OutdoorsWeekly.com Archived News

Minnesota’s dove hunting season begins Wednesday, Sept. 1, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 30.

A small game license and Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification are required for hunters 16 and older. Hunters younger than 16 must obtain a free small game hunting license and the HIP certification.

The daily bag limit is 15 doves, with 30 in possession. Mourning doves are not a migratory bird, so nontoxic shot is not required – however it is recommended.

Dove hunting requires only a bucket to sit on, a box of shells, shotgun and earth-tone clothing.

“This is a great way to introduce youngsters to hunting” said Bill Penning, DNR farmland wildlife program leader. “It’s a sedentary activity in a controlled environment, which makes it easy for mentors to work with inexperienced hunters under very safe conditions.”

Minnesota has allowed dove hunting since 2004. The state has about 13,000 dove hunters, who harvest more than 100,000 doves each year. Nationwide there are about 4 million mourning doves.

MINNEAPOLIS – FLW Outdoors announced that the 2010 FLW Walleye Tour Championship will feature substantially increased paybacks. The 2010 championship, which will be held on Leech Lake in Walker, Minn. from Sept. 23-25, will feature up to 80 anglers now casting for top awards up to $48,000 in the Pro Division and up to $14,000 in the Co-angler Division.

“The Walleye Tour has seen several changes and challenges over the recent seasons and we are excited to improve the 2010 championship,” said Kathy Fennel, President of FLW Outdoors Operations Division. “Increasing the paybacks for the championship is a way we can show our appreciation to those anglers who have continued to participate on the tour and show a glimpse of the positive changes and attention that we plan to devote to the tour in 2011.”

The initial purse of just over $108,000 was increased by more than $35,000 to $144,000 and is a reflection of FLW Outdoors' considerable investment in and a renewed commitment to the tour. Major announcements regarding the 2011 FLW Walleye Tour will be made over the next several weeks.

Pro and co-anglers can participate in an optional pot giving them an additional opportunity to win more cash. The winning pro could take home more than $8,000 while the winning co-angler could walk away with more than $2,000, if all 40 pro and co-anglers participate. The entry fee in the optional pot for pros is $750 and $250 for co-anglers. The optional pot payback table is listed below.

Anglers will take off from Walker City Park located at the lighthouse on Minnesota Avenue in Walker at 7:30 each morning. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the Walker City Park beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the Northern Lights Casino parking lot located at 6800 Y Frontage Road NW in Walker beginning at 4 p.m.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Family Fun Zone at the Northern Lights Casino on Friday and Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. Rod and reel combos will be given to the first 100 kids under 14 in attendance on Saturday, which can be redeemed following the final weigh-in. The Family Fun Zone will include the National Guard obstacle course and rock climbing walls, a Ranger boat simulator, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing. All activities are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events and additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Saint Paul, Minn. – Trevor Wright of Wheaton, Minnesota, is the lucky winner of a new 2010 Ford F-150 XLT from Northland Ford via a Pheasants Forever raffle. The Northland Ford Dealer group, made up of 245 Ford Dealers in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, donated a 2010 Ford F-150 XLT to be raffled off by Pheasants Forever. Tickets for the raffle were available through local Pheasants Forever chapters in the Northland Ford region in 2009-2010, and all proceeds raised were kept by each chapter for use in their local wildlife habitat efforts.

Wright purchased his winning $10 ticket from the Traverse County (Minnesota) Pheasants Forever chapter. A pheasant hunter, he said he decided to purchase the ticket knowing "it was going to help pheasants in our area." Northland Ford raffles in the past decade have helped "The Habitat Organization" raise more than half a million dollars for Pheasants Forever – with all proceeds retained by respective Pheasants Forever chapters for use in their local conservation projects.

"The Northland Ford Dealers are very pleased with our affiliation with Pheasants Forever," said Steve Johnson, Past Chairman of Northland Ford and a Pheasants Forever member, "The monies that are raised today pay dividends many times over and benefit all of us here in the north land."

