MN season set……4 bird limit

Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:11 pm
Post subject: News Release: DNR sets 60-day, four-duck season
(2005-08-03)

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DNR sets 60-day, four-duck season (2005-08-03)
Minnesota waterfowl hunters will have a 60-day duck season and four-duck daily bag limit, including one hen mallard, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today.

The duck harvest in the Mississippi Flyway dropped by about 1 million birds last year from 2003. Minnesota’s harvest declined 23 percent while Missouri declined 30 percent, Illinois was down 32 percent and Louisiana was down 39 percent.

Minnesota’s breeding duck population was the lowest since the drought years of the 1980s, according to annual aerial survey data. Mallards, down 37 percent from 2004, and blue-winged teal, down 45 percent, comprise about two-thirds of the state’s duck population.

“We expect the restriction on hen mallards will make hunters more cautious about identifying ducks before they shoot, especially in the early season when ducks are in their summer plumage and harder to identify,” said John Guenther, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director. Wisconsin and Michigan have limited hunters to one hen mallard daily for a number of years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which allows states to set up to a six-bird daily limit, lowered the scaup limit from three to two this year for all flyways in response to continued decline in the continental scaup breeding population. Better nesting success for Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) Canada geese enabled the DNR to add 15 days to the West-Central Goose Zone, extending the season through Thanksgiving. Ten days were added to the statewide goose season.

DUCK SEASON

The waterfowl seasons will open Saturday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. and continue through Nov. 29. The four duck bag may include no more than one hen mallard, one black duck, one pintail, two wood ducks, two redheads and two scaup. One canvasback will be allowed from Oct. 8 through Nov. 6. Possession limits are twice the daily bag limits.

Except for opening day, when shooting hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., shooting hours will be from one half hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. daily through Saturday, Oct. 8, and from one half hour before sunrise to sunset beginning Sunday, Oct. 9, through the close of the season.

New this year, motorized decoys or other motorized devices designed to attract migratory birds may not be used from the opening day of duck season through Saturday, Oct. 8. Motorized decoys or other motorized devices designed to attract migratory birds may not be used at any time during the season on water bodies and lands fully contained within state wildlife management area boundaries.

Details on the duck, goose and migratory bird hunting seasons will be available in the 2005 Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Supplement, distributed in early September.

What is the DNR trying to accomplish here (4 duck limit)???

All we hear from them is that reducing bag limits does little for the reduction of harvest, it’s reduction of days that will have an impact……(I’m actually sitting here looking at the charts and graphs they gave us at the duck meetings that clearly shows this will only have a 5% impact off total harvest.)

I must say……I did not see this coming ……But I suppose the pressure recieved from the duck rally almost forced them to do something like this.

I guess over all I am satisfied with the season structure…….YES, there are some positives:

-We can duck hunt through Nov. 29th (over the Thanksgiving Day holiday)
-We get 10 more days for our goose season (70 days)
-Only one hen mallard allowed
-Restricting spinners on WMA (should be the whole state by next year)

More or less, I’m just excited to get started bangin some fowl again

What is the DNR trying to accomplish here (4 duck limit)???

All we hear from them is that reducing bag limits does little for the reduction of harvest, it’s reduction of days that will have an impact……(I’m actually sitting here looking at the charts and graphs they gave us at the duck meetings that clearly shows this will only have a 5% impact off total harvest.)

I must say……I did not see this coming ……But I suppose the pressure recieved from the duck rally almost forced them to do something like this.

I guess over all I am satisfied with the season structure…….YES, there are some positives:

-We can duck hunt through Nov. 29th (over the Thanksgiving Day holiday)
-We get 10 more days for our goose season (70 days)
-Only one hen mallard allowed
-Restricting spinners on WMA (should be the whole state by next year)

More or less, I’m just excited to get started bangin some fowl again

Bullshit in my eyes. The other states in the flyway aren’t going to reduce theirs, so why should we? Our birds will get shot anyway. If every state in the flyway did it, I would be all for it, but just us? Totally stupid in my opinion.

You can say that it doesn’t matter how many birds that you shoot and it doesn’t, but, something that isn’t going to have any effect is just adding another regulation to us Minnesotans that isn’t neccessary.

Bullshit in my eyes. The other states in the flyway aren’t going to reduce theirs, so why should we? Our birds will get shot anyway. If every state in the flyway did it, I would be all for it, but just us? Totally stupid in my opinion.

You can say that it doesn’t matter how many birds that you shoot and it doesn’t, but, something that isn’t going to have any effect is just adding another regulation to us Minnesotans that isn’t neccessary.

Here we go with the good old fashioned Department of No Results (DNR). They quote studies in one area and go against them in another. Instead of adding another restriction, why not put the money into more habitat and stop lakeshore owners from killing duck habitat. Just my 2 cents.

