Number of walleye fingerlings stocked doubles
2004 bear season similar to 2003
DNR reports 2004 Bemidji-area firearms deer harvest as second highest on record
Country singer offers to help stranded deer
Wisconsin anglers caught with 220 sunfish over the limit in northeast Minnesota
Number
of walleye fingerlings stocked doubles
Three
million walleye fingerlings produced for over 250 lakes
DNR Reports
State and private fish hatcheries produced three million walleye fingerlings
for stocking in more than 250 lakes this year, almost twice last year’s
total of 1.7 million fingerlings, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (DNR).
The number of fingerlings increased because the average size and weight of
fingerlings decreased. This year’s fingerlings averaged four to six inches
or about 21 fingerlings per pound. Last year’s fingerlings were six to
eight inches, or about 10 fingerlings per pound.
“Fingerlings stocked at a rate between 10 and 35 per pound provide the
maximum benefit to anglers,” said Roy Johannes, who coordinates the statewide
fish stocking programs for DNR. “At that size, the fingerlings are large
enough to avoid predation from other fish species and plentiful enough to provide
a good return to anglers.”
This year’s total of approximately 144,000 pounds represents 90 percent
of the annual walleye-stocking goal, which was increased from 130,000 pounds
to 160,000 pounds this year. State and private hatcheries have produced about
139,000 pounds of walleye. Private hatcheries are under contract for an additional
5,000 pounds.
The DNR purchased one million walleye fingerlings weighing 40,000 pounds from seven private producers.
“Purchasing a portion of our quota from the private sector worked very
well and we look forward to continuing the relationship in the future,”
Johannes said. The DNR produced the remaining fingerlings
Ron Payer, program chief for the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife, is optimistic
that in future years, the DNR and private fish producers will meet the goal
of 160,000 pounds called for in the Conservation Agenda, a report that contains
natural resource indicators and targets for 2003-2007.
“We have the capacity,” Payer said. “When weather conditions
are good, we will likely meet or exceed our goals. There will also be years
when production might be below the goal. Over time we’ll meet the goal
on average.”
Under the Accelerated Walleye Program, the DNR has stocked an average of 136,000
pounds of fingerlings, including 113,000 pounds in 2000 and 161,000 pounds in
2001, 98,000 pounds in 2002, 165,000 pounds in 2003 and 143,000 pounds this
year. Raising fish in natural ponds will cause annual production to fluctuate,
because environmental variables cannot be controlled.
“We are somewhat at the mercy of the weather,” Payer said. “The
upside is that it’s a low-cost way to produce fingerlings because we use
the pond’s natural productivity to grow the fish.”
In addition to stocking walleye fingerlings, the DNR also stocked also stocked
other cool-water species, including:
• 2,830 pounds of walleye fry in 242 lakes this past spring. Each pound
contains approximately 100,000 walleye fry.
• 22,000 pounds of muskie fingerlings to be stocked this fall, which includes
2,100 fish purchased from a private fish hatchery. Each year, the DNR stocks
between 20,000 and 30,000 fingerlings in 15 to 40 designated muskie lakes.
• 30,000 lake sturgeon fingerlings were stocked in four lakes and two rivers as part of the Red River restoration project in northwest Minnesota. The DNR stocked 17,867 fingerlings and the White Earth Reservation stocked the remaining fingerlings. Sturgeon stocked by the DNR included fish reared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in the private sector.
DNR and FishAmerica stock
walleye fingerlings into Lake Byllesby
The walleye population in Lake Byllesby got a boost thanks to 18,000 walleye
fingerlings stocked this past October in the 1,400-acre reservoir on the Cannon
River near Cannon Falls.
The fingerlings, which weighed 1,000 pounds and averaged about six inches long, were purchased in part with $5,000 donation from the FishAmerica Foundation, which receives funding from several fishing tournament sponsors including Forest L. Woods Outdoors and the Wal-Mart-Ranger-Crestliner-Lund tournament series.
The DNR covered the remaining cost as part of the Accelerated Walleye Stocking
program.
