Rochester Waterfowl Refuge Changes

I am not much of a waterfowl hunter so I am no expert by any means, and I am not familiar with the east side line but if it is anything like the north side (55th ST) I can see why they are looking at moving the line, like Tim said Rochester is growing and it will not be long before Rochester grows past these lines. Anyone know if they are also looking at moving the line on the north side? About 50 years ago my Dad almost bought the farm on the north side of the 55th ST line but my Mom did not like the house
Man how sweet it would have been to have that property in the family.

It not the type of change as some people may think, I went to the first hearing and the line will move out farther in some spots but take a dramatic turn in towards town. You could now legally shoot geese at Century High School if one could gain permission(just an example Century is now outside the refuge line). It will run down Viola road, you can hunt to the north of Viola rd, but not on the south side and from Viola rd, it will run a few miles out until it passes the Silver Creek Res. and then cut back to the south and then back to town. The other change in the line will run from the stoplights north on East Circle Dr. to the HWY 63 stop lights, then back to the north towards the original refuge line. They’re secondary goal is not to take away hunting grounds, but to move some of the refuge and hunting grounds to give the geese a less stressful flight out to additional food and water.

It’s kind of a wierd deal because most of the land that was refuge that they turned into new hunting grounds are pretty much worhtless, houses and a lot of timber, they just wanted us to know that they were not taking hunting land away they were just shifting open areas around.

It not the type of change as some people may think, I went to the first hearing and the line will move out farther in some spots but take a dramatic turn in towards town. You could now legally shoot geese at Century High School if one could gain permission(just an example Century is now outside the refuge line). It will run down Viola road, you can hunt to the north of Viola rd, but not on the south side and from Viola rd, it will run a few miles out until it passes the Silver Creek Res. and then cut back to the south and then back to town. The other change in the line will run from the stoplights north on East Circle Dr. to the HWY 63 stop lights, then back to the north towards the original refuge line. They’re secondary goal is not to take away hunting grounds, but to move some of the refuge and hunting grounds to give the geese a less stressful flight out to additional food and water.

It’s kind of a wierd deal because most of the land that was refuge that they turned into new hunting grounds are pretty much worhtless, houses and a lot of timber, they just wanted us to know that they were not taking hunting land away they were just shifting open areas around.

I also attended the first meeting.Its not really about moving the refuge line past the city limits,because the tract of land they want to contract from the refuge,is indeed in the city limits already.I asked the question about hunting geese witin the city limits to which the DNR responded with the City Polices special permits may be given to hunt geese.To which I laughed because the city is not going to honor that without an act of god. It is all about what I stated earlier.The DNR is being forced out and they are trying to sell us on a package that appears to be good.But when you look at the details such as giving back acreage to hunt it is a joke. This land is wooded insde the city limits and is only months away from housing developement.

I also attended the first meeting.Its not really about moving the refuge line past the city limits,because the tract of land they want to contract from the refuge,is indeed in the city limits already.I asked the question about hunting geese witin the city limits to which the DNR responded with the City Polices special permits may be given to hunt geese.To which I laughed because the city is not going to honor that without an act of god. It is all about what I stated earlier.The DNR is being forced out and they are trying to sell us on a package that appears to be good.But when you look at the details such as giving back acreage to hunt it is a joke. This land is wooded insde the city limits and is only months away from housing developement.

Waterfowling is a dying sport in MN, there are less WF hunters in MN every year. M_M for you to suggest restricting
Hunting opportunities (Eliminating public goose blinds)is very counter productive for the preservation of the sport.
Do not sit there and tell me that public blinds are filled with sky busters or worse, thats bull! Ask the wardens where they write more tickets every season. You will find that private/leased land fills the DNR bank accounts faster than
the public blind areas do. Besides there only 4 or 5 public blinds left. These blinds should be kept open as long as possible to ensure Goose hunting opportunities for everyone.
M_M There is nothing those tree hugging Greenpeace types like better than a hunter trying to limit access or restrict their own hunting opportunities.
Think on that before you contribute to the demise of your own sport.

Waterfowling is a dying sport in MN, there are less WF hunters in MN every year. M_M for you to suggest restricting
Hunting opportunities (Eliminating public goose blinds)is very counter productive for the preservation of the sport.
Do not sit there and tell me that public blinds are filled with sky busters or worse, thats bull! Ask the wardens where they write more tickets every season. You will find that private/leased land fills the DNR bank accounts faster than
the public blind areas do. Besides there only 4 or 5 public blinds left. These blinds should be kept open as long as possible to ensure Goose hunting opportunities for everyone.
M_M There is nothing those tree hugging Greenpeace types like better than a hunter trying to limit access or restrict their own hunting opportunities.
Think on that before you contribute to the demise of your own sport.

Geez walldog. That hurts.

I was trying to open up a point of conversation. I would certainly agree with you that the DNR tickets more hunters in the fields around Rochester than the road ditch blinds. Likewise, I am sure the DNR tickets more fishermen boating than they do fishermen on public fishing piers. I am not really sure how you tied legality into road ditch blinds anyway. Skybusting is not illegal.

There are a lot of people that grew up hunting these blinds. For a week or so out of the season, they actually may be a good place to hunt. I personally hate hunting methods in which have a higher percentage of crippling birds without recovery. There are better ways to offer public hunting than sitting in a ditch and pass shooting birds on a blacktop road. Ditch blinds around the refuge are cheap ways of gaining public hunting, but I feel they come with hidden costs. This is my opinion. That is the great part about a free country.

If you prefer to use this method, by all means good luck and enjoy your experience. You will not have to worry about me filling up one of the blinds.

