# Survey: Duck hunters unhappy



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Last update: April 15, 2007 - 10:25 AM

Survey: Duck hunters unhappy
A sizeable number of Minnesota waterfowl hunters remain dissatisfied with their hunting experiences, according to a recently completed hunter survey.

Doug Smith

A sizeable number of Minnesota waterfowl hunters remain dissatisfied with their hunting experiences, according to a recently completed hunter survey.
The survey said 39 percent were dissatisfied with their hunting in 2005 -- the highest dissatisfaction level of three random hunter surveys conducted for the state Department of Natural Resources following the 2000, '02 and '05 waterfowl seasons.

In comparison, 24 percent said they were dissatisfied in 2002 and 31 percent expressed dissatisfaction in 2000.

On the flip side, 54 percent of hunters were satisfied with their waterfowl season in 2005, compared with 70 percent in 2002 and 65 percent in 2000.

"I'm not sure it reflects a downward trend," the DNR's Jeff Lawrence said. "2005 was such a crappy year [for waterfowl hunting]. The numbers may reflect that."

Had the survey been done after the 2006 season -- considered a better waterfowl season -- hunter satisfaction might have been higher, Lawrence said.

For the season, hunters averaged 8.3 ducks in 2005, down from 11 ducks in 2002 and 9.95 ducks in 2000.

About 75 percent of hunters in the latest survey said their hunting satisfaction had declined since they began hunting. Less than 10 percent said it was better.

The results from the survey of about 2,500 hunters is still being compiled, but initial results were discussed Sunday at the Minnesota Waterfowl Symposium in Bloomington.

More on survey

The 2005 survey offers some fascinating insights about Minnesota waterfowl hunters, including:

• The percentage of hunters who use battery-operated spinning-winged decoys -- controversial in some circles -- jumped from 22 percent in 2002 to 30 percent in 2005.

• Thirty-seven percent are members of Ducks Unlimited and 3 percent belong to Delta Waterfowl; both numbers remained steady from the earlier surveys.

• Eight percent are members of the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, down from 11 percent in 2002.

• Hunters are killing more Canada geese. They averaged 5.3 birds per season in 2005, up from 4.5 birds in 2002 and three birds in 2000.

• Fourteen percent of respondents participated in youth waterfowl hunting day; 87 percent didn't. Both numbers were steady from 2002.

• Sixty-four percent support or strongly support youth waterfowl hunting day -- the same as in 2002 -- and 25 percent oppose it.

• Fifty percent were satisfied with hunting regulations, a slight decline from the earlier two surveys.

The full survey results should be available by early summer.

..........................................................................................................

$1 deer surcharge

The proposal in the Legislature to add $1 to the cost of a deer license advanced in the Minnesota House last week and will be heard on the House floor, said sponsor Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul.

The bill would pay for processing deer donated by hunters to a venison-donation program. The venison would be distributed at foodshelves. The bill has been opposed by the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association but supported by the Bluffland Whitetails Association.

A similar bill already approved by the Senate calls for voluntary donations. If the House passes Hansen's bill, a conference committee would seek a compromise.

Isle Royale moose

The moose population on Isle Royale in Lake Superior has hit its lowest level in 49 years. Heat stress, parasites and predation from wolves have contributed to the decline, officials said. The moose population there has dropped to 385.

The moose-wolf research on Isle Royale is the world's longest-running predator-prey study. It began 49 years ago.

Border fishing early

The Minnesota-South Dakota border waters fishing season opens Saturday, a week earlier than normal this year.

South Dakota had initially announced that it intended to set its opening date one week earlier, and in order to avoid confusion Minnesota chose to do likewise.

Did you know?

• Anglers were still doing some ice fishing up north last week, though ice conditions had deteriorated. Most lakes in the southern half of the state are ice-free.

• And then there was the call conservation officer Tony Anderson of Morris received recently: An animal, possibly a raccoon, was making noise in the basement of a home. Anderson dutifully responded ...and found a noisy furnace.

• Three Minnesota chapters of Ducks Unlimited made the top 100 in funds raised for 2006. Those honored were the Fergus Falls Area chapter, St. Croix Valley chapter of Stillwater and the Garrison chapter.

Doug Smith • [email protected]


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

All I have to say is: waa waa waa! Cry me a river!


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

> A sizeable number of Minnesota waterfowl hunters remain dissatisfied with their hunting experiences, according to a recently completed hunter survey.


Can't be true, all the sotan's I seen in NoDak had grins from ear to ear.


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## roostbuster (Oct 19, 2005)

bandman said:


> waa waa waa! Cry me a river!


kind of like us residents when they all come over here to have a good hunt huh?


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

roostbuster said:


> kind of like us residents when they all come over here to have a good hunt huh?


