MN 2014 duck and goose season announced

[shnelson]

DNR announces fall duck and goose seasons

Minnesota’s waterfowl season will open a half-hour before sunrise on Saturday, Sept. 27, under a similar season structure to last year, with similar bag limits and with season dates that vary for north, central and southern zones, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
The waterfowl seasons are based on a federal framework that applies to all states in the Mississippi Flyway.
“While the season structure is similar to recent years, there is an adjustment in the duck season dates in the south duck zone,” said Steve Cordts, DNR waterfowl specialist.
In the south duck zone, hunting opens for three days from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 29, and then closes. The season then reopens from Saturday, Oct. 11, through Saturday, Dec. 6.
In all zones, the daily bag limit remains at six ducks per day. The mallard bag limit remains at four per day, including two hen mallards. The wood duck bag limit remains at three per day. The only bag limit change from the 2013 waterfowl season is the canvasback limit, which decreases from two to one per day.
Minnesota and three other states in the Mississippi Flyway had the option of including two additional blue-winged teal in the daily bag limit (bonus blue-winged teal).
“We thought the risk that green-winged teal might be taken by mistake was too great,” said Paul Telander, DNR wildlife section chief. “In addition, we did not get a chance to survey waterfowl hunters or take any form of public input related to bonus teal. We plan to do that within the next year.”
Mallard abundance from a continental spring survey that includes Minnesota is used to set overall duck season length. This year’s estimate was 11 million mallards, which was similar to last year’s estimate of 10.8 million mallards and well above the long-term average.
In another measure of Minnesota duck populations, a population index of resident breeding mallards was down slightly from last year, but 13 percent above the long-term average.
“Continental breeding duck numbers were good this year, and following heavy rains in the spring, wetland conditions in the major waterfowl breeding areas were favorable,” Cordts said.
Additional details on the duck, goose, sandhill crane, and other migratory bird hunting seasons will be available in the 2014 Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting Regulations, available in mid-August in booklet form and online.
Duck seasons
In the north duck zone (north of Highway 210), the duck season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Tuesday, Nov. 25.
In the central duck zone, the duck season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Oct. 5, and Saturday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Nov. 30.
In the south duck zone (south of Highway 212), the duck season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 11, through Saturday, Dec. 6.
Youth waterfowl day
Youth Waterfowl Day will be Saturday, Sept. 13. Hunters ages 15 and under may take regular season bag limits when accompanied by an adult age 18 or older. The accompanying adult can’t hunt that day and does not need a license. Canada geese, mergansers, coots and moorhens may be taken from a half-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. Motorized decoy restrictions are in effect. Five geese may be taken statewide.
Canada goose hunting
Canada goose hunting is open in the three duck zones, and also in an intensive harvest zone. For a map of the intensive zone and other information, see www.mndnr.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
Hunting dates and information:
The August Canada goose management harvest will open Saturday, Aug. 9, and run through Sunday, Aug. 24, in the Intensive Harvest Zone only. The bag limit is 10 per day. A $4 permit is required. This is the second year Canada goose harvest has been allowed during August due to high populations of Canada geese and agricultural crop depredation.
The early September Canada goose season will open statewide on Saturday, Sept. 6, and run through Monday, Sept. 22. Bag limits for Canada geese are 10 per day in the Intensive Harvest Zone and five per day in the remainder of the state. A $4 permit is required to hunt Canada geese during September season. The restriction prohibiting hunting within 100 yards of surface water remains in effect in the Northwest Goose Zone, Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area, Ocheda Lake Game Refuge, and an area surrounding Swan Lake in Nicollet County. Early season goose hunters should consult the 2014 Waterfowl Supplement for zone maps and additional details.
Minnesota’s regular goose season will open in conjunction with the duck season statewide on Sept. 27, with a bag limit of three Canada geese per day the entire season. Goose season will be closed in the central and south duck zones when duck season is closed. In the north duck zone, goose season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Thursday, Dec. 25. In the central duck zone, goose season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Oct. 5, and Saturday, Oct. 11, through Tuesday, Dec. 30. In the south duck zone, goose season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 11, through Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.
Sandhill crane season
The season for sandhill cranes will run from Saturday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 19, in the northwest goose and sandhill crane zone only. The daily bag limit will be one sandhill crane per day. A $3 sandhill crane permit is required in addition to a small game hunting license.
“We reduced the bag limit from two per day to one per day this year in response to declines in our sandhill crane breeding population in northwestern Minnesota,” Cordts said.

[Perch_44]

i like it.

[h2ofwlr]

In the south duck zone (south of Highway 212), the duck season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 11, through Saturday, Dec. 6.

I personally think it sucks not being able to hunt for the 1st 9 days of the season. If we get an early freeze up, we loose at least 6 good days of water hunting.

[h2ofwlr]

What we REALLy need is a Late season Mallard zone for SE MN.

[triplecurler]

What we REALLy need is a Late season Mallard zone for SE MN.

You don't hunt ducks, let alone travel to southern mn in December to do it.

[Perch_44]

What we REALLy need is a Late season Mallard zone for SE MN.

it will never happen, due to the number splits/zones we can have. I wish they would extend the october close by one more week, so we can hunt until mid december, but i'll take this any day also.

[Perch_44]

In the south duck zone (south of Highway 212), the duck season will run from Saturday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 11, through Saturday, Dec. 6.

I personally think it sucks not being able to hunt for the 1st 9 days of the season. If we get an early freeze up, we loose at least 6 good days of water hunting.

and you never lose water days in the south. there is always open water to hunt. But you should not be hunting the water that last week of the season anyways.

[h2ofwlr]

For most hunters, we hunt water vs fields.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Was the Sept season goose limit in the Intensive zone 10 last year as well, or did they bump that up? I can't remember.

[Perch_44]

For most hunters, we hunt water vs fields.

maybe it's time you changed your tactics. a good hunter learns to adapt, you need to learn to adapt to the hunting seasons...