# ND vs. MN Roosts



## Bigswede (Sep 28, 2006)

I have never hunted in ND even after going to NDSU for a variety of reasons, but that is an entirely different topic.

I am quick to notice that there is a lot of controversy over "Roosts" in ND. I have never come across this in MN. I Believe all of MN's primary "Roosts" are either National Wildlife Refuges (Agassiz, Tamarack, Rydell, Hamden etc.) or MN Wildlife Management Areas (Thief Lake, Roseau River, Laq Qui Pare, etc.)

My question is..Does ND have public areas like the ones I mentioned??? Does ND just have too many smaller roosts to protect??

I have enjoyed the thunder off of Agassiz, Thief Lake and Roseau River many times..it is such a sight at 7:30 AM, and is nice that they are protected.


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

Yeah there are these Wild Life Management areas, Or staging areas where ducks spend the night. I can think of a couple of them, Kelly's Slough Crary Flats, Audobon there are also many other ones that I haven't mentioned.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

Ducks don't seem to go to the fields to feed in Central - East MN like they do in Western MN and ND. They may go to feeding waters, but usually the feeding and roosting waters are very close if not the same. I can think of a couple roost waters, but those really are unhuntable as the ducks raft up in the middle of the lake for the night. Hunting roosts is not as feisable over here.

That may be why you don't hear about it as much.


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## ADN (Sep 27, 2005)

There are varying sizes of roosts. MN also has many small roosts. Unfortunately too many hunters see these as an easy way to get a couple of birds for a weekend or two. They then get blasted to heck and the birds get pushed to big refuges or out of state.

It's not different in ND than MN, it is just that there are some that are more aware in ND. Not at all ND hunters practice leaving roosts alone. But there definitely seems to be more awareness that hunting water, as in roosts, is bad for hunting.

Big refuges are helpful but can only do so much. Also, having one big refuge every 100 miles concentrates birds and also hunters. Birds will move to the refuge and hunters will move to the closest available spot adjacent to the refuge. If MN hunters would practice leaving their area roost alone, it would keep the birds more evenly distributed.

Granted, some birds can't be hunted over land. And in some locations the birds are more likely to feed on water. But there needs to be a greater conciousness in MN about hunting roosts.

It won't happen though because there are too many people who are only concerned about themselves and about hunting the few warm weekends of season and getting birds the easiest way possible. They don't care about how it affects the birds because they don't plan to hunt more than a couple of times a year and they don't care how it affects other hunters.


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## BendNSend (Sep 20, 2006)

Well put it will leave it at that!


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

ADN said:


> It's not different in ND than MN, it is just that there are some that are more aware in ND. Not at all ND hunters practice leaving roosts alone. But there definitely seems to be more awareness that hunting water, as in roosts, is bad for hunting.


I have a question if huting water is so bad why do cabells and scheels sell floating decoys by the dozen if not hundreds? There are whole sections of floating decoys in the hunting catalogs.


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## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

Goon said:


> ADN said:
> 
> 
> > It's not different in ND than MN, it is just that there are some that are more aware in ND. Not at all ND hunters practice leaving roosts alone. But there definitely seems to be more awareness that hunting water, as in roosts, is bad for hunting.
> ...


mainly because ND lacks the huge amounts of water like MN, MI, WI or other MISSISSIPPI flyways have for birds. We have designated refuges that you cannot hunt and we also have HUGE bodies of water for ducks to relax and not be hunted. ND has that but on a smaller scale but all over the place.....and these are what they don't want you to hunt. I fully understand why.

As far as cabelas selling floating/water decoys and such....well 90% of the rest of the US hunts over water because it just don't work like it does in ND. Field hunting is where its at...and to keep the birds around later its just simple, don't hunt roosts.


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## MN Duck Slayer (Sep 20, 2005)

Amen To That :beer:


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2006)

All I hunt are roost 
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. oke: 
ers!


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

not everyone said it was unethical or impractical to hunt water. what we try to preach here in ND is to leave the roosts alone. I think many NR's aren't aware of bodies of water called "transistion sloughs". the birds will fly off the roost and many times will bunch up in sloughs close to the feed field. then will trickle out to the fields. hunting these "transistion sloughs" is a perfectly acceptable practice here in ND. guys can get their birds and the birds still have a safe roost to go back to after feeding.


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2006)

I was talking pheasants.

:toofunny:


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## shae1986 (Sep 28, 2006)

I Agree that hunting roosts is a very bad thing and can really hurt the hunting not just for you in the future if you bust a roost but the other people who scouted a field that the birds were going too. Roost hunting is a factor in MN too, not as much as MN, but still something to look at.


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## ADN (Sep 27, 2005)

Triple B said:


> not everyone said it was unethical or impractical to hunt water. what we try to preach here in ND is to leave the roosts alone. I think many NR's aren't aware of bodies of water called "transistion sloughs".


The same goes in MN. Mallards and others are less likely to be feeding in fields in most parts of MN but there are different types of water. There are areas you won't see birds roost on but they will go there to feed.

It is the differentiating between what is a roost and what is a feeding or loafing area that needs to be stressed. Ducks have roosts in MN just like they do in ND they just are more likely to be flying from that roost to a rice patty, or other aquatic food supply, than they are to a wheat field.


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## Level3 (Mar 20, 2005)

I, being from MN, have always grown up believing that you only hunt ducks on water. Thats what these 10,000 lakes are for.

However, I've changed my tactics as I've become more experienced. I've learned that many find roosting ponds and lakes a good way to get a couple quick ducks early in the season, and then we complain about there being no ducks the rest of the year. MN hunters have the tradition of hunting over water and there are many bodies of water that are great for open water hunting. But, there are also many roost ponds that after the first rounds, you'll be lucky to see birds in that pond the rest of the season.

field hunting and transition pond hunting has improved in rural areas, because you have less hunting pressure and hunters who understand leaving those roost areas alone will give them more birds to hunt all season. When you get close to the Twin Cities, or more populated area, you get guys who want their quick duck and will do so if that even means jumping a pond or shooting a lake once and have nothing return all year. I've spoke to too many people who have this belief and are not willing to change tradition.

Yes, MN does have these ponds. It's just difficult to keep of the the 100,000 waterfowl hunters off of them. Why do you think us MN hunters are so loved in other states??


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## ADN (Sep 27, 2005)

Great post. I have made very similar observations. Too many guys are out for a quick, easy, couple of ducks. I don't know if there is a way to get these people to connect the dots.

Outdoorsmen need to see management from the broad, long range spectrum. It isn't about today, tomorrow, or next week.

Conservation and management is about how what we do today affects us and the generations to follow.


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## MNgoosekiller (Aug 21, 2006)

Great points guys! I have had many of the same experiences...public land is good...but like you say when 100,000 hunters across the state croud these areas and jump the roosts the ducks become very scarce. Its great that we have so many wildlife refuges to hold roosts and ducks for long periods of time and many of them have hunting opportunities just off the refuges on the crops and on the transition areas...the more effort you put into the hunt, the more you get from the hunt.


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