[mnflokd]

Minnesota waterfowl hunters will again have a 60-day season with a six-duck daily limit, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced on Thursday.

The season will open Oct. 3. Bag limits for most species will be the same as last season, except hunters will be able to harvest one canvasback (none last year) and the scaup limit will be two for the entire 60-day season. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offered states in the Mississippi Flyway a 60-day season that could include a six-duck limit with two hen mallards and three wood ducks, but Minnesota will continue with a daily bag limit of one hen mallard and two wood ducks, because they are a bunch of liberal tree huggers who don't know a mallard from a black duck. Minnesota’s regular goose season will open in conjunction with the duck season on Oct. 3 and run through Dec. 11, except for Canada goose seasons in the West-Central Goose Zone (Oct. 15-18 and Oct. 24-Nov. 29). The daily bag limit will be two Canada geese statewide. Possession limits are double the daily bag limits. The early Canada goose season will open statewide on Sept. 5 and continue through Sept. 22. Bag limits for Canada geese will be five per day, statewide.

The statewide 5 per day limit will really "flock" people to Rochester! Less than a month away, better get my junk together!!

Drew

[mnflokd]

------ YOUTH HUNT --------

Well despite the 80 degree day, we headed out for the youth waterfowl and what turned out the opening small game too! My buddy Brian invited us out to his
farm and lake again this year. Plus, had to pick up the boat blind which he kindly stored over the winter for me. Our youngest daughter came with us too, although
at 9 years old, she was a little tougher to wake up! But up she got and we headed out. A real easy set up, drive to the tree line, grab a dozen decoys, walk down the
bank about 15 yards, walk out and set up the decoys. I told D earlier that if he wanted to wait a bit for better light to pick out a nice drake woody, he could.

Needless to say after legal shooting time came, the first pair lit in the decoys. I couldn't hold him back and he splatted one on the water. As he was cycling out
the first round another one lit right in line with the first one. He took it too. I sent Mocha out on a line and she did her job perfectly! I lined her up again and sent her,
but this time she didn't believe me, so I had to toss a rock out. After the initial pause she saw the splash and brought back number two! One hen and a young drake.


We saw a couple bigger ducks, but no teal for the morning! After D had his two woody's and after the sun was up, of course we had two beautiful drakes land in
the decoys. With the only gun in hand, we had to watch them leave. A little while later, D, spotted a red squirrel in a nearby tree and asked if he could take it. Today
was small game opener so he took careful aim and out fell the red! Too funny. Cleaned both birds and skinned the squirrel and made our way home. I'll save the
squirrel for Echo's trip in a couple weeks, because I know he will eat it with me.

I actually had shorts on under my waders this morning and now have a nice wound where the skin has rubbed away on my calf. Never again. The movie is a little taste of hopefully
a successful season.

Drew

Attached File(s)

•  MOV04373.MPG (7.35MB)
  Number of downloads: 22
•  DSC04380.jpg (113.3K)
  Number of downloads: 14
•  DSC04374.jpg (107.39K)
  Number of downloads: 14

[musician]

Cool stuff Drew - D's smile says it all - thanks for sharing.

Steve

[Duckpoor]

I assume that vid was brians place, how nice it looks.
Fine morning for all and I am sure the trip both ways was memorable with all the excitement.

Maybe next round of your opener you will have a brace of hunters.

thanks for the visit ... we enjoyed.

rg

[csgrizz]

Well done D, nice job dad with the story tellin and guiding.

Can't wait to hear the story in person at some point.

later,

CS

[Ron]

------ YOUTH HUNT --------

I actually had shorts on under my waders this morning and now have a nice wound where the skin has rubbed away on my calf. Never again. The movie is a little taste of hopefully a successful season.

Drew

Nice story D...love the smile on his face.

Now onto the wader issue...you had shorts on and inflicted scars. Can you imagine the rubbed spots DN's uncle had going naked in waders. I guess folks are just tougher in Ohio.

[csgrizz]

Drew, just watched the video...

enough with the whining, its the damn youth hunt, you will get your chance.

later,

CS

[mnflokd]

Grizz, I was just getting D ready for Echo and Brew's visit!

Ron, my calf looks like a burn mark, so yeah, those Ohio uncles must have some tough.....nuts!

Drew

[ducknazi]

Sorry I had missed this til today. Sounds like a great time and YES, we do have iron nards.

DN

[mnflokd]

OPENING DAY!?

Well, MN has this stupid rule about opening day no shooting till 0900. Anyway, to make a long boring story short, D and I headed south to the ol duck hole. We set up
along the little river near a bend and spent the next three hours watching a ton of honkers and a surprising amount of mallards, get right with the wind and sail over
to our north and west about 800 yards, to what used to be a mud flat. We could not compete with 100+ live decoys over there. Never fired a shot.

Tomorrow, we set up in the dark, as close to the X as we can! Hopefully a better story tomorrow.

Drew

[musician]

And then??? And then???

Steve

[mnflokd]

DAY TWO......

Of course the geese and ducks of yesterday, read our playbook in the overnight. We had a great little set up where they were funneling in yesterday. They didn't come. Saw some geese, let three fly over to my farmer friends set up 200 yards behind us and he killed two. Had one group of mallards work us this morning. A group of six came down did their circle thing a few times and I kept letting them go around, because I wanted Derek to have a shot. They kept circling on my end (I learned that from Echo and Grizz) Their last pass one drake lit in the decoys and I thought for sure the rest would they didn't and I totally wiffed on the 20 yard shot. As my son said, "You weren't meant to kill that duck today dad." I told him, no I just couldn't shoot straight.

We did have a good time today and even had a visit with the local game warden. Checked my license, gun and shells. Nice enough just doing his job. After he and his partner left via kayak?? Derek came up with some "evasive" maneuvers to avoid future contacts with "the man", check out the video. We had fun! The other short video is from yesterday. Sorry about the moving around, a small digital in the hand with no tripod.

Drew

[musician]

That's funny Drew - who'd he learn those moves from?

[ducknazi]

Sounds like a good time. Add some hip hop (can't believe I'm recommending that) to the moves and ya got a video. Good looking hole to be set up in.

DN

[Spanky63]

That is cool Drew. I think that those moves will need to be shown on The Hill later this season. And I think that Derek's Dad needs to show us how it is done...

Looks like a great father/son moment all around. Thanks for the share.

GC