opener starts later in the morning then normal days??

[02mini stockr]

I've been hunting waterfowl for about 3 yeas now. I've never been out on opener because I always work weekends so this year finally I got opener weekend off and I just learned that on oct. 4th the very first day legal shooting time doesnt start till 9 am. I have learned that in years past it's started at noon. Can anyone fill me in as to why it is at 9 and not at the normal half hour before sunrise? It definatly gonna be weird holding back my shots till 9. Whats the deal????

[HD]

I know, I'm going to get beat up on this answer...........

But, I will give you the answer that a CO gave me.
He's a good friend of mine and I took it this way.....

He said that they implimented this for the reason of giving the "local" birds a chance to leave the state.

I got in a arguement with him about this, because then the lower states would have a better chance of shooting birds than we do in Minnesota.

Well, he's just as pig headed as me, and nobody really "won" the arguement.



OK, fire away...........But, remember, it wasn't my reason!
Hunter

[deadeye]

Fire one..
"He said that they implimented this for the reason of giving the "local" birds a chance to leave the state."
So, he thinks the local ducks can leave the state in a couple hours?   

[HD]

That's about what I told him DE.....it was a crock of 

He said that if they opened it up at noon, and people where milling around the ponds and swamps getting set up...they would intern kick the birds up and out.

And you gotta put into the mix, we were  when we had this conversation. 

[Dotch]

The rationale behind the noon and now the 9 a.m. opener I was told by the local hunter education guy was so that people, especially first time hunters would be able to ID the waterfowl more easily. Seems like a crock also because not everyone hunts the opener and the birds you see on Day 2 aren't necessarily the same as those on the opener! To me it sounds like one of those 11th Commandment deals: Because we've always done it this way!

[02mini stockr]

I figured I'd get one of those gray zone type of answers, but thanks for everyones input. I cant wait to get out for opener morning I've been counting the days since the last day of the season last year!!! Good luck to all you duck hunters and i wish everyone a s afe and succesfull hunt!!!!!                                   

[1duckcrazy]

All I can say about this is we will all be duck hunting again and that is what I have been waiting all year for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can bet I will be up bright and early on sunday!!!!!!!
Good luck to all

[Auggie]

  I have been told it gives the birds a better chance to get an education the first day rather than getting popped at first light when they come off the roost.

[Benny]

I have been hunting waterfowl since 1976, the reason I was always told by the old timers who schooled me on hunting the bills on winnie was that to many people were getting killed by drowning or getting lost in the dark trying to find a spot to hunt that the DNR said it would be safer for the hunters who don't scout thier spots to have the light of day to do so on opener.

They changed it to 9 AM not long ago because of hunters complaining about the differance between the states and their opener times.

The DNR still thinks there are not enough hunters who scout, and they now believe the later opener time helps keep the duck populations higher for some reason. anyways.

Benny

Just what I have always been told

[PJ Maguire]

All have had good points on why the opener has stayed at 9 or noon for so many years. I learned that the noon opener started for economic reasons, ie hunters go out for breakfast and spend money in the small towns. It is the same reason for the noon opener for pheasants in Sodak and why the remainder of the season it is 10.

[deadeye]

Here's a quote from the St. Paul paper a couple days ago.

"Would that make a difference? DNR officials have long argued that early shooting on opening day sends local ducks out of the state. If this season goes poorly, Minnesota's duck hunters might ask for major changes."

Here is a DNR report.  It looks like the delayed opener time is strictly to reduce the number of ducks taken.

