Have they lost thier mind?

[ironman]

Wait a minute I thought MN was a liberal state to begin with I hope nobody take offense but saying your going to not hunt at all this year because you refuse to believe what the experts say about duck populations is equivelant to the knee jerk reaction of people I've actually heard say that they are not going to drive over the mississippi bridges anymore until they have all been inspected. I just drove back to the cities from Fergus and enjoyed looking at all the duck habitat, some held no ducks..some however held alot of ducks and this is just what I could see from I-94. Alot of habitat and no birds? You know what else likes that perfect habitat? Coyotes, fox, racoons, skunks, crows, hawks, cats, etc. If the MN breeding populations were the only ducks to fly through our state I might be able to see your point, but if breeding populations are up in the dakotas and in the canadian praries as well as the tundra we will see more birds. I haven't seen any flying detour signs diverting the birds elsewhere. Doom and gloom in the face of good news such as record numbers of Cans...I dont get it at all. Sorry for the rant...btw I saw a flock of geese circling this un cut corn feild...poor little fellas just wanted to land in the worst way...boy do I wish I could be in that field after its cut.

[dabber]

We've hunted over 30 years in central Mn. Everyone I've talked to (including recent DU Banquets) can't believe that our DNR went back to the 6 limit on ducks. We have to protect our local population. Maybe they could have risen it to 6 on Nov. 1st when the northern migration comes down. I travel west central Mn alot and by the 3rd week the sloughs are pretty sparse. Two less ducks per person DOES make a huge difference. An avid Duckhunter is more than happy with a limit of four. The comments that limits make no impact on our population is not thought out. Then why not make it 4 hen mallards? As for the comments about hunters down south killing OUR birds, you here them complaining about us up here. We are very fortunate that we have access to some good hunting land in MN. and should make some sacrifices to ensure future birds.

[kgpcr4]

If limits are not that important why do we have them???? Saying the limit does not really matter is a foolish statement. If limits dont matter then why not shoot every bird we see??

[dkhntr]

If anyone has a problem with the 6 duck limit, instead of whining about it, just do a voluntary 4 duck limit.

I on the other hand cant wait to kill 6 ducks a day this year! It doesnt always happen. But when it does, it sure is nice.

[JustLOVEit]

To me it doesn't really matter if its 4 or 6 limits. It could be just 2 and i'll be happy cause i don't ever get more the 2. (By choice cause thats all i can eat in a week)

[lanyard]

Welcome to the zero sum game of conservation negotiation.

Most people, in my experience, agree that the length of season is the greater influence on populations, not the limit. Now, you can get all googly eyed with "what do limits matter then" and "why not shoot 4 hens", etc. But when it comes down to it, limits do matter, but from 4-6 don't matter as much as 45 days- 60days. The 4-bird 60 is a feel good that didn't work.

If we could 'save' ducks in this state we should have had more birds nesting here this year and not seen our state production population drop. Well, we're somewhere in the middle of a 3 year- 4 year drought because we don't get snow in this state anymore. Top it off, the sloughs that are left haven't recovered from the highwater detriment- high water kills the ducky vegitation.

If we wan't to keep more birds around they need loafing and roosting areas to be left undisturbed, have refuge. Closing at 4 pm should go back to two weeks, or shut 'er down at noon on weekends, or go nuts with 4 birds and 4 pm for the first couple weeks.

Figure the first weekend is equivalent to the early teal seasons down south, we just get malllards, et al. The good hunting doesn't start until pheasant opener- when half the hunters turn to eating breakfast before roosters rather than boat the blind.

The real good hunting doesn't start 'til deer hunting- when the next half put away the dekes for the season.

Don't shoot hens, they will be bred, in the same reason you only shoot roosters when pheasant hunting.

All or nothing seems like it leaves alot of difference between some fairly logical and appeasing opportunity---- but I would hazard that there are too many people too stupid to figure out split seasons, etc., or the DNR figures this way they only get one consituency yelling at them at a time, and this year the opportunity goes to those who vote for the more conservative 4 bird limit.

I personally don't care one way or the other, I need to trust that they are doing their jobs and will continue to monitor the situation to make adjustments as necessary. Don't know how anyone takes the job!

