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Minnesota^s Youth Waterfowl Hunting Day will be Saturday, Sept. 16. On this day, youth who are 15 years and younger, accompanied by a non hunting adult age 18 or over, can take ducks, mergansers, coots and moorhens following the regular season daily bag limits. The duck bag limit is six, including no more than four mallards, of which no more than two may be hens, three scaup, two wood ducks, two redheads, one pintail, one black duck and one canvasback. One Canada goose may also be taken, except in the West Goose Zone (including the Lac qui Parle and West-Central zones) where five Canada geese are allowed. Shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise to 4 p.m.
There are no license requirements, except hunters ages 13 to 15 years old must have a firearms safety certificate in their possession. All other migratory bird hunting regulations apply during the hunt.
Minnesota and other states were offered a two-day Youth Waterfowl Hunt by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the first time this year, but the DNR chose to keep the hunt to one day in 2000.
"Some hunters have been critical of the youth hunt, contending that by giving young hunters this extra opportunity we may be scaring away ducks for adult hunters on the opener," said Tim Bremicker, Wildlife Division director. "We don^t think this is the case. The main factor moving ducks in late September and early October are weather and habitat conditions."
Concerns that hunting pressure "chases ducks out of the state" are unfounded, Bremicker said. "If that were true," he said, "then the large number of hunters in the field on Saturday afternoon of opening weekend would result in no ducks around on Sunday morning. But that^s not what happens on the opener, and we don^t think it happens with the youth hunt."
Bremicker added that the DNR continues to support the youth hunt, and will consider the two-day hunt option for the 2001 season. "But for this year, we^re sticking with a one-day hunt until we have a chance to conduct a waterfowl hunter survey this fall and see whether or not most duck hunters support this opportunity for young hunters."
Bremicker noted that the DNR has been surprised by criticism of the Youth Waterfowl Hunt and noted that the hunt has not generally been controversial in other states.
"We believe that most hunters see this hunt as a positive effort to encourage young hunters and maintain the future of waterfowling in Minnesota," Bremicker said. "However, we take all hunter concerns seriously and will evaluate our decision prior to next year. We realize that whatever we decide, some waterfowl hunters won^t be happy with our decision."
The early goose season will be open on the day of the Youth Waterfowl Hunt except in the Northwest Goose Zone.
"While hunters will have to decide which season to participate in, there should not be much conflict, since goose hunters must be 100 yards from surface water, except in the West Goose Zone," Bremicker said. "I also want to emphasize that the adults who are accompanying youth may not hunt while they are participating in the youth hunt. The focus of this day is on the young hunters."
Uploaded: 9/12/2000
Uploaded: 9/12/2000