Earlier Duck Opener?

[candiru]

From the Star Trib HSOforum:

DNR proposal would allow for duck season to begin a week earlier

Last update: February 9, 2010 - 7:50 PM

Minnesota's duck season could start a week earlier than usual if a proposal by the Department of Natural Resources is accepted by the state Legislature.

The Legislature in 2005 passed a law declaring the duck season can't open before the Saturday nearest Oct. 1. That has prevented Minnesota from opening the season earlier than that, even though the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows the state to open the season the Saturday nearest Sept. 24.

"We're asking them to repeal the law,'' said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife management section chief. The DNR then could set the duck opener by rule. Under the federal guideline, the opener could occur as early as Sept. 21. That's likely too early, Simon said. But he said the DNR might choose to set the opener on the Saturday nearest Sept. 28. Under that scenario, the earliest the season could open would be Sept. 24.

"It would be an attempt to increase the harvest of early migrants, primarily wood ducks and teal,'' Simon said.

Last fall, an early cold snap sent wood ducks and teal south before the duck season. Officials say they believe that hurt early-season hunter success.

"There are tradeoffs,'' Simon said, "because we would have to cut a week off the back end of the season. And there are a lot of hunters who like that late-season hunting. We could consider a split [season] or maybe a zone and a split.

"We would take it to public input meetings to see what people want.''

[tracker x-2]

I would be all for a week earlier and give a week up at the end. more time early ice and late bow hunitng.

[Finlander]

Split the season! It's a No-Brainer that would make everybody happy!

[Quackaddict9]

Split the season! It's a No-Brainer that would make everybody happy!

I've read quite a few comments that people do not want split season on a different site, but they did agree on opening the season in southern part of MN 1 week later and end the season 1 week later than Northern part of MN.

I don't really care what happens, I just like to get out and I've killed plenty of birds whether its too early or mid or later of the season!

[Farley]

There are no ducks in MN. [\sarcasm]

[B. Amish]

Split the season! It's a No-Brainer that would make everybody happy!

until we get a major cold front during the closed split part of the season...

I don't think there is anything they could do that would make everybody happy.

i like the way it is right now. if we get a 60 day season... i'm happy.

[Bowfin]

Yes - open a week earlier.

[Fins-n-feathers]

Yes - open a week earlier.

I seems like there are more geese around that time of year. A week earlier would be nice.

[Musky Buck]

Irrelevant for my area, once the 1st weekend is gone so are what few ducks were around anyway and what migration, we all deer hunt on rivers, creeks, etc. and we're not seeing much of anything, our private ponds are birdless 90% of the season. To me it won't matter because there is no food in the water in the area, we tried to plant wild rice that never took. I don't like being a downer guy but it used to be seeing geese was rare, now it's seeing a flock of ducks is rare. In my area and driving across MN all fall it's not often I see any ducks.

[dan z]

makes no diffence to me the youth day still kicks alot of birds out of mn. i will kill birds no matter what happens.

[SledNeck]

lol, without youth waterfowl day there would be no ducks for us this year!

[Gordie]

Totally against it I WANT IT OPEN LATER BUT I will shoot ducks earlier if I have too

[hockeybc69]

Earlier. Absolutely!!!

[jdog]

its not the youth hunt pushing the ducks out as much as the early goose season over the water duck hunting has been terrible ever since the dnr let that happen

[kittycatcher16]

I wouldnt go as far as saying its terrible...I limited out a few times last season. I would say that is success. I also know a lot of people that had the same success last year. Ducks are here in MN(nothing like ND)but, Just have to put in the time to scout and find em.

[canman]

Maybe just an early season on teal and woodies only would be the way to go. I like my late season hunting. Another way maybe would be to have a day of the week closed through the entire season to allow us to open earlier and stay open as late as it is today. Ya, a front could come through on the closed day, but I think it may work.

[RumRiverRat]

Worst Idea Ever!

All the whining about the cold weather last season pushing the teal and woodies out makes me want to puke.

[Farley]

i dont know how it is for you northern boys up dere but around central mn if the season went another 1-2 weeks it would be perfect. Water is just starting to lock up if any ice at all about the time the season closes. Then you watch all the migrators come down and you can drive around for another 2 weeks and see all the greenies keeping holes open in your favorite lakes and you cant hunt them in the fields.

Reality check: It will never be as good as your grandpappy had it where you could go to any pond and shoot a handfull of ducks. I shot maybee half a dozen ducks (if that) total last season and I dont complain, I'm not worried if I dont get "x" number of ducks in my freezer and if that is your game then go to frickin Canada. Otherwise start hunting geese because there is plenty of those friggin things around.

But like I said, I dont hunt northern mn so maybee they need a earlier season up there. That's all fine and good. Split season would be the answer then I would imagine. But for the rest of you whiners, I'm pretty sure if the season would have opened a week earlier last year you'd still be whining that there are no ducks in MN, or at least there are no ducks in your favorite pond. Watch Border Patrol (Keller Outdoors) if you want to see what ducks in MN look like.

[Musky Buck]

I scout about a 114 mile trek and have since 1996, other than seeing some birds in towns that have water, I'm seeing very little. The bow hunters are reporting they hardly ever see the wood ducks or a single wood duck like they used to, no ducks are coming into our goose decoys like the early 90's, some areas of the state are worse off than others and I'm in a bad one. I think I'll stick to geese. Good luck to those that have a fair area yet to hunt, consider yourself fortunate, our area used to be unbelievable, I hope someday if 1/25 of it could come back we'd be stylin again.

[Jmnhunter]

hahah youth season pushing the birds out of the state ahhahaha

[kittycatcher16]

I agree with Jmnhunter. There is no way one day of youth hunting will push birds away. Birds leave cuz of one reason, no food. As long as there is open water the birds will stick around. Yes, of course if you jump their roosting spot a couple times they will move but I definately wouldnt go as far as saying a little bit of shooting is pushing birds OUT of the state. Just my opinion.

[life=outdoors92]

[PoorWordUsage] did i ever get hooked on the sounds of whistling wings that mornin and still am to this day... its the same with the kids i take out today.

then on duck opener (if no cold front pushed through) the ducks were ALWAYS there again. its the food, not the hunters

[Gordie]

well put LO

[Maxxed Out]

I gotta say, since I hunt LQP I was more excited about the second half of this article and the elimination of the west central zone and and 85 day season with 3 geese a day. That would be christmas come early for this guy. I can't tell you how tough it is to be hunting pheasants around the refuge and have 100,000 geese flying all day long in December and you can't hunt them.

But in regards to the earlier duck opener. This is definately an attempt by the state to spark interest in the borderline duck hunter that may or may not buy a license. I would prefer to hunt ducks later into the year than earlier myself.

[BrdHunter01]

LATER! Not earlier.... What are they thinking? I'm a die hard duck hunter and if they close the season any earlier than is already being done I WILL BOYCOTT MN waterfowling PERIOD! I will buy a ND lisence and head up their a couple times a year.

I still see mallards and geese everyday around central MN. I saw most of the birds come through after the season was closed. Its not the 1st time we've missed the push and certainly won't be the last..... So lets open and close the season earlier? WHAT IS THE DNR THINKING?