“We hope the addition of walleye stocking in Lake Byllesby will improve
angler catch rates within the reservoir,” said Kevin Stauffer DNR area
fisheries supervisor at Lake City. “But we also expect that these fish
will move and utilize the entire river system to some degree.”
Walleye are a common species in the Cannon River system and in Lake Byllesby. In some locations, and at certain times of the year, walleye fishing can be excellent in the Cannon River system. Lake Byllesby was last stocked with walleye was in 1973. The DNR plans to continue stocking 1,000 pounds of fingerlings annually for the foreseeable future.
2004
bear season similar to 2003
About 26 percent of an estimated 12,800 hunters who took to the
field harvested a bear this year in Minnesota, according to the Department of
Natural Resources (DNR).
Minnesota bear hunters took 3,320 bears during the 2004 bear season,
which ran from Sept. 1 through Oct. 17. This year’s harvest is similar
to 2003, when hunters harvested 3,598 bears. Bear harvests in Minnesota over
the past 10 years have ranged from a low of 1,874 in 1996 to the record of 4,956
in 1995, and hunter success rates have ranged from 14 to 43 percent.
“Hazelnuts and acorns, the main fall foods for bears, were
not exceedingly abundant, which meant bears were attracted to hunters’
baits,” said Dave Garshelis, DNR bear research biologist in Grand Rapids.
“When natural foods are abundant, hunters tend to have greater difficulty
because bears are less attracted to bait”.
The state’s bear population remains between 20,000 and 30,000,
and is considered stable. The DNR hopes to maintain the population at about
this level. More bears can increase the likelihood of bear-human conflicts,
especially in years when natural foods are scarce, said Lou Cornicelli, big
game specialist in the DNR Division of Wildlife.
Additional details and application instructions for 2005 bear hunting quota area licenses will be available by April 1. The application deadline will be Friday, May 3 and the season will open Monday, Sept. 1.
DNR
reports 2004 Bemidji-area firearms deer harvest as second highest on record
Bemidji Area Wildlife Manager Steve Caron from the Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) reports a 2004 firearms deer harvest of 14,021 deer in the Bemidji wildlife
area, which includes southern Beltrami, northern Hubbard and all of Clearwater
counties.
The 2004 harvest is the second highest on record, but a decrease of 10 percent
from the 2003 harvest. The harvest was 16 percent higher than the third-highest
deer registration of 1992, when 12,050 deer were registered. Hunters registered
deer during November at 35 DNR big game registration stations, which are operated
cooperatively by area businesses.
This year all but two local deer permit areas had bonus licenses available
to firearms hunters, according to Caron. “The opportunity to harvest multiple
deer, combined with the ideal weather during both Zone 1 and Zone 2 firearms
deer seasons, allowed hunters to harvest a high number of deer, as well as a
high proportion of does and fawns (58 percent of total deer) for the second
consecutive year,” Caron said.
Adult buck registration was 5,940, almost identical to 2003 (5,968, an area
record). Hunters, sports shops and registration stations reported a good harvest
of mature 3-1/2-year-old and older bucks again this season.
Buck harvest provides an index to deer population trends, according to Caron.
“The registered buck harvest in 2004 was 25 percent above the 15-year average
of 4,746,” said Caron. “This is a reflection of the overall deer population
level, as well as the weather and timing of the firearms hunt.”
Adult bucks made up 42 percent of the total area deer harvest this year, compared
to only 38 percent last season. Prior to 2003, the average Bemidji-area adult
buck harvest during the past 15 years has been 45 to 53 percent.
DNR’s deer population model indicates that the local deer population decreased
by approximately 10 percent in 2004 due to the high antlerless deer harvest
in 2003.
“In both 2003 and 2004, local deer hunters made choices to purchase and
use many bonus permits. In 2003, 41 percent of the total deer harvested and
64 percent of the antlerless deer harvested in Zone 2 were tagged with a bonus
licenses,” said Caron.
In 2004, the proportions for the area were 36 and 62 percent, respectively.
An important factor in firearms deer hunting success is weather. Weather during
deer season influences deer movement and the amount of time hunters spend afield.
