Intent on relaxing duck hunting rules, the DNR should do it right

It seemed apparent at the annual waterfowl symposium held in Bloomington Saturday sponsored by the Minnesota Waterfowl Association that the DNR is intent on relaxing duck hunting regulations, probably beginning this fall, including moving opening-day shooting time from 9 a.m. back to one-half hour before sunrise.

Wildlife officials would also like the option of beginning the season earlier than is the case now, when they are obligated by state law to begin duck hunting on the Saturday nearest Oct. 1.

DNR waterfowl specialist Steve Cordts said Saturday there is no biological justification for the 9 a.m. opener, and that the first-day's harvest likely wouldn't change, or change much, by allowing shooting beginning at a half-hour before sunrise.

Which is interesting, because the DNR and its waterfowl managers for many years alleged that a noon opener helped to curtail the first-day's harvest, spreading it out over a longer period by keeping birds in the state longer.

But perhaps that is less the case today because Minnesota has some 35,000 fewer hunters now than it did a few decades back. Consequently, the opening-day impact on the state's resident ducks might be relatively the same, regardless of when shooting begins.

Either way, the change seems a foregone conclusion.

More interesting is the DNR's desire to regain control from the Legislature the date the season opens. The DNR argues the Legislature shouldn't be in the season-setting business for ducks or any other game species. That should be the job of wildlife officials, the DNR says.

But consider: If the DNR backs up the opener by a week, what does it do with the youth opener, which is two weeks before the regular opener? By this year's calendar, that would be Sept. 10 — at date by which some ducks in the state won't even be fledged. It's hard to believe that would happen.

Here's a better idea: Use this opportunity to get rid of the youth opener altogether — or move it to another time, within the season (say MEA weekend.) Alternatively, the DNR could provide some incentive on opening day for adult hunters to take kids with them.

Were these changes to occur — earlier opener by a week, increase the woodie limit and ax the youth opener — duck hunting (measured both by birds in the bag and hunter satisfaction) would improve considerably, quickly. Not only would hunters have a better chance than in recent years to harvest early migrants such as wood ducks and teal, those birds would remain relatively undisturbed prior to the opener if the youth opener was no more.