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30 years.....

BrdHunter01
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Musky Buck Grand Master

Musky Buck

Posted
Posted

Haven't the past 10 years been reported the same ? Just each year progressively worse than the one before. My dekes have so much dust on them. By mid-August we'll be talking the same story as the last 10 years and then once it opens the locals moved out just before season and the migrants aren't down, then when season ends they'll talk about how the migrants came through after season etc. Pheasant will be too much standing corn, grouse, too much foliage. The report is just reprinted from 10 years ago and ten years from now it will likely be the same. But, going to church now, will pray for the ducks.

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123fish Experienced

123fish

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Actually it was the worst duck hunting I had in my 45 years of experience. Even worse than the late eighties when we had no water. With out question I'll be there next year hoping for the best even though my expectations have definitely been lowered over the past ten years.

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NR Apprentice

NR

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Amazingly enough, our hunting bottomed out 4 years ago. That year we shot zero ducks on "our spot". This year we shot 10x the number of ducks as 07 or 08 . . . it wasn't gangbusters by any stretch, but the numbers are legit - it's just that the last 8 years have been awful.

The difference for us is that even though "our lake" is aerated, it still winterkilled last year and the resulting habitat improvement was unreal.

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Gordie Grand Master

Gordie

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good next year there will be less hunters and more spots that wont get bothered. and in turn more ducks for me! how many days till next season?

You said it brother and theres to many days until duck hunting starts up again cool

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Tyler23 Experienced

Tyler23

Posted
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As long as the sun rises, i'll be out in my canoe watching it rise over my decoys...reguardless of the "poor hunting", It's the time outdoors i enjoy.

I like the "low numbers" publicity, might keep some people off the local mud puddles.

exactly.. large big numbers or small i will still be out there trying my hardest to get a limit. the experiance and spending time with friends and family is what its all about. a limit of ducks is just a good addition

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Gator Slayer Community Regular

Gator Slayer

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I believe it all depends where you hunted this year. I had my second best year ever. Shot over 50 birds. I tried new techniques in old spots and did much better than previous years.

Fewer licenses sold will result in less influence at the capital and may doom our sport. I'm buying 2 stamps next year.

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carpshooterdeluxe Mentor

carpshooterdeluxe

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I believe it all depends where you hunted this year. I had my second best year ever. Shot over 50 birds. I tried new techniques in old spots and did much better than previous years.

Fewer licenses sold will result in less influence at the capital and may doom our sport. I'm buying 2 stamps next year.

ditto. i barely got out this fall due to planning a wedding and getting married in the middle of the migration, but never had a problem finding birds. and i hunted 5 weekends in minnesota. never even got to touch the flooded corn of sodak. frown

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Shoot2Kill Proficient

Shoot2Kill

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What are peoples expectations as far as duck hunting goes in MN? I guess I'm a newbie to MN compared to some...only been here 4 seasons....but I grew up in Iowa and in MN no matter how "few" ducks are around will always have more than I ever saw in Iowa.

I'd love for the sky to be full every time out, but honestly....what are the expectations of MN duck hunters that complain about "too few" ducks? Just a question...don't get huffy. What "makes or breaks" it for you? I hunt a private 30 acres slough that isn't anywhere near any huge "duck" areas and we had ducks to shoot at every single hunt this fall....and I even shot an absolutely beautiful bull canvasback so that right made the season a complete success even if I didn't shoot another duck.

Doing the work, finding a private spot to hunt with nobody else jacking it up for you and having peace and quiet, watching the sun come up over the spread and the cat tails, and hearing those wings over head out of nowhere.....it's worth it every time out no matter if I pull the trigger or not. Enjoy the hunts fellas....it's not all about how many you kill every time out.

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chub Experienced

chub

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Posted

What are peoples expectations as far as duck hunting goes in MN? I guess I'm a newbie to MN compared to some...only been here 4 seasons....but I grew up in Iowa and in MN no matter how "few" ducks are around will always have more than I ever saw in Iowa.

