# East side Zone 3 hunters only!



## ahartz (Dec 28, 2000)

BassFisher91 said:


> I killed plenty of birds this season. I'd like to see the dates stay the same. If anything, move the opening and closing weekend up one, maybe two weeks. Keep the two day january split imo.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Agree......


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## Wingmaster22 (Oct 29, 2003)

BassFisher91 said:


> Originally Posted by BassFisher91
> I killed plenty of birds this season. I'd like to see the dates stay the same. If anything, move the opening and closing weekend up one, maybe two weeks. Keep the two day january split imo.


Posted via Mobile Device 




ahartz said:


> Agree......


Me too....


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## Kingcrapp (Jan 6, 2009)

Most posts are spliting feathers "no pun intended". We hunt @ 28 days pers season and shoot @ the same amount of birds if you average it out over the years. If you could change, it I'd like the season to end later keep Jan. hunt. Late goose has not been good for the past few years. But like I said we will catch up next year..I hope.


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## Tom_Miller (Apr 23, 2010)

Originally Posted by *1fish*  
_Zone 3 was pretty much perfect this year for ducks IMO. Wouldn't change a thing. 

For goose, would ditch the split and the week after regular duck. Run it concurrent with duck._


I agree. Run goose season concurrent with duck. Leave everything else the same.


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## lonzo (Oct 12, 2010)

finsnfeathers said:


> sept 24 to oct 8 then closed till oct 29 to dec 11 just my thoughts thanks


 agree 100%


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## duckbuster2 (Aug 14, 2008)

First thursday in oct. to last sunday in nov.


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

Open the first Saturday in October run for two weeks.

Shut down for a week or two. Then open back up... We need a real split. Two days are a joke. 

As for opening duck up earlier that would be ridiculous. Especially sept 24th.. Unless it was a woodduck or teal season. 80% of the hunters can't ID a hen from a drake on the wing or in hand in the first weekend of October. Truthfully I could careless if the dates ever change. I'm gunna kill birds with whatever dates they hand me. The season dates change topics are like beating a dead horse. There will always be someone pissing and moaning about the dates. 

Now for the geese I'd love to be able to shoot geese all september long like we use too. I'm not going to go into the goose descution too much. There is going to be a change this year and I'm happy with it.


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## cheeseandquackers (Jun 20, 2007)

new b said:


> start week later, end week later in dec, keep split on 1/1, 1/2.


 i like this.


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## Water_Hazard (Aug 16, 2006)

Same as this year, maybe a week earlier. No split in October or November.


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## Trippin' Dipsies (May 7, 2003)

Here are two options, in which I prefer Option #1...

*OPTION #1*
1) Get rid of the late season (JAN) split 
2) Keep the start the same (first week of OCT)
3) Split the season in late October for 7 days
4) Add one week to December

OR

*OPTION #2*
1) Keep the late season split in JAN
2) Start the season in mid-October
3) Extend the season into December by one week.


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## Swamp Boss (Mar 14, 2003)

Move Sag Bay back to zone two.


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## widowmaker1 (Jan 4, 2010)

extend the split still lots of ducks around


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## trentonbill (Jul 6, 2009)

If I had my way I would hunt ducks till mid December and have the goose season run concurrent. I can do without the two day split in January


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## Angeloboot (Oct 13, 2009)

trentonbill said:


> If I had my way I would hunt ducks till mid December and have the goose season run concurrent. I can do without the two day split in January


I'll second that. Ditch the 2 days in January.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

my dates for zone 3.

*option #1*
_sept. 24th-30th
split
oct. 15th - december 7th_

*option #2* 

move entire bay into zone 2, keep mww in zone 3
_sept. 24th - sept. 30th
split
oct. 22nd - december 14th
_


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## weiss (Dec 1, 2008)

BassFisher91 said:


> I killed plenty of birds this season. I'd like to see the dates stay the same. If anything, move the opening and closing weekend up one, maybe two weeks. Keep the two day january split imo.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I agree also


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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> *option #2*
> 
> move entire bay into zone 2, keep mww in zone 3
> _sept. 24th - sept. 30th_
> ...


Is that using 46 as the South/Middle line?


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

waterfowlhunter83 said:


> Is that using 46 as the South/Middle line?


correct...except for mww.


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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> *option #2*
> 
> move entire bay into zone 2, keep mww in zone 3
> _sept. 24th - sept. 30th_
> ...


Now are those dates above for Zone 2 or 3?


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

waterfowlhunter83 said:


> Now are those dates above for Zone 2 or 3?


zone 3

best of both worlds. tennis shoe hunters get their teal/woody season, die hards get their ice. rest get the whole big push (last week of october and first 3 weeks of november.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Grayphase said:


> Like I been saying for 10 years option #1 is perfect for 60. 45 day- 7 days end of sept ( **without Teal season** ) split mid-late oct thru Thanksgiving weekend. 30 day- Just as it used to be. Split on Nov 14 open Fri-Sun Thanksgiving weekend. **Teal season a must for MI during 30-45 day seasons** Now just get rid of spinners and close east zone III Great Lake marshes daily by 1pm and we are set................ MDNR lobby fed for another zone and split we are golden


although you can be abrasive gray....i agree with you on this. can't believe i just agreed with grayphase on something.