"Pheasants Forever operates under a unique organizational model, and it's because of great partnering opportunities such as the Ford truck sweepstakes with Northland Ford that we are able to be successful at improving local habitat," said Joe Duggan, Pheasants Forever's Vice President of Corporate Relations, "The Northland Ford Truck raffle has raised thousands of dollars for local habitat efforts – efforts that will be seen by local hunters and outdoor enthusiasts for years to come."

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported Aug. 17 that Bovine tuberculosis (TB) tests were negative for 450 wild deer removed from northwestern Minnesota early this year as part of disease eradication efforts by sharpshooting.

“The lab results are encouraging for the DNR as well as our hunters,” said Michelle Carstensen, DNR wildlife health program coordinator. “This may be a sign that we’ve turned a corner in eradicating the disease from deer in northwestern Minnesota.”

Since bovine TB surveillance efforts began in 2005, 27 deer have tested positive for the disease. The most-recent case occurred in fall 2009 from a hunter harvested deer. As a result, DNR expanded the area where sharpshooters took samples earlier this year.

“The fact that no additional deer tested positive in the same area is good news,” Carstensen said. “The prevalence of the disease in wild deer continues to decrease and the geographic extent of the positive cases remains very small.”

The last TB-infected cattle herd was found more than a year and a half ago in northwestern Minnesota. Area producers continue to test their cattle in an effort to ensure the elimination of the disease and to improve the state’s TB status levels, an event that the Minnesota Board of Animal Health expects to happen this October.

DNR will sample 1,000 deer in the area this fall and winter as part of its ongoing surveillance efforts, a decrease from last year’s requirement that 1,800 deer be sampled. The higher number was difficult to achieve because of increased harvest and aggressive removal strategies. Sampling a lower number of deer also may lessen the need for sharpshooters to remove additional deer after hunting season.

To help meet its sampling goals, DNR requires that all deer taken in deer permit areas 101, 105, 111, 203, 208, 267 and 268 be registered at a big game registration station to legally transport the harvested animal. In-person registration allows DNR staff to obtain tissue samples for testing.

“Our success at meeting surveillance goals depends on the cooperation of hunters,” Carstensen said. “The more deer hunters bring in for sampling, the fewer deer DNR must remove using sharpshooters, leaving more deer for hunters the next fall.”

Anglers can use bullheads up to 10 inches long as live bait but those baitfish cannot be transported north of Minnesota Highway 210, according to a rule change adopted by the Minnesota Department of Resources (DNR).

The new rule, which went into effect Aug. 9, allows catfish anglers to use larger bullheads as bait yet helps prevent non-native bullhead populations from establishing themselves in additional northern Minnesota lakes.

The previous rule allowed anglers to use bullheads up to seven inches long as bait because that size is defined as minnows. Those fish could be captured from non-infested waters via dip net, angling or non-commercial seine and transported live anywhere in Minnesota.

Bullheads do live in some northern Minnesota lakes, but they are not a native species. The old rule allowing transport north of Minnesota Highway 210 increased the possibility that non-native bullhead populations could be established in additional lakes.

The new rule allows bullheads to be taken using dip nets, non-commercial nets and angling by a person with a valid fishing license. Any fish bullheads greater than 7 inches and up to and including 10 inches taken are considered part of the angler’s possession limit of bullheads.

Bullheads up to and including 10 inches cannot be taken from designated infested waters and used for bait (unless designated solely because they contain Eurasian water milfoil). Bullheads up to and including 10 inches taken from non-infested waters for use as bait may only be transported in portable bait containers.

An additional rule change allows live transportation and possession of white suckers 12 inches and longer that can be now be used for bait. People possessing and transporting white suckers are required to purchase such fish from a licensed commercial vendor and retain a receipt showing the date and time of purchase. White suckers that have been taken by the angler may not be transported live and then used for bait.

