# Minnesota harvests 3 times the ducks as N.D.!



## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Just read my new Delta Magazine last night and I was surprised to see that Minnesota harvested over 6 mil. ducks last year(top 5 in the country) compared to 2 mil in N.D. This really shocked me, when I hear so many Minnesotan's complaining how bad the hunting is. What gives? Is the reason for the high harvest, because of how many hunters in the state compared to N.D.?


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

Does that include geese? Those numbers seem awful high. It seems to me I've read the long term average for duck harvest in MN was just under a million birds per year.


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

I think your numbers are a little high. I think Louisiana is usually the highest by far.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

If we had 100,000 hunters that would be twenty ducks apiece. Sounds a bit high to me.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

My numbers could be off, but the placement is not. I'll grab my magazine at lunch time.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

That cannot be correct? Probably some government or HIP report that distorts the facts.

Example of government, I heard on the Radio today Medicare recipients have 18 different plan choices. Does anyone have more than 2 at work. Goverment, can't get facts straight and creates RED TAPE. :******:


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

If that is the case, perhaps we should start going over to Minnesota to shoot birds? Since they must have so many more then we do? What do you guys think about that? I just think those numbers have to be off. Just my opinion.


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## duxnbux (Feb 25, 2002)

Rick...the numbers are definitely high for both...you may want to recheck and correct on this thread...


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## the Bender (Mar 31, 2005)

I don't know how or who comes up with these numbers, but MN is generally third or fourth overall. Cali,Ark,Louisiana,Texas being 1,2,3,4. Last year the reported take in MN was Approx 650,000 ducks/250,000 Geese. The duck harvest has gone down from just under a milllion only a few years ago. 
I don't know how accurate the numbers are but that is what you'll find if you look. With an average of 100,000 hunters the majority of birds are taken the first weekend. They are mostly MN ducks. 
I'm a Minnesotan and I think a lot of the grousing and complaining comes from the lazy-*** dumbske hunters who don't scout or work for birds. Here's the scenario: 1) A guy goes out early to the same public spot near his home that 100 other dudes know about and never thinks "hey maybe there is too much pressure here?" even when they hunt 5 parties to a slough. 2) The private land guy never goes anywhere else and the birds wise up to that too. How many time do they need to be shot at to learn where it's not safe.
Successful Minnesotans have nothing to complain about, I know how many ducks I bagged last season, all in MN. 
More hunters = More Idiots


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

USFW Prelim harvest report for MN listed a total 683,600 ducks harvested

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/repor ... imates.pdf

Click the above link for the information numbers for MN are on Page 17

Bob


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Sorry guys...my bad on the numbers...Here's what's in my Delta magazine. Total Duck Harvest for 2004...Minnesota 683,600...Good for 5th place...North Dakota is in the lower top ten with a harvest of 496,800. So a correct title for this thread should read. Minnesota harvests more Ducks than North Dakota...That still shocks me. Another interesting stat...Total Harvest for Canada Geese...Minnesota #1 with 234,062 and North Dakota comes in 5th with 118,427...This is all according to the US Fish & Wildlife.


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

That sounds a lot better


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## FACE (Mar 10, 2003)

Rick,
Can you list the top ten states, or do you have that info?
My thoughts were that CA still led the nation since the late seventies but I could be wrong.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Total Duck Harvest 2004

1. California (Louisiana was #1 in 2003)
2. Arkansas
3. Texas
4. Louisiana
5. Minnesota

North Dakota is like 8 or 9th...Can't remember!


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

Yep, it's a function of how many hunters you have, and if you look at the numbers, your ND hunter numbers (res and non-res combined) are still way below many of the more populated states...therefore, less birds killed. Be interesting to see a "birds taken per hunter" number though, because I'll bet ND ranks right up there.


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

Minnesota more population, which might have more people hunting. And they have like 10000 lakes which would hold more ducks.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Minnesota Ducks per hunter

2003-10.1±12% 2004- 7.6±13%

North Dakota Duck per hunter

2003-13.4±9% 2004-14.7±9%

Bob


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

Bob Kellam said:


> Minnesota Ducks per hunter
> 
> 2003-10.1±12% 2004- 7.6±13%
> 
> ...


WOW! I figured as much. Any idea where ND ranks in this statistic?


