Teal Season UPDATE ! ! !

[triplecurler]

WTFU

[Nershi]

News flash: most of the teal will have left our state by the mn opener without ywd or early goose over water.

[h2ofwlr]

Last time I hunted Canada you could shoot 8 hen mallards. Their season opened so early you couldn't tell a hen from an eclipse drake. If minnesota opens any earlier is their a chance that we could shoot all hens?

Try IDing hens from drakes on 2nd hatch Mallards or Pintails in Sept in CAN. Remember that they start nesting a a couple of weeks later than here in MN. To get a comparision, that is like the week before Labor Day plummage on ducks here. Good luck with that. And that is one reason why you are allowed minimal specie restrictions up there. The main reason though is the shear lack of hunters per sq mile there compared to the US. the bottom line is hunter take of waterfowl in CAN is minimal at best, it hardly makes a blip on the radar.

As to the question, yes there is, There is also a chance a guy could shoot all Woodies or all Redheads too.
Restraint comes to mind. Just because it is a duck--ethically and legally a hunter is to ID it first before the trigger is even pulled. But when in that 1965 study there was a 50% attempt rate (shot/s fired) at non legal ducks, well we know that it problematic. Certainly some hunters never fired a shot at anything but teal, but others shot at everything, and while others were somewhere in between. I think it's the same for other specie and/or h/d restrictions.

[gimpfinger]

Well chit we might as well close down the whole waterfowl season because someone somewhere will not id birds.

Say what you want but the whole anti teal season people just don't want it and that's it. These people are lining right up with the anti gun folks in way of tactics. Lie lie and if that don't work take facts and numbers and twist it to look like it supports your claim.

30% of total teal harvested are in mn, haven't heard one hunter in support of it...my azz!

sent from your under your bed

[triplecurler]

Well chit we might as well close down the whole waterfowl season because someone somewhere will not id birds.

Say what you want but the whole anti teal season people just don't want it and that's it. These people are lining right up with the anti gun folks in way of tactics. Lie lie and if that don't work take facts and numbers and twist it to look like it supports your claim.

30% of total teal harvested are in mn, haven't heard one hunter in support of it...my azz!

sent from your under your bed

Alright guys, let's start banding together and get this damn thing passed. Where should we meet, steps of the capital? DNR headquarters. Duck smugglers family cabin in Canada? Who's printing fliers, who's in charge of media relations?

I thinking must duck hunters only hunt a few days of the season anyway, so if they can get it done on early teal season then the swamps will have fewer hunter during main season.

[h2ofwlr]

I think you are right about that the majority only hunt a few days a year. I think that the average days a field was something in the neighborhood of 6 days a field and a 1.3 birds per hunt average in MN

I think that there is credible evidence that 20% of the hunters shoot 80% of the fowl theory.

And I think many on this forum are part of the 20%, and thus are pushing for a teal season. Where as the guy that goes 3 or 4 times it does not even hit their radar beacuse it is not Sept yet.

But perhaps it all boils down to this: So should the DNR cater to the 80% or to the 20% serious waterfowlers?

[dwendt]

I'm sick of this "in 1965 a study showed that there was a 50% attempt rate at non teal." Guess what that was 49 effin years ago. If you think that is still a valid statistic by any means you're as incompetent as any other jackwagon who wants to ban guys because they're dangerous.

[h2ofwlr]

Tell us how you really FEEL!

[triplecurler]

I think you are right about that the majority only hunt a few days a year. I think that the average days a field was something in the neighborhood of 6 days a field and a 1.3 birds per hunt average in MN

I think that there is credible evidence that 20% of the hunters shoot 80% of the fowl theory.

And I think many on this forum are part of the 20%, and thus are pushing for a teal season. Where as the guy that goes 3 or 4 times it does not even hit their radar beacuse it is not Sept yet.

But perhaps it all boils down to this: So should the DNR cater to the 80% or to the 20% serious waterfowlers?

80% is where the money and the votes are.?so that's likely the route they will take. The part I like is wisconsin pretty much already has early teal season on the books. That's where I'll be.

[Trigger]

I for one feel that the early teal season is not in the best interest for MN waterfowling. I understand the positions of the vocal majority here, and the argument they have put forward is valid. The truth of the matter is though, is that no one knows how this will impact waterfowl, waterfowl hunters or hunter recruitment...all arguments made in support of the season (some here, some on other sites).

My opinion is based on the evidence myself and a lot of other hunters have experienced as the DNR has increasingly allowed seasons over water prior to opening day....youth waterfowl as well as the early goose over water. I do believe that it decreases the opportunity for those who base the success of their season on the first two days of the season. And what is the importance of the opener? My opinion is that as far as hunter recruitment as well as retention is concerned...the opener is the single most important event in the season. The traditions and rituals that revolve around this day are what keep the vast majority of hunters buying a stamp every year. I also understand that we could just look at the teal season as the opener instead of the traditional opener...but given the weakened state of the waterfowl hunter population in this state I don't think it's a good idea.

Understand that there are about 80,000 (can't recall the exact number...but forgive me if this off) duck hunters in this state....and there are about 20 regular posters on this site....so even though in this small group there is much agreement on issues...it really doesn't accurately measure the opinions of the entire waterfowling population of this state.

Just because we can....doesn't always mean we should.

lt

It's funny how people can see the same situation in the exact opposite light. I see a teal season as recruiting tool. For me there is nothing more enjoyable than hunting when there are a lot of birds around... Especially birds that are fun to hunt like teal. Fast, exciting action is what recruits people.