RECORD DUCK NUMBERS!!!

[Finlander]

We need more refuges with good habitat to hold ducks here as they are shot out of the state the first week of the the season!

[booger]

Minnesota needs to look at what some of the other states are doing if they want to see some of these ducks. Missouri is a great example. They have built the habitat it takes to bring in and hold birds. A majority of our WMA's and WPA's are pathetic. Good habitat equals a lot of ducks. We have terrible habitat in most of our state and our DNR isn't doing anything to improve it.

Guys who know the where, when and how will continue to kill ducks in MN during great or terrible production years. If you think you are gonna go out and have an epic season just because of a high production year you are clueless and setting yourself up for disappointment.

What exactly is the DNR supposed to do? Spend billions they don't have to purchase land and manage it?

And they do quite a bit - the shallow lakes program, CRP, partner with DU & delta on helping with draw downs and pumps. WIA program.

DNR doesn't have the power to stop drain tile, stop people moving to lakes and destroying habitat. They also don't control the weather...

[monstermoose78]

Sherburne Wildlife Refuge could hold tons of ducks if they made some rice patties, planted some fields with duck food instead of native prairie on every inch. I asked them what they were trying to do and they told me to bring back native birds like ring neck pheasants.

[fishuhalik]

Sherburne Wildlife Refuge could hold tons of ducks if they made some rice patties, planted some fields with duck food instead of native prairie on every inch. I asked them what they were trying to do and they told me to bring back native birds like ring neck pheasants.

You're kidding. Did they actually say that? Please tell me they didn't actually call pheasants native birds...

[Feathers Rainin]

What exactly is the DNR supposed to do? Spend billions they don't have to purchase land and manage it?

And they do quite a bit - the shallow lakes program, CRP, partner with DU & delta on helping with draw downs and pumps. WIA program.

DNR doesn't have the power to stop drain tile, stop people moving to lakes and destroying habitat. They also don't control the weather...

Why would they need to purchase land? They already have a ton of it that is not utilized or is under utilized.

Billions you say? Do you think it costs billions for the rice farmers or hunt clubs like the Mallard Club to grow their rice crops in the northern portion of the state? Or how about the farmers in the southern part of the state that flood their corn fields after harvest? Billions? I think not.

You are right, the DNR can't stop drain tile or lakeshore degradation. But they can create new manmade habitat that is full of food that the birds will absolutely love, which is what some of the southern states like Missouri have done and have been very successful with. Some of the land is open to hunting and some is a refuge. Sounds fairly simple to me and I highly doubt it will cost "billions".

I am sure I am wasting my keystrokes as the MNDNR has worked very hard to earn the reputation of Department of No Results. Just look at the early teal season offered this year. "We're doing nothing". MN is the only state that could come up with such a dumb statement and of course we are the only state that turned it down. That mentality spills right over in to the land management.

[monstermoose78]

You're kidding. Did they actually say that? Please tell me they didn't actually call pheasants native birds...

[booger]

Why would they need to purchase land? They already have a ton of it that is not utilized or is under utilized.

Billions you say? Do you think it costs billions for the rice farmers or hunt clubs like the Mallard Club to grow their rice crops in the northern portion of the state? Or how about the farmers in the southern part of the state that flood their corn fields after harvest? Billions? I think not.

You are right, the DNR can't stop drain tile or lakeshore degradation. But they can create new manmade habitat that is full of food that the birds will absolutely love, which is what some of the southern states like Missouri have done and have been very successful with. Some of the land is open to hunting and some is a refuge. Sounds fairly simple to me and I highly doubt it will cost "billions".

I am sure I am wasting my keystrokes as the MNDNR has worked very hard to earn the reputation of Department of No Results. Just look at the early teal season offered this year. "We're doing nothing". MN is the only state that could come up with such a dumb statement and of course we are the only state that turned it down. That mentality spills right over in to the land management.

I think it takes billions to buy enough land to make enough difference to actually keep birds here.

Did you hear about the draw down on Pelican or what has been done on Christina? Efforts of wild rice seeding? Drainage/pumps?

If you know of some programs that would help keep ducks here, there are probably people at the DNR or other organizations that might help. Don't be afraid to contact them.

[strait-meat]

Oh I thought raising our sales taxes for the Legacy Act was supposed to make MN a wildlife mecca for all of us sportsmen--I mean that is why you all voted for it, right?

[FowlSki]

I think it takes billions to buy enough land to make enough difference to actually keep birds here.

Did you hear about the draw down on Pelican or what has been done on Christina? Efforts of wild rice seeding? Drainage/pumps?

If you know of some programs that would help keep ducks here, there are probably people at the DNR or other organizations that might help. Don't be afraid to contact them.

Like I said they already have the land they need to do these projects. I can think of a couple large chunks of land that they are not utilizing near the areas I hunt. One of them even has all the dyke systems in place to manipulate water levels but the beavers are doing more water management than the DNR. Once the systems are in place it can't cost that much to manage.

Draining a few lakes and planting some wild rice isn't going to change the duck hunting in MN. That has been proven over the last 20 years. We have lost too much habitat and it continues to get worse. We need to replace it with man made quality habitat if we expect the ducks to stop and stay in our state for awhile.

