How early are you going to get up now? (opener)

[Finlander]

Now that duck opener is at 9:00am rather than 12:00?
It's going to be interesting for sure!

[This message has been edited by Finlander (edited 05-20-2004).]

[FISHER ED]

Probably won't get up much earlier as I'm usually in the blind by sunrise anyway to secure a spot. Then it's make a nice comfy spot in the boat to take a nap. Where did you here of the 9am opener? I've done some searching and have yet to find anything.

[jlm]

Yup, its changed to 9am. Thats a good start, I hope they have a real opener the following year. I will be there at sunrise as well, not to secure a spot but to watch the beauty that is the marsh!! Nothing beats the warm sun on your face and the little jets zipping by your head. Man am I getting the itch!

[Bushwacker]

I think we will have to be there by sunrise now. We used to be able to all get together and eat breakfast and hit the spot at 9:00 am. I can't wait. 2 twenty minute sessions a day with my 8 month old lab and five different CD's for duck and goose calling constantly playing in my truck. I've got the fever bad. Does anybody know what date the opener in on this year or are they waiting until September again to announce it?

[hanson]

Warm sun on your face and little jets buzzing your head? Sounds like you're duck hunting down in south Texas.

"Real" Minnesota duck hunting would involve breaking 1 inch thick ice with the canoe to get out to open water, cowering in the blind to escape the bone chilling wind, frozen duck calls, frozen hands, and then that moment when a flock of bills comes barreling into the decoys with that telltale sound of something good to come.

Yep, season is coming soon. Caught myself looking through last seasons Mack's Prairie Wings catalog again the other night.

[jlm]

Not on the opener Hanson! Thats an interesting point, I can't ever remember an opener that had ice on the water and I hunt extreme northern MN. How about others?

[Guest]

Yes, I do remember an opener when there was ice.

I want to say it was 1992-93...one of those.

We were hunting near Leech Lake, and there was a pretty good skim of ice around the edge of the beaver pond we were hunting. Bemduckboy is my witness!!

[greenwinger_13]

well... i have always seen this duck-geese forum... but never stopped by becuase i knew this would happen. Now after reading a few posts, i wont be able to sleep thinking about waterfowling. That 9 am opener sounds great! All of my hunting areas wont require me rushing in early to secure my spot. But i still like being up, gettin the coffee, then just sittin in the blind waiting for shooting hours.

[Perch Jerker]

I'm indifferent to the 3 hours 'extra' this fall. About the only benefit is that it gives me some time in the afternoon to shoot grouse.

HERE IS WHAT WOULD REALLY HELP...

Let us shoot till 1/2 hour AFTER sunset. As far as I know were the only state in the Union that stops hunting at 4pm for the first two weeks (or any length of time for that matter) after opener. Sep 27th - Nov 25th was the season last year, however most if not all of the sloughs/ponds/lakes I hunt were frozen weeks before Nov 25th. So we hobble ourselves EVERY DAY for the first two weeks, get to shoot only to sunset for the next 3-4 weeks or till freeze up, and then watch snow build up on the ponds for the last 2 weeks of the season. However, our neighbors to the south get open water for the entire 60 day season with no freeze up to worry about and get to shoot from 1/2 BEFORE & AFTER sunrise/sunset.

WHY?!?! Our season is short enough, lift these illogical restrictions.

PJ

[Guest]

PJ,
There is nothing illogical at all about stopping the shooting AT sundown.

After sundown is when most ducks return to the water to rest. By presuring them then, it will give them more reason to leave the area. You think you do not have good hunting now? See how good it is when they get pressured off of their resting areas.

It has been proven that ducks will stay around if they have a spot to go and rest and remain undisturbed. Our hunting would be 10 times better if we were not allowed to boat into lakes, sloughs and swamps until after sunrise and then have to be off by sunset.

This would not work or be acceptable to most hunters, but it sure would work in keeping the birds around a little longer.

