Minnesota Duck Season Opens Saturday With 60 Percent More Birds

The waterfowl season opens Saturday, September 26 in Minnesota. Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON to discuss the details. He says last year 80,000 duck stamps were sold in Minnesota with a DNR estimated 52,000 people actually hunting waterfowl in 2025. Schmitt says the majority of the ducks shot in Minnesota are usually shot in the first 10 days of the season.

A Tradition

Schmitt believes the duck opener is one of the great traditions in Minnesota. He says many duck hunters hunt opening weekend and that's it. Schmitt says the number of breeding ducks is up 60% compared to last year. He says, while fishing, he's noticed plenty of teal, mallards, and wood ducks in the area. Schmitt says conditions are very dry in Central Minnesota but better in western Minnesota.

Traditional Water Holes

Schmitt says some of the traditional water holes to find ducks have dried up so ducks could be found on lakes instead. He says a cool, rainy weather forecast for Saturday is favorable for duck hunting in Central Minnesota. Schmitt encourages hunters to check your hunting location prior to Saturday morning. He expects a good opener. Waterfowl hunting in the Central Zone in Minnesota goes from September 26 - October 4 and then from October 10 to November 29 for ducks, coots and mergansers and from September 26 - October 4 and again from October 10 - December 30 for goose hunting.

Grouse and Archery Deer

The grouse and archery deer hunting seasons started last weekend. Schmitt says he's heard mixed results with good reports in northern Minnesota. He says it's thick in the woods right now with so much cover making it difficult to shoot birds. Schmitt says it was a slow start to the archery deer hunting season due to lots of cover in the woods and not very many people doing it.

Fall Fishing

Fall fishing is improving as air and water temperatures drop. Schmitt says conditions are great to catch fish as water temperatures have dropped to the low 60 degree range. Water levels are low on area lakes but Schmitt doesn't think it's too difficult to get your boat into the water from accesses.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Glen Schmitt, click below.