[bigcrappies]

my personal opinion is that they have a job to do and thats to look at the duck population and say "hey theres more ducks this year than last lets raise the limit"..and u say that the sloughs are drying up because of lack of snow. well that just means that theres not enough room for all these extra ducks..

to me it doesnt matter if i get the limit i get the limit it only happens once in a great while so i dont worry about it. the only problem i can see is with some ppl that go out everyday and get a limit and just throw it out later. u dont need a limit everyday just take wat u need

and those old photos those arent neccessarily market hunters those could be just ducks a family shot to feed the family while the ducks are available cause there was not welfare and ebt and things like that all u could do was fend for yourself

[slimngrizzly]

Remember that ducks are migratory, perhaps instead of accusing the south of shooting so many of "our" birds we should thank Canada for supplying us with a few! The bag limits are a reflection of the "whole". I admit they are not perfect, but they regulate with minimal confusion for the average joe.

Look,there are 20 people argueing on this very site. And those same people shun the state and federal lawmakers for creating laws and regulation that displease them. Its quite obvious there is no way to please anyone as a whole!

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

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Let it be known that I am in full support of anyone who boycotts the duck season this year due to the 6-bird limit...

I'll toast you with my morning coffee as I sit in the blind awaiting shooting time!

SA/wdw

---

HEAR HEAR I will toast with you from my blind. I am dang lucky to see 6 ducks most days so the limit change will make no difference to me what-so-ever. I would venture to say that for 80% of the hunters it will not matter that the limit was changed. I did not see one person with a limit last year! Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[hanson]

Last year guys were whining and complaining about the 4 duck limit. All the other states are shooting 6, why can't we?

This year, the whining and complaining is about the 6 duck limit. What was the DNR thinking when they went from 4 to 6?

[ole matty]

i dont see whats big deal on 6 limit except for longer season than other states. limit s 4 mallard, 2 canvasbacks and thats still make me happy. how many hunter out of few thousands hunter will limited out?

[jblabsnduck]

All you guys whinning about the 6 duck limit should only be shooting 4 if that is what you truly believe the limit should be.

I love the 6 duck limit AGAIN.

Not pointing fingers but most guys that are whinning about the change only hunt till it gets cold anyways or you don't travel enough to find a place where you can find 6 ducks to shoot.

Let those two extra ducks go by so I can shoot them for you.

[BoxMN]

I won't keep piping in my two cents after this, but I think what many folks are "whining" about is not that 4 vs 6 makes a statistical difference, or that you don't have a right to your limit, but more about WHY the limit was changed by those in charge. As I mentioned above, if it is simply because other states get to do it, we should too, I think that is the wrong reason. Now, if it isn't going affect the duck population either way, that is cool, and I like shooting ducks

And BTW - I hunted 30 days last year, right up to the second to last day, and some on NoDak - not bad for also working full time-plus. Didn't shoot ducks every day, but did get 4 duck limits a couple times, most time a duck or two per person per day. So just because we question the 6 duck limit doesn't mean we are only opening weekend hunters, heh.

I usually hunt in traditional can country, so I hope to see the vast numbers of cans everybody speaks of. I will be the first to pipe up and say "holy cow, there were a lot of ducks out there!" if we see them this year. Last year we actually saw quite a few more than previous years, so maybe we all will have fantastic year, and that truly most species are doing very well. I hope so. Good hunting.

[jblabsnduck]

So if you ask me you answered your own question by stating:

Last year we actually saw quite a few more than previous years.

One other thing you said:

So just because we question the 6 duck limit doesn't mean we are only opening weekend hunters, heh.

I never said ALL whinning came from weekend warriors but a lot of it does.

My total days afield last year was 73 and that includes my trips for snow goose hunting from MO to SD.(wife wasn't happy but she got over it and also working 50 hour weeks)

Good luck to you this season.

[jbell1981]

Quote:

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I won't keep piping in my two cents after this, but I think what many folks are "whining" about is not that 4 vs 6 makes a statistical difference, or that you don't have a right to your limit,

but more about WHY the limit was changed by those in charge.

---

Why was it changed from 6 to 4 two years ago? IMO, they screwed up and now have made things right again. There was no reason for them to change it in 2005.