This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, Joey Vassallo and Cal Ness break down one of the biggest waterfowl conversations Minnesota has seen in years: the Minnesota Duck Summit.

Held in Nicollet near Swan Lake, the summit brought together more than 300 hunters, conservationists, biologists, and agency officials to ask a simple question: where have all the ducks gone? Joey and Cal dive into the biggest topics from the event, including declining mallard numbers, the push to reduce the hen mallard limit from two birds to one, concerns over early September seasons, hunting pressure, and whether Minnesota’s current regulations are doing more harm than good.

The guys also discuss the growing belief among hunters that ducks are being pressured off public water too early and too often. At the summit, 78% of attendees said hunting pressure is pushing ducks off public land, while 93% supported creating or expanding duck refuges. Many hunters also supported later openers, ending September duck hunting, and earlier daily closing times to give birds more rest.

Are Minnesota’s duck problems being caused by habitat loss, modern agriculture, predators, hunting pressure, or all of the above? Joey and Cal sort through the arguments, the science, and what changes could shape the future of duck hunting in Minnesota.

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