Collegeville, Minn. – A healthy deer population on the property of Saint John's Abbey means hunters will have more opportunities this fall. Saint John’s goal is to assure a population level that will allow both adequate regeneration of the forest and a healthy deer herd on the Abbey's 2,700 acres. Interested hunters are invited to apply for permission to hunt antlerless deer at Saint John's on November 6-7. Saint John's will be closed to hunting at all other times due to sporting activities and student use of the land.

All applications to hunt at Saint John's must be received no later than Tuesday, October 5th. For more information or to receive an application, call the Saint John's Arboretum office at 320-363-3163 or go to www.csbsju.edu/arboretum . A non-refundable $5.00 application fee is required with the completed application. For those selected by lottery there is an additional $30 fee to hunt at Saint John's. Hunters under 18 are allowed only with an adult supervisor who will remain in close proximity throughout the hunt. The adult does not need to apply for a permit from Saint John’s if they do not carry a gun.

To be eligible for the hunt, hunters must apply to the DNR by September 9th for an antlerless permit for area 218. Antlerless permits for area 215 are included in the license. About 30 hunters will be allowed hunting privileges on Abbey land in DNR permit area 218 (south of I-94) and 3 hunters will be allowed in DNR permit area 215 (north of I-94). An obligatory information and orientation meeting for all who receive permission to hunt will be held Thursday evening, October 21, at Saint John's.

Twenty deer stands will be provided at strategic locations at Saint John's. All other stands must be temporary. Bow hunting is not permitted due to state law regarding this refuge. Only shotguns will be allowed.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has approved this deer hunt on the Saint John's State Game Refuge to assist in keeping the herd in balance within the area. Tom Kroll, Saint John’s Arboretum Director, laments that "efforts at reforestation in the Saint John's woods, especially with oak, have been hampered due to heavy deer browsing on the young trees." The diversity of the area's wild flowers, herbs and shrubs on the forest's floor has been diminished by hungry deer as well. This disruption of the ecological balance of the area also affects the populations of birds and insects in the woods. The number of deer killed by motor vehicles on the one-mile entrance road into Saint John's raises a safety issue of concern.

In January, 2009, Saint John’s hired an aerial deer survey which indicated about 15 deer per square mile. Studies indicate that forest regeneration can occur when deer herds do not exceed 12 per square mile. According to the Minnesota DNR, deer hunting is the preferred solution to maintaining a healthy herd. Several other methods have been investigated but none has proven as safe or effective as hunting. Saint John's remains a game refuge and the deer population is regularly evaluated. More info and maps from the aerial survey are at the Arboretum website.

Signs will be posted at Saint John’s during the hunt. Hikers, joggers and runners will be discouraged from entering the woods during the hunting period. They will be allowed to enter the area provided they are wearing blaze orange apparel. Enforcement officers patrolling the area will remove people found not in compliance with this safety regulation.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is calling for immediate Congressional review and reform of the Endangered Species Act following a judge’s decision to reinstate full federal protection for gray wolves.

The Aug. 5 ruling means state wildlife agencies no longer have authority to manage skyrocketing wolf populations—even in areas where wolf predation is driving cow elk, moose and elk calf survival rates below thresholds needed to sustain herds for the future.

RMEF says the judge has opened a door for perhaps the greatest wildlife management disaster in America since the wanton destruction of bison herds over a century ago.

“When federal statutes and judges actually endorse the annihilation of big game herds, livestock, rural and sporting lifestyles—and possibly even compromise human safety—then clearly the Endangered Species Act as currently written has major flaws,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We have already begun contacting the Congressional delegations of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to ask for an immediate review of this travesty—and reform of the legislation that enabled it.”

Allen pointed out an irony, if not an outright error, in the decision issued by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy.

“Judge Molloy said wolves in the northern Rockies are a single population that cannot be segmented based on political boundaries. But he essentially did that very thing himself, because he considered only the wolf population within the U.S. There are 75,000-plus gray wolves across Canada, yet Judge Molloy stopped at the border and did not consider the entire Rocky Mountain population. The gray wolf is simply not an endangered species,” said Allen.

