Are you going duck hunting this weekend? The Sept. 27 opening
date, a week earlier than the traditional first Saturday in
October, is intended to give hunters more opportunities to kill
ducks. Early migrants, such as blue-winged teal and wood ducks,
are more likely to be available to hunters, because they head
south when cold winds begin to blow. To make it easier to kill
birds, the DNR relaxed bag limit restrictions, increasing the
mallard hen bag from one to two and the wood duck limit from two
to three. The total daily bag limit is six ducks, the most
allowed under the federal waterfowl harvest guidelines. DNR
Wildlife officials say making it easier to kill ducks isn't a
biological issue, because the state now has about half as many
duck hunters as it did 30 years ago. However, back then
Minnesota had more places to hunt ducks and many more ducks. As
an example, 30 years ago, the DNR conducted an annual count of
opening day hunters at my favorite Cook County swamp. While the
hunting at this northwoods poth