4 or 6 birds

[jblabsnduck]

So with all the people that are saying we shouldn't have a 6 bird limit this year. How many of you guys only plan on shooting 4 birds each outing this season???

I for one will be killing my six that has be approved by the federal fish and game.

[Sartell Angler]

6 is my goal for opener...my main goal for the season however is to take advantage of the new 2-canvasback limit at least once!

[outdoor ran]

I was surprised to see that were allowed to cans this year. I only shoot about 1 or 2 a year. I sure wish they would up the pintail limit. We decoy a ton of them for the first couple weeks.

[Fish&Fowl]

My goal is a few nice drakes of whatever's flying each outing. If I get more, that's fine, when I get less that's expected. If I get a sprig or a bull can or redhead, I'll be a very happy boy. Limits are a good measure of success, but personal goals depending on experience, location, weather, etc. are much better measurements in my opinion.

[Guest Kyle]

Where do Canvasbacks tend to congragate in MN? I have never seen one in my life, but here great things! My goal is just to have a productive season. At the end I want to be able to look back and say "Wow, that was fun, and we shot alot of ducks!"

[Muthagoose]

In near 20 years of guide'n I never saw anyone pass on the 5th and 6th birds..

Shoot and enjoy the limit...hard to beat fresh grilled duck...............

[french_lake_kid]

Quote:

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I was surprised to see that were allowed to cans this year. I only shoot about 1 or 2 a year. I sure wish they would up the pintail limit. We decoy a ton of them for the first couple weeks.

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Ive never seen any pintails , 2 me they are 1 of the best looking waterfowl birds, besides woodies...and 1 of the most wanted to get.

[dukhnt]

I won't pass on 6. But if I shoot one and enjoy the day I will be a happy hunter.

[Hammer Handle]

I love to eat teal. There is plenty around this year and they are small. I will be happy to take 6.

Tons or woodies this year too, as always.

[Ray Esboldt]

One of the areas that canvasbacks have traditionally congregated is Lake Christina near Ashby, MN. That's probably the main reason the DNR and other organizations have put money into maintaining that body of water.

After that, I guess they disperse. You can kill some on the Mississippi from North Lake on down. And, I've killed them around the fringes of the Metro and points directly north of that. I've also killed them on puddles in Western Minnesota.

If you want a really good chance to whack some, central Manitoba in late September and early October is the place to be.

[tealitup]

I heard last year that hundreds of cans came through the Jordan, MN area around the river.

This year my plan is to try and get a pintail.

As time as went on I can say that the number of ducks/geese I shoot comes secondary to how I hunt. Meaning, the thrill has been with the people that I accompany and the method in which I try to perfect. The harvest is secondary - although nice.

Next year, I can tell it will be about my dog and how she does. Not so much about the harvest again.

My younger days - yea, it was all about the harvest - more the better - get a limit. Now, if I am close to a limit early I would be more apt not to shoot and enjoy.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Lots of cans came through my neck of the prairie last fall, also. It was rather great.

4 or 6? If I can get 6 then I'll get 6. If I only get 2 then I'll get 2. I'm the kind of guy that will gladly take what mother nature decides to let me grill that day.

[Sartell Angler]

Here are a couple we got from last season...with a 25% increase I'm hoping see a few more this year

[123fish]

You know you have a nice bull can when you get that white diamond right where the underside of the bill meets the head feathers. Nice pics. I'm guessing that wasn't YWD when you shot them.

[Nova]

I disagree with raising the limit to 6, but you all would call me a liar if I said I am stopping at 4. So here is what I plan to do. More than ever before I am going to shoot nothing buck drakes; in fact, for every hen I accidentally shoot I will dcrease my possible take of 6 by 2 birds. If I shoot 3 hens in one outing I am done for the day. I can shoot 10 drakes and not have the affect I would of shooting one hen. That's my story and I am sticking to it. Call me on it if you want.

[lanyard]

I don't plan on stopping shooting. I also don't plan on hitting anything so the limit should not stand in the way of plan one

[hanson]

I'm not sure if my my family has ever hunted for a limit. Its never been about "limiting out".

We hit the slough in the morning, we hunt until 9, 10, 11am or whatever we feel like, and pack it up and head home. Some mornings, we've been done as fast as you can imagine. Other mornings, we're sitting aound 'til 11am with 2 or 3 birds harvested.

In my 15+ years of hunting ducks, those days with 1 or 2 birds are the days that have produced the trophies. Regardless of how the shooting was, that 1 bird or pair of birds dropped made the entire day.

I can still recall the 2 drake buffleheads that came into the dekes nearly 10 years ago. Bam, bam... both birds down. Both absolutely gorgeous drakes! Both after hours of waiting and seeing nothing.

Another day very similar to that day resulted with 2 drake Gadwalls. If I recall correctly, that was the only 2 birds that came near the decoys in 3 hours of hunting that morning.

My younger brother has a similar late, late season story of sitting for hours one afternoon not even seeing birds in the air. All of a sudden, a pair of gorgeous Goldeneyes came in and he got them both. Those were the only 2 ducks he saw that afternoon.

Guess what I'm saying is I don't remember the limits, but I remember these other days like they happened last week. 4 birds or 6 birds, I'm hitting the slough and will enjoy every minute of it.

My dad and I live 300 miles apart, yet we spend nearly half of the available duck hunting weekends together crotch deep in the slough. My younger brother just had his first kid yet we'll be setting dekes in the twilight, and talking about the kid the rest of the morning.

To me, its time spent with friends and family. The body count is the least of my worries.

[jblabsnduck]

I am not asking about your experience or memories out in the slough. I was asking all the guys that didn't like the new 6 bird limit if they are going to stop at 4 since they think we should not be able to take 6.

I believe there was one guy (Nova, if I remeber right) who said he would be stopping at 4.

Cuddos to him.

Just wondering how many like the 4 bird limit and will stop there(even though they could take two more)

[ole matty]

its all depend on where i m huntin if theres plenty of teal i ll try for 6 if far few along with few mallard i bet i ll stop at 4.. that only matter if i can shoot good. if not i ll shoot alot!

[BoxMN]

Quote:

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I am not asking about your experience or memories out in the slough. I was asking all the guys that didn't like the new 6 bird limit if they are going to stop at 4 since they think we should not be able to take 6.

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As one who QUESTIONED why it was being raised, or lowered in previous years, I am not sure if I will take 6 ducks per day. Maybe, maybe not. I never said I would not, and never claimed anyone who took the legal limit was "wrong".

I still think it is bad policy to simply "take them before someone farther south gets them" simply for that reason alone. If indeed the ducks are here and the population is high like everybody (DNR, NFWS) is saying then that would be the reason for it to be correctly raised.

So shoot em up boys You won't hear me complain, but I still will question and ask why when limits/regs change, for the better or for the worse.

And I do hope that my eyes will see the reason for the raise to 6 ducks on maybe not the opening day, but on the 3rd and 4th weeks of the season. Good luck, and I do hope we all shoot a ton of ducks, be it 4 or 6 a day.

[smg04]

i'll only shoot 4 ducks . . . untill 2 more buzz the deeks!!!

[2 DA GILLS]

My take is that most recent lowering of the limit to 4 ducks was more about public opinion than it was biology. I give credit to the many MN duck hunters that expressed their opinions about limits being too high and requesting reduced limits. I do not believe that MN deciding to go with lower daily limits had any real impact on the continental or Mississippi Flyway duck populations, but it certainly does not hurt the population either.

Personally, I will shot 6 ducks if allowed the opportunity to do so. I never really thought it needed to be lowered in the first place, so my opinion really does not count.