Youth Waterfowl Day Yea or Nay?

[shunker_lure]

Well i did the iowa hunt this weekend i wish those kids in minnesota would have scared a few more ducks down to me. lots of wood ducks and a few teal. never saw a mallard the whole time down there. im sure glad they have a three wood duck limit. Minnesota should do the same we have a very health pop of woodies in southern mn. last year i was jumping groups of 50+ birds on sections of river in mutipul areas.

[dan z]

Now that the kids day is over. Now just think of all them ducks you saw when hunting with them you could have been shooting them with them on opener. Now that teal and wood ducks are gone so now the adults dont even get a chance to shoot at them. I hate youth day. I have seen more ducks durning early and after youth i already stated seen less ducks. I wish i could get a chance to shoot at some teal and wood ducks.

I will always be a hunter no matter how many ducks are around it just a bouns to get birds. Its all about hanging out and have fun with your hunting buddys.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Now that the kids day is over. Now just think of all them ducks you saw when hunting with them you could have been shooting them with them on opener. Now that teal and wood ducks are gone so now the adults dont even get a chance to shoot at them. I hate youth day. I have seen more ducks durning early and after youth i already stated seen less ducks. I wish i could get a chance to shoot at some teal and wood ducks.

I will always be a hunter no matter how many ducks are around it just a bouns to get birds. Its all about hanging out and have fun with your hunting buddys.

Have you ever taken a young hunter out on a youth hunt? I didn't really like the idea of the youth hunt either, but after seeing how much fun a few kids can have i really changed my opinion on the whole deal.

[TylerS]

I don't really care either way, but for those people who are for a youth day because of the interaction with kids, I have one question: do you not interact with them during the regular season?

I've never taken youth out for their special opener, but have on several occasions during the regular season. They get just as much attention (if not more since there are more guns and paying special attention to safety is the No. 1 priority) as they would had there been no one else shooting.

I mean, if you bring kids along in October, do you just ignore them because it's not their special day? I probably pay more attention to youth when they're along than the ducks just because I like to see how they do. And I think they get a bigger kick hunting with "the grownups" than anything. Heck, that's the reason I liked hunting so much! Getting up early and being able to go out with my uncles. I didn't care about anything else. It was awesome to tell my friends what I did, even if I never fired a shot.

So I think it's great that you guys are taking youth out for waterfowl. But the argument that they need the day for the attention is bunk, IMO. If you can't give them the attention they deserve except for one weekend of the year, how do you expect to get them to come along more than once?

[chillincarp870]

whoever says no to youth waterfowl day really has some problems. This single day makes the entire year for them. And if your argument it scares the ducks, blow it out your a$$ the ducks will be back, late season is the primetime, and I would gladly give up some immature red heads, teal, and a mallard or two to make a kids year. as you can tell i'm all for it.

[jparrucci]

Well I along with almost every person I have hunted with (dozen plus guys) are against it, including those with kids. According to chillincarp870 I have problems. Well, actually I do with this whole coddle to the children generation we are bringing up. Bring them with you for the rest of the season if it is so importantant. But with limited hunting opportunities for those who are currently paying for a lisc. I would think you would not try to kick more people out of it like my father, who can't sit out in the cold for the late season. He doesn't want to go for early season now either, since the chances of pulling trigger have dropped dramatically in the last few years. I'm not saying that the youth waterfowl day is the only problem, but it is part of it. Why is every state south of us shooting ducks weeks before us, the northernmost state? This is my last duck season in MN, I would rather pay to hunt where it makes sense in ND and apply yearly for SD.

[fivebucks]

If the day truely brings kids into hunting that would not go out on opener or later, I would be all for it. I don't think it brings many (if any) so therefore I am not in favor of the early seasons for any animal. I know I have a problem but I can live with myself.

[Swampbusters]

Sorry to tell you this if your a teal lover alot of them left befor the youth hunt this year. My little bro loves to shoot teal and he was really looking forward to the youth hunt. We saw maybe three small flocks of teal. Its kinda strange how cold weather can push teal out faster than the youth hunt. It is what it is guys, its minnesota and i think the weather messes up opener more than anything. And if you still dont like it go to canada, i hear theres birds up there!