Animal rights groups who continue to litigate over wolves are “gaming the system for their own financial benefit,” he added, saying, “There are no elk in Iowa, but we are not suing folks to reintroduce them. This is simply a financial scam for the animal rights groups, and it’s all being paid for by the American taxpayer.”

Additionally, Allen urged the governors in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to begin the process of formally implementing “the 10(j) rule” as provided within federal law. For all species reintroductions classified as a “nonessential, experimental population,” as is the case with gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act, the 10(j) rule allows states more flexibility to mitigate for unacceptable impacts on big game populations, livestock and domestic animals.

RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres-a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Nature Conservancy announced today that it has acquired 470 acres of native prairie in Clay County in northwest Minnesota with funding from the state’s Outdoor Heritage Fund.

This is the first property acquired through the Conservancy’s Minnesota Prairie Recovery Project, an innovative effort to conserve and manage the state’s remaining prairies.

Just like the vast majority of Conservancy preserves in Minnesota, the land will be open to the public for outdoor recreation including birding, hiking and hunting. This is consistent with requirements under the constitutional language establishing the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

The Conservancy will use prescribed burns and conservation grazing in order to maintain the diversity of native plants and wildlife found on the property, which is located in the township of Spring Prairie.

Prairie is one of the most endangered and least protected habitat types on Earth. Prior to European settlement, there were more than 18 million acres of prairie in Minnesota. Only about 220,000 acres or 1 percent remain today, according to the Minnesota County Biological Survey. About half of the state’s remaining prairies are unprotected and at risk of being plowed up or paved over.

“We have far too little prairie left in the state to lose any more,” said Peggy Ladner, director of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota. “Grasslands help preserve our water quality and quantity, provide wildlife habitat and serve as wide-open places that we and future generations can enjoy.”

The Conservancy identified the property as a top priority for conservation because of its relatively large size, excellent natural condition and proximity to two of Minnesota’s most significant prairie complexes.

Greater prairie chickens, a keystone prairie species, in Minnesota, have used the land as a booming ground for more than two decades and other rare grassland birds also have been seen on the property including Wilson’s phalarope, a state-threatened species.

Jim Landfield, who sold the land to the Conservancy, said that he and his family owned the property for nearly a century and used it largely for grazing cattle. He said that his faith and his upbringing led him to believe that it when it comes to land people are stewards — not owners.

“All this wealth and all that we have is lent to us,” Landfield said. “We’re custodians of it. And that’s all. It’s just that simple. It’s a privilege to ‘own it,’ as we call it, but it’s really not ours. It never was and it never will be.”

The property serves as a biological bridge or stepping stone for grassland birds, amphibians and other wildlife in the region including game species.

To the north, near the town of Felton is Felton Prairie Scientific and Natural Area. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recognizes the Felton Prairie complex as the most important collection of gravel prairies in the state.

And to the south near Glyndon is the Conservancy’s Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area. Bluestem is considered one of the largest and highest quality northern tallgrass prairies in the United States.

“We preserved this strategically-important prairie site and we expect to conserve more as a result of our Minnesota Prairie Recovery Project,” Ladner said. “But it’s important to note that we would not have been able to do so if not for the millions of Minnesotans who approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment that created the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

“We also would like to thank the Lessard Sams-Outdoor Heritage Council, the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Pawlenty. All of them recognized the urgency of conserving Minnesota’s prairies and supported our efforts by approving this project.”

In addition to conserving more prairies and connecting them together, another goal of the Minnesota Prairie Recovery Project is to better manage native prairies with prescribed burns and conservation grazing on public and private lands by increasing coordination and collaboration among landowners.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. In Minnesota, the Conservancy has helped conserve more than 500,000 acres since 1958. The Conservancy has 23,000 members in Minnesota and offices in Minneapolis, Cushing, Paynesville, Grand Rapids, Glyndon, Duluth, Karlstad, Mentor and Preston. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org/minnesota.

A special regulation that requires anglers to release all northern pike 26- to 40-inches long from Upper Red Lake has been in place since 2006. A proposal is being considered to modify this regulation to protect larger northern pike from 26- to 44-inches long.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries staff will hold a local public meeting to provide information on the proposal and to accept public comments about whether to proceed with the modification. The meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m., at the North Beltrami Community Center, on Gould Avenue and Main Street in Kelliher.

