Earlier opener -- This year's duck opener is Sept. 24, about a week earlier than in recent years. The change was made to give hunters an opportunity to shoot more early migrating species such as wood ducks and teal.
Earlier shooting hours on opening day -- Shooting hours on opening day now will be one-half hour before sunrise rather than 9 a.m. as they had been in the past. The change is designed to increase hunting opportunity because waterfowl are more active in early morning hours.
Longer period with a 4 p.m. daily closure to shooting hours -- The 4 p.m. closure runs until the second Saturday in October -- Oct. 8 this year. With the earlier season opener, that means the 4 p.m. closure will run for 15 days rather than eight days, as in previous years. The 4 p.m. closure has been in effect since the 1970s to allow resident breeding hens to return undisturbed to roosting marshes at day's end.
Increase in hen mallard bag limit -- The bag limit on hen mallards, which has been at one since 2005, has been increased to two. Again, the goal is to offer hunters increased shooting opportunities. The Department of Natural Resources believes mallards can sustain increased harvest because the population of the species is above long-term averages.
Increase in wood duck bag limit -- The wood duck bag limit has been increased from two to three. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began allowing states to increase the wood duck bag limit from two to three in 2008. Minnesota has been the only state to maintain a two-duck wood duck bag limit for the past three years. The increase was made this year to provide Minnesota hunters more shooting opportunity.
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New North and South duck hunting zones -- In the North Zone (north of Minnesota Highway 210), the season will run for 60 days starting Sept. 24. In the South Zone, the duck season will be open on Sept. 24-25, then close for five days. It will resume on Oct. 1 and continue through Nov. 27. The change allows northern Minnesota hunters more opportunity early in the season and allows hunters in the southern part of the state a short early-season hunt as well as late-season opportunities.
Youth Waterfowl Day moved a week earlier to Sept. 10 -- This special day for young shooters was moved a week earlier because the regular season was moved a week earlier. That allows a two-week buffer between the youth hunt and the opener to minimize impact on opening-day hunters.
