Is the MN DNR....

[mulefarm]

I think the real question should be "would it be worse if we did not have a duck stamp"? I'm really starting to wonder if all the money that has been raised for waterfowl has made a significant difference?

[h2ofwlr]

So what is the fact? They DNR leadership heard more hunters not in favor of it than those for it.

This is not true. Based on several emails from Cordts, it was 60/40 in favor.

Cordts is NOT part of the DNR leadership now is he? Just saying.... Fields guys are not the leadership, dept heads and upper mngrs are. Now you get what I am meaning.

And I'll say it again as I've said it a few times in the past too. IMHO we should have tried the experimental Teal season here in MN.

[Bailey]

Cordts is a horrible leader and the minn dnr is a joke.

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[h2ofwlr]

Again... Cordts is not the leader, nor was he hired to be. He is the head tech guy (crunches the waterfowl numbers). I've met him several times over the years, he is a genuinely a nice person and I'll leave it at that.

[Quack]

Please explain to us how the DNR sets our waterfowl regs. Who's on the waterfowl committee these days anyway?

[Harold Houck]

So what would be his explanation for this...

Here is something even better... I found this article doing a quick search... according to this, The MN. DNR has been begging the Feds for years to have a teal season ... at least from Cordts mouth.

http://m.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/224163581.html

The only early teal hunting season ever held in Minnesota was remarkable.

During the experimental 2½-day hunt in September 1965, about 55,000 hunters shot 190,000 ducks — including, unfortunately, an estimated 8,000 illegal ducks of different species. The 4 percent violation rate was better than hunters did in some other states, including Iowa (12 percent) and Michigan (7 percent), but worse than in Missouri (2 percent) or Louisiana (2.5 percent).

Nevertheless, the inability of hunters to identify teal — and the political decisions that allowed southern states to continue offering early teal seasons, but not northern states such as Minnesota — set off a controversy that simmers still today.

Northern states have long claimed their hunters have been shortchanged when it comes to hunting teal, early migrants that often leave those states before or shortly after hunting seasons begin.

“For 50 years, we’ve gotten the short end of the stick,’’ said Steve Cordts, waterfowl specialist for the state Department of Natural Resources. “In recent years we’ve asked for teal seasons, and the [Fish and Wildlife] Service has said no.’’

Th article goes on to say we are not even adept enough to have a teal season according to the MN DNR. Funny how WI and MI etc passed with no issues.

We have lost 2 years worth of data and two years worth or revenue.

[Bailey]

They dont care though.

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[h2ofwlr]

So what would be his explanation for this....

The decision makers changed their minds or they were always not for it. So they clipped the wings of the proposal once confronted with that in reality the Feds would allow an early teal season. Did the decisions makers make the decision years ago to pursue and early teal season? I think not. IMHO It was others (lower ranking DNR employees) that pushed it in the spirit of hunter opportunity.

Like I said a couple of times already--it was upper management that made the decision, not Cordts or other lower management people. Cordts did his job, but even when you do a good job, many of us have seen in the corporate world where upper Mngt will curtail projects, etc That is the reality of it, it stinks, but you can not change it. You may not like this 1 decision, but too many forget all too quickly that Upper Mngt also allowed 3 woodies a day (overrode lower management position on this), approved split zones, expanded hunter opportunity in other areas (early and late goose seasons have expanded 3 times), limited open water hunting last year, etc.. the reality of it all is that hunting seasons, frameworks, days a field etc look nothing like it did 35 years ago as it has dramatically changed. We used to have a 40 day duck and goose season, now it is about 120 days in MN, not including the spring Snow goose season which an what something like 60 days additional.

So don't throw out the baby with the bath water.

[get-n-birdy]

Minnesota has always prided itself that it's constituents are much smarter than the other 49 states. When in all actuality we are educated to the point of ignorance and don't have a drop of common sense at times.

There is no sound biology in regards to why we are not taking part in the teal season. It is all fear based mongering.

[Swartzy]

I have a feeling they pushed for it in the past thinking they would never get it. That way they look good for the hunters. Then backed away once they were actually allowed. I don't think they ever thought they would be allowed to have early teal.

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