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## Sander vitreus 01 (Jan 2, 2008)

TSS Caddis said:


> You were able to get your walleye boat out, but you can not get out to them to hunt?


no, rest assured i could of if i wanted to, but the weather was for duck hunting...i was in a field this year on the last weekend and it was a real good shoot on saturday. the following weekend i was in a shanty on the ice. thats the bay...a few years ago i was trolling between christmas and new years. december is an unpredictable month...point...as far as duck hunting goes and seasons, i'd prefer to stick with more of a sure thing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

I haven't jumped into any of these debates yet, but since I've posted this before, I might as well post it again:

Open the season the earliest day the feds let us. Run for 9 days. Close for two weeks. Re-open and run it out. This past season, the dates above would have looked like this:

Open Sept 25-Oct 3
Close Oct 4-15
Re-Open Oct 16-Dec 5

I've always done well on the January two day, but I'd give it up for an early week of brown ducks and teal.... Now if we were given a special 9-day early teal season (which MIGHT happen), then I'd prefer an opener about Oct 16, and keep the late 2-day weekend.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Shlwego said:


> I haven't jumped into any of these debates yet, but since I've posted this before, I might as well post it again:
> 
> Open the season the earliest day the feds let us. Run for 9 days. Close for two weeks. Re-open and run it out. This past season, the dates above would have looked like this:
> 
> ...


agree 100%. couldn't have said it better.


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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

I hope those dates DO NOT go through.......you guys like to swet ?
You like fighting mosquito's or something ?.......
The birds get educated fast enough as it is, let alone such an early opener.

You just won't be happy til you've got every bow hunter and duck hunter on and in Saginaw bay at the same time will ya ??!!! I'm 
DONE with this BS...................:rant:


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Mike L said:


> I hope those dates DO NOT go through.......you guys like to swet ?
> You like fighting mosquito's or something ?.......
> The birds get educated fast enough as it is, let alone such an early opener.


Start it early enough and you might lose some people to the hex hatch. Could always just use a golf club on the eggs.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Mike L said:


> I hope those dates DO NOT go through.......you guys like to swet ?
> You like fighting mosquito's or something ?.......
> The birds get educated fast enough as it is, let alone such an early opener.
> 
> ...


mike, we're sweating whether its sept 25th or oct 1st or if its oct 7th...it don't matter. go look at the last 3 openers. it was 70 last year...and 68 the year before. To be honest if those were the dates i probably wouldn't even hunt the first season....but i'll bet if we had earlier opener, DNR will sell more licenses.


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## Dahmer (Jan 22, 2007)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> mike, we're sweating whether its sept 25th or oct 1st or if its oct 7th...it don't matter. go look at the last 3 openers. it was 70 last year...and 68 the year before.


Kid, the 2009 opener was cold. The high was in the mid 50's. That was the 1st year in many years I wore a parka and stocking hat for the opener. We had a 2 weeks of cold weather then it warmed back up to the mid 60's. The week before and the week after the opener.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

im gettin old, all the years blend together! found a cool site that you can look up a specific date for weather.

oct 9th 2010 - 66.2 °F
oct 9th 2009 - 51.1 °F
oct 9th 2008 - 62.6 °F
oct 9th 2007 - 75.2 °F
oct 9th 2006 - 60.8 °F
oct 9th 2005 - 57.2 °F



Dahmer said:


> Kid, the 2009 opener was cold. The high was in the mid 50's. That was the 1st year in many years I wore a parka and stocking hat for the opener. We had a 2 weeks of cold weather then it warmed back up to the mid 60's. The week before and the week after the opener.


your right about 09', i remember being disappointed with our opening hunt...had good field and good weather and it just didn't materialize like in past years. My last 4 out of 5 draw openers have been crappy...mainly due to being so miserably warm.


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

Shlwego/Kid,
Those dates seem fairly reasonable and take a stab at giving everyone a piece of the pie.

As far as educated ducks, with the youth hunt and north zone opener, there are no more dumb opening day ducks. If you want "dumb" ducks, I suggest you go sea duck hunting. We did, and it was a blast as they come right in. I should qualify that as I have only ever gone once and maybe our guide (Penobscot Bay Outfitters) was just that good. He was a great guide but I beleive that the birds are not all that bright.


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## Grayphase (May 11, 2010)

Mike L said:


> I hope those dates DO NOT go through.......you guys like to swet ?
> You like fighting mosquito's or something ?.......
> The birds get educated fast enough as it is, let alone such an early opener.
> 
> ...


 Heres a news flash for you. Mi waterfowl season opened in early sept for years. Many more hunters would rather swat mosquitos than break ice. I know a dozen hunters off the top that wont buy a MI waterfowl license under the current dates. Granted habitat/management is probably #1 reason for attrition. However season dates surely run close second. You want to hunt waterfowl on public lands in 10-15 years ? Never thought I'd see it but OH is starting to manage its Lake Erie marshes for bird watchers first and hunters second. Someone made the comment MI wont be far behind. Thats laughable. MI started 10 years ago.


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