Here we go with the good old fashioned Department of No Results (DNR). They quote studies in one area and go against them in another. Instead of adding another restriction, why not put the money into more habitat and stop lakeshore owners from killing duck habitat. Just my 2 cents.

Four ducks in the bag or six ducks in the bag, is this really going to stop anyone from duck hunting? If the answer is yes, you are not in waterfowling for the right reasons. People can either choose to whine about four ducks, or they can choose to just except the regulations for what they are.

Four ducks in the bag or six ducks in the bag, is this really going to stop anyone from duck hunting? If the answer is yes, you are not in waterfowling for the right reasons. People can either choose to whine about four ducks, or they can choose to just except the regulations for what they are.

yup i agree, save all the ducks so the southerners can kill them with their big shot clients that pay big bucks. i sure hope wisconsin dosent do the same thing.

yup i agree, save all the ducks so the southerners can kill them with their big shot clients that pay big bucks. i sure hope wisconsin dosent do the same thing.

Well there are two options then…move south to hunt ducks or go to Canada. Stop whining, we have enough whiners in the world.

Well there are two options then…move south to hunt ducks or go to Canada. Stop whining, we have enough whiners in the world.

hey Grouse,
We all have opinions. If we all just looked the other way and except it like you say THERE WOULD BE NO DUCKS. back in the forties and fifties when the duck population was hitting rock bottom people chose not to EXCEPT IT and did something about it. southern hunters kill way more ducks with fewer hunters in less time than northern hunters ever will. I think what people are saying is that it wont work to have 2 sets of laws. Gov Trent Lott of Louisana could care less about the overall health of the duck population all he gives a sh t about is how much money people spend in his state. Its rediculus northern hunters trying to protect a spread out minority of the duck population. then the southern hunters get to hammer on a concentrated majority of ducks. I dont care how many ducks I shoot but I want to do whats best for the resource. Just remember if we just EXCEPTED IT thru out all history we would have no ducks,deer,elk, and our first languages would be either British or German. Just MY opinion but Im not WHINING I just care. thanks Corey

hey Grouse,
We all have opinions. If we all just looked the other way and except it like you say THERE WOULD BE NO DUCKS. back in the forties and fifties when the duck population was hitting rock bottom people chose not to EXCEPT IT and did something about it. southern hunters kill way more ducks with fewer hunters in less time than northern hunters ever will. I think what people are saying is that it wont work to have 2 sets of laws. Gov Trent Lott of Louisana could care less about the overall health of the duck population all he gives a sh t about is how much money people spend in his state. Its rediculus northern hunters trying to protect a spread out minority of the duck population. then the southern hunters get to hammer on a concentrated majority of ducks. I dont care how many ducks I shoot but I want to do whats best for the resource. Just remember if we just EXCEPTED IT thru out all history we would have no ducks,deer,elk, and our first languages would be either British or German. Just MY opinion but Im not WHINING I just care. thanks Corey

I also care about the future of ducks and duck hunting. Maybe we Minnesotans will be setting an example in lowering bag limits. Maybe southerners will also wake up and find out that shooting a limit of ducks day in and day out is not that important in making a hunt fun. Just remember that duck hunting is federally regulated, the feds have to step in and take a stand.

I also care about the future of ducks and duck hunting. Maybe we Minnesotans will be setting an example in lowering bag limits. Maybe southerners will also wake up and find out that shooting a limit of ducks day in and day out is not that important in making a hunt fun. Just remember that duck hunting is federally regulated, the feds have to step in and take a stand.

way to go waller. i am a diehard waterfowler. i dont even buy a deer licence any more because i enjoy duck hunting so much but no body likes change, and no body can figure out why the northern states which raise all of the birds have to change and the other states dont. truth is i would still hunt if they lowered it down to 2 ducks a day but i wouldnt like it. i see where your comging from its not the kill that matters its the quality of the hunt. very true. but heres another thing to ponder on. why do we build and protect habitat, raise the ducks, and set 1 a day limits on some birds like pins and cans when they just fly over the boarder into mexico and they can shoot 20 ducks a day down there and their guides 20 ducks a day too. it makes no sence, they are our birds and we spend all kinds of money on them to raise and protect them and they just get slaughtered down there.

way to go waller. i am a diehard waterfowler. i dont even buy a deer licence any more because i enjoy duck hunting so much but no body likes change, and no body can figure out why the northern states which raise all of the birds have to change and the other states dont. truth is i would still hunt if they lowered it down to 2 ducks a day but i wouldnt like it. i see where your comging from its not the kill that matters its the quality of the hunt. very true. but heres another thing to ponder on. why do we build and protect habitat, raise the ducks, and set 1 a day limits on some birds like pins and cans when they just fly over the boarder into mexico and they can shoot 20 ducks a day down there and their guides 20 ducks a day too. it makes no sence, they are our birds and we spend all kinds of money on them to raise and protect them and they just get slaughtered down there.