Weather during the 2004 firearms season was ideal. Opening weekend brought
mild temperatures in the 40- to 50-degree range. Above-average temperatures
in the 20s and 30s prevailed through the end of both Zone 2 and Zone 1 seasons.
“Hunters again enjoyed good success this season, and many of the bucks
harvested were 2-1/2 years old, in addition to a fair number of 3-1/2- to 5-1/2-year-old
deer. This, together with overall deer harvest reaching 14,000, indicates the
local deer population is providing excellent opportunities for deer hunters
and is being reduced to more socially acceptable levels,” concluded Caron.
DNR wildlife managers will evaluate the 2004-2005 winter conditions, the deer population status and final deer harvest numbers next spring. Appropriate recommendations for the 2005 deer season will be made after analysis of that data.
DNR estimates show Park
Rapids-area deer harvest second-highest on record
Preliminary estimates from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) indicate
that deer hunters in the Park Rapids area registered roughly 19,500 deer during
the 2004 firearms season.
While the 2004 harvest was approximately 15 percent lower than 2003, preliminary
figures indicate this year’s harvest will be the second highest on record,
following last year’s harvest of just over 23,000 deer.
The next-highest harvests occurred in 2002 (with 17,834 deer registered) and
1992 (17,737 deer registered).
The Park Rapids wildlife area is comprised of the southern half of Hubbard
(down 20 percent), the eastern half of Becker (down 18 percent), the northwestern
third of Cass (down 18 percent) and all of Wadena (down 6.5 percent) counties.
“We are very pleased with the firearms deer harvest this year following
the record harvest achieved last year,” said Rob Naplin, area wildlife
supervisor. “The deer population in 2004 was slightly lower than in 2003,
so a lower harvest was expected,” Naplin reports. “Last year lots
of bonus permits were sold, with many hunters harvesting multiple deer. This
year multiple permits were available again; however, there was a slight decline
in those permits purchased by hunters,” Naplin said.
These preliminary numbers don’t provide specific breakdowns for adult bucks, does or fawns. A more detailed breakdown of this year’s harvest will be available in mid-December, when DNR wildlife staff has analyzed all of the harvest data.
2004 Grand Rapids
area deer harvest 28 percent above 5-year average, lower than 2003
The preliminary count of the 2004 registered deer harvest in the Grand Rapids
area indicates it is down about 8 percent from 2003. 12,907 deer were harvested
in the Grand Rapids area, which includes Itasca and northeastern Cass counties.
This harvest is up 28 percent from the five-year average. Despite increased
opportunities to take antlerless deer in the area, the percentage of antlerless
deer in the harvest was down from 54 percent in 2003 to 50 percent in 2004.
Past mild winters and good habitat conditions allowed the deer populations
to increase from low numbers in the mid 1990s. Healthy deer numbers allowed
for additional permit areas to be in managed status, which allowed hunters to
harvest more than one deer.
“There probably are several reasons the harvest is reduced from 2003,”
said Perry Loegering, Area Wildlife Manager in Grand Rapids. “Many hunters
told me that deer were not moving as much during opening weekend, possibly as
a result of the mild weather. Another reason could be that hunters harvested
a near record number of deer in 2003 and still had some venison in the freezer
and decided to hold off on taking additional deer.
“The season this year was designed to lower the deer population and in
some areas it seems to be working,” said Loegering.
Harvest results are from hunters registering deer at registration stations located at private businesses throughout the state. Loegering thanks all the registration station operators in the Grand Rapids area for the service they provided to hunters and the DNR this season. “They do an excellent job recording information from individual hunters,” Loegering said. The information from deer registration is very important in managing deer populations in the state.
Country
singer offers to help stranded deer
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) – A country singer is riding to the rescue
of a herd of deer that’s been trapped in an urban reservoir since the 9/11
attacks.
Troy Gentry, one half of the country duo Montgomery Gentry, has told the owner
of an 80-acre wildlife preserve in Pine County that he’ll pay for the deer’s
safe passage there.
