Opener?

[Gordie]

when you have kids that are starting to hunt and fish for the first few yrs it doesnt always matter that I get to shoot ofr reel in the fish I do get to do enough of it but when my kids are involed and they are alot everthing is a bonus. and I hate to go to work but I do it to be able to enjoy the outdoors and thatsthe best bonus of all. sorry just venting

[Shoot2Kill]

"THE OPENNER" is so retarded I dont even know why I go, but when you only have 60 days better go when thier is time on the calender or your gonna miss out, I would rather miss the openner than all them mallards when most guys are wearin blaze orange I shot more ducks last year in late october thru november than the first few weeks of the year the key to gettin mallards is diffenatly going during the week when everyone else is at work. the ducks stick around but when you have tom Dick and harry shootin at teal buzzin around your mallards seem to tuck away and then jump shooting is key. another thing is go mid morning and shoot them on the way back not on the way out, many times last year I would just be dumpin my rig in and eveyone was already loaded up and headed for home cuz they woke up to early.

Wow - never heard so many people bash an "opener" like some of you are. I for one have loved the opener for the past few year because the ducks are on the move with everyone on the water all over the state.

You know what I think is retarded - fishing opener. You can fish all year long legally somewhere for something in MN, but people freak out over "fishing opener"....big deal. You can fish all year - it's not like a hunting season that is closed for 10 months of the year. Just my .02. Blast away.

[brdhunter]

Originally Posted By: dan z

"THE OPENNER" is so retarded I dont even know why I go, but when you only have 60 days better go when thier is time on the calender or your gonna miss out, I would rather miss the openner than all them mallards when most guys are wearin blaze orange I shot more ducks last year in late october thru november than the first few weeks of the year the key to gettin mallards is diffenatly going during the week when everyone else is at work. the ducks stick around but when you have tom Dick and harry shootin at teal buzzin around your mallards seem to tuck away and then jump shooting is key. another thing is go mid morning and shoot them on the way back not on the way out, many times last year I would just be dumpin my rig in and eveyone was already loaded up and headed for home cuz they woke up to early.

Wow - never heard so many people bash an "opener" like some of you are. I for one have loved the opener for the past few year because the ducks are on the move with everyone on the water all over the state.

You know what I think is retarded - fishing opener. You can fish all year long legally somewhere for something in MN, but people freak out over "fishing opener"....big deal. You can fish all year - it's not like a hunting season that is closed for 10 months of the year. Just my .02. Blast away.

Agree 100% If no one was out moving around and blasting their guns, many birds wouldn't be flying. Opener is the best hunt (tests your shot with teal and woodies buzzin around), until the northern mallards come from the north.

Also I heard their was a good Teal hatch this year, anyone else hear the same?

[dan z]

yup lots of teal around, I have not been out to the slough lately but early goose season was a great duck show every morning!

[BoxMN]

Bringing my Grandson for his first opener. He has been hunting before, but his first year with a gun. Opener is more about the expereince of getting back together with your hunting buddies you haven't seen since fishing opener It might be good shooting, but could be a bust. It is about duck camp and giving each other [PoorWordUsage], and having young kids excited to get out there.

If people want to just go and kill birds, that is fine too, maybe your experience is different and that's cool. But the opener is for the social part of ducking hunting, and this will be the first year that our Dad and his best buddy are not at opener, both died this past year, so it will a changing of the guard , so to speak. Lots of stories and jokes told, many of them will be the same old tired stories, but this time told to newcomers who hopefully will tellig them when my old butt croaks

oh yeah, West Central MN is where we go, same place as last 25+ years for me, 45+ for my Dad, and for 60+ for our old buddy Jim, in what used to be the Canvasback capital, hopefully will be again. There were plenty last year, now we can just watch them...

[HugoBox]

I hate to ever admit if BoxMN says anything that makes sense, but I actually don't care if I fire a shot this opener. There is a crew of us who have hunted together every opener for about 25 years (give or take a decade) and this year we lost two of the old-timers, both of them still hunted last year so its not like they were 90 or anything. That said we're pretty lucky to have some fun memories and it will be great to try to put the young guys in a place to get some shooting.

Good luck to you all and be safe - erik

[JRedig]

This is my first duck opener hunting in 28 years, never tried it. A good fishing and hunting buddy is taking me to north dakota for the weekend, hopefully we find some sharptails and huns too. I'm pumped, good luck to all!!

Box bros, enjoy it, let's go fishing soon...

[USPENAMC]

My father, my brother and I will be going duck hunting for the first time EVER too. dont have a clue, idea but its all about the experience. we might not even see a duck but we will see what happens. we are actually looking into just paying and going on a guided cheap hunt and learn . since we dont have a dog, waders or boat it would be hard to do it on our own. We trust that the experience will be a good one. if nothing else but the memories

[Sandmannd]

I'm going up to Forest lake with a fellow FMer who invited me onto privage land. Looking forward to bagging my first bird ever.

[srj]

Sitting in the cattails in the Fosston area. Duck numbers not too good, goose numbers not too bad.

Good luck to all.

[ColdColdCold]

Icefishing21

hey icefishing..

