will the good ol days ever return?

[sartellangler05]

Some SD and ND biologists posted an article on a research project 2 years ago on the flyway. They hypothesized that climate changes may push ducks into western MN, due to a 3-6 degree average increase in temperature. The increase will dry up more of the prarie wetlands of the less rich ND soil, leaving Ducks with a better breeding ground in parts of western MN. They mentioned however, that this possible climate change MN might only see more ducks if we restore NATURAL habitat. Not ponds that are surrounded by crop fields up to the fringe where predators can easily access.

[Musky Buck]

Truth is the 60's were insane according to my dad, I thought the 80's were insane, lakes my dad hunted in the 60's u can no longer hunt, there lined with lake places and the vegetation is gone, there's just been a lot of changes in MN and the flyway has shifted through lower population densities meaning west, I live in East Central MN and there is no migration here, I've only been here since 1996 but we see nothing migrating here really. Good luck and I'm proud of you that keep at it !

[sartellangler05]

I must say I remember hunting western MN before I could shoot and the first couple years of hunting there was pretty good hunting out there. I am 24 now. So this really wasn't too long ago. Memories of mallards milling in the field and circling in 200+ flocks above our decoys was consistent. This was still mid-late 90's. Something more recent since, I'd say post '95 has soemthing to do with the downfall of birds migrating through here and my opinion it's all the flooding in ND. Recall natural selection, all animals survive and look for their best environment to reproduce/live, and MN just doesn't compare to what it used to. ND does.

[CANOPY SAM]

No, the good old days will not return to Minnesota, and it really has very little to do with the MN DNR. Farming practices, housing development, and flood control have completely changed the northwest portion of our state (which is where the majority of birds used to filter into from Canada).

Where 30 years ago there used to be deep peat bogs, massive cattail sloughs, and properties dotted with temporary "wet" staging areas, there is now little more than dry mono-culture. Sad but true.

Our migratory waterfowl have moved the lion's share of their migration thru the Dakota's, where these conditions still exist, but also are suffering compared to years ago.