New rules part of waterfowl season

Shooting hours: 9 a.m. Saturday, a half-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. through Oct. 11, and until sunset thereafter.

Duck bag limits: Six daily; may not include more than any combination of the following: four mallards (only one hen), two wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, one pintail.

Remember, the daily bag limit for scaup (bluebills) is one this season, except Oct. 25-Nov.13, when the bag limit is two. That means hunters will have to be especially careful when shooting ring-necked ducks, which resemble bluebills. The daily bag for ringnecks is six. Also, canvasbacks are closed to hunting this year.

"I expect a season similar to last year," said Steve Cordts, DNR waterfowl specialist. Hunters bagged 708,000 ducks last year, down a bit from the 731,000 killed in 2006, according to DNR surveys. Cordts expects good numbers of wood ducks and teal this weekend. Water conditions are good, meaning hunter access shouldn't be a problem.

The DNR puts out weekly waterfowl reports on its website on Thursdays, based on aerial waterfowl surveys and reports from wildlife managers around the state. See www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Don't forget your life jacket,which is required. Twelve hunters have drowned in boating accidents since life jackets were first required on duck boats 20 years ago. There have been no duck hunter drownings the past two seasons.