Should the duck season open earlier?

[BLACKJACK]

What do you guys think, should the duck season open earlier? With most of the ponds now froze over, and the big water freezing fast, should northern state hunters have a season that opens earlier? Most years everything is froze a couple of weeks before the duck season ends.

My opinion is that opening one week earlier would give us a chance to hunt some of the teal and wood ducks that seem to leave with the first cold spell. The earlier season was dangled in front of us briefly, then taken away. At first I wasn't in favor of that early season but now with everyting froze up, that early season looks appealing. What do you all think?

[Bryce]

Is having an earlier opener really going to improve hunting in MN. Let's face it, we shoot at the ducks the first 2 weekends and they disappear. Moving up the opener will just give us a longer time to wait until the migrators come through. I don't run into a lot of hunters traveling in search of teal. We would all like to see more mallards. I believe an earlier opener would harvest more hens and hurt the future of "real" ducks in MN.

[Bogsucker]

I would like to see a split season. And just what are "real" ducks?

[Bryce]

The problem of a split season is this screwy weather we have in MN. Migration generally only lasts about a week where I do most of my hunting. If the weather moves the migration up or back, I'd hate to sit on shore. A "real" duck to me is anything my dog will retrieve but as I stated, not many hunters I run into are out in hopes of hoards of teal.

[J.A.Say.Tree]

I personally LOVE teal! They are my favorite eaters, not to mention an excellent wing shooting challenge!!!

If you're bored... come on down to Rochester and get in some Canada hunting!

JA!

[I Like Worms]

I think we should have a shorter season to reflect our actual hunting season length due to weather(most years ending the end of Oct.) and due to the decline in the population. To go along with this though, I strongly believe that the shorter season needs to be through out the U.S. especially in the southern states where they kill ducks right up to the last day.

[Guest]

The seasons are fine. It gives the people the warmer weather early in the season to get out and enjoy the outdoors without the mosquitoes and heat, yet plenty of ducks. There are always ducks. You just have to work to find them.

Then there is the late season. It doesn't even come close to ending in October. That's when the migrations really heat up. This year is a fluke. It's been very, very unseasonal. For the last 6 years (that I can remember that far back) I have hunted until the very last day of the season and I found ducks, and open water..."up north" too. I save my four days of vacation each year over Thanksgiving to hunt the hearty divers and mallards. Usually I am the only one out there, and that is just fine with me because I smoke 'em!

I highly doubt we will see a long duck season like this for awhile, unless Canada gets out of the severe drought.

[Guest]

I'd really like to see an earlier start! Love to hunt those woodies and teal and perhaps make the early season or first week just that,woodies and teal. Seen plenty of ducks FLYING during all of early goose and never witnessed any broods in ponds or lakes unable to fly.
Actually the last 6 years or so have been a fluke. This year did freeze up a week or so earlier than alot of my past recollections but very close to normal. I remember losing days at the end of a 30 day seaason that had a split.

[Guest]

I agree with Bemduckboy. this year we are finaly back to a relatively "normal" weather pattern. We raise a ton of Woodducks and teal and get only tiny window of opertunity to harvest any. an early teal / woodie season wouldnt hurt a thing. The mallards are'nt any more mature the 1st of Oct. than they are the third or fourth weekend of Sept. Open the season for ten days at the end of Sept. through the first weekend of Oct. then shut it down for ten days. then let it go till when ever. They could leave it open till the end of Dec. and the # of aditional ducks harvested would be very small. Most people put the decs. away when deer opens and even more would hang it up for ice fishing. I love ice up hunting and am willing to put up with the cold and the difficulty finding a spot with open water. so LET US SHOOT SOME DUCKS!!!!!!! That is the point, is'nt it? I know the kill is'nt the whole reason we hunt ducks, But we should not have to apologize for doing it, and we do deserve to harvest some of what we raise (woodies). So let the DNR know you want to have an honest shot at duck hunting Jim

[duckbuster]

NO!! I agree with Bryce, We pound the locals for the 1st 2 weeks then we wait for the northerns to come down. Opening the season earlier will only push the locals out quicker. The DNR tried the split season ten years ago or so, obviously they didn't like it. I like the old tradition of the opener on the 1st saturday of October.
Has anybody heard if Winnie is filling up with the BIG BLUEBILLS yet?
GOOD LUCK and GOOD HUNTING. Also remember to be safe, lets face it we are not the smartest hunters on the planet. We have all been known to do a few stupid things in our day.