I do contact the DNR on issues. The teal season being one of many examples. It hasn't seemed to help.

I'm not complaining because we don't shoot ducks, we do just fine in MN but very little of our hunting is done on waters or land the DNR has worked on. I am just tired of our DNR talking about duck hunting in MN being poor and duck hunter numbers declining yet they do nothing about it. Insanity-doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Rant over.

[cruiseforever]

I do think it's funny when I hear mn guys complain about the hunting. My dad & several friends did GREAT last year in mn. You just need to do a little work & not go the exact same spot, day after day.

Every hunter has a diffrent view of what is good hunting. When I talk to people and they say "we shoot the heck out of them. We each got 2 ducks for 6 hours of hunting." I just shake my head head.

I know it's suppose to be about just being out there enjoying nature and buddies. I was an advid duck hunter that hunted western MN in the 70's, 80's and into the 90's. But the quality of the hunt and the number of birds is just not there any more. We use to enjoy the Bluebill hunting. Even if you did not shoot a duck it was great watching the massive flocks all day long.

I still enjoy the outdoors in the fall fishing with my buddies.

[CANOPY SAM]

IMAJIGGER. I actually have seen the "good ole' Days" of NW Minnesota duck hunting. I'm nearing 50 years old now, and back in my high school days I recall massive numbers of birds migrating thru our area, and hundreds of hunters coming from all over the country to hunt in our region.

What it all really boils down to is the migration moving to the west away from the Mississippi flyway. While North Dakota is littered with potholes and wetlands that allow migrators huge loafing areas to rest in during their migration, Minnesota, at least NW Minnesota is now all but devoid of this habitat.

We still have some birds moving thru, but generations of waterfowl families have gotten so used to moving down the Missouri, and meeting up with the Mississippi far south of Minnesota, it's just become their new permanent flyway route.

I believe, even if we did restore much of the wetlands we've lost in Minnesota, it would still take 10, 20 or even more years to completely re-establish a true flyway pattern again.

What others are saying about the DNR working with their existing land to create better "quality" waterfowl habitat is VERY true! We have numerous "wetland" WMA's up here, accounting for likely thousands of acres of state owned land, that get no attention what-so-ever. They are choked full of bulrushes. There is little to no open water, and they offer virtually nothing to waterfowl for nesting or loafing areas. Right now, it's essentially worthless wetland. We could potentially have significantly more birds living, or at least moving thru this part of the state, if these "wetland" areas were just developed more for these purposes.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not throwing the MN DNR under the bus. It takes a lot of money to do these projects, and I know the DNR budget simply doesn't generate the kind of money needed to do this much habitat restoration. I'd love to see the DNR, USF&WS, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, etc., etc., pool their resources and focus on restoring some of these large wetlands in NW MN back to prime waterfowl habitat. Right now, these acres are benefiting almost nothing. If they were to simply restore a FEW of these large wetlands we'd slowly see at least some of the migration shift back into our neighborhood.

Until then, I'll likely be heading out west a bit to get into really good duck numbers.

[Feathers Rainin]

Great post Sam but I disagree with this part. If the habitat is there the birds will show up. Birds move/migrate to locate better habitat after their clutch is ready for long flights. Many times the birds will move NORTH up in to Canada for better habitat before the season even starts. MN raised birds will also fly west (especially our geese) in to the Dakotas before the season starts for better habitat. I have no idea how they know the grass is greener on the other side but they do. I believe many birds still migrate through MN but they just don't stick around. They drop in for a drink and for food and quickly realize there is no food so they keep on their way south. Bottom line is if we improve our habitat the birds will find it and it won't take long.

I believe, even if we did restore much of the wetlands we've lost in Minnesota, it would still take 10, 20 or even more years to completely re-establish a true flyway pattern again.

[CANOPY SAM]

You certainly could be right Feathers.

I suppose it could happen fairly quickly, but I've always been under the impression (based on what I've read anyway) that most waterfowl return to their original place of hatching, to further raise families of their own. Or at least to nearly the same proximity. Maybe not?

I recently read where the waterfowl production counts were actually down (again) in Minnesota this spring. Even though we've seen near record amounts of rainfall, and sloughs, wetlands, and everything in between being refilled with water. Wonder why so much water helps the prairie pothole region ducks, but makes no difference to our nesting pairs here in Minnesota.

[mwal]

In MN our wetlands our cattail chocked mudholes with no aquatic weeds or invertebrates IE food. Or they are deep with fathead minnows and rough fish and no aquatic weeds or Invertebrates. Plus we like to plow right to the edge of the edge of the cattail and call it a wildlife management area. Where is the nesting habitat? Go wade in a firm bottom weed chocked swamp in ND or SD and you will literally be covered with scuds as will your decoys your dog the dead ducks you retrieve. Unlimited food supply. Usually grass buffers around the wetlands bull rushes not cattails. Cattails do nothing for the ducks except break the wind. That is why the birds slide west when there is water in the prairie pothole region.

Mwal

[RayG]

Fathead minnows will remove the scud population, but water salinity is a big factor as well. Further west equals higher salinity, not really something the DNR can control.