“We’re ready right now,” said Lee Greenly, owner of Minnesota
Wildlife Connection near Sandstone. “In one to four days we can have all
the deer taken out of Columbia Heights.”
It would be another step in the deer’s twisted saga over the last several
years. The state Department of Natural Resources isn’t thrilled about the
idea, but said they won’t stand in Gentry’s way.
The deer became an issue after the 2001 terrorist attacks, when gates at the
Minneapolis-operated Minnesota Water Works were closed to protect the water
supply.
Dozens of deer suddenly became a captive herd, and members of the surrounding
community became attached to the animals. Despite stern warnings not to feed
them, neighbors not only fed the deer but also named them.
So they didn’t take it well when the DNR decided to allow a one-day hunt
late last year. The agency was dead set against moving the deer, but deer-lovers
were dead set against seeing them killed.
There was even a proposal to use birth control to manage the deer population,
but that was met with resistance from some who argued that any form of birth
control is a sin.
“It was all over the board,” Columbia Heights Mayor Julienne Wyckoff
said.
DNR officials said moving a deer can be dangerous to the animal. Deer lovers
argue that hunting them isn’t much better. The state, while acknowledging
that its position is somewhat incongruous, says the risk of hurting the animals
is too great.
“It’s pretty horrific for a deer to break a leg,” said John
Guenther, director of the Fish and Wildlife Division at the DNR.
Ultimately the DNR got its way, though hunters who showed up on Dec. 31, 2003
were met with a pre-dawn protest staged by Columbia Heights residents, including
Wyckoff.
The sanctioned bow hunt thinned the herd by half, which is about half as much
as state game officials hoped.
Recently the DNR relented. Though it still opposes moving them, the agency
will allow the move if someone else pays for it.
That’s where Gentry, an avid outdoorsman, comes in.
Greenly, the nature preserve owner, said Gentry is a frequent visitor. Gentry
offered to pay for the move after the two discussed the situation, Greenly said.
Greenly said it’s not yet certain how much it would cost to move the deer.
But he said he’s already spent $23,000 to put up higher fences to comply
with state law.
Greenly said once the deer are at his preserve, they’ll be photographed by nature photographers and could even be used in Hollywood movies from time to time.
Wisconsin
anglers caught with 220 sunfish over the limit in northeast Minnesota
Boats,
motors, trailers, rods & reels seized
A group of Wisconsin anglers faces heavy fines and forfeiture of equipment for
taking an over limit of sunfish near Orr in northeast Minnesota.
Minnesota Conservation Officers Lloyd Steen of Ray and Troy Fondie of Orr recently
received a call that four Wisconsin men were taking over limits of sunfish from
Blackduck Lake. The caller had descriptions of the two trucks and boats being
used. The anglers were found with 220 sunfish over their limit. They each face
a fine of up to $3,000, one year in jail or both.
“Thanks to a concerned citizen, this illegal activity was identified and
stopped,” said Steen. Charged with gross misdemeanor for over limit of
sunfish were Darold D. Strine, 56, Roger M. Hamilton, 65, and Thomas N. Price,
55, all from Lone Rock, Wis., and Richard L. McCollough, 54, of Spring Green,
Wis.
In addition to facing fines and restitution, the men forfeited two boats and
trailers, two boat motors, and four sets of rods and reels under the enhanced
gross overlimits law passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2003.
Steen and Fondie went to the cabin where the men were staying and found a freezer containing 240 sunfish, as well as an additional 60 sunfish in the round between both boats for an estimated 300 in possession. The legal possession limit for the four anglers is 80 sunfish (20 sunfish per angler). Restitution value on the estimated 220 illegal sunfish is $1,100.
“Over the years, the DNR has received valuable information through the
Turn In a Poacher (TIP) hotline, assisting us in ending a variety of poaching
activities," said Steen. "This case is another example of how the
concern of Minnesota sportsmen and women can be used to protect our natural
resources.”
Established in 1981, the TIP program allows Minnesotans to call a toll-free number from anywhere in the state to report natural resources violations. Calls regarding violations can be placed anonymously at 1-800-652-9093.
© 2004 Outdoor Outlines, Inc.