I'd love for the sky to be full every time out, but honestly....what are the expectations of MN duck hunters that complain about "too few" ducks? Just a question...don't get huffy. What "makes or breaks" it for you? I hunt a private 30 acres slough that isn't anywhere near any huge "duck" areas and we had ducks to shoot at every single hunt this fall....and I even shot an absolutely beautiful bull canvasback so that right made the season a complete success even if I didn't shoot another duck.

Doing the work, finding a private spot to hunt with nobody else jacking it up for you and having peace and quiet, watching the sun come up over the spread and the cat tails, and hearing those wings over head out of nowhere.....it's worth it every time out no matter if I pull the trigger or not. Enjoy the hunts fellas....it's not all about how many you kill every time out.

My hopes remain high every year, but unfortunately, my expectations shrink a bit with each passing season.

I've been hunting here since about '75-'76. This past season, was the worst as far as numbers seen, bar none. From opening day, to the last. Had some decent days, and still managed to shoot quite a few birds, but I'm out there for the flocks of migrators. Most years you can manage to put a few good days together, but aside for two that stick out in my mind, this year was largely a dissapointment. For me it's about numbers seen and shooting them. I can converse and watch the sunrise 365 days a year. If I want to count coup, I'll wait 'til spring and get my fill of that.

That being said, do I expect Mn to mimic the Dakotas as far as bird numbers? ..........No. But in the past, it's had it's moments. Those moments however are few and far between anymore and much shorter in duration. The state is hatching and raising fewer birds each year it seems, and we don't draw the migration or hold much of what we get either.

The theories and reasons on why things have gotten to this point are many and probably more complex than anyone knows. All I can say for sure is that out of seeing a few good and bad years, this one took the cake.

I see many dismiss a poor season, as "atleast I got a few", or "seeing and shooting ducks, doesn't matter". It does matter. Might not change much in the big scheme of things, but could you imagine the outcry if for unknown reasons a lake such as the big one north of the cites, unexplicably was void of Walleyes come opener? If the wind was right, they'd hear the crying in Bejing.

Duck hunters are few in number and getting smaller.(I like the theory, though I know it'll bite me in the end). If nobody raises a stink and shouts out, when somethings out of wack, you'll get swept under the rug, and what little is being done to protect or enhance this sport will become less and less.

Sure you can wait until the Dakotas dry up and the hunting gets a little bit better on this side of the border, but that too is a double edged blade, and besides that, your great grand kids might be around to see it. It aint gonna happen anytime soon.

I'll still hunt here for as long as I'm around. I'll never accept things as they are. I might be an [PoorWordUsage], I might be a has been living off of old memories, but I'll never sit back as a duck hunter and be satisfied drinking coffee and watching the sunrise in hopes of seeing a duck or two.

That's my take on it anyway.

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Gordie Grand Master

Gordie

Posted
Posted

What makes it for me:

Just knowing that I can go duck hunting and meeting new and old fellow duck hunters.Passing on the sport I love so much down to my sons,seeing my sons eyes light up when they shoot a bird and yes coffee and sunrises are part of it even as a duck hunter cause it tells me that I'm alive today and hopefully will make it until the next sunrise and cup of coffee.

What breaks it for me:

Aint broke yet and if and thats a BIG IF it happens I'll let you know

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lifterpuller Apprentice

lifterpuller

Posted
Posted

The theories and reasons on why things have gotten to this point are many and probably more complex than anyone knows. All I can say for sure is that out of seeing a few good and bad years, this one took the cake.

MN habitat sucks: we no longer really raise ducks. Probably irreversible. Sad, but true.

Manitoba, Saskatchewan: dry years + diminishing habitat = bad hatch for their standard = less migrators coming through MN

North Dakota, South Dakota: still having phenomenal habitat despite losing substantial CRP acreage + extremely wet condtions = best hatch in years.

A lot of birds decided to nest in the Dakotas instead of Canada. Those birds do not migrate east.

Due to below average nesting conditions, the birds that nested in Canada had a high mortality rate.

That is why MN had a bad season.

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Jmnhunter Mentor

Jmnhunter

Posted
Posted

North Dakota, South Dakota: still having phenomenal habitat despite losing substantial CRP acreage + extremely wet condtions = best hatch in years.

A lot of birds decided to nest in the Dakotas instead of Canada. Those birds do not migrate east.

I think this played a large role this year especially

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