Would you hunt the teal season in Sept if offered in MN?

h2ofwlr · Sun Feb 02, 2014 2:42 pm

If there is an early season Teal season in Sept for MN, would you go out and hunt them?

An early teal season could be coming for Minnesota hunters
Posted by: Doug Smith, Startribune
Updated: February 1, 2014 - 2:31 PM

An early September teal season could be coming next fall for Minnesota duck hunters.

"There's a very high probability of having a teal season,'' said Steve Cordts, Department of Natural Resources waterfowl specialist.

Teal and a potential teal season were among the topics Saturday at the Minnesota Waterfowl Association's 17th annual Waterfowl Symposium in Bloomington, attended by about 100 people.

The bag limit likely would be six teal, and the DNR might ask to also allow one "mistake'' duck.

The DNR is expected to ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to authorize a September season, which has long been offered in other states. Federal officials probably won't decide until June.

Minnesota hasn't had a special teal season because it's a teal-production state.

But the continental blue-winged teal population has been at record highs recently at around 8 million to 9 million, and wildlife officials have said the population could sustain a higher harvest.

Though federal officials allow 16-day teal seasons elsewhere, Cordts said a Minnesota season likely would be nine days or less, and probably would begin the first weekend in September.

But if it comes, it will raise other issues, such as concern that a teal hunt would disturb other waterfowl before the regular season. Also an early teal season could kill Youth Waterfowl Day, which in Minnesota has been held two weekends before the regular opener.

"There's a possibility we'd drop it,'' Cordts said.

An early season also could conflict with wild rice harvesters, Cordts said.

Other topics at the Waterfowl Symposium included wild rice management, duck migration research using radar, waterfowl photography and duck decoy collecting.

tyler · Sun Feb 02, 2014 3:08 pm

of course

ducksmuggler · Sun Feb 02, 2014 3:39 pm

Fowler it should be add that they said with teal season and some still wanting to keep YWD. That they the DNR might move duck opener dates a week or two later. To give a gap between teal season, YWD and duck season..... I am ALL for that model

As we talked I am for the 6 teal and that's it!! not the other option of a "bonus" missed ID duck. You miss ID and shoot you take the chance of shooting a duck out of season. That said ONLY 1 state out of all the states with teal season, can say they don't have miss ID'd kills.

triplecurler · Sun Feb 02, 2014 4:45 pm

I'd like to say tha I'd hunt them, but still have a lot going on that time of year.

shnelson · Sun Feb 02, 2014 5:02 pm

I most certainly would. I think I'd be more in favor of them dropping YWD for the early teal season than to try to still run it.

Youngins would be coming with either way.

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triplecurler · Sun Feb 02, 2014 5:31 pm

So with all the negative responses of ducks leaving after youth day over the years, why on earth would anyone want an early teal season. Oh yeah because they (adults) would get to hunt during an early teal season.

Trigger · Sun Feb 02, 2014 5:56 pm

triplecurler wrote:So with all the negative responses of ducks leaving after youth day over the years, why on earth would anyone want an early teal season. Oh yeah because they (adults) would get to hunt during an early teal season.

Exactly! YWD is a massive failure. Not only has it failed to recruit kids, it has pushed tons of others out of the sport bc openers have been very negatively affected by YWD and early goose over water. An early teal season would be great thing for MN waterfowling.

greatwhitehunter3! · Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:09 pm

No

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lumbertick · Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:16 pm

You bet I'd hunt it....but I think it's a bad idea. Call me a hypocrite if it fits.

lt

ducksmuggler · Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:37 pm

I will say I run a YWD hunt and on an average have 30 kids..... but on that without help they can not hunt. I like the idea of YWD to get kids who have never or will never hunt without the help but more often than not they are kids that dads take them out later/ all season long.

I am for dropping YWD as long as MN dnr goes after adult recruitment.