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

[Trigger]

Why the FLOCK is the ID issue not brought up for southern states?!?!?! Are they that much better at duck ID than us?

Politics. I am searious. let me explain:

The key back in '65 was this: The early teal season was a 3 year trial and the USFWS said that the attempts on other non legal waterfowl had to be less than 25%. Only 1 state had met the 25% standard, the average was 45% through out the MS and Central flways. Mn was 50% and TX was 78%

MN shot so many teal in that '65 early season that the USFWS refused to continue the 3 year trail run for MN. As MN hunters had shot 1/3 of the total flyway harvest in that early season.

And thus MN has been shut ever since.

Then politics got involved (I think it was '68 or '69) and the Asst Interior Sec was appt and he set up the early season as its been known for decades--it eliminated all production states from having a early teal season and disregarded the scientific findings of the mid 60s study that the harvest of non legal waterfowl was way too high. There was a major uproar about what this Asst Int Sec did (who happened to be from LA). But politics prevailed being key southern Congressmen were on committtees that over saw the funding the USFWS. So thus the USFWS was blackmailed by these southern Congressmen --shut up about the early season--or we'll cut your funding.

Yes I know all this. But why aren't the same Minnesotans who are using it as a reason to condemn better hunting opportunities in their home state as a reason to why no states should be allowed to have one? If killing unwanted species is truly a concern of theirs, they should be as outspoken about it for other states as well. Or just not use it as a reason at all.

[h2ofwlr]

Some of us are still upset. But most of us that remember '68 and were vocal about it are now gone.... The illegal take of other species has become a ho hum thing, a status quo of sorts. Kind of like people driving 63 in the 55 MPH zones.

[Trigger]

Some of us are still upset. But most of us that remember '68 and were vocal about it are now gone.... The illegal take of other species has become a ho hum thing, a status quo of sorts. Kind of like people driving 63 in the 55 MPH zones.

And yet we have more mallards, wood ducks, and teal since then. It's as though biologists really do know what they are doing, and yet people refuse to believe what they have to say. That just strikes me as odd.

[Fish Felon]

Some of us are still upset. But most of us that remember '68 and were vocal about it are now gone....

How old were you in 1968?

[h2ofwlr]

Does it matter? What the politician did was plain wrong then and still is.

[Trigger]

Does it matter? What the politician did was plain wrong then and still is.

Yes it does. You said you didn't hunt in the 50's, so that means in 68 you were propably around 12. And you keep siting your anecdotal evidence of how many non-legal birds you yourself saw floating during the teal season. You know whose anecdotal evidence I believe less that yours? Yours, as a 12 year old.

[h2ofwlr]

Really?

Where I hunted while motoring back to the landing on the 2nd day, I saw lots of dead floating ducks of non legal species during the Teal season. The spy blinds in Mn witnessed a 50% attempt rate on non legal waterfowl during that 1st early teal season. Put 2+2 together for Pete's sake of where those dead non legal ducks came from.

And what that politician did to push the teal season through after the 3 year trial run, when the USFWS said no, we need to study it, circumvented all biology/scientific study as a basis for setting seasons and bag limits. And then we northern "production" states were given the finger the USFWS by not allowing an early Teal season.

Enough said.

[get-n-birdy]

The one thing that's never been answered for me is, why can the southern's hunt and harvets our so special "breeding population" all year long? Our ducks do migrate into others hunters paths as they head south, right?

It's like saying the netting on Mille lacs in the spring doesn't harm the spawn, but anglers can't fish the spawn because it's harmful to spawning fish.

Huh?

What?

YOU JUST CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

If it's ok for the southern states to shoot teal in an early teal seasons, why the heck can't we? I get it would ruin the regular opener. But the regular opener then in turn, ruins the rest of the season.

What do the numbers say?

Teal can with stand more harvest.

But we can't harvest them, huh? Why?

I get the idea of creating more refuge type scenarios. I get the YWD does affect many birds and areas birds use. I get early goose over water contributes more pressure on birds more than just geese. The issue in my mind can be fine tuned to alleviate some of that pressure through closing critical hunting areas to a teal season, or even early goose and YWD.

Manage it d@mit!

It isn't a one size fits all whole state type of deal. This state is very diverse from the SE to the NW, and from the NE to the SW. We have the river bottoms in the se, Roseau in the nw, Big Rice in the Superior NF and Marsh out west. All very different bodies of water, in vastly different areas of the state that could all be managed for maximum bird numbers and quality opportunities for hunters.

We as a state are clueless to what it takes to manage waterfowl and maximize quality and quantity opportunities. It's sad really, with as much water as we have and the waterfowl that fly over our state we can't figure out a d@m thing. I mean honestly, it's completely retarded!

You've got the old guard that does nothing but b!tch if we are allowed to shoot or given the opportunity to harvest anything. They think the 3/30 is the best thing since sliced bread, get an f'in grip and clue! Tile is here to stay. Farmers will have a roller coaster ride with crop prices. Within that conservation will rise and fall within it, on opposite ends of the peaks and valley's. They'll be making the doe, ray, me and pheasant and duck numbers will plummet. Price's will fall and when they crash, CRP becomes more valuable to the farmer with crop prices tanking. Bird numbers will rise and farmers will be hurting again.

I'm not sure we can loose much more in terms of habitat in MN? Most everything now is mainly public land anyways in what's left of the PPR and the rest is farmed or un farmable at all. The numbers we have aren't going to tank out just because we have a teal season. The birds habits within what's left of their habitat will change the regular opener, there is no doubt on that one. But we've already been through that rodeo before, actually we are currently still in it with YWD, early goose and now extra early goose.

[get-n-birdy]

If you've never had an oops waterfowl hunting in your first couple years you are a to be commended. Or never hunted till after sunrise or on cloudy days. I've got great eye sight, know how to ID birds on the wing and there's been times I've miss ID a bird, it happens. It's usually odd ball species but it still happens. There's also times pellets hit odd ball birds in tight decoying flocks, it happens. Anyone who claims to be a diver hunter and hasn't shot an odd ball bird they couldn't 100% ID and stake their kids life on, would truly be amazing in my book.

[Trigger]

Really?

Where I hunted while motoring back to the landing on the 2nd day, I saw lots of dead floating ducks of non legal species during the Teal season. The spy blinds in Mn witnessed a 50% attempt rate on non legal waterfowl during that 1st early teal season. Put 2+2 together for Pete's sake of where those dead non legal ducks came from.

And what that politician did to push the teal season through after the 3 year trial run, when the USFWS said no, we need to study it, circumvented all biology/scientific study as a basis for setting seasons and bag limits. And then we northern "production" states were given the finger the USFWS by not allowing an early Teal season.

Enough said.

Where did you hunt on the second day?

Attempt rate means nothing unless we know kill rate. And with how drunk not only the hunters, by the spy guys were I really doubt these counts are very accurate.

I was way off on my guess of you being 12. Someone told me you were born in 58, that's according to Facebook I think. So now I really don't believe what you saw. You're squeaky little 6 year old voice must not have been intimidating enough to those old usfws guys to not to have a season.