Minnesota proposes alternative three-duck limit option
The proposal aims to recruit more waterfowl hunters.
In an effort to increase duck hunters in Minnesota, the state’s department of natural resources is proposing a new three-duck harvest limit.
Currently, there’s a six-duck daily bag limit, under which are bag limits that vary by duck species and sex. But Nathan Huck, the DNR’s migratory game bird consultant, said it can be challenging for some people to identify duck species and sex and might prevent new hunters from joining the hunt. The proposed alternative is easier, allowing hunters to harvest any sex and species of duck.
How it would work is that when hunters buy a license, they would choose their hunt — the current six-duck count or the new alternative three-duck limit.
Huck said the goal is to recruit, retain and reactivate waterfowl hunters while maintaining sustainable populations of all duck species.
As for why there are fewer waterfowl hunters than before, Huck believes part of it is that as traditional hunters age out, there are not enough new hunters replacing them.
“We’re not replacing hunters as well as we used to,” he said. “This effort is really targeted at creating more waterfowl hunters without negatively impacting the status of our waterfowl population.”
If Minnesotans agree, Huck said the new proposal will take effect in fall 2027. When choosing what season they’d like to hunt — the six-count or three-limit alternative — hunters wouldn't be able to change their option until the following season.
A preliminary evaluation showed that new hunters are more likely to select the three-duck bag limit option than the six-duck bag limit. Also, it showed individuals who select the three-duck bag limit are less likely to harvest species with lower bag limits, such as canvasbacks, hen mallards, redheads and scaup.
Huck said Minnesota's duck population remains stable.
To help hunters, the Minnesota DNR has set up a questionnaire available through Aug. 17 on the department’s waterfowl management web page, mndnr.gov/waterfowl, which includes a more detailed description of the proposal. An online webinar also has been scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6, which will allow participants to ask questions and provide feedback.
Huck hopes to see a good number of people join the conversation, including those interested in waterfowl hunting but haven’t gone afield, to help turn the trends and get more hunters into the blinds.
“In the past, great waterfowl hunters would have been recruited by going out with their dad or their grandpa in the blinds where they’d have that mentorship,” he said. “But now we’re seeing an increasing number of people who are interested in hunting in general but who have no family or connection to people who are hunters.
“The only way that they’re going to get out into a blind and learn how to hunt ducks is by going out there and just doing it. Creating this license gives them an opportunity to go out and do it while also addressing some of the concerning issues about waterfowl in the state and kind of lessening that pressure.”