I would also agree with you that the sale of licenses have declined in the past few years, but I don’t feel that it is due to a lack commitment from the DNR, conservation organizations, and the state because public hunting ground is being eliminated. We are gaining public hunting ground every year because of their efforts. I believe there is a decline because waterfowling in general is a big investment and is very time consuming. People that have left the sport with the excuse that they do not have hunting opportunities use that as a scape goat in my opinion. If they really love the sport, they’d go the extra mile.

Now with that said, the season is getting closer and I am getting pretty excited. Good luck with your season and PM me if you ever want to hit the blinds. I agree that we need to stick together on public hunting issues, I just feel that there are better ways of going about it. In the end, the budgets do the talking and we get what we get. Like it or not, agree or disagree with each other.

Geez walldog. That hurts.

I was trying to open up a point of conversation. I would certainly agree with you that the DNR tickets more hunters in the fields around Rochester than the road ditch blinds. Likewise, I am sure the DNR tickets more fishermen boating than they do fishermen on public fishing piers. I am not really sure how you tied legality into road ditch blinds anyway. Skybusting is not illegal.

There are a lot of people that grew up hunting these blinds. For a week or so out of the season, they actually may be a good place to hunt. I personally hate hunting methods in which have a higher percentage of crippling birds without recovery. There are better ways to offer public hunting than sitting in a ditch and pass shooting birds on a blacktop road. Ditch blinds around the refuge are cheap ways of gaining public hunting, but I feel they come with hidden costs. This is my opinion. That is the great part about a free country.

If you prefer to use this method, by all means good luck and enjoy your experience. You will not have to worry about me filling up one of the blinds.

I would also agree with you that the sale of licenses have declined in the past few years, but I don’t feel that it is due to a lack commitment from the DNR, conservation organizations, and the state because public hunting ground is being eliminated. We are gaining public hunting ground every year because of their efforts. I believe there is a decline because waterfowling in general is a big investment and is very time consuming. People that have left the sport with the excuse that they do not have hunting opportunities use that as a scape goat in my opinion. If they really love the sport, they’d go the extra mile.

Now with that said, the season is getting closer and I am getting pretty excited. Good luck with your season and PM me if you ever want to hit the blinds. I agree that we need to stick together on public hunting issues, I just feel that there are better ways of going about it. In the end, the budgets do the talking and we get what we get. Like it or not, agree or disagree with each other.

M_M Sorry for snapping at ya! It’s just that I have lost too many hunting spots to urbanization.
I have hunted these public blinds for 20 years and have had a great time killing geese from them.
The more hunting opportunities we can maintain or create the better off we all are.
If we don’t guard our resources, the next thing you know they will have Boy/Girl Scouts out shaken eggs as a norm.

M_M Sorry for snapping at ya! It’s just that I have lost too many hunting spots to urbanization.
I have hunted these public blinds for 20 years and have had a great time killing geese from them.
The more hunting opportunities we can maintain or create the better off we all are.
If we don’t guard our resources, the next thing you know they will have Boy/Girl Scouts out shaken eggs as a norm.

Walldog. I agree there are more tickets wrote in the field with guide services or a group int the field. There’s more people out there to check in one place. A DNR stops at a blind and nay check 1-2 guys. He come to the field I am in and checks 10-14 guys. That’s hope it may be easier to ticket people. I personally go over all the rules in the field and let everyone know the DNR may come and check them so I also explain to them what is needed to hunt. If they get a ticket, it’s up to the hunter from there.

Walldog. I agree there are more tickets wrote in the field with guide services or a group int the field. There’s more people out there to check in one place. A DNR stops at a blind and nay check 1-2 guys. He come to the field I am in and checks 10-14 guys. That’s hope it may be easier to ticket people. I personally go over all the rules in the field and let everyone know the DNR may come and check them so I also explain to them what is needed to hunt. If they get a ticket, it’s up to the hunter from there.

TD I am sure it’s a task to keep 10-14 shooters under control. It just takes 1 or 2 wise guys to screw up a shoot. For the most part the Guides do a great job of making sure that their customers have a quality shoot.
The laws are the laws if you violate them over time you will get busted. It’s in the guides best interest to keep everything on the up and up.
My real point was that the public blind hunters get a bad rap for sky bustin and what not,when its just a few that need education. Goose/Waterfowl hunters need to keep a positive attitude toward all types of hunting for the betterment and continuation of the sport.

TD I am sure it’s a task to keep 10-14 shooters under control. It just takes 1 or 2 wise guys to screw up a shoot. For the most part the Guides do a great job of making sure that their customers have a quality shoot.
The laws are the laws if you violate them over time you will get busted. It’s in the guides best interest to keep everything on the up and up.
My real point was that the public blind hunters get a bad rap for sky bustin and what not,when its just a few that need education. Goose/Waterfowl hunters need to keep a positive attitude toward all types of hunting for the betterment and continuation of the sport.

Well said Walldog I wish more people thought like you do

Well said Walldog I wish more people thought like you do

Education is the key to everything I agree. I myself when I was just getting started in goose hunting went to the binds and shot my first goose there. Back then, we could use lead and that helped. I believe that if they use good judgement, they can kill geese out of the blinds. More so than not, there is a lot of skybusting going on. Steel just does not travel as far and have the knock down power lead use to. Tungsten and Heavy shot do, but who can afford to shoot that much of the stuff.

Anyway, good points!

Education is the key to everything I agree. I myself when I was just getting started in goose hunting went to the binds and shot my first goose there. Back then, we could use lead and that helped. I believe that if they use good judgement, they can kill geese out of the blinds. More so than not, there is a lot of skybusting going on. Steel just does not travel as far and have the knock down power lead use to. Tungsten and Heavy shot do, but who can afford to shoot that much of the stuff.

Anyway, good points!