Here is the copy and paste of the email Landwehr sent me in response to mine, questioning him on why he went against his previous statement to me (it's now my signature) several years ago concerning making decisions and why he decided to use feelings instead of science when turning down the teal season. And keep in mind during this, I did not mention a concern for bag limits in my email, or a desire to kill more ducks, I simply pointed out the standard debate point that teal are known to be under harvested and at historically high populations- which I'm sure he knows anyways.
Personally, I was a little taken back and surprised at his response. How he kept bringing up how many ducks he feels hunters should ethically take was strange to me. Sure 6 mallards is a lot for a family of 4, but 6 teal won't feed a family of 5. It's some strange reasoning to deny us a teal season in my opinion.
----Sorry for the delayed response; lots going on.
I, too, am a diehard waterfowler, but regret the job responsibilities have greatly infringed on my available time. Historically, I spent 20-30 days per year hunting, almost exclusively in MN. I have also been intimately involved in waterfowl habitat issues and in the regulations setting process in several roles for almost 3 decades (flyway tech committee, DU state conservation director), and tried to focus my BS and MS work in wildlife management on waterfowl conservation.
So at 60 years old, I have to ask, how many ducks do you need to shoot? Seriously, is your only consideration on what constitutes good hunting determined by the maximum number of quarry bagged? Some folks feel the need to take the maximum number of ducks the current population can stand, without also asking what is a reasonable bag from the sporting standpoint. Our bag limits for pheasants (2 until December, then 3), grouse (5), squirrels (7), rabbits (10), mourning doves (15) don’t change from year to year even though populations clearly do. Waterfowl is the only small game group where seasons change based on estimated continental populations. Bag limits need to reflect sustainable harvest, but also – I believe – ethical sportsmanship, allowing for a bag that can be completely used by the hunter and their family. I think 6 ducks is on the top end of that spectrum, and past surveys have shown that most duck hunters are satisfied with 5-6 ducks. Many think 6 is too much.
This year in MN, you can hunt geese more than 100 days, and you can hunt ducks 71 days. With a bag limit of 6 ducks, this is the greatest opportunity for bagging ducks that you have ever had. Again, it makes me wonder, how many ducks do you need to shoot?
There is growing evidence that the MN resident population of waterfowl – those that are born in MN and return here to nest – are in a state of long-term decline. Back in the 1970s, research suggested that early season hunting was having an impact on local breeders, and from that research the 4pm closure was developed. Obviously, it could be a habitat issue, but we don’t know. While we collect a lot of data on ducks, there is way more that we don’t know than what we do know (for instance, we don’t band many wood ducks or ringnecks, so survival estimates are pretty imprecise). Any expansion of opportunity – even a teal season or bonus teal – will put more pressure on MN ducks.
So there’s the balance, and as Commissioner, all regulations ultimately are my responsibility (not Steve’s). The regulations that are ultimately set are a balance of science and social considerations. Opinions on that are as many as there are waterfowlers, so I never expect everyone to be pleased. But someone has to make the decision, that someone is ultimately me, and I stand by the outcome.
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources----