decoys, a set of binocs, a couple hunting bags, (never the gun!) and never made it into the field until someone finally asked me if I wanted to go. Why not do it like NWTF/DNR does? Let kids sign up if they want to try it, find willing mentors, and let them go out. Once they try it, they are hooked.

Keeping current hunters on board is a little tougher. Everyone hunts for a different reason, but no matter who you are, its always disheartening to not see ducks. Make no mistake, we aren't seeing ducks like we used to. Duck numbers and duck stamps sold are positively correlated. We will only retain hunters if we can retain duck populations.

[BrdHunter01]

I'm 23, been duck hunting since I was 9 or 10 with my BB gun my dad finally let me bring!

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

-My father has provided me with a boat/motor, decoys, and vehicle I need to go duck hunting. As I am still in my final sem of college, I hope to purchase those as I attempt to find a job. But as a kid all I wanted to do was hunt or fish. Duck hunting was no 1. Never missed a weekend till I was forced to get a part time job (then still attempted to get every weekend off). But I have acquired things slowly as everyone else. Had a 20 gauge bout for me for my Bday, Got waders for christmas, jacket for another Bday, ect ect. Bought my 870 supermag which was the 1st main purchase of my own for duck hunting, buy my own license, calls but I still use most of my dads things as he loves the sport as much as me!

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

-Hunt public water 98% of the time.

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

-Usually avoid the well populated areas but if we resort to them we get their early and just deal with all the [PoorWordUsage] that comes with people these days.

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

-Ducks have been really hit or miss this year will a couple goods day (not opener) and a couple bad ones (opener). Will never give up the sport no matter how many birds are around. These days I try to wait for the northern flight to come but cant resist the itch to get out and see the birds fly.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

-Have a lot of family and friends around my age that I go with. Along with some of my dads buddies as well. I think its simply about passing on the tradition and meeting new people in school to pass on the experience. Cant count on the DNR to do much these days.. Although I have been checked two out of three times out this year, but then I ask myself.... Couldn't they be doing something to better our resources? They know none of us are shooting limits, they are simply there to raise money on every ticket they can possibly write.

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

-I don't count on the DNR to do much. I just take what I can get. I think they have good intentions but not enough funding to produce the improvement we need.

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

-Again... No Funding. I hope I will have a lot of money someday to buy my own land and improve it in a way that will produce duck heaven!

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

-Not much the DNR can do at this point. As numbers keep decreasing so will the hunters. Of course the die hards like myself will continue to hunt ducks but the average/fair weather hunter will just simply say "enough is enough"

[machohorn]

Great post!, My hats off to you young hunters, full of ambition, energy and in my opinion "running down the right path" So many people your age are into the wrong type of lifestyle, a road I once went down. I would be more then happy to share my boat anytime with anyone of you!.

[magnum mike]

Great post.

[Basseyes]

I am humbled by the knowledge and honesty of the responses.

I consider it an honor to be a waterfowl hunter and believe in some ways there is a better class of hunters being forged currently. Still some bad apples but are getting weeded out or so it seems. IMO the sun is setting on the old days of having any tom, Richard or harry out waterfowl hunting. The guys I've meet while out hunting seem to be some of the nicest and sincerest guys out there. And from reading the responses from the younger guys as well as many of us middle aged to old guys there's an honest understanding, more over an acceptance of the situation in front of us.

I love to hear the ways around all the reasons guys are giving it up or not getting into it.

My brother and I when we first started getting into it asked for things for Christmas and birthday presents. Saved up money and bought stuff on end of the year clearance sales. Regularly patrolled sporting good stores clearance racks as we still do today. I still shop around and price check every where before I buy. Bargain caves, HSO-Classifieds, e bay, garage sales, thrift stores are all options for purchasing used equipment for under retail value.

