Have they lost thier mind?

[kgpcr4]

Looks like a 6 bird limit. With the brids being down why go to 6 bird with 4 mallards with mallards being down? I just do not understand this one!

[Superduty]

Continental duck populations are actually higher than last year according to USFWS. I think the MN DNR made a good decision by going with the federal regs this year. MN tried to lead by example last year with the 4 duck baglimit and not one other state followed suit. No sense in conserving a duck here to send it down the flyway to all the 6 baglimit states. Believe it or not, bag limits don't effect duck populations very much. The length of the season is a bigger determining factor. Most hunters don't shoot a limit very often-bagging 2 or 3 birds per trip. Longer seasons with more hunting trips results in more dead ducks than higher baglimits for this reason.

[stretch]

even in minnesota the duck population was up from last year. we had a good spring and some very good hatches. the bag limit shouldn't affect anything.

[jbell1981]

The mallard limit was 4 last year with one hen. It is the same this year. Going from 4 to 6 or vice-versa has no effect on the mallard population.

[Guest Kyle]

I think its time to increase the wood duck limit to three. In the last few years, I have been seeing outrageous numbers of wood ducks. Infact, im pretty sure I shot one every time I went out last year. Im not sure what the actual numbers are, but I know other people that have been saying the same thing.

[Abrams]

Mallards may be down in Minnesota but not nation-wide. Minnesota is no longer a duck producing state like the Dakotas or Canada. You can't base duck populations on what's going on here, if 6 ducks is that offensive to you than only kill 4.

[BLACKJACK]

hunter, I thought the same thing a few years ago, that the wood duck limit should go up, but I don't think so anymore. The reason is that I'm getting less wood duck hens back to my 30+ wood duck houses. I think we're shooting too many. With other ducks being scarce, we all pop our two wood ducks because they're easy and dumb.

[Guest Kyle]

I can see how that would be an issue. I never put up a wood duck house, so I wouldnt know. Thanks for the info:)

[kgpcr4]

With 6 bird limits there is not doubt it will be a long time before it is again. Not the local ducks like there used to be. there is some nice habitat out there with no birds on it. If limits are not that important them why shouldnt i shoot all i can every time i go out? Limits are super important in my opinion.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

i trust that the fed and states are doing the best they can with the resources they have to provide a balance between conservation and sport. if their information suggests that 6 bird limits do not detriment the overall duck populations, then i am for it. 4 bird limit for minnesota was fine with me, although it did make it too easy to be done hunting right away in the morning. there are serious population concerns within the overall duck population, pintails and scaup especially, but the majority of ducks shot in minnesota are mallards and teal. the mid 90's are long gone, and as fun as it was to skip school and sit in a flooded corn field and watch thousands of mallards tornado in and out, my best hunting has came in the last 3 years. the ducks are there; you just have to be where they want to be.

[lanyard]

The idea is duck hunting or duck saving is neither consumptive or additive to future duck populations. In general, the idea is that ducks will produce to habitat conditions: habitat stinks in the spring less production; habitat rocks in the spring more production. Thus the inference that not shooting hens will insure maximizing next year's habitat.

Establishing a no limit or increased limit arguments need to be tempered with the 'how much responsibility can the general public handle'. I could along with it when no one shoots a swan, poaching is a fairy tale, baiting ceases to exist and we no longer see liberal limit rules abused as in the snow geese in the ditch cases. Granted, there are laws in place already such as wanton waste and engandered species protections, but the public typically seems to respond to freedom in their own self-interest rather than best-interest. In business terms I use the Pet Rock, Beanie Babies, and Tickle Me Elmo as examples.

[jbell1981]

Did you just compare duck limits with beanie babies I am confused by your post.

[lanyard]

No, not duck limits to beanie babies.

Silly people that stay out all night to spend $15 on a rock in a box are potentially as wise as those that shoot swans.

Keep limits, there legitmately may be too many stupid people to not have them. We must protect people from themselves!

[Scott M]

I agree with you Lanyard. Many people can't handle the responsiblities of duck hunting even with limits. You gotta be able to ID ducks and count, which is harder than it sounds. And if everybody can take as much as they want, you get a tragedy of the commons.

Waterfowl management is tough....management is a misnomer, it's really a crapshoot.

Being any natural resource manager, from fisheries manager to waterfowl production manager, is a tough job because so much of your job is dependent upon others. It's an inexact science like meteorology. You have an idea of what to expect from doing some sampling, but things can change immensely from factors beyond your control (mostly mother nature and human influences)

[BoxMN]

I agree Lanyard. For anybody that thinks limits don't affect the next year's population of ducks, for whatever reason, have probably never heard of the market hunting days. Hunting did affect duck numbers then, and is why caution is better than "us doing it cause if we don't, someone else will" mentality, IMHO. Maybe 4 or 6 duck limits are not significantly different (which is the proper term) but watch out for the slippery slope...

[kgpcr4]

Thats one great example of how the take can destroy duck numbers. Market hunting did it and so will these insane limits. I am not going duck hunting this fall. fewer an fewer birds. i know enough spots where i can shoot all the ducks i want and fill many a 6 bird limit but i just can see it with duck numbers where they are. once the pounding starts my spots get hot as its private land and i am about the only person who can hunt there. I feel guilty shooting ducks when i have seen what the good days in the 70's and 80's were like. yes habitat is huge but so it shooting all the ducks that are left. i see great habitat with almost no birds on it. why?? maybe to many got shot.

[lanyard]

kg-

but have you seen the great land to the West? That's some property boy.

Mallard numbers are at 'good ol' day highs. We're not seeing it MN because most of those good looking sloughs are silt infested phosphate dumps.

