June 19, 2009

Relatives: Body of missing angler found

Ash borer concerns heightened up north

Northwoods public access improvements scheduled, closed July 13-Aug 1

Big Cormorant west public access improvements scheduled, closed July 8-Aug 21

Ruffed grouse counts up significantly

Minn. man’s monster muskie missing

Pilot unhurt in float plane crash near Brainerd

US riders claim record for longest ATV parade

Fargo to continue urban deer hunt

Former Gophers halfback drowns while boating

Minnesota DNR teams with Dairy Queen to reward safe young boaters

Spring brings out fawns, bears and beavers

Lower Minnesota Valley Gets $1 Million Wildlife Habitat Roost

Sportsmen Defend Management of Great Lakes Wolves

Relatives: Body of missing angler found

GARRISON, Minn. (AP) - Relatives of a Maple Grove man who disappeared on Mille Lacs Lake last October say his body has been found.

Mike Hedin’s stepson, Scott Robbe, says the 59-year-old’s body was found in the water Saturday morning (June 20) near the McDonald’s restaurant in Garrison.

Robbe says his mother, Carol Hedin, is grateful for the massive search by sheriff’s departments from around the state and individuals.

Hedin went fishing for muskies last Oct. 29, a calm and sunny day. He called his wife on his cell phone about 5:30 p.m., saying he was quitting for the day and would see her the next afternoon. His boat was found the next morning after it washed ashore.

Foul play was not suspected. Authorities searched for more than three weeks until the lake froze.

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Ash borer concerns heightened up north

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. (AP) - A biologist for Voyageurs National Park says the discovery of the emerald ash borer in St. Paul is a cause for concern in northern Minnesota.

Biologist John Snyder is urging the public to take greater precautions to avoid inadvertantly bringing the ash borer up north. Snyder says travelers should use the Department of Natural Resources’ approved list of local firewood vendors, to avoid contaminating the forest.

The DNR says Koochiching County has 124 million ash trees in forest land. There are some 934 million ash trees in forests statewide.

Snyder says that because so few tree species can thrive in a black ash swamp, the area may have trouble recuperating from a decline in ash. Losing the ash trees could affect other plant and animal species as well.

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Northwoods public access improvements scheduled, closed July 13-Aug 1

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is temporarily closing the Northwoods public water access site on the northwest shore of Lake Bemidji to improve the site. The access is located along Bemidji Avenue North (County Road 21).

The access will be closed from July 13-Aug.1.

Improvements include replacing the double ramp, building a new stormwater retention pond, improving drainage, and adding a paved parking lot with a direct approach from County
Road 21. Northern Contracting Inc. of Bemidji won the bid to do the work.

“This facility, which was first constructed in 1992 on the site of the previous Northwoods Resort, is one of the primary access sites to Lake Bemidji for both summer and winter fishing," said Dave Schotzko, DNR Parks and Trails area supervisor. "The new upgrades will complement the adjacent roadway work and new infrastructure improvements by the city of Bemidji and Beltrami County. This ensures that it will continue to provide excellent public access for many years to come." 

There is also a very small public access located in Lake Bemidji State Park. A vehicle permit is required to enter the park.     

For questions about this project or other public water access issues, contact the DNR Bemidji Area Parks and Trails office at 218-308-2372.

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Big Cormorant west public access improvements scheduled, closed July 8-Aug 21

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is temporarily closing the Big Cormorant public water access site, located on the west shore of Big Cormorant Lake, to improve the site. The access is located at Cormorant Lake Village along County Road 5.

The access will be closed July 8-Aug. 21.

Improvements include reconfiguring and paving a parking lot to add more spaces, building a new ramp, creating two stormwater retention ponds, and re-vegetating slopes. Central Specialties Inc. won the bid to do the work.

“This facility is the primary access site to Big Cormorant Lake for both summer and winter fishing," said Dave Schotzko, DNR Parks and Trails area supervisor. "These new improvements will provide much-needed parking to help meet the fishing demands on this lake now and in to the future."

During the six-week closure, fishermen and boaters are directed to the DNR’s public water access at the north end of Big Cormorant Lake. Because this alternate site has minimal parking, the DNR recommends that it be used for boat launching and retrieval only.

For questions about this project or other public water access issues, contact the DNR Bemidji Area Parks and Trails office at 218-308-2372. 

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Ruffed grouse counts up significantly

DNR News
Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring drumming counts are significantly higher than last year across most of their range, according to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“Counts have been increasing steadily since 2005 but this is the substantial annual increase we’ve been hoping for,” said Mike Larson, DNR research scientist and grouse biologist. “Drumming counts this year are as high as counts during recent peaks in the population cycle.”

