early metro geese on water

[Guest]

check out the 9 a.m. opener post

[loc9fisher]

i read a couple of weeks/months ago about talks of extending the metro early goose season to water.
so instead of staying 100 yards away of permanant surface water, we can hunt on it.
anybody else read this, or am i starting rumors?

[loc9fisher]

i did. i posted the question in there. but i want to know more on it. i post this question here because its easier for more people to see than if it were, or is, buried in another post not even relating to this question.

[Guest]

I always thought the 100 yards from water was meant to protect the ducks from being disturbed, not sure though.

[Guest]

I strongly discourage the early goose season if able to hunt on water. I really think that would screw things up for duck hunting. More birds would move through areas faster. I wittness this every year just by field hunting geese where ducks are using the same field. There are literally hundreds of ducks flying around the field we hunt in the early season untill about day three they are gone and never return.

[Flipnripem]

I do believe the reason for the season is definatly to trim the population, but the reason for not shooting birds on the water is more benificial to hunters in the same general area. If you disturb the birds on thier roost enough they will leave the area for a more peaceful resting place. Shoot them in the feeding area and they still will return to the same roost. Flip

[chow]

I can honestly say that I have never understood this logic either? The goal of the early goose season is to reduce the LOCAL goose population. Thus the increased bag limits. However then they have the "can't hunt them within 100 yards of water rule" which seems contradictory?

The only thoughts I had on why this might have been in place was due to the fact that MN is generally more geared toward fishing than hunting and they didn't want "conflicts" between fishermen and hunters?????

chow

[loc9fisher]

hey BB, don't get [PoorWordUsage]ed now, but by your logic the ducks will leave if we hunt geese on water, right?
i thought that west of hwy 71 you could hunt geese on water in the early season. do you fella's out there still have ducks come the start of duck season?
i have talked to a couple of guys that hunt ducks west of 71 and they don't seem to have a problem finding good hunting areas.
so then another question according to your logic, as soon as a duck gets scared off water by a gun blast would it just leave for safer water? or do they just go south? or what happens?
now don't forget that im not trying to stir up any emotions. im simply trying to understand all sides of the arguement. to be honest when i first heard about this topic i was for it, but learning both sides and then basing my decision is a much better way to go. and as of today, im not so sure anymore.
good post BB, no hard feelin's

[full force five]

guys, the reason why they don't allow honkers on open is water is because of the recreational use that still going on. Can you imagine little Joey on the water-skiing across the decoys. Or maybe tracking down a cripple while mom and pop putter by on the party- bardge. Can you say nightmare

[loc9fisher]

but then why is it allowed in some area's of the state? isn't west of 71 quite a bit of cabin country? i know its not the most popular area, but still. there are alot of lakes/ponds out there and here where recreational use just can't happen. look at pelican lake in st. michael. its huge but shallow. and why can't whoever's in charge make some lakes huntable and busy ones not huntable? don't they do that with fishing? most you can fish, but some you can't?

as for "recreational" use as the reason we can't hunt geese on water, i don't buy it. there are far stronger arguments than that.

[Guest]

loc9fisher-

Dude, no hard feelings at all. You bring some good logic into this also. I believe there are good points mentioned from each side of this issue. However, I 'think' it would do more damage to our image as hunters due to people out doing their recreational activities and I 'think' it would make the duck hunting worse. Although I would be willing to try it for a year to see what happens. This is the only way we all would have a 'better' idea of the early water hunt but not all the answers. Of course, when do we have all the answers?!!

Take care

[Flipnripem]

If they truely want to decrease the number`s that magic half hour after sunset sure would help out!

[Guest]

I've never thought of the recreational water issue before, that is a good point. The only problem I see with it how many people are using the water for recrational purposes after labor day, right at sunrise, and shortly there after? That and most of the huntable areas in the metro areas aren't used for recreational reasons anyhow, they are small sloughs, shallow cattail rimmed lakes, and WMA's where motors aren't allowed.

[This message has been edited by superfish (edited 04-12-2003).]

[loc9fisher]

i strongly agree with that magic half hour after sunset. i completely forgot about that. i know it would help me harvest more birds where i hunt. i can't even count how many times i watched geese trying to come into my decoy's last year while i was picking up. i think i would be more in favor of that than hunting over water. good post flip.

and i also agree with superfish, at the time of day we would be out hunting, how many people are actually on the water besides fisherman. and whoever would boat that close into shore to put little timmy through our decoy's has got to be breaking some kind of law.

[This message has been edited by loc9fisher (edited 04-12-2003).]

[Guest]

I definetly don't want to see the water hunting for early season around here. I think it would cut the harvest instead of increase it. It would drive them to the golf courses and parks right away. We have good action the whole early season in many different spots because there are tons of safe places to sit. Once duck season opens theres 3 places to find them, the refuge,town or some farm with a cow pond that doesn't let anyone hunt.Then it's a matter of hoping they get hungry enough to fly out. there's already a ton of people hunting them in the feilds already I think you would double that if water hunting was allowed. Then you'd have more skybusting more crappy calling and alot more educated geese around! If you want to water hunt head west where there's fewer people or wait afew weeks for duck opener.I hope I didn't tick anyone off but I just wanted to throw my .02 cents in. Eric

[Guest]

I'm with you all the way MNgoose!

[loc9fisher]

now that we've all thrown our opinions whether this is good or not, lets get back to the original question.

do any of you know if law makers are still talking about this or have any info on the subject, or any info on an extended half hour in the evenings.