 
Waterfowl Shooting Hours Legislative Report
Minnesota Session Laws 2004 (Chapter 215, Section 32) require the Commissioner of Natural Resources to report by 15 January 2006 to the chairs of the Senate and House committees having jurisdiction over natural resources policy on the impacts of the change in shooting hours on opening day of duck season from 12 noon to 9 AM that took effect in the fall of 2004. This report addresses that requirement by comparing duck harvest estimates on opening day of the 2004 season with opening day of the 2003 season.
Background:
From 1947-2003, shooting hours on opening day of duck season in Minnesota began at 12 noon, except in 1978 when the season opened on a Sunday and shooting hours started at 9 AM. Beginning in 2004, shooting hours began at 9 AM on opening day of the duck season. Since 1973, shooting hours have ended at 4 PM each day during the early portion of the duck season.
Opening date for duck season was Saturday 27 September in 2003 and Saturday 25 September in 2004. Daily bag limits and overall season length were identical each year (6 ducks/day; 60 day season). Species restrictions within the daily bag limit (e.g. no more than 2 wood ducks, 2 hen mallards, etc.) were identical both years. Youth Waterfowl Day occurred 1 week before the regular duck opener both years.
Methods:
To assess the impact of changes in shooting hours, waterfowl harvest data were obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Service annually estimates waterfowl harvest in each state using mail questionnaire surveys of selected waterfowl hunters. Hunters are selected using a stratified random design based on answers they provide through the Harvest Information Program (HIP) screening questions at the time of license purchase. Species-specific harvest estimates are obtained from a Parts Collection Survey where selected hunters submit wings from each harvested duck throughout the season. Each part (wing) is weighted by the amount of the total duck harvest it represents. These data were then summarized to provide duck harvest estimates by day, species, and time of day for the 2003 and 2004 duck seasons in Minnesota.
Data on waterfowl stamp sales were obtained from the Minnesota DNR license center and used as a measure of hunter participation on opening weekend each year. State waterfowl stamps are not required for resident hunters under age 18 or age 65 and older or residents who are hunting on their own property.
Results:
In 2003, 94,544 state waterfowl stamps were sold through opening weekend of duck season compared to 91,319 through the same period in 2004.
Species composition and total duck harvest on opening day was similar each year (Table 1) with mallards, blue-winged teal and wood ducks the most abundant in the bag. In
2003, opening day harvest accounted for 15% of the annual harvest; in 2004, opening day harvest accounted for 16% of the annual harvest.
The 5 most harvested species on opening day each year (blue-winged teal, mallard, wood duck, green-winged teal, ring-necked duck) accounted for 91% of the total opening day harvest in both 2003 and 2004 (Table 1).
In 2003, 54%of the total harvest on opening weekend occurred on opening day and 77% of the opening day harvest occurred in the first 3 hours. In 2004, 57% of the total harvest on opening weekend occurred on opening day and 83% of the opening day harvest occurred in the first 3 hours. Total duck harvest by hour on opening day is summarized in Table 2.
Total duck breeding population estimates during 2003-2005 in the surveyed portion of Minnesota were 722,000, 1,008,000, and 632,000, respectively (Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, 2005 Breeding Waterfowl Population Survey, unpublished report).
Field reports:
Wetland habitat conditions were much drier across the state on opening weekend in 2003 compared to 2004. Weather conditions on opening day were generally much more favorable for duck hunting in 2003 (temperatures in the 50s, strong winds, overcast) than 2004 (temperatures in the 70s, light winds, clear skies). Many reports indicated that the cold front prior to the opener in 2003 forced many blue-winged teal to migrate out of the state. Most managers reported hunter success on opening weekend was average to above average in 2003 and poor to fair in 2004. Bag checks on opening day in 2004 by wildlife managers and Conservation Officers indicated that most hunters encountered were satisfied with the change to 9 AM shooting hours.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that changing shooting hours on opening day likely did not have a large effect on waterfowl harvest in 2004 compared to 2003. The pattern of harvest was similar both years, but shifted three hours earlier in 2004. Caution should be used when interpreting these results and drawing any inferences because only 1 year of harvest data was available to evaluate the change. This change is not likely to have had a significant impact on the size of the local breeding population in 2005. Other factors, including the size of the local and continental breeding duck populations, annual production of young, habitat conditions, hunting pressure, migration chronology, weather, and other variables contribute to and influence duck harvest on opening day.
Prepared by:
Steve Cordts
MN DNR Waterfowl Staff Specialist
Wetland Wildlife Populations and Research Group, Bemidji, Minnesota
(218) 755-3910
steve.cordts@dnr.state.mn.us
Table 1. Opening day duck harvest in Minnesota, by species, during 2003 and 2004.
Species
2004
2003
Blue-winged teal
43,563
28,317
Wood duck
25,132
29,567
Mallard
20,664
42,476
Green-winged teal
4,189
11,244
Ring-necked duck
3,909
5,830
Northern shoveler
2,234
2,082
Gadwall
1,675
4,164
American wigeon
1,396
1,666
Hooded merganser
1,117
416
Northern pintail
1,117
2,499
Ruddy duck
558
416
Mallard hybrid
279
0
Black duck
279
0
Redhead
279
416
Common goldeneye
279
0
Totals
106,673
129,094
Table 2. Opening day total duck harvest in Minnesota, by hour, during 2003 and 2004.
Hour
2004
2003
< 9 AM
*
*
9-10 AM
47,751
*
10-11 AM
28,483
*
11AM -12 PM
12,566
*
12-1 PM
4,468
46,640
1-2 PM
3,351
33,731
2-3 PM
1,675
18,739
3-4 PM
3,351
12,909
Unknown time
858
5,414
Before legal shooting hours*
4,189*
11,659*
Totals
106,673
129,094
*Although some harvest was reported earlier than 12 PM in 2003 and 9 AM in 2004, this does not necessarily mean harvest occurred prior to legal hours. Hunters may have recorded an incorrect hour or day when filling out their hunter survey cards.