Ruffed grouse populations, which tend to rise and fall on a 10-year cycle, are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse heard drumming on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions. This year observers recorded 2.0 drums per stop statewide. Last year’s average was 1.4 drums per stop. Counts vary from about 0.8 drums per stop during years of low grouse abundance to about 1.9 during years of high abundance.

Drumming counts increased 44 percent over those during 2008 in the northeast survey region, the core and bulk of grouse range in Minnesota, to 2.4 drums per stop. Grouse counts increased most in the northwest region, from 0.9 to 1.9 drums per stop. Counts of 1.1 drums per stop in the central hardwoods and 0.5 drums per stop in the southeast were similar to last year’s counts.

Minnesota frequently is the nation’s top ruffed grouse producer. On average, 115,000 hunters harvest 545,000 ruffed grouse in Minnesota each year, also making it the state’s most popular game bird. During the peak years of 1971 and 1989, hunters harvested more than 1 million ruffed grouse. Michigan and Wisconsin, which frequently field more hunters than Minnesota, round out the top three states in ruffed grouse harvest.

“Higher drumming counts are good news,” said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife section chief. “Minnesota offers some of the best ruffed grouse hunting in the nation and we want to maintain and enhance those opportunities.”

One reason for Minnesota’s status as a top grouse producer is an abundance of young forest and other ruffed grouse habitat, much of it located on county, state and national forests, where public hunting is allowed. An estimated 11.5 million of the state’s 16.3 million acres of forest are grouse habitat.

For the past 60 years, DNR biologists have monitored ruffed grouse populations. This year, DNR staff and cooperators from 15 organizations surveyed 132 routes across the state.

SHARP-TAILED GROUSE COUNTS INCREASE IN NORTHWEST
Sharp-tailed grouse counts in the northwest survey region increased 15 percent between 2008 and 2009, Larson said. Counts in the east-central region declined slightly. Observers look for male sharptails displaying on traditional mating areas, called leks or dancing grounds. This year’s statewide mean of 13.6 grouse counted per dancing ground was as high as during any year since 1980 and above last year’s average of 12.4. During the last 25 years, the sharp-tailed grouse index has been as low as seven birds counted per dancing ground.

Overall, though, sharptail populations appear to have declined over the long term as a result of habitat deterioration. In recent years, the DNR has increased prescribed burning and shearing that keep trees from overtaking the open brush lands that sharp-tailed grouse need to thrive.

The DNR’s 2009 grouse survey report, which contains information on ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse, is available online at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/grouse.

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Minn. man’s monster muskie missing

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota man wants his monster muskie back.

Butch Cole of Menagha is offering a reward for the return of his trophy muskie. The 50-inch monster mount was on display in the lobby of a Park Rapids motel, but it disappeared.

Cole is an avid angler who says he’s landed a dozen big muskie. But he says the one that was stolen was his first, and he wants it returned – no questions asked.

While most muskie are mounted curved outward, this trophy fish faces the wall instead.

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Pilot unhurt in float plane crash near Brainerd

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) – A Ham Lake man is unhurt after crashing his float plane on Camp Lake about 20 miles southeast of Brainerd.

The Crow Wing County sheriff’s office says 69-year-old Allan Truman Dela was landing his Aviat Aircraft Husky A-1A when he lost control shortly before 11 a.m. last Sunday.

The plane veered onto the shoreline and hit some trees, damaging the plane’s wings and undercarriage.

Bruce Breun, fire chief for Garrison Fire and Rescue, says there were problems with the plane’s floats, so Dela wanted to get the plane as close to shore as possible.

Garrison Fire and Rescue responded and worked to stop a fuel leak on the plane.

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US riders claim record for longest ATV parade

SILVER BAY, Minnesota (AP) - All-terrain vehicle riders who formed a parade along Minnesota's North Shore are claiming a world record for their turnout.

The All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota tried Saturday to line up more than 2,000 ATVs in Silver Bay into the longest parade documented for Guinness World Records.

Group spokesman Les Schermerhorn said they fell short, but their count was 1,632 ATVs. They hope to have the Guinness organization verify the claim in the coming weeks.

The current record of 1,138 ATVs was set by the Harlan County Ridge Runners of Evarts, Kentucky, in 2006. Three-wheelers and side-by-side ATVs do not count.

The Minnesota group's attempt last year fell 55 four-wheelers short of the Kentucky group's total.

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Fargo to continue urban deer hunt

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Bow hunters in the Fargo area will have another chance to hunt deer along the Red River starting this fall.

The Fargo Park Board has unanimously voted continue the urban deer hunt. It will run from noon Sept. 4 through a half hour after sunset on Jan. 31, 2010.

City officials say the 2008-09 hunt culled 10 deer from the north and south sides of Fargo.

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Former Gophers halfback drowns while boating

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) – A family member says former Minnesota Gophers football player Billy Bye has drowned in a boating accident at age 81.

