2021 waterfowl changes

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/waterfowl/waterfowl-public-input.html

Not good news for Honkers.

I didn’t waterfowl hunt last season for the first time in 16 years. It’s just been so poor it wasn’t worth it. I can’t stand the closure they had in October so this is a step in the right direction. Just open it in early October for 60 days and then close it.

The early teal season is interesting. Could be quite hot in early September.

Early teal, IMO, is going to ruin a lot of hunts. I feel it’s a great benefit for local hunters shooting at local ducks…than pushing them out of the area come opener, making destination hunters shat out of luck. Hopefully I’m wrong. I know personally none from our group that travels 3.5 hrs to duck hunt won’t participate in the early teal.

What’s the point of this hunt? I think the people in charge have nothing better to do than make hunting complicated as Fock.

Will also be interesting to see how many non teal get blasted.

I guess we’ll see…

I encounter enough hunters who think herons are cranes, I can only imagine how many hen woodducks get stomped into some slough.

Thumbs down from me. Ill stick to ND Dove hunting

Yeah I’m not to impressed with these changes either. Hunting the southern zone I would much rather hunt into December and get them big mallards. The teal season will be interesting, I would rather them have given us 2 bonus teal during the regular season.
We will have to wait and see yet on the spinners if that gets passed to use them all season or not. I think they have lost their effectiveness on the water, a dry field is a whole different story.
Regardless of all the changes I’ll be excited to get out there and chase some birds.

ClownColor wrote:

Early teal, IMO, is going to ruin a lot of hunts. I feel it’s a great benefit for local hunters shooting at local ducks…than pushing them out of the area come opener, making destination hunters shat out of luck.

This is what the youth waterfowl hunt has done for years in some areas. Now there’s both.

Not really in favor of the early teal season but I’ll probably do it so my younger dog has more hunts. I’ll hunt in the morning and fish the rest of the day.

Justin Laack wrote:

We will have to wait and see yet on the spinners if that gets passed to use them all season or not. I think they have lost their effectiveness on the water, a dry field is a whole different story.

Spinners still very effective where I hunt.

ClownColor wrote:

Early teal, IMO, is going to ruin a lot of hunts. I feel it’s a great benefit for local hunters shooting at local ducks…than pushing them out of the area come opener, making destination hunters shat out of luck. Hopefully I’m wrong. I know personally none from our group that travels 3.5 hrs to duck hunt won’t participate in the early teal.

What’s the point of this hunt? I think the people in charge have nothing better to do than make hunting complicated as Fock.

Will also be interesting to see how many non teal get blasted.

I guess we’ll see…

The point of the hunt is that over half of our teal are already gone by time the season opens. They are an early migrator, hence why places like Missouri on south open a teal season September 15th.

I find it funny you can have your mind made up and probably have never been in a marsh in early September.

I hope there is less pressure for the season. It will be fun killing a limit of teal by 730 in a t shirt and then go fishing the rest of day.

There are many times that a cold snap happens the week before opening weekend and many teal bug out.

Im not a fan of the teal season. I have no desire to sweat and battle mosquitoes in the marsh.
Every year we have “hunters” mistake swans for geese. I foresee a lot of wood ducks and other smal species being killed accidentally.
Where I hunt in east central and north central mn we regularly shoot teal into October so the argument about the teal migration happening before the season starts doesn’t hold water with me.
To me it seems strange, why all these changes suddenly? What was broken that we’re trying to fix?
If better opportunities and better hunting are the goal, habit loss should be their only concern.

grubson wrote:

Im not a fan of the teal season. I have no desire to sweat and battle mosquitoes in the marsh.
Where I hunt in east central and north central mn we regularly shoot teal into October so the argument about the teal migration happening before the season starts doesn’t hold water with me.

Sure and there are ducks that live in MN all winter when they can find open water, that doesn’t mean 90% haven’t migrated out.

It is a proven fact that most teal migrate early. The southern states have been taking advantage of it for years. The argument that other ducks will be shot also argued when WI opened an early teal season. After their 3 year study it was found to minimal.

Sounds like I will have the marshes to myself over Labor Day. That will be nice.

Sure and there are ducks that live in MN all winter when they can find open water, that doesn’t mean 90% haven’t migrated out.

It is a proven fact that most teal migrate early. The southern states have been taking advantage of it for years. The argument that other ducks will be shot also argued when WI opened an early teal season. After their 3 year study it was found to minimal.

Sounds like I will have the marshes to myself over Labor Day. That will be nice.
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How would those that do these studies know how many non target species have been shot? Do you really think people would admit that? No, they stomp it into the mud and carry on. If you want to harvest more teal maybe move south? We kill plenty of them already. I don’t need more time to do that. I’d much rather have more late season to chase mallards and divers.

grubson wrote:

Sure and there are ducks that live in MN all winter when they can find open water, that doesn’t mean 90% haven’t migrated out.

It is a proven fact that most teal migrate early. The southern states have been taking advantage of it for years. The argument that other ducks will be shot also argued when WI opened an early teal season. After their 3 year study it was found to minimal.

Sounds like I will have the marshes to myself over Labor Day. That will be nice.

How would those that do these studies know how many non target species have been shot? Do you really think people would admit that? No, they stomp it into the mud and carry on. If you want to harvest more teal maybe move south? We kill plenty of them already. I don’t need more time to do that. I’d much rather have more late season to chase mallards and divers.
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To each their own, I guess. I would rather be deer hunting than chasing diving ducks. I think Teal taste 100% better than any diver.

