A passionate duck hunter voices concerns about teal season

[Quack]

I believe "mistake duck" has been tried in some southern states but I'm not going to research. A dude that uses his real name on the fuge referenced the good old days when mistake duck really meant "bonus pintail"

[get-n-birdy]

There's a lot of hearsay on what is good or bad, with what is viewed as our current, seemingly more liberal seasons. Fact is, felling's add up to nothing more than ashes and elbow's. I don't have facts to prove or disprove anything. But it seems like with the loss of hunter numbers, the restrictions on limits and seasons, are not as important as they once where. That is a very difficult mental blockade, for many old schooler's to get over, that the old ways need to shift and change. Then they play the fear mongering card hard, of the sky is falling. When in fact, it is not.

[Quack]

I would add to that sentiment, in regard to changing times, that hunter attitudes have changed too.

Sure, there are still poachers out there, but the old guys grew up when there was much less regard for the theory of conservation AND the letter of the law. If they weren't the lads responsible for gross over limits of bills, they knew who was. Back then boys brought their guns to school in between hunts. Today, kids need a helmet & mouth guard to cross the damn street, they sure as hell ain't poachin ducks in great numbers. I've been living in rural areas for about 15 years and I can tell ya very few rural kids or adults are even hunting ducks, let alone poaching large numbers.

That said, I still "like" conservation and I love the 4pm closure. They should knock it back to 2pm and extend it to mid October

[get-n-birdy]

That is part of the shift in thought process. I'd like to see a noon closure on all WPA's and WMA's. Guys could still hunt public lakes and private land till dark. Could lead to a lot better hunting in general, if birds could rest on huntable water. It's not giant leaps, but even small changes are changes and tough for the old guard to understand. Especially when they are grounded in their ruts and that those ruts are right, no matter what.

[StuStiltman]

I've been living in rural areas for about 15 years and I can tell ya very few rural kids or adults are even hunting ducks, let alone poaching large numbers.

Same thing by me. I live in a rural area about 20 miles north of Fergus, none of my neighbors or there kids hunt ducks. Funny thing is most of them have relatives who hunt there land, most of those relatives are living in the cities now. Kinda weird.

[gimpfinger]

That is part of the shift in thought process. I'd like to see a noon closure on all WPA's and WMA's. Guys could still hunt public lakes and private land till dark. Could lead to a lot better hunting in general, if birds could rest on huntable water. It's not giant leaps, but even small changes are changes and tough for the old guard to understand. Especially when they are grounded in their ruts and that those ruts are right, no matter what.

Noon closure on just WMA and WPA has to be the dumbest chit I have ever heard. Maybe a noon closure on everything but WMA and WPA. Hell I'm trying to think of a WPA that is anywhere near me that I could even duck hunt and only know a handful of WMA that is huntable for ducks.

Team Power Dump

[lanyard]

Maybe the DNR could float a "Duck Hours" season limit past the USFWS....

So, if 60 days is 1440 hours.... if we allowed an average of 8 hours a day.... that would be 160 days.

Close the first half of the season at noon. Then open up it up to all days.

Due to photo period, this would provide resting for the primary migrants during the first half of the season and get the late stayers down south. We could get rid of the split zone debate, take on an early two week teal season, and extend into December/January. This may become more prudent as Climate Change alters migration patterns.

Think of it terms of Full-Time Equvialent..... whereby you have two part-time employees complete 8 hrs worth of work. This would be hunt-time equivalent.

Freaking brilliant.

[gimpfinger]

Maybe the DNR could float a "Duck Hours" season limit past the USFWS....

So, if 60 days is 1440 hours.... if we allowed an average of 8 hours a day.... that would be 160 days.

Close the first half of the season at noon. Then open up it up to all days.

Due to photo period, this would provide resting for the primary migrants during the first half of the season and get the late stayers down south. We could get rid of the split zone debate, take on an early two week teal season, and extend into December/January. This may become more prudent as Climate Change alters migration patterns.

Think of it terms of Full-Time Equvialent..... whereby you have two part-time employees complete 8 hrs worth of work. This would be hunt-time equivalent.

Freaking brilliant.

Really want to make a difference, have hunting closed till noon. Noon till sunset for shooting hours.


But this is all for nothing if we ain't got what they want. Habitat is a bigger issue here instead of any shooting hours. Ducks last year didn't even stay overnight in my area.

Team Power Dump

[Fish Felon]

I think the partial daily closures are stupid and won't accomplish anything. How does that solve popular areas still getting trampled daily? By not allowing the one or two guys/groups from doing an evening hunt???

If you're going to do anything I'd say picking areas to be closed most of the week, open Saturdays and Wednesdays (or other combos) would work a lot better at holding birds than a noon closure.

[Quack]

Both sound good to me!