# season opener dates 2019



## lastflight (Aug 16, 2005)

There were huge numbers of Bluebills in the "general" area this year, just not in the lower Detroit River/upper Erie area like the past. Adapt or take up knitting, your choice.


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## Spartan88 (Nov 14, 2008)

craigrh13 said:


> The dates aren’t that bad for your area. They still capture the peak migration. I hunt your back yard later in the year with no issues. It’s not doom and gloom like you are suggesting.


You get what you want and it makes you happy. Conversely, if someone 100 miles north of the same zone want something else they are bitching. Got it kid...


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

DecoySlayer said:


> I have just finished the worst 3 years of duck hunting I have had since the 1980s.
> 
> It does not matter, if it continues there were be a sale of used layout gear.
> 
> It is a combination of many things. Bluebill numbers are way down, and for some reason, don't seem to be recovering. Food sources are different. Weather patterns are different.


We never saw the unusual suspects out there on some very good flying days. Keep me in mind if you decide on a garage sale.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

DecoySlayer said:


> I have just finished the worst 3 years of duck hunting I have had since the 1980s.
> 
> It does not matter, if it continues there were be a sale of used layout gear.
> 
> It is a combination of many things. Bluebill numbers are way down, and for some reason, don't seem to be recovering. Food sources are different. Weather patterns are different.


Very strange Slayer. We killed more Bluebills this year than the past 20 years. Redheads too. What changed? Well, my observations tell me 2 things: the return of wild rice, and the return of wild celery.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

wow

after experiencing 50 years of the dnr dickin' around with seasons, often solving one issue and creating 2 more, they finally landed on the perfect boilerplate that allows those who care to travel to experience 3 openers, and come up with, mathematically, the absolute maximum number of weekend days, due to the weekend re-opener. brilliant!!! and, due to moving calendars from year to year, provide some years of opening on the 'early side' and some years opening on the 'later side'

kudos to them!!!! they solved all that we griped about for decades

it ain't broke, no need to fix anything!!

record harvest for us in 2017, record harvest in 2018

but i guess some might wanna go back to the 10am opener! haha


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

I’m old enough to remember that. What a zoo


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## chromer101 (Oct 21, 2011)

Love the zones, loves the splits, love the opportunities. Heck I agree with more splits overall(aka rest periods), but I understand its already too complicated for many people.


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## HookedUp (Dec 31, 2010)

Let me know when your layout boats are for sale. I'm looking for one


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Divers Down said:


> We never saw the unusual suspects out there on some very good flying days. Keep me in mind if you decide on a garage sale.



I will do that.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Jerry Lamb said:


> Very strange Slayer. We killed more Bluebills this year than the past 20 years. Redheads too. What changed? Well, my observations tell me 2 things: the return of wild rice, and the return of wild celery.


I have not seen a return of the celery. When I was young you could not run down the west side of Celeron, even on plane, without the celery wrapping your prop and shutting you down. Back then they used to clean the ramps off with front end loaders and dump trucks. I have seen a lot more Eurasian milfoil. 

Hey, I am not worried about it. At best I only have ten years left to hunt, likely less. My best year, since returning to Michigan in 2000, was 2005. I know I will never see good years like 73-75. 68-69 were good too.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Adapt to what’s there. If it’s Buffy’s, then get them. Try a .28 or .20 for a challenge.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I shoot either a 12 or a 20, don't own any other gauges, can't afford them. 

I will try to adapt. I likely won't put my boat in the water this coming season so maybe I can move around a bit.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

TheHighLIfe said:


> wow
> 
> after experiencing 50 years of the dnr dickin' around with seasons, often solving one issue and creating 2 more, they finally landed on the perfect boilerplate that allows those who care to travel to experience 3 openers, and come up with, mathematically, the absolute maximum number of weekend days, due to the weekend re-opener. brilliant!!! and, due to moving calendars from year to year, provide some years of opening on the 'early side' and some years opening on the 'later side'
> 
> ...


I have to agree with this assessment.

I think our seasons, as they are configured now, maximize opportunity and minimize crowding. 

Loss of days on our managed areas and Saginaw Bay are the cost of that...some years.


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## meganddeg (Sep 29, 2010)

10


TheHighLIfe said:


> wow
> 
> after experiencing 50 years of the dnr dickin' around with seasons, often solving one issue and creating 2 more, they finally landed on the perfect boilerplate that allows those who care to travel to experience 3 openers, and come up with, mathematically, the absolute maximum number of weekend days, due to the weekend re-opener. brilliant!!! and, due to moving calendars from year to year, provide some years of opening on the 'early side' and some years opening on the 'later side'
> 
> ...


10:00 AM? I remember it was 12:00 Noon for us in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Talk about a weird time to open the season.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I believe we had a noon opener here, for a couple of years.


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## TrapperJohn (Jan 14, 2001)

I remember both 10 am and noon openers on a Wednesday! Yes it was a day to skip school in the 70's


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

They could bring back the noon opener for all I care. I don’t care about opening day one bit.


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

What was the reason for late goose season to open back up so late in January ?


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

R.J.M. said:


> What was the reason for late goose season to open back up so late in January ?


Something about too many migrators being killed and I thought they said something about a deal we had to make with Wisconsin and Illinois. Something like that.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

TrapperJohn said:


> I remember both 10 am and noon openers on a Wednesday! Yes it was a day to skip school in the 70's



Yep, skipped for the duck opener, Michigan deer and PA deer.


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