Jim Bye, the former halfback’s son, says Bye was boating on Bay Lake with his wife, Sally, at their home in Crow Wing County on Friday afternoon (June 12) when he drowned.

Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office says Bye had left the boat in an attempt to fix its entangled motor and began struggling in the water.

He was unable to get out of the water despite passengers’ efforts to throw ropes and life jackets to him.

Bye died at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby.

Bye lettered for the Gophers from 1946 to 1949. He was most valuable player of the 1946 Gophers. He was a 19th-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1949.

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Minnesota DNR teams with Dairy Queen to reward safe young boaters

DNR News
Minnesota kids wearing life jackets while boating this summer will not only be staying safe, but also could be rewarded with an ice cream treat.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has partnered with Dairy Queen to provide a PFD Panda Award certificate to youngsters who are observed by conservation officers (CO) wearing a life jacket while boating. The certificate includes a tear-off coupon that entitles the child to a free cone or cheeseburger from participating Dairy Queen restaurants.

“We at International Dairy Queen are excited with the idea,” said Ryan Hassebroek, regional marketing manager for the Minnesota-based company. “We thought this was a great way to encourage children to wear their life jackets and we hope that safe boating behavior continues right through adulthood.”

Currently more than 96 percent of children now wear a life jacket while boating in Minnesota, according to recent studies conducted by the DNR. That’s an increase from about 47 percent in 1984.

The PFD Panda Award certificate was created by the DNR after a CO suggested there be a reward for children he saw wearing their life jacket. PFD Panda is the DNR’s mascot that encourages kids to boat safely. PFD refers to personal flotation device, the official name given to life jackets.

“We’ve had the PFD Panda Award for almost 20 years,” Smalley said, “but we thought it would be a nice addition to give kids a cool treat to go along with the cool award for wearing their life jackets.”

DNR COs report that children have called them over to their family’s boat so they can earn the life jacket award. One child said to his friend who had come along, “See, I told ya you get ice cream for wearing your life jacket.”

Several other government agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, now use the PFD Panda character for its boating safety promotional campaigns. However, Minnesota is the only state to use the PFD Panda Award. “It’s been a wonderful tool to educate youngsters about boating and water safety,” Smalley said. “We know it’s working, and thank Dairy Queen for stepping up to help with this important campaign.”

Minnesota county sheriff’s water patrol deputies also distribute the DNR’s PFD Panda certificates to children.

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Spring brings out fawns, bears and beavers

DNR News
Bears, beaver, deer and other wildlife are active this time of year in northern Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR urges people
to leave fawns and other wildlife alone.

Jeff Lightfoot, DNR Northeast Region wildlife manager, offers tips for dealing with nuisance wildlife.

DEER
A doe’s method of rearing offspring is different from a human’s, especially for the first few weeks. Within hours of its birth, the fawn is led to a secluded spot and the doe lets it nurse.
With a full stomach, the fawn is content to lie down and rest. If the doe has twins, it will hide the second fawn up to 200 feet away. Then the doe leaves to feed and rest herself, out of sight but within earshot. In four or five hours, she will return to feed her young and take them to a new hiding place. They follow this pattern for two to three weeks, and only then, when the fawns are strong enough to outrun predators, do the young travel much with their mother.

Deer have evolved a number of special adaptations that make this approach to fawn rearing successful. Fawns have almost no odor, so predators cannot smell them. Their white spotted coats provide excellent camouflage when they are lying on the forest floor. For the first week of life, frightened fawns instinctively freeze, making full use of their protective coloration. Older fawns remain motionless until they think they have been discovered, and then jump and bound away. A deer’s primary protection from predators is its great speed. Newborn fawns are not fast enough to outdistance predators, so they must depend on their ability to hide for protection.

Although these adaptations work well against predators, they don’t work very well with people. For the first few weeks, a fawn’s curiosity may entice it to approach a person who comes upon on it.

What’s the right way to handle an encounter with a fawn? Never try to catch it. If it’s hiding, admire it for a moment and then quietly walk away. Enjoy the memory, but don’t describe the location to others. If the fawn tries to follow you, gently push on its shoulders until it lies down, and then walk away. That’s what its mother does when she doesn’t want the fawn to follow. Leaving fawns where you found them gives them the best chance for survival.

BEARS
Black bear sows are raising young and are hungry. Hungry bears are not averse to taking advantage of food found in bird feeders, garbage containers and barbecues. If a bear becomes a problem at a home, the first approach should be to remove the source of food such as bird feeders and put garbage inside secure garages.

If people see a bear they should stay indoors. Bears are generally afraid of humans, but can be unpredictable. Landowners who are troubled by nuisance bears should remove the attractant.

