A duck dilemma: How many is too many?

[Bullet21XD]

what do you mean

Not trying to bust your balls or anything, but I gather you're a younger guy. A lot of us have been "hardcore" for as long as you've been alive. I'm not saying yhere's no ducks in MN, and in my internet career, I can't recall ever complaining about a lack of ducks. In fact, i've been very positive about the subject. BUT...there has been a steady and noticeable decline of ducks and hunting success throughout MN the last 20 years. There's no other way to put it.

I generally bitch about everything I can, but duckless skies ain't a subject I bring up!

[tyler]

what do you mean

Not trying to bust your balls or anything, but I gather you're a younger guy. A lot of us have been "hardcore" for as long as you've been alive. I'm not saying yhere's no ducks in MN, and in my internet career, I can't recall ever complaining about a lack of ducks. In fact, i've been very positive about the subject. BUT...there has been a steady and noticeable decline of ducks and hunting success throughout MN the last 20 years. There's no other way to put it.

I generally bitch about everything I can, but duckless skies ain't a subject I bring up!

I get it, I just thought you were still the blood thirsty killer.

[Bullet21XD]

I am.

[lumbertick]

Tyler...don't waste your time trying to understand the psyche of Bullet...he's incorrigible, un-teachable and down right messed up in the head...that's a quote from his kindergarten teacher

The most interesting thing about this discussion (other than Bullet has really impressed me with his writing skills) is that there is little to no dis-agreement among us that bag limits will or won't have any effect on the quality of hunting here in Minnesota. Even Fowler hasn't chimed in with a story of how he and his imiganary buddy hunted during the 30 day 3 duck years and every year the duck population doubled Consensus here just doesn't happen.

So it kind of baffles me that the Concerned Duck Hunters perceive this as the problem? I know some of the dudes on the panel...and I think they are rational enough folks...but they are really pulling this one out of their nether regions.

lt

[get-n-birdy]

So Fowler has been right all along?

A reduction of limits would do nothing.

A few small changes in the way we hunt would do so much more. Noon closing times and a few core areas going to limited entry could help. Sherburne, Carlos, North Lake and Pelican Lake would be some great places to start.

[tornadochaser]

Teaching duck hunters about calendar migrations would go a long ways to shutting up the "there's no ducks in MN" crowd. Just because last weekend you hunted a slough, and went back to the same slough this weekend, doesn't mean that in the 5 days in between there wasn't waves of divers, gaddies, and young mallards moving on through. Sure we can mock MN's lack of ability to refuge, feed, or otherwise give the birds a reason to stay, but its just hilarious to me when guys say "oh the migrators all go through the Dakotas" or "oh the northern birds haven't come down yet" all the while bird counts in Iowa and Missouri are steadily increasing at the same time.

[Nershi]

A few small changes in the way we hunt would do so much more. Noon closing times and a few core areas going to limited entry could help. Sherburne, Carlos, North Lake and Pelican Lake would be some great places to start.

Noon closure would help. That may be a tough one to get to pass though.

I'm not for limiting access. I understand that the areas you mentioned get pounded but if you limit those areas those hunters are just going to spill in to other hunting areas. Lots of places would be better hunting if there wasn't as much pressure but I don't think that will solve any of the problems our state has.

[Big Doe Hunter]

Where have the comments from Fowler been on this thread/subject?

He must be out scouting for tomorrow morning.

[Big Doe Hunter]

On this issue I have hunted pretty much every opener for the last 20 years with my uncle on the same lake. I am now 33 and he is 60. He says the hunting has been the best ever on the lake the last 5 years. So good in his opinion 'we don't even need to go to North Dakota' He continues to think that there is more ducks now then ever, and the geese! My oh my! We have shot Canadas opening weekend for a decade straight!

I keep telling him (and he doesn't believe me) that now we are just better hunters and hunt smarter than we did 20 years ago. That IMO is why we have more success. Hell I think we used to see a lot more ducks when the limit was 3.

[lanyard]

It's interesting how the "heavy posters" on this site tend to favor early teal, question the validity of YWD (i.e. just call it what it is a, hug fest), and would agree on a noon closure.

Whereas the "concerned" are against teal season, think YWD is paramount, and would rather a half-hour later start than offer an extra 4-6 hours of unmolested loafing.

If we stopped hunting altogether would be the surest way we get "empty skies". With no constituency of duck hunters ducks wouldn't stand a chance.