WI sent DNR officers out to watch hunters, six years later they still have the season.

The MN DNR sends out conservation officers to watch duck hunters too.
I haven’t seen one in 21 years of duck hunting mostly public land in MN. There is no way to accurately estimate the number of ducks taken legally let alone illegally, other than by surveying hunters. Assuming they get the truth from all hunters is ignorant at best.
You won’t convince me that wood ducks and other species won’t suffer from this early teal only season.

By That same logic you never know if someone shoot too many hens, too many cans, too many wood ducks, too many ducks period.

Justin riegel wrote:

By That same logic you never know if someone shoot too many hens, too many cans, too many wood ducks, too many ducks period.

Exactly. Why add to that? People can’t control themselves already. The DNR can’t prevent any of those things from happening. Why would the teal season be any different?

We could use another hundred co’s and it would still be a problem.

I actually like these changes, think the DNR deserves some credit for listening to the results of the poll they sent out and adjusting the regs accordingly.

grubson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Justin riegel wrote:</div>
By That same logic you never know if someone shoot too many hens, too many cans, too many wood ducks, too many ducks period.

Exactly. Why add to that? People can’t control themselves already. The DNR can’t prevent any of those things from happening. Why would the teal season be any different?

We could use another hundred co’s and it would still be a problem.

Have never seen anyone do this personally, but if it is rampant problem in your area I would be calling the TIP line.

BigWerm wrote:

I actually like these changes, think the DNR deserves some credit for listening to the results of the poll they sent out and adjusting the regs accordingly.

I agree. It’s impossible to please everyone, but I think they made decisions based on the hunter survey/input.

I don’t think the early teal season will have much, if any, negative impact on the duck populations or migration. I mean, it’s 5 days in early Sept and the number of hunters who will actually partake will probably be minimal. And the majority of those hunters are probably going to be the experienced, die hard hunters who can likely correctly ID teal vs non-teal.

Overall I think hunters have a very small impact on the total duck populations, and especially with fewer licensed hunters. Way less of an impact compared to weather during nesting, habitat, and predators.

Im not a fan of the early teal season. Add that in with the kids weekend and early season goose over water and there will not be a duck left in the sloughs come Oct. I have spent over 25 years hunting ND and Sask and I still see plenty of teal in both areas during the first couple of weeks of October so I call bull on the fact that they all leave. If I shoot the same pond or field 2 days in a row the birds will leave as well…

So we have decided some like it some dont. Wow something new.

I definitly like the shorter closure for the southern zone. We are about 5 mile south of the northern border of it and always seems like thats when the most ducks/geese are around by us.

I’m not a duck hunter by any means, but will join friends on occasions for an outing.

My only thought is that the idea of being in the backwater sloughs and swamps in 80+ degree weather battling bugs sounds absolutely horrible. I’d rather be fishing or on the tritoon enjoying the end of summer. To each their own.

BigWerm wrote:

I actually like these changes, think the DNR deserves some credit for listening to the results of the poll they sent out and adjusting the regs accordingly.

Did they post the results? Would be interesting to see them.

Jason wrote:

Add that in with the kids weekend and early season goose over water and there will not be a duck left in the sloughs come Oct.

That is my opinion too. The more people hunting ducks and geese there are before the general opener, the less there are on opener. Its simple math. Not to mention that ducks and geese are not stupid after they’ve been hunted. By the time we get to general opener, any local remaining duck or goose around will have most likely already seen a decoy spread.

buckybadger wrote:

My only thought is that the idea of being in the backwater sloughs and swamps in 80+ degree weather battling bugs sounds absolutely horrible. I’d rather be fishing or on the tritoon enjoying the end of summer.

That has been a problem for years now when they moved the general opener to the last Saturday in September. I can recall several openers in recent years when it was ungodly hot and muggy out and we were battling bugs. Standing there sweating in neoprene chest waders is miserable. So now we have something even earlier. I’m gonna say that some of these teal may not be properly identifiable either. I think I’ll stick to fishing too.

grubson wrote:

No, they stomp it into the mud and carry on.

LOL that was a good one

ClownColor wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
I actually like these changes, think the DNR deserves some credit for listening to the results of the poll they sent out and adjusting the regs accordingly.

Did they post the results? Would be interesting to see them.

Yes, they are all linked in the Considerations portion of the the attached link above. Town hall meeting presentation • Engagement report • Hunter attitude survey are all hyperlinked to the survey results.

wow im surprised at the complaining of increased hunting opportunity. crazy world we live in

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jason wrote:</div>
Add that in with the kids weekend and early season goose over water and there will not be a duck left in the sloughs come Oct.

That is my opinion too. The more people hunting ducks and geese there are before the general opener, the less there are on opener. Its simple math. Not to mention that ducks and geese are not stupid after they’ve been hunted. By the time we get to general opener, any local remaining duck or goose around will have most likely already seen a decoy spread.

With that idea, why is the season 60 days long and not just 2 days? You said earlier you can’t stand the southern closure, but if all of the local ducks leave or become really smart from a youth hunt, wouldn’t the closure help that situation by extending the season to allow for more migrating ducks, especially if its poor hunting the week or two after opener?

gim wrote:

Not to mention that ducks and geese are not stupid after they’ve been hunted. By the time we get to general opener, any local remaining duck or goose around will have most likely already seen a decoy spread.

Yet somehow these same ducks get hunted successfully in every state south of us. I don’t know if it’s just always sour grapes in your world Gimruis, or you need something to blame your lack of success on but always complaining gets old.