Hunters have a new opportunity to harvest up to six teal during an experimental five-day early teal season.

A five-day early teal season from Saturday, Sept. 4, through Wednesday, Sept. 8, will allow an additional opportunity to hunt teal that otherwise would have migrated south by opening day of waterfowl season on Sept. 25. Hunters may shoot up to six birds. Blue, green-winged and cinnamon teal may be taken in any combination from sunrise to sunset during the experimental early season.

“There was some concern expressed about establishing an early teal season so the experimental approach the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires allows the DNR to carefully evaluate impacts,” said Steve Cordts, waterfowl specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We’ll assess the season this year and can renew it for up to two years.”

The DNR does not anticipate that this increase in harvest will negatively impact the teal population or hunter experience on opening day but will carefully evaluate season results and gather additional public input to guide future decisions on continuing the early teal season.

Besides the experimental teal hunt,  other changes to Minnesota’s waterfowl hunting regulations for 2021 include:

1. shooting hours will continue until sunset rather than ending at 4 p.m. during the first portion of Minnesota’s waterfowl hunting season
2. increasing the bag limit for dark geese from three to five per day
3. reducing the 12-day season split in the south zone to a five-day split
4. and opening four areas where over-water goose hunting was restricted.