For those unable to attend the local meeting, an open house will be held at the DNR Headquarters, 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul, on Sept. 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staff will be available to take comments on the proposal.

Written comments may also be submitted until Monday, Oct. 18, by e-mail to gary.barnard@state.mn.us, or by mail to DNR Area Fisheries, 2114 Bemidji Ave., Bemidji, MN 56601. Those who wish to provide comments by phone may call 218-308-2339.

Providing hunters of all ages more opportunities to harvest wild turkeys resulted in the highest spring turkey harvest on record, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“Although spring’s favorable weather generally contributed to increased harvest, much of this year’s increase can be attributed to DNR increasing the number of available permits by 32 percent,” said Eric Dunton, DNR wild turkey biologist. “More permits created more opportunities.”

During the spring 2010 wild turkey season, hunters registered 13,467 turkeys, an increase of 10 percent from the spring 2009 season. Hunter success averaged 29 percent, which was below the five-year average of 32 percent.

There were more spring turkey permits available in 2010 because permits for hunting during the last two time periods were available over the counter, and the number of permits made available for those time periods increased from 10,582 in 2009 to 22,250 in 2010. In addition, a new permit area was created north of Brainerd.

Youth were a significant segment of the 2010 spring turkey hunt. Youth participation increased 69 percent, from 5,024 permits purchased in spring 2009 to 8,490 permits purchased in spring 2010.

This 69 percent increase is linked to a 2010 change expanding youth hunting opportunities by allowing youth age 17 and younger to purchase a turkey permit over the counter rather than applying through the lottery.

In 2010, 51,312 hunters applied for 55,982 permits, with 46,548 of those permits issued to firearms hunters and 2,910 issued to archers. In 2009, 57,692 hunters applied for 42,328 permits, with 36,193 of those permits issued.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold seven input open house meetings on Sept. 2 for citizens to learn about and comment on agency muskellunge stocking proposals.

Public comments will also be accepted from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30 online at muskie.comments@state.mn.us, and by mail to Muskie Stocking Proposals, Minnesota DNR, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744.

The DNR is considering stocking muskellunge in five new waters starting in the fall of 2011 due to growing interest in muskellunge fishing. Proposed for muskellunge management are Roosevelt Lake in Cass and Crow Wing counties, Upper South Long Lake and Lower South Long Lake in Crow Wing County, Tetonka Lake in LeSueur County, and the Sauk River Chain of Lakes in Stearns County.

“All of these waters meet or exceed the criteria for muskie management,” said Dirk Peterson, DNR fisheries chief. “People who want to learn more details about each proposal are encouraged to attend our open-house style meetings.”

The DNR is proposing five new muskellunge waters because interest in muskellunge fishing has risen substantially in recent years. The best science indicates stocking muskellunge in low densities in these lakes will not harm existing fish populations.

DNR staff will not make a formal presentation at the Sept. 2 meetings, but will be available the entire time to answer questions. This structure – a lengthy opportunity for interaction with staff but no formal presentation – is designed to accommodate people’s busy schedules.

Citizens unable to attend the Sept. 2 meetings can learn more about each proposal by visiting www.mndnr.gov/muskie, where the DNR has posted a summary of each proposal as well as answers to frequently asked questions.

All input – whether collected on forms at the public meetings or via online survey, e-mail or mail – will be considered equally.

The DNR will review public input during October and November. Decisions on each stocking proposal are expected in December. If the DNR decides to move forward, stocking would begin in 2011 or 2012. It would be 12 to 15 years after that before the fish reach 48-inches, the minimum size at which a muskellunge can be kept by anglers.

Hundreds of double-crested cormorants and ring-billed gulls on Marsh Lake in Big Stone County have died from Newcastle Disease, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). As of Wednesday (Aug. 4), about 500 cormorants and 400 ring-billed gulls had been found dead at the lake, which is near Appleton in western Minnesota.

