The Department of Natural Resources has announced significant changes to Minnesota duck hunting beginning this fall. The season will open earlier than in past years, the state will be split into two hunting zones, some bag limits have been increased, and earlier shooting will be allowed on opening day.

The changes are designed in large part to encourage harvest opportunities, thereby stemming the decline of duck hunters in the state, which has lost 40,000 waterfowlers in recent years -- more waterfowlers than most states ever had.

But is the DNR putting ducks -- particularly hen mallards and wood ducks -- at risk? The agency's biologists say no and, moreover, that the future of ducks depends on hunters staying in the sport, because they pay for most wetland conservation.

Below are descriptions of five of the biggest changes the DNR has made, with selected pros and cons. Take a look, then click on the polls to the right to say whether you agree or not. Also, as usual, readers can register comments about the changes.

Change 1: Shooting hours on opening day are being changed from 9 a.m. to a half-hour before sunrise.

Pros: Most other states allow shooting at the earlier time, and the change likely will increase duck harvest.

Cons: Crowding in the dark on public areas as hunters organize themselves could be complicated and perhaps dangerous. Identification of ducks in the half-light will be challenging.

Question: Should opening day begin a half-hour before sunrise?

Change 2: Duck hunting will begin Sept 24, a week earlier than in the past.

Pros: Hunters likely will have more opportunities to harvest teal and wood ducks, which are early migrators. This might help retain or recruit waterfowlers, the DNR says.

Cons: Ducks, especially mallards, may not be fully plumed and thus may be more difficult to identify. And some worry (see next question) that wood ducks could be overharvested.

Question: Should the duck season open a week earlier than in recent years?

Change 3: The DNR this year will allow three wood ducks in hunters' daily bags, rather than the traditional two.

Pros: Hunters likely will have more opportunities to harvest wood ducks without negative impact to the population, says the DNR. This might help retain or recruit waterfowlers.

Cons: Last year's wood duck harvest, when the state daily limit was two and the opener was a week later than it will be this year, rose almost 50 percent from 2009. Meanwhile, the state's breeding wood ducks have trended downward since 2001, compared to 1993-2001.

Question: Should the daily bag of wood ducks be increased to three from its previous two?

Change 4: Duck hunters will be allowed two hen mallards daily this year, rather than one.

Pros: Mallard harvest likely will rise, encouraging hunters, says the DNR, which also says the mallard population won't be harmed, in part because Minnesota has relatively few hunters now. Also, expanding the daily hen harvest will give hunters greater leeway to shoot ducks they can't exactly identify, especially when opening morning occurs a week earlier than in recent years (when mallards aren't yet fully plumed), and when shooting will be allowed beginning a half-hour before sunrise.

Cons: Most mallards that breed in Minnesota return to the state to breed again. Increasing the mallard hen harvest could reduce the number of hens that otherwise would return to nest next year -- a concern, given the overall decline of Minnesota ducks and wetland habitat. In the past seven years, the Minnesota mallard breeding population has been below 300,000, whereas in 12 of the previous 13 years, it was above 300,000.

Question: Should the Minnesota mallard hen harvest be increased to two, from one?

Change 5: Youth waterfowl day will be Sept. 10, a week earlier than it's been held in the past.

Pros: The event might expose youngsters to waterfowling who might not otherwise get a chance, thus increasing duck hunter numbers, or at least stabilizing them.

Cons: Some ducks in the state won't be fully flighted by then. Hunting disturbance might encourage migration of wood ducks and teal before the regular season opens Sept. 24.

Question: Should Youth Waterfowl Day should be held Sept. 10?

Dennis Anderson • danderson@startribune.com Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com