Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin were the only states authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement a three-year experimental duck hunt.

2014 was the first year of the hunt which is being called a success.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service authorized Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin to implement an early teal duck hunting season.

Blue-winged teal are an early-migrating duck. Many leave the states prior to the opening day of regular duck hunting seasons. Because of this behavior, the USFWS experimented with and approved special early teal hunting seasons for some states in the 1960s.

Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota were excluded out of concern that hunters would shoot too many non-teal ducks. However, recent record-high duck populations and a desire for a distribution of harvest opportunity led to adding early teal seasons for northern states.

"We are very pleased we could provide this early teal season opportunity without significant impact on non-target species, as our Michigan waterfowl hunters demonstrated good sportsmanship and judgment in the field," said Russ Mason, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division.

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