DNR officials clarify rules for Mississippi River duck hunt |  Pierce County Herald  | Ellsworth, Wisconsin

Published Thursday, September 18, 2008

Faced in recent years with an increasing number of complaints about open water duck hunting on the Mississippi River, state and federal wildlife officials are issuing a pre-season rule clarification – and a fair warning.

“Duck hunting on the Mississippi River is becoming more popular, attracting hunters from throughout Wisconsin,” said Steve Dewald, conservation warden supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in La Crosse.

“As a result, competition for hunting spots is increasing. Unfortunately, last fall we got a lot of complaints that some hunters were not following the rules regarding open water hunting,” he added.

Under Wisconsin law, open water hunting is prohibited with the exception of specified water bodies such as Lake Winnebago in northeast Wisconsin and Lake Pepin on the Mississippi.

The purpose of the rule is to direct hunters to the edges of water bodies and allow large numbers of ducks to rest and feed in open water during their fall migration, said Kent Van Horn, DNR migratory game bird ecologist  Full story

DNR officials clarify rules for Mississippi River duck hunt |  Pierce County Herald  | Ellsworth, Wisconsin.