And the few gin clear food choked sloughs left in this state aren't enough to move the Clampet's.

I hunted Christina the year after the rotenone treatment and HOLY cow was that water spectacular. That will have been three years ago. It took two years for the ducks to start dropping back in any numbers. But it is now getting back to incredible.

Throw in Winnipeg doesn't freeze until after Thanksgiving and you've got one more compounding factor.

I say enjoy your six bird limit and set a rule for anyone hunting your hole: for each bird $5 donation to habitat, $10 penalty on hens, and cover charge is membership to MWA, DU or Delta... I'll take that for an invite!

These birds move to where they can maximize habitat, they can't do that in Minnesota. The good ol' days of the 70's and 80's are just like any other memories, tainted by time. And besides, remembering duck hunting as 'awesome' has to better than remembering your hair was feathered and you wore bell bottoms.

[Farley]

You've got to be kidding me, now we're comparing the 6 bird limit to market hunting? BoxMN, I completly disagree with you, I dont think that the number of ducks we shoot here in MN affects our duck population number for next year at all based on the fact that a duck is a migratory animal. Look at how many birds get shot in the south, but they keep going back every fall.

I think those guys shot a few more than 6 birds a piece. And that was way before we knew anything about conservation. I'm sorry but I just dont see how our 6 bird limit and these pictures compare.

[BoxMN]

Quote:

---

You've got to be kidding me, now we're comparing the 6 bird limit to market hunting?

I think those guys shot a few more than 6 birds a piece. And that was way before we knew anything about conservation. I'm sorry but I just dont see how our 6 bird limit and these pictures compare.

---

Ummm, sorry, and if you read my posts (maybe it was in the other thread as well) you will see I mention about our 6 bird limit not being significantly adverse affecting the overall duck population. But my point above was about the mentality of those who say duck limits don't matter.

And honestly, heh, if you read your last paragraph it essentially makes my point... That those guys in the pics didn't know anything about conservation, or didn't care, and they shot all the wanted...

I am not here to blast those who like the 6 bird limit, just to discuss it.

[Sartell Angler]

Let it be known that I am in full support of anyone who boycotts the duck season this year due to the 6-bird limit...

I'll toast you with my morning coffee as I sit in the blind awaiting shooting time!

SA/wdw

[kgpcr4]

Nice pics of the market hunters. They too thought it did not matter how many they shot! If 6 birds does not make a difference over a 4 bird limit then why not shoot 8 or 10 if the hunt is good. Untill they get thier limits squared away down south as well duck hunting will be what it has been the last 10 years.

[Fish&Fowl]

Quote:

---

Let it be known that I am in full support of anyone who boycotts the duck season this year due to the 6-bird limit...

I'll toast you with my morning coffee as I sit in the blind awaiting shooting time!

SA/wdw

---

Hear hear!

[ZOOM]

Just Do like I do. Shoot 6 feet behind every single duck you see (not by choice of course) and it doesn't matter what the bag limit is!!

[2thepointsetters]

SAVE THE PHEASANTS shot two extra ducks!

[HUNTFISH69]

I don't agrre with the limit change either, usually we're a conservative limit state and now that we've changed to liberal, it will most likely make other states on the mississippi flyway raise their limits as well which will once again lower the overall pop. I'd give it 2-3 years and we'll be back to 3-4 ducks.

[ironman]

Wait a minute I thought MN was a liberal state to begin with I hope nobody take offense but saying your going to not hunt at all this year because you refuse to believe what the experts say about duck populations is equivelant to the knee jerk reaction of people I've actually heard say that they are not going to drive over the mississippi bridges anymore until they have all been inspected. I just drove back to the cities from Fergus and enjoyed looking at all the duck habitat, some held no ducks..some however held alot of ducks and this is just what I could see from I-94. Alot of habitat and no birds? You know what else likes that perfect habitat? Coyotes, fox, racoons, skunks, crows, hawks, cats, etc. If the MN breeding populations were the only ducks to fly through our state I might be able to see your point, but if breeding populations are up in the dakotas and in the canadian praries as well as the tundra we will see more birds. I haven't seen any flying detour signs diverting the birds elsewhere. Doom and gloom in the face of good news such as record numbers of Cans...I dont get it at all. Sorry for the rant...btw I saw a flock of geese circling this un cut corn feild...poor little fellas just wanted to land in the worst way...boy do I wish I could be in that field after its cut.

[dabber]

We've hunted over 30 years in central Mn. Everyone I've talked to (including recent DU Banquets) can't believe that our DNR went back to the 6 limit on ducks. We have to protect our local population. Maybe they could have risen it to 6 on Nov. 1st when the northern migration comes down. I travel west central Mn alot and by the 3rd week the sloughs are pretty sparse. Two less ducks per person DOES make a huge difference. An avid Duckhunter is more than happy with a limit of four. The comments that limits make no impact on our population is not thought out. Then why not make it 4 hen mallards? As for the comments about hunters down south killing OUR birds, you here them complaining about us up here. We are very fortunate that we have access to some good hunting land in MN. and should make some sacrifices to ensure future birds.

[kgpcr4]

If limits are not that important why do we have them???? Saying the limit does not really matter is a foolish statement. If limits dont matter then why not shoot every bird we see??

[dkhntr]

If anyone has a problem with the 6 duck limit, instead of whining about it, just do a voluntary 4 duck limit.

I on the other hand cant wait to kill 6 ducks a day this year! It doesnt always happen. But when it does, it sure is nice.

[JustLOVEit]

To me it doesn't really matter if its 4 or 6 limits. It could be just 2 and i'll be happy cause i don't ever get more the 2. (By choice cause thats all i can eat in a week)