Ya, I haven’t heard what the other states are doing but if the southern states have a six bird a day again there could be some hell raised !!! Granted last year was the first year that I never posted a limit, but I did average three ducks and a goose for each trip, pretty decent from what I hear other people have done. But if our limit gets reduced so should the rest of the mississippi flyway. The one thing that I’m glad about is that there is a 60 day season and the season runs into LATE may, I would have liked to see a week break so it could run later in the year. But like many others on this site, I am a die-hard and I WILL hunt waterfowl whenever and wherever aslong as there is a season to celebrate!!

Lars

the GREEN one is the BEST one!!!

Ya, I haven’t heard what the other states are doing but if the southern states have a six bird a day again there could be some hell raised !!! Granted last year was the first year that I never posted a limit, but I did average three ducks and a goose for each trip, pretty decent from what I hear other people have done. But if our limit gets reduced so should the rest of the mississippi flyway. The one thing that I’m glad about is that there is a 60 day season and the season runs into LATE may, I would have liked to see a week break so it could run later in the year. But like many others on this site, I am a die-hard and I WILL hunt waterfowl whenever and wherever aslong as there is a season to celebrate!!

Lars

the GREEN one is the BEST one!!!

BUT remember Gov Trent Lott IS PART OF THE FEDS!!!! DONT YOU GET IT. If we dont make some noise they cant hear ya. BUT Im not whining. SSHHEEESH
Corey

BUT remember Gov Trent Lott IS PART OF THE FEDS!!!! DONT YOU GET IT. If we dont make some noise they cant hear ya. BUT Im not whining. SSHHEEESH
Corey

My .02? I’d hunt if there were a 2 bird limit. I’ve only been in the game for a few years, but it has become my favorite hobby by far. 2 sets of rules – perfect? Of course not, but someone has to start the process. Hopefully, the southern states will chime in and lower their limits, too. Regardless, I’ll be looking forward to every morning I can get out and hear the whistling wings.

My .02? I’d hunt if there were a 2 bird limit. I’ve only been in the game for a few years, but it has become my favorite hobby by far. 2 sets of rules – perfect? Of course not, but someone has to start the process. Hopefully, the southern states will chime in and lower their limits, too. Regardless, I’ll be looking forward to every morning I can get out and hear the whistling wings.

Alright….I’ve thought about this a little more and decided that what the MN DNR SHOULD HAVE DONE if they truely wanted to set an example to the rest of the fly way AND actually help the duck population is cut the season down to 45 days ……and I “think” I would have been fine with that, because that would have really sent a message to the rest of the country we in MN DO care about our ducks and something needs to be done .

All this was just a pointless gesture too all those whining about not seeing any ducks last year ……and all it really does is punish us on those days that we can actually shoot a six duck limit

Alright….I’ve thought about this a little more and decided that what the MN DNR SHOULD HAVE DONE if they truely wanted to set an example to the rest of the fly way AND actually help the duck population is cut the season down to 45 days ……and I “think” I would have been fine with that, because that would have really sent a message to the rest of the country we in MN DO care about our ducks and something needs to be done .

All this was just a pointless gesture too all those whining about not seeing any ducks last year ……and all it really does is punish us on those days that we can actually shoot a six duck limit

Unless WI changes their quota, this really does not affect me. But, last year was my first year duck hunting and it was a blast. I never shot a daily limit, but still had a lot of fun. The guys I hunted with kept asking where all the ducks were. We seen plenty of ducks I thought, but many of them flew right into the reserve and stayed. Anyway, if WI reduces the limit, I will still go out and have some fun whether I shoot many ducks or not

Unless WI changes their quota, this really does not affect me. But, last year was my first year duck hunting and it was a blast. I never shot a daily limit, but still had a lot of fun. The guys I hunted with kept asking where all the ducks were. We seen plenty of ducks I thought, but many of them flew right into the reserve and stayed. Anyway, if WI reduces the limit, I will still go out and have some fun whether I shoot many ducks or not

WI has same season as last year…………6 ducks split season. I agree do all this sh*& for the ducks up here and then let them get to Ill. and below and they do nothing. I guess they do flood corn fields for them, so the city slickers can pay there big bucks and shoot a duck.
The problem we will have to part with not this year in WI, but in the next year or two is going to big the biggest crock of horsesh&^ that I ever heard. Things just don’t look good, but is that going to stop me no………..all it means is spend a few more dollars and travel. Where do these clowns that spend no time on the water at all come up with these ideas on where to put a resting area or reserve???? Enough about this I guess there is plenty of threads on this deal….

Lets get back to talking killing waterfowl!!