05' MN waterfowl regulations.....

[311Hemi]

Minnesota's duck season will last 60 days, with a four-duck daily bag limit, state officials announced Wednesday.

The season, which begins Oct. 1, is more conservative than federal regulations and the daily limit is lower than the six-duck daily bag limit the state has had since 1997.

Federal regulations allow states in the Mississippi Flyway to set 60-day seasons with a six-duck daily bag, including two hen mallards. Minnesota's bag limit includes only one hen mallard.

Steve Cordts, a Department of Natural Resources waterfowl specialist in Bemidji, said the state reduced limits in part because of feedback from hunters, after last fall's hunting season was the worst Minnesota has seen in many years.

``The general feeling was, up here in Minnesota and in the rest of the (Mississippi) Flyway, if we make a restriction, they (hunters) would prefer restrictions in bag and not season length,'' Cordts said. ``They want their days, but they'll give up ducks in the bag.''

Five thousand hunters and supporters of wetlands rallied at the state capitol in April, calling for laws to support clean water and improved waterfowl habitat. Duluth conservationist Dave Zentner, who coordinated the rally, said he was pleased with Wednesday's announcement.

``That's good news. I think that's progress,'' said Zentner.

The daily limit includes restrictions on other species, in addition to the hen mallard. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will allow just two scaup in the daily bag, down from three last year. Hunters will be allowed one pintail daily, but they may hunt pintails all season long. The canvasback limit is one, and the canvasback season will run 30 days, from Oct. 8 to Nov. 6.

The limit also allows no more than one blackduck, two wood ducks and two redheads, the same as last year.

Minnesota also will ban motorized decoys during the entire waterfowl season on public Wildlife Management Areas. They're also banned statewide during the first eight days of the season.

Hunting will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 1, and one half-hour before sunrise thereafter. Hunting will close at 4 p.m. daily through Oct. 8 and at sunset thereafter.