You know, it certainly doesn't make sense from an ability to harvest ducks but it does ameliorate the hunter situation. It's the busiest, most crowded, and highly charged day of the season. It takes the edge off and allows for a calmer start and the chance for everyone to get settled in a somewhat reasonable way although there are still plenty of conflicts and hard feelings. I claimed my spot on a rice lake north of Duluth and listened to some grumblings of those going by and then we all sat and guarded a duckless lake. Everyone was much friendlier on the way out as we commiserated on the lack of ducks.

its a rule dude just follow it

well of course i'm going to follow it.

Short of confusing everyone and discouraging hunters from heading out that weekend, would it make sense for them to reduce the limits a bit. Personally I'd rather get another real morning in even if it meant I could shoot fewer ducks. Again I don't much care and had the chance to blow a bit of the dust out of my barrell this weekend so I feel lucky. I do think that they should use the same limits for all the states in the entire flyway, but that's for another thread...

To bad that rule doesn't apply to everyone, as there was a fair amount of shooting b-4 9:00AM.

G.C.

I was yelling at morons that were shooting at 7:45 on saturday.

7:21 am...shots fired at 2 geese and dropped em. On saturday morning. They put decoys out at 5:15 am, tried to call the TIP line.

I find it interesting that many people came on this thread and gave their thoughts and opinions, and it wasn't until page 2 that the quote from the regs was posted....

Quackaddict9, what do you mean you "tried" to call TIP? No answer? Were these people right next to you or what?

Just a short history lesson on the 9AM (old noon openner) Back in the early days of sport hunting most people worked on Saturdays (6 day work week)but could get off for hunting. Travel was by horseback, train or early cars, which made for slow going. The noon opener allowed for working people to get a fair chance at birds - took away the advantage that people with money had by being able to arrive the day before.

well, most people dont work 6 days a week anymore. Ive heard that the reason for the 9am time is because the DNR wants the ducks to have a chance. If thats the case then obviously these DNR people have never duck hunted. Its not that easy! Not only that but it seems to me that MN is quite strict on regulations seeing how we dont shoot nearly the ducks that the southern states do, and we really dont have the flyway like we used to. I think the DNR needs to rethink the way they manage our wildlife, uncluding fish. Times change, and so do populations, I just think there are some regs. that seem a little backwards, and I dont mean to conservative. I think some regs are far to liberal, while others are so conservative it makes ya think, "whats the point of even trying".

The 9a.m. opener is to spread out the shooting oportunity to the next morning. If you shoot the roost early the ducks won't come back or will leave the next day before shooting time. Some high buck clubs out in California won't let you out until 1hr after sunrise everyday. They do this so birds stay around and they never feel pressure as these guys shoot at singles and small flocks. it is the same pinciple that prairie canadians and NoDaker's have about not water roost shooting, in that it keeps the birds around. The DNR is trying to help not hinder you.

they hung up on us a couple times so we tried again later and explain we were deaf and not to hang up so we finally got to talk to them but no one showed.

give me your number and i will give you a call and you will be annoyed thinking someone is trying to sell you things.