Stories of hunting and fishing adventures are almost always accompanied by a healthy combination of bragging and complaining. While tales are doomed to be embellished and inflated with boasting, new regulations might put an end to some of that complaining!
The state agency responsible for setting game laws and monitoring our outdoor environment, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is seeking public input on several possible changes to existing guidelines.
“We are addressing a number of topics that will be of great interest to many hunters and trappers this year,” said Steve Merchant, DNR Wildlife Program Manager. “We are very open to comments on all of these proposals and hope our stakeholders can either attend a meeting or give us their comments online.”
There are nearly a dozen items up for discussion, some of which have been heavily debated before. One such issue is the late start on the opening day of duck hunting.Historically, the season didn't open until noon. This has recently been changed to 9:00 a.m.
This fall, the season may open at the regular shooting time—one half-hour before sunrise.
If adding more time to opening day isn't enough, the DNR is also considering opening the season one week early! This could put the start-date as early as September 25. There is even talk of adding split seasons and zones for different parts of the state, similar to the current deer management strategy. Other topics up for debate include changes to the zone three deer regulations, a more rigid fall turkey-hunting season, the opening of river otter trapping statewide, crossbow hunting for the elderly, and a statewide youth deer hunt.
These topics are still in the idea stage, and it is important for the public to provide input, so the DNR came move to next step in the process.There will be several meetings scheduled statewide to gather public opinions. The dates and locations can be found on the DNR's web site, along with a more specific list of the items that will be discussed at each meeting.
As of today, there are no meetings scheduled for northwest Minnesota, but they are in the works, so check back often! For those unable to attend meetings, your voice can still be heard (or rather your typed words can be read) by emailing your comments to wildlife@dnr.state.mn.us.
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