(Unhappy duck hunters can do something about it though!) :wink: 
Maybe, something like: Not GO!


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

they r unhappy because they probably set up a dozen decoys on a HIGHLY pressured lake and then procedded to try and shoot ducks 300 yards a way


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Wouldn't it be a little more productive to look at this as a signal that may affect our duck hunting as well?

I am constantly amazed by the replies when any duck, hunter or habitat report shows there is a problem. Instead of constructively trying to find a solution we tend to turn on the negative energy and degrade the integrity of hunters across a political boundary.

There is no malice toward those that have posted here and I understand the frustration aspect of duck hunting in ND, which alone should make us even more motivated to help find a way to try and solve the problems surrounding duck hunting issues regardless of political boundaries.

Minnesota has a long and storied history of duck hunting; in my lifetime it has been sad to see the decline.

Should we just sit by and watch it decline further all the while pissing and moaning about the situation or should we roll up our sleeves and get to work?? We control our own fate. If you put nothing into the life process I guarantee you will get little or nothing in return.

Ask yourself what you can do to make it better and act on the thought process. Join Delta or DU or start your own club, build some nesting structures, get involved in the legislative process, change will not happen unless you embrace it and give back to the resource that has provided so much in return. It is just that simple, political boundaries should not deter the effort.

:beer:

Bob


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## woodpecker (Mar 2, 2005)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## FlashBoomSplash (Aug 26, 2005)

Well I have a solution I want to know where all the money I pay for hunting licenses goes. Instead of paying some doctor to watch ducks lets buy some more land some where in the ball park of 3-4 sections a year. Especially native praire. You could hire any college student to conduct field studies on ducks. This is another idea instead of paying tons of money to land owners for creating habitat for wildlife lets buy some land that will be opened to public hunting. Now I like the private land fund but there is no guarantee that they will keep it that way 4 ever but if G&F owned it then they could guarantee the future of our sport.

And I not trying to start a fight but if they cut out some of the private land funding maybe we wouldnt get so many NRs buying land for hunting coming out here for 2 weeks max to hunt then keeping it posted for the rest of the year. Now on the other hand the way things are right now the NRs that own land for hunting are going to save are a$$ because they dont care so much about rental rates they just want a good place to hunt so that is some of the only land that will be left for wildlife to nest and survive on.


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

1) We have good years and we have bad years in the prairie.
2) We can't control the snowfall and the rainfall.
3) There will always be people that complain no matter what.
4) Some of these dissatisfied hunters are just being lazy.
5) I try not to classify "unhappiness" and "hunting" anywhere close to each other, even if there have been times.
6) I do like your points Bob, but the problem just really hasn't affected me one bit.
7) If I join DU; I get dis-owned (well you get the point) back where I do all my waterfowl hunting so I just count my blessings and keep myself out of jeopardy. I LOVE ducks but not enough for all the crap I would get from everyone that have always been like family to me. They might take it a little too serious but I'll just play it safe for the sake of staying on their good sides and receiving the maximum benefits of that.

*Remember: If you have one bad year of duck hunting it's not the end of the world because the next year could even be even worse or it could be the best one you've ever had! I try not to make a big fuss because for right now; mother nature is the one that has the biggest impact on my waterfowl season and I'll just take what I can get.*

One thing is for sure. There will always be things to complain about: predators, drought, crp tillage, fellow hunters, etc. "BUT not hunting itself." :wink:


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## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

i agree with bob we need to do somthing about this stuff....soon if hunters stay dissatisfied there just going to give the sport up...sooner than later duck hunting is going to be a thing of the past and in history books....hows that going to make everyone feel ?


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## Centerfire (Jan 13, 2006)

Wet year / dry year - doesn't make as big a difference in MN as it does in ND. Why - because most of MN fields have drain tiles or deep drainage ditches running through them - the fields will not hold the water for habitat even in wet years.

The only way I see it getting better in MN is if wetlands are restored via. removal of drain tile and drainage ditches - not likely to happen.


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## justund223 (Aug 28, 2006)

for all you nd hunters that have never experienced mn duck hunting... than you really can not say that they are be lazy or it can't be disappointing to be hunting. Having hunted there for years, mostly on public land, it is a good day to get 2 ducks. I mean the average was 8 birds per hunter for the year. In north dakota it is uncommon to not shoot 8 ducks in a weekend. My message to you is we need to care for our resource and not let it become what it is there. oh yea and you complain about pressure cause you saw three duck hunters while on the road... try having ten spreads on a hundred acre lake...We need to act now before it is too late.


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

> We need to act now before it is too late.


Time for Sotans to quit *****in' and get busy.