More testing is being conducted to determine the strain of Newcastle Disease. Avian influenza tests, however, were negative.

Newcastle Disease is a viral disease that most commonly infects cormorants, but has also been documented in gulls and pelicans. Clinical signs of infection in wild birds are often neurologic and include droopy head or twisted neck, lack of coordination, inability to fly or dive and complete or partial paralysis. Juveniles are most commonly affected.

Newcastle can rarely affect humans, generally causing conjunctivitis, a relatively mild inflammation of the inner eyelids. It is spread to humans by close contact with sick birds. Wild birds can be a potential source of disease if they have contact with domestic poultry.

Area farmers need to practice sound biosecurity procedures, including monitoring their poultry flocks for signs of illness and taking steps to prevent wild birds from having contact with their domestic birds. If birds show sign of sickness, producers should contact their veterinarian or the Minnesota Board of Animal Health at (320) 231-5170.

Another die-off of 50 of cormorants has been discovered on Wells Lake in Rice County. Samples are being tested, but the specific cause of the birds’ illness is unknown.

DNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services staff are conducting site clean-ups and collecting swab and carcass samples for lab analysis at both locations.

Newcastle Disease is not new to Minnesota. The last outbreak covered a seven-county area in 2008, when about 2,400 birds died. In 1992, multiple mortality events affected double-crested cormorant colonies across the Great Lakes, upper Midwest, and Canada, with more than 35,000 birds estimated dead.

Minnesota has about 39 nesting colonies of double-crested cormorants, 87 percent of which occur along with other colonially nesting water birds. Most active nesting sites have a long history of use, dating back to the 1960s and 1970s.

Waterfowl season dates and limits, including significant changes designed to allow hunters to harvest more Canada geese, have been established for the fall season, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Additional details on the duck, goose and migratory bird hunting seasons will be available in the 2010 Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting Regulations, which will be available at DNR license agents and online later this month.

The regular waterfowl season will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, and continue through Tuesday, Nov. 30. The daily bag limit remains at six ducks, which may include no more than one hen mallard, one black duck, one canvasback, two pintail, two wood ducks, two redheads and two scaup. Possession limits remain at twice the daily bag limits.

Except for opening day, when shooting hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., shooting hours will be from one-half hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. daily through Saturday, Oct. 9, and from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset beginning Sunday, Oct. 10, through the end of duck season.

Motorized decoys or other motorized devices designed to attract migratory birds may not be used from the opening day of duck season through Saturday, Oct. 9. Motorized decoys or other motorized devices designed to attract migratory birds may not be used at any time during the season on water bodies and lands fully contained within state wildlife management area (WMA) boundaries.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 18. Hunters younger than 16 may take regular season bag limits when accompanied by a nonhunting adult (age 18 and older, no license required). Canada geese, mergansers, coots and moorhens may be taken from one half-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. As of this year, all youth hunters are now required to obtain a free hunting license, including youth participating in the youth waterfowl hunt.

Minnesota goose hunters will note some significant changes in goose hunting regulations this year. The daily bag limit has been raised to three Canada geese statewide this year; the season length has been extended throughout the state; most goose hunting zones have been eliminated and there will no longer be a special December season.

“We’re attempting to provide additional hunting opportunity aimed at resident giant Canada geese,” said Steve Cordts, DNR waterfowl specialist.

Historically, Minnesota goose hunters were very dependent on the Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) of Canada geese. These geese nest along the west shores of Hudson Bay and migrate into western Minnesota, especially around Lac qui Parle WMA.

Minnesota has a long history of using special regulations, including goose zones, quotas, smaller bag limits and shorter seasons, to minimize harvest of EPP Canada geese in western Minnesota. But EPP goose numbers are as high as they’ve ever been and more than 90 percent of the state’s Canada goose harvest now is comprised of giant Canada geese.

“Since our resident giant Canada goose population remains high, this is a good time to expand hunting opportunity,” Cordts said. “Minnesota has not had a Canada goose bag limit of three during the regular waterfowl season since 1941 so this is fairly exciting and should be well-received by goose hunters.”