I started hunting and shot my first duck a blue winged teal off Spectacle WMA years ago. We hunted around Anoka, Isanti and other metro counties till we started stretching our wings and started going to western MN. After that we've had some great hunts in North Dakota. We have over the years acquired the equipment to hunt big water, small water and fields. My wife doesn't understand but I love boats. I rarely use some but would have more if I had the money.

Most of my clothes have come on some kind of sale or the evil empires spend and save cards. What a deal I explain to the wife if I spend $500 I get a gift card to buy more hunting stuff. But it is a great deal and saves money. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

IMO the number of down winders has gone way down. MN still gets hit hard but there are good areas in south western and western MN that late in the year we drive by dozens of WMA's and WPA's that are empty and holding ducks. So the aged old debate of to much pressure and no ducks is on some shaky ground.Sure they may not be in the same spot grand pa use to hunt but if you dig around you can still find areas with some birds and low hunting pressure.

One thing I think that has been understood amongst the younger generation more so than older guys is they see the natural progression of our society better and understand their piers more. They also see the limitations of the DNR and USFWS. As well as the realities of the habitat conditions.

I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THAT!

[coombia21]

i am 16 and have been hunting since i was 10 i started out with a single shot .410 that has been passed down and i won a benelli super black eagle at duck unlimited a couple of years ago and when i hunt by myself i borrow dekes from friends but this year i bought 60 remington decoys for 25 that were used twice and had al the line and weight on them at a estate sale i am hunting just about every weekend and the only cost i have is shells and gas when i hunt by myself the best thing i have taught myself to do is not to buy on impulse like buying dekes brand new just before the season starts but buy used and buy it in the offseason this is how i have made it

[NR]

I'm 29, a 3rd generation MN waterfowler, and a forester by profession.

How do you afford what is perceived to be a very non cost friendly sport?

Life is about priorities, its as simple as that. People always find a way to do things they want to do, and an excuse to avoid the things they don't want to do.

How do you get access to good waterfowl hunting properties?

Generally, by boat. But seriously, I made the decision to work in a career that would put me away from urban areas and into the brush. Sometimes that's helped, sometimes not.

How do you avoid pressure or become successful on public areas?

Public areas are a wild card - you have no idea on any given day who or how many will show up. Pray for luck.

How do you get past the low bird numbers Minnesota seems to be suffering from?

You have to love the sport for its own sake. If you want blood and guts, you'll quit hunting ducks in MN. I appreciate my hunts in SoDak and Canada, but I won't quit hunting in MN.

Where do you see the sport going in the future and what will be your involvement in it?

Duck hunting has been on a spiral downward since Europeans got to North America - we will have our good years and bad, but the trend is downward and that won't change. It's simple evolution or succession. We need to get rid of the carnage/blood and guts/ band obsession / face paint / DVD garbage, that stuff does nothing positive for our sport. I will do whatever I can whenever and wherever I can. Introduce people to the sport, lead by example, support the non-profits, buy multiple Fed Duck Stamps, etc, etc, etc. The land I manage (30,ooo acres) is taken care of with wildlife as a top priority.

What can the DNR do to help the challenges facing your hunting opportunities in the future?

Quit trashing shallow lakes with aerators, limit early season kill to protect local breeding ducks, Stop overwater early goose hunting and youth day, weed out the amatuers.

Where should the DNR start habitat management or purchasing more good waterfowl hunting areas?

Focus on the shallow lakes. These are the core of what MN has left. By working on the lakes themselves and their watersheds, we can raise and hold ducks in this state. I think MN has more public land than any state other than Alaska, so I don't think acquisition is the question. Intensively managing what we already have would be a good start.

Any advice for the DNR you think could help waterfowl hunters getting into the sport or keep current hunters on board?

It's pretty simple, and I don't think the DNR has a lot of control over it. Provide an experience that hunters want. For some its simply a lot of shooting. For others, it's a limit. For me, its a whole bunch of ducks to watch, and a few to bring home.

[goblueM]

we have a ton of public land, but a TON of it is boreal forest. we dont have many ducks cuz all the prairie and wetland complexes are drained and tiled or a subdivision