First came the Governor's Fishing Opener. Then the Governor's Deer Opener. Now Gov. Mark Dayton will launch the first annual Governor's Pheasant Opener Oct. 14-15 in Montevideo. The season opens Oct. 15, but events will be held the day before, as they are with the other governor's openers. The idea is to promote Minnesota's upland bird hunting — which generates about $121 million in retail sales and supports more than 2,300 jobs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. About 90,000 people hunted pheasants last year, bagging 359,000 birds. "I have enjoyed pheasant hunting in Minnesota for over half a century," Dayton said. He said he hopes the pheasant opener will become an annual event, like the governor's deer and fish openers. Dayton's office said it was the first time a Minnesota governor has participated in an official pheasant hunting opener. The governor's opener is being coordinated by the Montevideo Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, the DNR and Explore Minnesota Tourism. YOUTH HUNTS IN NEIGHBORING STATES HELD LATER Wisconsin, South Dakota and North Dakota have now set their waterfowl hunting seasons, and unlike Minnesota, those three states are holding their Youth Waterfowl Days Sept. 17-18 -- a week before their regular season opens. (Minnesota elected to hold it two weeks before its opener, meaning the youth hunt here is Sept. 10.) Wisconsin, South Dakota and North Dakota also offer two-day youth waterfowl hunts while Minnesota has long offered just one-day hunts. Wisconsin also is allowing just one hen mallard in the daily bag limit, while Minnesota elected this year to offer a two-hen limit (as does North and South Dakota). Wisconsin also has a new third hunting zone along the Mississippi River, an idea Minnesota officials have considered for the same region. Here are the basics: Wisconsin A 60-day season, the daily bag limit is six ducks, including no more than four mallards, of which only one can be a hen, three wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, two pintail, two scaup and one canvasback. In addition, five mergansers to include not more than two hooded mergansers. Northern Zone-Sept. 24 at 9 a.m.-Nov. 22. Southern Zone-Oct. 1 at 9 a.m.-Oct. 9, and Oct. 15 -Dec. 4. Mississippi River Zone-Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. - Oct. 2, Oct. 15-Dec. 4 (12 day split Oct 3-14). The youth waterfowl hunt will be Sept. 17-18. The new three-zone season structure adds a third waterfowl zone to the existing northern and southern duck zones. The new third zone consists of the Mississippi River from roughly Prescott to the Wisconsin - Illinois border, west of the railroad, and is identical to the current Mississippi River Canada goose subzone. What is now identified as the Mississippi River Zone for duck hunters will open Sept. 24 - Oct. 2; reopening Oct 15 through Dec. 4. Goose seasons in this zone will continue through Dec. 29. South Dakota waterfowl The season will be split into four zones: •The High Plains Zone, which encompasses all of western South Dakota and portions of most Missouri River counties, season will run from Oct. 8, 2011 - Jan. 12, 2012. •The Low Plains North and Middle Zones, which consist of most of the eastern half of South Dakota, season will run from Sept. 24 - Dec. 6. •The Low Plains South Zone, which consists of parts of Gregory, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Yankton, Clay and Union Counties, season will run from Oct. 8 - Dec 20. The daily duck limit will be six, including no more than: five mallards (which may include no more than 2 hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, two scaup, two pintails and one canvasback. The possession limit will be twice the daily bag limit. For more information on the 2011 South Dakota Waterfowl Seasons, visit: http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/waterfowl/. North Dakota waterfowl: Details haven't been finalized, but should be announced soon. The state will again have a 74-day season.