[honker23]

I am one of the guys with "real problems" too. Most of the main reasons have been pointed out very well already.

To remind those that are for it...I am not against getting kids into duck hunting. I am not saying kids don't have a ball on youth day. I just don't think the day does what it was intended to do....numbers are going down even after numerous youth days. So if the intended benefits aren't there and it has a few negatives with it, why continue it the way it is?

I am also in favor of them joining the party on the real opener. I have not hunted with a person that would have a problem with a new hunter taking the first shot on flocks or giving them the loners, especially if they are a kid!

[Beast26]

First off thanks to everyone for keeping the discussion civil thus far!

That's the part I don't quite get. We take kids with us all the time when the season is legally open for everyone to hunt. They receive the same attention they would receive on "youth waterfowl day". They always shoot first and sometime they (wink wink) kill birds that fall after a slight delayed. I am all for taking youth hunting but they should be involved in "the hunt" and not have their "own hunt" prior to the season opening. Also, as pointed out previously the number of waterfowl hunters in this state are falling year in and year out so it's NOT adding new hunters (which I believe is the DNR's ultimate goal). That can be proven by looking at license sales. Involve kids in the actual hunt! Make them part of the group! Get them involved in the duck camp chores!

[carpshooterdeluxe]

I look at it this way: there are 2 types of kids out there; those that are around hunting and the outdoors, and those that need to be introduced to it. I see the youth waterfowl hunt as a way to introduce NEW kids to the sport without added outside "pressure" if you will from other adult hunters on a marsh or field or whatever. I see the theory behind it as being a tool to recruit new hunters. is it working? probably not, as many have pointed out due to license sales.

those of us waterfowlers out there that have their own kids (i do not yet) would more than likely be taking their kids out hunting during regular season just as we all did with our dads/uncles/grandpas in the past. but the state sees what i see: the increasing trend of single parent suburban families where there is a disconnect with the outdoors.

The point of the youth waterfowl hunt is not for a 15 year old to go out an extra day even though he and his buddies have already pounded early season honks, he has been to nodak with his dad 2 years in a row, etc. the point of the youth watefowl hunt is to take your son's non hunting buddy, or the kid down the street that doesn't have a dad, etc. and have a little easier time showing them what a duck hunt CAN be.

[jparrucci]

What is also does, is chase away people (especially the older hunters) How many of them can take the time and effort for late season mallard hunts in the cold and ice? Remember, most of us on here are the hard core hunters who chase those late season red legged mallards, the vast majority of duck hunters are done in 2 weeks. Chase them out...and there is no stamp money or supporters left.

[chillincarp870]

carpshooter I am totally with you. we had a 10 year old in my boat this weekend and he hit his very first duck, his jaw just about hit his boots, he looked over at me and said i hit it i hit it, did you see that? I hit it. that made my year. He is hooked and will buy a license for the rest of his life. I do think the opener should be moved up, but this forum is about a yes or no to youth day. I don't care what your reason is it sounds selfish to put a stop to the youth day, i just don't understand your thinking. I see youth day as a special day for the kids where they get the pride and joy knowing that it is their kill and they didn't have to fight with 2-3 other guns over a duck, that the kid probably didn't hit, and they know that if they are hunting with avid duck hunter later in the season. And yes we take the kids until they can't stand the cold, breaking ice, and hockey season starts. When there are no kids that are going to hunt with me, i will never sit around pi$$ing and moaning about having less ducks to shoot at even if i'm too old to go break ice in late November, and yes I will always buy a license.

[coombia21]

I am all for youth day. That is how I got started. It is nice to be able to go out and take a kid hunting with out the pressure of other people hunting. I have taken amny people out on youth day and got them started for life. It is the perfect oppotrunity to bring someone out and teach them the ropes with out having to worry about other people on the water.

[TylerS]

He is hooked and will buy a license for the rest of his life.