[Mark Christianson]

The DNR mentions one reason for the restrictions is that it keeps the "local breeding" population from being shot up.

I guess I don't really understand that as being one of the reasons, because I have to think that our neighboring states raise some ducks too, and they have much more liberal regs for seasons/times.
Don't their breeding populations get shot up then if that is a concern?

Some of these rules are about as goofy as our bass opener dates. <another topic>

[FOOT]

PJ, understand seasons, bag limits and shooting hours are set by each state individually under guidelines from the Federal Gov. Our neighbors to the South, like Louisana, just make full use of the guidelines. Nothing that Minnesota can't do but something Minnesota chooses not to do. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sticking up for MN seasons, hours or bag limits. It just fries by bacon to see people (I don't think you are one of them) who don't take the time to realize we could have the same duck season as our southern neighbors but the powers that be (in Minnesota) choose not to do so.
The 9am opener is a good start. 4 hours was just not enough time on opening day.

[psegriz]

Although I don't hunt opening weekend (too many people out hunting) I think they should open at sunrise. Fact I don't even hunt weekends, I mostly jump shoot little potholes when the weather is so misserable that even hunters don't want to go out in it.

GRIZ

[Sartell Angler]

Well we here in MN are making some progress...dove season is now a guarantee, and it sounds like the opener is going to be more promising than it has been in recent years (at least we can be out there for more than 4 hours)...

can't wait

S.A.

[set the drag]

9:00 AM never thought the day would come for a longer opening day. But, If they make it 9:00 am might as well make it sunrise beacuse eveyone is still there around that time. As for the four o'clock I think it should be the first two weekends. But the the youth hunt is nut cuz to many yupi dads are shootin' the kids limits. or it should be closer to opening day not 10-15 dats before!

Now you got me thinkin' its practice time on the call and shootin' clays.

keep in line with the greenheads

[BLACKJACK]

I never liked the noon opener, lots of time to kill in the morning, holding down the spot, but now I'm wondering how early we'll have to get there to hold the spot. Before we'd get to our spot about 8 to hold it, now will we need to be there at 5 AM? If it wasn't the opener, I've sometimes thought about sitting out til Sunday morning, thats when the fun really starts!!!

[wooduck26]

....Ill be in Canada shooting Snows during our opener again this year....DW!

[fishkid]

i agree on the 9 o clock time for opener because i think people will be able to shoot a little more then they ususaly shot for opener. i dont mind gettin gup early because i think its fun to go out in the slue listing to the wings beating above your head and the whistling of teal zipping around. i remeber one kids hunt we used spinner wing and we had like 300 mallards in are decoys and they kept pouring in and once the shooting began it was the coolest thing to watch them get up and fly

[Borch]

Has the opener date been announced?

I haven't seen it listed anywhere yet. I'm planning a fishing trip the end of Sept. and it may run into opener. But we always bring the duck hunting gear anyways. There'll just be more competition if it's the opener for spots.

Borch

[Sartell Angler]

they will be announcing it sometime in August....should be interesting what they do with the season this year.

s.a.

[jblabsnduck]

Talk on other sites are saying a liberal season(6-60) and opening on Sept. 25th.
Just hear say.
Personaly I would rather have a later opener Oct.2nd. Love that late season flight.

[Sartell Angler]

I agree....would definitely prefer an Oct. 2nd opener

[Sartell Angler]

We definitely have a 60 day season that begins at 9am.

They are still deciding whether the opener is Sept. 25 or if it is Oct. 2.

There are pros and cons for each of the opening dates-- all I care about is getting to hunt, and it looks like there will be a lot of opportunities this season. Doves, early geese, waterfowl, pheasant, and late geese for this kid......can't wait!

S.A.

[Roosterslayer05]

I dont have a duckboat and on the lake I hunt there is one small managment area that no one else hunts, everyone else is out in a duckboat so I dont have to get there early to secure my spot. So ill probly wake up at 7:30 get to the spot at 8, get done seting out decoys at 8:30 then wait half an hour till shooting time.