As a result of these changes, the West Central and West goose zones have been eliminated so goose seasons in those areas will be the same as the rest of the state.

At Lac qui Parle WMA, waterfowl hunters still will be required to obtain a daily permit for a blind (via reservation or daily drawing) from Oct. 21 to Nov. 30. From Dec. 1 until the end of goose season, hunters still can use designated hunting blinds but access will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hunters should consult the 2010 Waterfowl Regulations for additional information or contact Lac qui Parle WMA for further details.

Minnesota’s regular goose season will open statewide in conjunction with duck season on Saturday, Oct. 2, and close on Saturday, Dec. 25, except for the Rochester goose zone.

Canada goose season dates in the Rochester zone will be Saturday, Oct. 2, through Tuesday, Dec. 7. The season will reopen Thursday, Dec. 16, and conclude Sunday, Jan. 2.

“The Rochester goose zone will use the same boundaries as deer permit area 343 so hunters should be familiar with that,” Cordts said. “During our public input meetings, goose hunters around Rochester wanted to maintain some sort of split in the goose season but also extend the season a little later so this should accommodate those desires.”

The early Canada goose season will open statewide on Saturday, Sept. 4, and conclude on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Bag limits for Canada geese will be five per day.

A $4 permit is required for goose hunters during the September season. Permits are available wherever hunting and angling licenses are sold and online.

The restriction prohibiting hunting within 100 yards of surface water remains in effect in the northwestern Minnesota, Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area and an area surrounding Swan Lake in Nicollet County.

Early season goose hunters should consult the 2010 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Supplement for details.

A sandhill crane hunting season will open in northwestern Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 4, and conclude Sunday, Oct. 10.

All hunters are required to obtain a mandatory sandhill crane hunting permit, available from any DNR license agent or online for $3.50. No other licenses, permits or stamps are required.

No crane hunting is allowed within 100 yards of surface water through Wednesday, Sept. 22. This same restriction applies to Canada goose hunters in this zone.

Bag limits are two sandhill cranes per day. Shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise until sunset until duck season opens, when shooting hours for sandhill cranes are the same as for waterfowl.

Sandhill crane hunters should consult the 2010 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations for additional details.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed that spiny waterfleas were discovered in Burntside Lake near Ely last week. They were discovered by an angler when he observed them collecting on fishing lines in the water.

"Spiny waterfleas can spread when boats, fishing or bait harvesting gear become contaminated with egg-laden females or when water from the infested lakes and rivers is transported," said Rich Rezanka, DNR invasive species specialist. “Although the waterfleas can die between fishing trips, they might be carrying resting eggs that can begin a new infestation.”

Spiny waterfleas are currently found in Lake Superior, Mille Lacs Lake, Fish Lake, and the U.S.-Canadian border waters such as Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake and Namakan Lake as well as lakes on the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marias.

Spiny waterfleas can collect in masses, entangling on fishing lines, downrigger cables, and anchor lines. The masses can resemble gelatin or cotton batting with tiny black spots, which are the creatures' eyes or eggs. Individual animals are difficult to distinguish without magnification because they are only one-fourth to five-eighths inch long.

Spiny waterfleas are zooplankton – microscopic animals like the Daphnia in lakes. They have a long tail spine with up to three pairs of barbs. As a predator, they eat other zooplankton, often becoming abundant in late summer and fall.

Anglers are often the first to discover spiny waterfleas because they become attached to fishing gear. The waterfleas can be a nuisance to anglers, collecting in gobs on fishing lines and downrigging cables.

Spiny waterfleas can change the species and numbers of zooplankton, which may harm those lake ecosystems. Native zooplankton are an important food source for small fish.

However, spiny waterfleas are not good forage and may actually compete with fish for desirable native zooplankton.

Experts believe spiny waterfleas originally arrived in the U.S. from Eurasia in the ballast water of cargo ships. They were first found in Lake Superior in 1987.