If the bear remains in the area for more than a day or two, contact the local area wildlife office for additional suggestions.

BEAVER
Landowners have the authority to remove from their property beavers that are causing damage. With a permit from a conservation officer, beaver trappers can also remove nuisance beavers outside of the beaver season. Before contacting the local conservation officer, consider wrapping shoreline trees in chicken wire fence. The beaver will not chew through the fence thus preserving the tree.

If a beaver dam structure affects property, DNR authorization is required to remove it. A device called a Clemson Leveler could be installed to maintain water flow through the dam. The lake association or watershed district should work with the DNR to ensure usefulness and proper installation.

“Wildlife is wonderful to observe, but these animals also should be respected,” Lightfoot said. “Stay safe, have fun, enjoy the outdoors.”

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Lower Minnesota Valley Gets $1 Million Wildlife Habitat Roost

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently awarded a $1 million grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to Pheasants Forever (PF) and other partners in Minnesota. This NAWCA grant will fund Phase II of a multi-year initiative to restore and enhance breeding and migratory habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife in the Lower Minnesota River Valley.

The fifteen-county project area in the Lower Minnesota River basin includes Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, McLeod, Mower, Nicollet, Rice, Sibley, Steele, Waseca and Watonwan Counties.

The Lower Minnesota Valley Wetlands Conservation Initiative includes seven partners who have pledged to complete over $3.2 million in habitat restoration and enhancement, easement acquisition, and fee-title acquisition over the next two years. The federal, state and private partners propose to restore 405 acres of wetland and grassland habitats, enhance habitat on 2,067 acres, and acquire fee-title on 527 acres within the project area. Work will be completed on both public and private lands. This initiative focuses on accelerating the restoration and enhancement of grasslands and wetlands along with the associated wildlife populations which depend on those habitats.

This NAWCA partnership will assist in achieving goals laid out in North American Waterfowl Management Plan as well as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources pheasant and duck plans. It also addresses several habitat recommendations made in the Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan.

"We are so pleased to receive this boost from NAWCA to accelerate habitat restoration, enhancement and protection efforts in the Lower Minnesota Valley," said Scott Roemhildt, regional field representative for PF in southern Minnesota. "The work to be completed fits perfectly with what we are striving to accomplish through many of our habitat and species recovery plans, and the funding will assist greatly in putting additional permanent restorations in the Minnesota River Valley."

Partners include: Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Gary Renner, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust Inc., Shell Rock River Watershed District, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the Minnesota DNR long range pheasant plan, click here; for the Minnesota DNR duck plan, click here.

For more information on PF in southern Minnesota, contact Scott Roemhildt at (507) 327-9785 or via email at sroehmhildt@pheasantsforever.org or visit www.minnesotapf.org.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North Americathrough habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 130,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

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Sportsmen Defend Management of Great Lakes Wolves

The nation’s top sportsmen’s advocacy organization, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) has joined forces with Great Lakes area state hunting organizations and local outdoorsmen to block animal rights group’s attempts to provide unnecessary protections to thriving wolf populations. 

The USSAF’s Legal Defense Fund is filing a motion to intervene against a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and others involving the great lakes population of wolves.  Wolves were removed from the Endangered Species List by former President Bush after the populations far exceeded previously set benchmarks for the species.  The decision triggered a lawsuit to stop the delisting.  The court stopped the delisting while the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) complied with some minor technical issues. 

After President Obama was elected, the FWS reviewed the wolf decision and also concluded that the species was healthy enough to be delisted.  The Obama administration’s decision has once again triggered a lawsuit by national anti-hunting organizations. 

“This frivolous lawsuit makes it clear that anti-hunting groups will never support a species removal from the Endangered Species List, no matter how healthy and abundant the population has become,” said Rob Sexton, vice president for Government Affairs with USSAF.  “Presidents from both political parties have seen the data and knew this was the right thing to do.  While the anti’s play their delaying tactics, sportsmen across the Great Lakes states continue to lose their hunting dogs to attacks by the thriving wolf population and many sportsmen are reporting declines in deer numbers in the wolf range.”

USSAF is being joined in the motion to intervene by the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, and two local Wisconsin hunters, Scott Meyer of Gleason, and Rob Stafsholt of New Richmond.  Both men have lost dogs to wolves. 

“It is critical that the states be allowed to manage the wolf population,” said Meyer.  “In addition to losing my own dogs, the unchecked wolf population is devastating other wildlife including bear cubs.  We need to make sure the court knows this information.”

More urgent at this point, the plaintiffs have filed for a temporary restraining order to stop wolves from being managed by the states while the case moves through the courts.  This is a process that could take years and is a frequent delaying tactic by opponents of hunting.    

The USSAF also invited Safari Club International Foundation to join the effort. 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them.  The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research.  Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussafoundation.org.

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