I am a lakeville guy myself and only get to sneak out a couple of times a year ( 3yr old son ..) If you are ever looking for another guy to sit on a field, stand in waders, or on a boat give me a shout.. I enjoy hooking up with local hunters

--rob

[email protected]

If anyone else in the metro ever likes to grab another guy let me know ( I am a relative green horn and only pick up a few ducks a year..I'll be honest!)

[Jaspernuts]

I just read that most of the teal are already through the state. That stinks, they usually give good action on opener!

[John Swanson]

There is nothing more humbling than trying to shoot a teal on opening morning after a year long lay off!

[Sergeant Slabber]

Oh...there's some teal still around!! I'll be heading up near Fergus Falls for the annual tradition. The fishing usually ends up being better than the waterfowl hunting, but we always have a great time. Good luck to everybody and stay safe!

[Shoot2Kill]

Just saw a flock of 20 plus teal this morning on my way to work -south of St Cloud about 20 miles. They're here still....

[dan z]

this is dan brother i hate opener. its over rated. why to many boats out that day. there to many guys that go out that day and just shot holes in the air. but sense the season is only 60 days long i go out a watch people fire away and all they get is a teal or two i would rather wait for a flock of northern mallards from miles up in the blue ski and suck into the decoys. there nothing like late season that what a i wait for.

and the other thing i hate about opener that guy who shows up at 9:00 and sits 20 yards from you what an a$$ thats what opener is about. and dont say it was not happen to you because it happened to ever hunter.

if it was not for a tradition i would not go out that day

well guys have a safe opener. and good luck

[fishhawk1750]

Heading to NoDak. Camping next to a slough stacked with mallards and honkers. Oh, I can hear them know.

[fishhawk1750]

I think I should have said "now"

[machohorn]

I will be on a relitivly unknown lake in Wright Co. called pelican. I have not hunted there for about 5 years so i'm thinking it should pertty good and have the lake all to myself. If anyone else is going to be there stop by the access about 5 ish and say HI! I'll be out there with a friend and his younger son (6yo)

[BLACKJACK]

Originally Posted By: Shoot2Kill

Originally Posted By: dan z

"THE OPENNER" is so retarded I dont even know why I go, but when you only have 60 days better go when thier is time on the calender or your gonna miss out, I would rather miss the openner than all them mallards when most guys are wearin blaze orange I shot more ducks last year in late october thru november than the first few weeks of the year the key to gettin mallards is diffenatly going during the week when everyone else is at work. the ducks stick around but when you have tom Dick and harry shootin at teal buzzin around your mallards seem to tuck away and then jump shooting is key. another thing is go mid morning and shoot them on the way back not on the way out, many times last year I would just be dumpin my rig in and eveyone was already loaded up and headed for home cuz they woke up to early.

Wow - never heard so many people bash an "opener" like some of you are. I for one have loved the opener for the past few year because the ducks are on the move with everyone on the water all over the state.

You know what I think is retarded - fishing opener. You can fish all year long legally somewhere for something in MN, but people freak out over "fishing opener"....big deal. You can fish all year - it's not like a hunting season that is closed for 10 months of the year. Just my .02. Blast away.

Agree 100% If no one was out moving around and blasting their guns, many birds wouldn't be flying. Opener is the best hunt (tests your shot with teal and woodies buzzin around), until the northern mallards come from the north.

Also I heard their was a good Teal hatch this year, anyone else hear the same?

I agree, why you'd go fight boats at the landing on the fishing opener when you can go every night the next week and only see 5-6 boats is beyond me.

I do enjoy the duck opener, with all the hunters out, if there are any ducks, they'll be moving, and then there is duck camp the rest of the day, sitting around cooking and swapping stories - fun!

[John Swanson]

I'll be outside of Ortonville looking to make some new memories and share the old ones thats what its all about.

As for the people that don't enjoy opener because of the number of boats or people or whatever maybe it time to get some buddies together and invest in some land so you don't have to deal with other people..from personal experience it great to be able to go into a slough thats yours and not have to worry about other people.

[5806]

Yes thats a great idea, why didn't I every think of that. Let me just get the combination out for the money bin grab a bag of gold dubloons and run down to the real estate man to buy my own duck lake. And I'm sure a dozen of my best friends will want to do the same with me.

Come on dude, you know that isn't realistic for most people.

As for the crowds, I won't let them stop me, just plan for it and deal accordingly. They'll go away soon enough.

[Ely Lake Expert]

I am pumped for opener. We are lucky though, there will be nobody hunting anywhere near us.

[luckycrank]

RIVERRAT, WE'LL HAVE TO HOOK UP THIS FALL AND SHOOT SOME DIVERS , I REALLY DON'T GET TO EXCITED TILL THE END OF OCT. EARLY NOVEMBER EITHER !!!

[John Swanson]

5806,

I didn't mean to strike a chord with you im just suggesting that if people can't enjoy opener because of overcrownding that maybe it time to look for some land you can lease or buy i know everyone doesn't have a ton of money to throw at thing like this, cause i know i don't. I am bless with great hunting land that my father and his buddies all got together and bought in the 80's now 10 of them and 8 kids get to enjoy it was an ivestment. And now insted of paying for the land the government pay us to keep it up to certain standard.

Best of luck to everyone on opener!!