Thanks BigWerm for the survey/link help
1698 supportive of the season
1437 non supportive of the season
winners win i guess
I didn’t read into the regulations but is shooting hours still 1/2 before sunrise until 4pm?
It will be a lot easier to take my 5yr old daughter out and my 3yr old who says she is big enough this year when its warm.
I didn’t read into the regulations but is shooting hours still 1/2 before sunrise until 4pm?
Nope! You can shoot until sunset all season now.
DNR has adopted these proposed changes to Minnesota’s waterfowl hunting regulations:
Increasing the bag limit for Canada, white-fronted or Brant geese in any combination from three to five birds per day for the entire season;
Extending legal shooting hours to sunset for the entire season, eliminating the 4 p.m. early season closure;
Implementing a five-day early teal season (Sept. 4 – Sept. 8) as an experimental regulation for up to three years;
Allowing statewide over-water goose hunting during the early September season; and
Establishing season dates through the 2024 season for the north, central and south waterfowl hunting zones.
North zone: Keeping a 60-day season with no split. The 2021 season dates would be Saturday, Sept. 25, to Tuesday, Nov. 23.
Central zone: Keeping a 60-day season with a five-day split. The 2021 season dates would be Saturday, Sept. 25, to Sunday, Oct. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 9, to Sunday, Nov. 28.
South zone: Implementing a 60-day season with a five-day split rather than the 12-day split implemented the past nine years. The 2021 season dates would be Saturday, Sept. 25, to Sunday, Oct. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 9, to Sunday, Nov. 28.
The shooting hours for the early teal season start at sunrise not a half hour before sunrise. I would imagine because it makes identification easier. Been hunting ducks for fifty six years and am looking forward to all of the new changes.
why is the season 60 days long and not just 2 days?
I think the maximum length the general season can be is 60 days. That’s a US Fish & Wildlife thing because some waterfowl laws are regulated federally being migrating birds.
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.
My lack of success in duck hunting recently is definitely some fault of my own. I won’t deny that at all. I don’t scout or look for new places to hunt like I should to have a successful hunt and that is important when looking for active birds in the area. I just think there should be a general opener/season for everyone. Not special seasons for youth or teal. Open it and leave it open for 60 days in a row.
The early goose season makes more sense from the point that they simply need to be controlled better and that is the best tool available.
“We shoot teal in October”
“Everybody will stomp hen woodies”
“Blow all the local ducks out”
Garbage like this is why MN duck hunters are laughed at up and down the flyways, and why license numbers & participation keep falling. The stubbornness, apathy, & opposition to change is killing the sport in MN.
Instead of bitching about duck ID, take some kids or buddies out and teach them. By the 3rd week of september, most male BWT have left the dakotas and MN. Yes there are still plenty around. Yes I’ve shot BWT in november before, but its a proven fact that the majority, besides young of the year and the hens responsible for the broods, are staging and migrating starting in late august. Having 50-250 rockets come ripping through the decoys at 30 mph is some of the best fun you can have in a marsh. Teal decoy well, respond to calling, & motion, are easy to ID once you learn the basics, and great table fare. Who wouldn’t want additional opportunities to hunt them?
I can honestly say that I have hunted waterfowl for 16 of the last 17 years here in Central Minnesota and I have not even SEEN a single blue wing teal. Most of my hunting is from the opener through October, which is the first half of the season too.
I’ve seen good numbers of green wings here and there.
I think there’s more to it than the attitude, tornadochaser. The attitudes and negativity probably stem from the recent results. Its not like duck hunting numbers are the only one that has declined either. Prior to the recent covid crowd, virtually every outdoor hunting and fishing activity had lower participation numbers than it used to. Does an early 5 day teal season bring back some of those participants? I don’t know.
This whole thing could be a moot point if we don’t start getting some rain too lol. Half the potholes and shallow marshes will be bone dry if they aren’t already!
This whole thing could be a moot point if we don’t start getting some rain too lol. Half the potholes and shallow marshes will be bone dry if they aren’t already!
All the more reason to look forward to shooting teal. They love those receding water lines & extremely shallow water. 
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>blank wrote:</div>
why is the season 60 days long and not just 2 days?I think the maximum length the general season can be is 60 days. That’s a US Fish & Wildlife thing because some waterfowl laws are regulated federally being migrating birds.
Correct, and I’m aware of that. My question was a joke, because you’re of the opinion that an early teal season and youth waterfowl weekend pushes ducks out. With that line of thinking, shouldn’t all the ducks be gone after opening weekend, so what’s the point of 60 days?
Correct, and I’m aware of that. My question was a joke, because you’re of the opinion that an early teal season and youth waterfowl weekend pushes ducks out. With that line of thinking, shouldn’t all the ducks be gone after opening weekend, so what’s the point of 60 days?
Yes, having early seasons before the general season certainly does affect local ducks.
The entire 60 day season isn’t hunting local ducks though. They migrate. And then you get ducks migrating in from the north here.
If all the little potholes dry up guess they will all have to get shot on the bigger swamps or the river.
Cant make everyone happy but why not we raise them up here let’s get a chance on the early teal. My dad is excited he has been waiting for over 70 years for it so I’m happy to spend a few extra days hunting with him.
I agree a lot with grubson and bigwerm on this. I’ve waterfowl hunted heavily for nearly 40 years. I can remember back to 1980 when I first started hunting. Opener was first Saturday in October and started at noon opening day. Teal EVERYWHERE! Most hunters bag limits were teal with some mallards and a few woodies (southern 1/3 of the state). Teal all over the place and in my group, we passed on shooting those little buggers. I’m talking flock after flock of 4 to 15 Teal that we would let sit and then fly away.
The early Teal season will just make the “real” opener even worse I think. But that’s all speculation on my part at this point since this is entirely new.
I am thrilled that the season is closed for just 6 days in the south zone which is where I live and hunt. This is a big step in the right direction. I’d still prefer a season like the old days where it’s first Saturday in October and then 60 straight days…. but I’ll take this change.
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.
Many divers would pass through the southern zone during the old 2-week closure. Especially the redheads and cans! I’m looking forward to having a chance once again at bagging a few of them this year.
My folks live on a really good body of water for hunting drivers and for many years now I’ve had to watch those flocks fly over and move on during the southern 2-week closure. Looking forward to the opportunity to get out there this year.
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