[bisonthunder]

Youth day is a great opportunity. I was able to participate with my dad growing up and hope this will be around when I start having kids. Great opportunity and IMO does not affect duck opener any more than people blasting geese off the sloughs during early season. Weather plays a way bigger role than a 1 day hunt by a couple of kids.

[honker23]

This has been more of an issue lately because our duck numbers have declined in MN, as have our hunters. So the ways of operating get a second look when things are down.

From my perspective in southern MN, we used to have 2 weeks of good hunting all year. The first weekend used to be great with teal/woodies/sporadic mallard here and there. Then it turned into a waiting game, watching the weather, hoping for a good 2-3 day front with strong NW-W winds sometime in late Oct to early NOV. If you were lucky to get in on one of the pushes late in the year BEFORE ice-up, you considered yourself lucky.

Lately the weather and water levels in the Dakotas have messed up #2 and opener has been poor over the last few years, so youth day and early goose gets more scrutiny because we can actually change those two. Let's hope the weather cooperates and helps us out this year!

[NR]

Tyler S hit two huge points in his last post. Everybody thinks "that kid is hooked" but obviously these kids are falling off the hook. "hooked" is a catch phrase that is getting way over used and it just isn't the reality.

He's also dead on about how youth are treated during the rest of the season. If you don't treat em right the whole season, they'll hang it up when they outgrow youth day.

That's my biggest observation. We're hitting these kids with a bait and switch. We're selling them on the big hoorah and then they find out that duck hunting is a lot of work once they hafta start pulling their own weight AND there's a lot of sittin around lookin at empty skies. Obviously, due to the quitting rate, duck hunters of all ages want more stimulation than MN duck hunting provides. Some of us are stubborn and will stick it out waiting for those couple great days per year. Some of us are happy to just be out there. The majority "have better things to do" whether we agree with it or not.

[brittman]

Maybe YWD actually mitigates what would be an even steeper loss of waterfowl hunters in Minnesota. In other words, YWD may help attract and retain hunters and without it participation rates for MN waterfowl hunters would be even lower.

Even if some of these kids only hunt once, maybe they had a good time and now appreciate hunters ... as they reach voting age they support conservation efforts, hunting legislation, etc.. rather than oppose it out of ignorance.

[dillrodd]

jp Instead of calling it quits in Mn why don't you come to SE Douglas county to hunt? So many people on here are so sure that that the youth day scares all the birds out I laugh. I drove past at least no less than 12 WPAS on sat morning and I saw not 1 person out for the youth hunt. These are WPAS that 20 years ago were stuffed with ducks so I'm sure since nobody hunted them they should be just covered with ducks, come check it out. I bet you go out there and work your rear off and you wont come close to your limit. Tell me this if you go out on a saturday and get a limit of ducks, do you never go back there till next year? I'm sure you would not because according to you guys one day of hunting clears all the birds from the state. Alot of people have to hunt public lands and don't feel that safe taking thier kid there on his or her first hunt on the opener. So maybe you guys should quit whining and leave the kids alone

[BrdHunter01]

Youth day is a great opportunity. I was able to participate with my dad growing up and hope this will be around when I start having kids. Great opportunity and IMO does not affect duck opener any more than people blasting geese off the sloughs during early season. Weather plays a way bigger role than a 1 day hunt by a couple of kids.

+1 a BIG 1

[aland147]

I was "hooked" until youth waterfowl day and a combination of many other things ruined duck hunting in north central MN. Take your kid out hunting with you on opener, like my dad did when i was growing up!

[chillincarp870]

well i was out today for the first time this year after taking kids on the same body of water 2 weeks earlier and the ducks didn't seem to be scared away cause i filled out in about 2 hours. keep YWD

[RiverRunner]

Nothing wrong with Youth Waterfowl day. Its good to have kids out on low pressure hunts, without all the goofy stuff that happens opening day. It do think youth waterfowl day could be geared more towards non-hunting adults and their kids that wants to try hunting together. Get the parents and kids out with mentors. After the youth hunt these kids need people to keep taking them, without that there not very likely to get hooked.

For those of you that say it impacts your duck hunting in your area. I would take a look at goose hunting over water first.