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## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

quit *****in and get acting? besides DU, delta and all the other waterfowl association that help sotans can't do much else the habit for the birds to stage and stay around isn't there.....unlike north dakota late season birds fly right through MN and just stop for a drink of water....rarely do you find huge roosts of birds....i don't see where ND has acted any....you guys have it made wheat, barely, sunflower, and ****ty cut corn and pond everywhere you look....north dakotans didn't make all that just for the ducks....it was there for you.......theres no way in hell sotans are going to be able to change all there soy beans field into wheat fields or change them into small ponds........i don't see alot more MN can do besides contribute money to buy land and turn it WMA's WPA's refuges and those kinds of things....which in MN usually turn to a dry marsh and can only be hunted for pheasants and deer....throw in some suggestions if all u can do is trash talk how bad MN hunters are and how lazy they are....cause there not lazy they work just as hard as any hunter out there even if its just to shoot 3-4 birds cause in lots of places in sota tahts a great day and they may only get that a couple times a year....im sure as hell not going to down grade MN because i live in southern MN and i remember years ago when i was young when a bad day was gettin one limit of birds with 2-3 guys....now in the last 2-3 years a great day was one limit between that manys guys.....im not trying to cause any more big controversial arguments but if the NDins wanna say anything bad give a few suggestions to back it up...and ones that arn't being done today to help waterfowl production


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Minnesota once was a premier state for waterfowl, you must be a little young to have seen those days.

Don't worry, NoDak isn't far behind but we do carry a voice that sometimes still gets heard during lawmaking time.


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## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

well 21 years old....i know when i was young it wasn't at its best but i still have seen what MN was like once.... and even if it wasn't the best when i was young...... i know now if it was like it was when i was young there wouldn't be any complaints.....


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

drakespanker12 said:


> quit *****in and get acting? besides DU, delta and all the other waterfowl association that help sotans can't do much else the habit for the birds to stage and stay around isn't there.....unlike north dakota late season birds fly right through MN and just stop for a drink of water....rarely do you find huge roosts of birds..quote]
> 
> ever seen field of dreams?? "build it and they will come"? there was a time when minnesota was a major flyway and parts of it were much like ND, the only problem was a thing called capitalism. all that good land went dry, and not by chance either. obvioulsy the birds have learned that stopping there isn't in their best interest. good news though, it can be fixed! in theory MN could get back to where it once was, now its getting there that is teh tough part.


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

o yeah, doesn't MN top the nation in Canada goose harvest?


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## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

you give me a handful of MN farmers that will turn there fields into duck huntin fields and only duck huntin fields and i will reward you...you can't harld even get permission to field hunt back home in MN where im from, most farmers think you should pay them of upwards of $500-$1000 to hunt there land cause they see all these outfitters and **** that you have to pay to hunt on there property and they wanna make that kind of money too, perdy dumb don't ya think....i've never really shot alot of canadas in MN i know for sure tho early season geese is a slaughter fest in nodak.....best hunts i've been on in Mn were about 10 geese huntin 5 guys.....and thats the best out of 3 seasons of early goose.....


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

We hunters from ND just don't have much say or worry in the matter.
I wish like hell you guys could get the best duck hunting in the country! Best of luck to ya!


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## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

ya getting there is the problem i agree.....but you ask a farmer to change his land just so waterfowl can come back to a certain area....no way in hell....he'll just laugh at ya....its a lose of money nobody in there right mind is going to do that for another person if its not going to benifit them


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Minnesota has Waterfowl rest areas and Waterfowl production areas how many have you driven past and not seen a single nesting structure?? Has anyone attempted to talk to the DNR, USFW to see if a nesting structure project could be organized?

Maybe trading some sweat equity with a landowner by putting up a nesting structure site in trade for a fall duck hunt will not work but unless you try you will never know.

We tend to look at the picture in a very large frame and when you look at it like that it can look like an impossible task. Minnesota will not become a "duck paradise" overnight. It may not happen in the foreseeable future but it has to start somewhere if people want to begin to better their chances to continue hunting ducks.

Small steps and small projects is where it has to start. prove it can be done on a small scale and you will be able to use the success to get people to notice.

I always try to look at things in a optimistic light because I do believe that we can do anything we want if the motivation is there.

Regards

Bob


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

I must clarify one thing in conclusion: When I first read the opening thread by Bob it struck me as if the hunters surveyed were talking about their experiences elsewhere as well as in MN because so many of them hunt here in ND. That's why I was so bewildered why they would complain. I guess I can see the frustration when you're sitting right next to a duck-hunting paradise and you can't get the same results. I'll take the lazy comment back. :wink:

I really hope you guys can get things turned around and give ND some much needed competition. It's like building a championship caliber ballclub, it starts at the top and those underneath to work together and contribute.


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