This weather

[Gordie]

Ok guys Now in all honesty did you like the opener earlier cause this weather will hold the birds back and the forcast doesnt look to change other than a a bit cooler temps. Does this earlier opener just make us sit and wait for an extra week for more birds?

I still enjoyed the earlier opener but I still would vote to have it stay open longer..

Someone said to me that if it doesnt cool down soon the birds will stay north until Christmas

I know that its waterfowling and these are the cards that were delt for usso I will play my hand when I can and enjoy the swamp with or without birds.

I also know that ther e are birds around and if you do some work it will pay off

[Finlander]

All you can do is pray for normal to below normal fall temps! Dear Lord!

[Jaspernuts]

Yeah, but if it was below average we would be saying how great it is. Every year is different, maybe next year were are colder. Still good numbers of woodies down here in the southern part of the state.

[nate larson]

Yeah this weather sucks. Not even sure if I am going to venture out this weekend or not. I don't really want to be sweating and swatting mosquitos.

[Brocster]

This is really a bummer after the wet spring and somewhat cooler weather earlier this year. To go from one extreme to the next...man. Lot's of small ponds and slews seem to be drying up quickly too.

I drove around a bit this morning and it struck me how FEW ducks I saw on the ponds and marshes. Just seemed like they upped and left.

Hopefully the weather change this weekend will get some birds moving. It is not a huge front or anything, but highs in the upper 50's to lower 60's next week sure beats 87.

[Riverratpete]

A fellas better off going fishing or hunting Grouse and Pheasants next weekend till the weather changes..best shooting always around Halloween anyways.

[Musky Buck]

That's what I figured, many ponds are dry to the point they couldn't float a duck so my other ponds etc. should be at least ok but in the 3 counties I hunt in it's bleak to say the least, nothing flying AM or PM and ponds are quiet and it's been that way for 12 years basically, water or not, bowhunters report seeing nothing or maybe a few flying at dark. I wonder what happened, all private water that used to be loaded with birds. Earlier or later or whatever opener hot or cold is irrelevant for many of us and most of us gave it up and more of us are done. My son is used to the normal, didn't see any today, when I was in his shoes same ponds,river,slough etc. It was about 500 woodies, over a thousand mallards teal were coots to us back then, and then we'd get that boost of curlytails flooding into those areas and that was incredible, ducks vacated and replaced by honkers.

[RumRiverRat]

It sucks!

[paceman]

yep this weather just plain sucks for duck hunting...

[laportian]

Was out on Winnie Wednesday morning. I seen maybe 5 ducks fly up until about 9am. I pulled the plug then, no one in my boat fired a shot. Counted about 15 different eagles flying around though. Heard some shooting down towards the river. Too hot, going fishing this weekend instead.

[bemidjibasser]

LOCATION. Put in the work to find the birds and you will do well. Sitting in the same spot as the last 12 years with no ducks doesn't make sense...unless you just like to put out and pick up decoys.

[brittman]

Elwood I assume by saying longer you mean later.

Minnesota gets 60 days of duck hunting under the liberal season framework of the USF&WS. The earlier opener was great at ensuring more teal and woodducks were around.

The southern zone split closure did not have to be 5 days. It could have been 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month ... what ever MN had the desire or courage to set.

I thought a 2 week closure would have been fine. That would have provided 12-14 days additional days at the tail end of the season. If you wanted to hunt ducks in MN during that time, head north to the North zone where the season runs continuous

[Gordie]

Yep this weather sucks I'm breaking out the walleye gear for the weekend and maybe hunt the mornings cant wait until I go to NOdak

And yes brittman I ment later.

I truly belive that we should have a 75 day season that tails into December. and I know everone says that the lakes are frozen but that doesnt mean the ducks are gone.

I also think that we could have a teal and woodie season all its own like the southern states do like 2 weeks or weekends early September..

[RuddyDuck]

I liked the early opener.

Been duck hunting for 30 plus years and it seems like every year at some point we always get a warm spell and have to wait for the Northerns to come down. Oh well, at some point it will cool down. I'll still be heading out, figured I had all spring and summer to fish. Can't shoot birds with a rod in my hand.

[Gordie]

Fishing plans were made months ago for night trolling so morning hunting will still work and possibly on the lake I'm fishing

nothing like a good ole fashion cast and blast

[Finlander]

Looks like the weather will be more normal around the 15th so i'mm gonna take a few days off during that week and hit the swamp, work on the fish house, then go sit in the tree and hopefully get to shoot a nice doe!