Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

Have you seen it this fall? Or are the number of waterfowl hunters out there stayed pretty much the same? It seems to me that the number of decoy listings and waterfowl gear on Craigslist has gone up. Just curious.

I think a lot less but I don't hunt public waters all the often. I think when you look at the demographics most hunters are 50 or older, look at the DNR stats published recently in the outdoor news: duck and pheasant hunters are way down in Minnesota. I think waterfowl hunters are down below 70K. When I first started way back when it was closer to 130K.

Numbers of hunters I have seen out the first 2 weekends seemed below average......................

I've never noticed any decline. In fact, just the opposite.

I'm still waiting for and anticipating an empty marsh!

This is the first year I have noticed hunter numbers down. Usually I hunt a secluded spot on opener away from other hunters but after scouting decided to hunt a well known public area and there wasn’t much pressure compared to previous years. This Saturday I hunted a large, fairly well known marsh and there was only a couple other groups out. Usually there are a dozen or two. It was holding about 20k ducks too. Really hoping my late season spots are the same so I don’t have to wake up at 3-4 every morning.

The numbers are down 4% from last year if I remember the report correctly.

People are getting older. Regret than dink around on weekends easier to take a trip or two to Canada and/or Dakotas. Be comfy, have breakfast, maybe even someone clean your birds.

MN has great duck hunting, but if you have any cash why would you burn it here. Go to the destination, man.

I don't know if there are more or less but the number who can't call, shoot or skybust hasn't changed a bit. You would think with a smaller more dedicated group of hunters you would have less of that.

hobbydog wrote:I don't know if there are more or less but the number who can't call, shoot or skybust hasn't changed a bit. You would think with a smaller more dedicated group of hunters you would have less of that.

They were taught once on Youth Waterfowl Day and got hooked on the "juice". Now rather than duck hunters they're just Duck Junkies.

So much of it has to do with technology, mobility and financing.

The number of young bro’s with full field spreads, or big mud motors, or whatever

You can’t hide gunfire and they will find your hole on their cell phone map

Even some of my most remote and even marginal spots are getting hunted

People didn’t usta get info or ideas on the internet.

Birds concentrate and so do the hunters.



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^^^^^ True dat

AND the little bastards are still young enough to sleep in the freaking boat.

I need to step up the boat camping game.