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

Ok, my question is, how many of the minnesota boys claimed ducks they shot in Nodak as total number of ducks they shot in the season? Leave it to me to think of something like that, lol. Who knows, it could be possible, I find it hard to beleive that minnesota harvest's more ducks since all I see is minnesota tags when I am out hunting in Nodak.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

I would have to do a statistical analysis of the report and compare the states. USFW did not specifically report rankings.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Number 1.. according to that one guy in Wisconsin we lead the nation in retarded ducks so we are #1 in a least one category.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

:laugh: :laugh: :rollin: :rollin:


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

I also think that MN havests more Pheasants that ND does also. I believe (the numbers that I read last year or the year before) that Iowa is the leader.


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## recker (Oct 12, 2003)

It is actually about 600,000 ducks as of last year. I think the whole kill for the us was about 12 million. We may harvest more then nd but have about ten times the hunters to do it.


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

HonkerExpress said:


> Ok, my question is, how many of the minnesota boys claimed ducks they shot in Nodak as total number of ducks they shot in the season? Leave it to me to think of something like that, lol. Who knows, it could be possible, I find it hard to beleive that minnesota harvest's more ducks since all I see is minnesota tags when I am out hunting in Nodak.


As was said, it's simply a function of more people hunting. No disrespect intended, but as much as you guys in ND think you are overrun with hunters, the larger (population wise) states like Minn., Wisc., Mich., have a ton more people and hunters, both resident and non.

As far as claiming ducks from another state, as I'm sure some of you are, for many years now I've been in the voluntary reporting system through the USFW service where we report our yearly take of ducks & geese. When you report a bird, you have to report the county and state where taken, and even though I'm from Michigan, I have to report all the birds I take during the year, including in ND, but they're reported that way. After the seasons are all over, the USFW sends us back a copy of our report listing some data on all of our birds reported, as well as when and where taken. There may be some people incorrectly reporting, but I certainly don't think it's widespread. And as far as state agencies (at least here in Michigan) they conduct field surveys of waterfowl hunters, and then make statistical projections of harvests based on a sampling of hunters. Not completely accurate, but the statisticians would tell you they're "statistically accurate" figures.


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## matthewmn (Oct 17, 2005)

I live in MN and have hunted in ND around Devil's lake at least once a year for the last four years and from my experience...

MN has just as many ducks (or at least it seems too) but they are spread out over so many bodies of water and their is an insane amount of hunting pressure on them compared to ND.

ND also has a lot more stateland to hunt then MN does and unless you are right next to a decent sized town in ND most of the time you don't have to deal with other hunters or competition for birds which is completely unlike MN.

In percentage terms I limit way more often in ND but I also do more scouting when I am out their and work hard to find birds since it is only once a year. I think a lot of the gripes from MN hunters comes from those that are lazy (just like was said above). I can't tell you the number of MN hunters that I see go throw out a spread of deeks off a point and let it sit the whole season without even making a change to it so they can just walk out in the morning, shoot 1-2 birds then go home for breakfast.

How many people are going to slaughter the birds doing that?


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## Double Ott Buck (Oct 5, 2005)

how does Cali rank #1?? Didn't know LA had a great population of ducks. I can understand a greater people population to hunt, but arent most of them out by the pool getting a tan. Maybe ducks prefer crystal blue Chlorine water to muddy swamp water... :wink:


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

matthewmn said:


> I live in MN and have hunted in ND around Devil's lake at least once a year for the last four years and from my experience...
> 
> MN has just as many ducks (or at least it seems too) but they are spread out over so many bodies of water and their is an insane amount of hunting pressure on them compared to ND.
> 
> ...


Pretty much the same here in Michigan....lots of ducks, but spread out much more, and lots more hunters. The good thing about Michigan (at least for a duck hunting nut) is that deer hunting is still by far the most popular here, and by early November when the weather starts getting "ducky" on the lakes, the fairweather types of duck hunters often turn to bowhunting because the rut is going big time by then, which leaves a lot more room in the marshes.


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## I_raise_pheasants (Sep 28, 2005)

I have been waterfowl hunting in Nodak for over ten years now and pretty much in the same general area. Over those past ten years I have had a lot more shooting in ND in that time, but granted I only 14 days a year to hunt them, which I could never get the whole two weeks in, and I have had many more days during a season hunting in MN, and still with all the extra hunting in MN, I have seen and shot more ducks in ND. There may be more ducks shot in MN, but like it was stated before more pressure, and actually more habitat, but the hunters here are even more wasteful than the ones I read about getting busted out there. Many duck hunters in MN just go out and shoot as many as they can, they don't care what they are doing to the population, or the area they are in, they will shoot all they can in an area, and move on. So yes more ducks are shot in MN each year, I sure would like to find some of those more ducks, so I can happy hunt like I do each time I visit your great hunting paradise of North Dakota! Good Luck Everyone


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