Minnesota pheasant opener was slow, but ducks are moving

Gov. Tim Walz had a successful pheasant hunting opener last weekend, bagging a rooster near Austin. But most of his party didn’t have such luck.

Of the 170 participants in Walz’ first governor’s pheasant opener event, only 44 roosters were shot. Rain, snow, high winds and fields full of standing corn and other crops hindered pheasant hunters across the state’s pheasant range.

Not all reports were bad. Minnesota conservation officer Tony Flerlage of Spring Valley, who helped out around Austin for the governor’s hunt, reported that, “despite the blowing snow, the hunt was a success with many pheasants seen and killed.”

But most reports were less positive:

• “Pheasant opener was slow with all the wet weather and all the crops still in,’’ said Conservation Officer Rick Reller of Buffalo.
• “Weather and crop conditions combined for the lowest hunter turnout on pheasant opener in recent memory,’’ said Conservation Officer Daniel Baumbarger of Glenwood.
• “Pheasant hunters struggled to bag birds with the poor weather,’’ said Conservation Officer Andrew Dirks of Worthington.
• “Weather definitely affected the pheasant opener as hunters dealt with snow,’’ said Conservation Officer Matt Loftness of Marshall.
• “Pheasant hunters found little success,’’ said Conservation Officer Eric Schettler of Fairmont.

The good news is that most roosters lived through opening weekend, generally the busiest of the year, and will be available later in the season as fields dry up — or freeze up — and the crop harvest gets going.

One clear picture after last weekend's miserable weather, virtually across the state, is that ducks are moving again.

Reports from all areas mentioned more ducks both in the air and in hunter’s bags, including locally-grown species like teal and wood ducks and more northern species like ring-necked ducks, redheads and bluebills. Now is the time to go.