In This Issue
A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management.
Bear hunters: remember to buy license, check regulations
Bear hunters who enter the lottery for bear hunting licenses should check to see if they were selected for a license. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has mailed postcards to lottery winners. Hunters can also look on the Minnesota DNR website to see if they were selected. The deadline to purchase a bear license is Tuesday, Aug. 1. Surplus licenses will be available at noon Friday, Aug. 4. Bear baiting may begin Friday, Aug. 11, and the hunting season is Friday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 15. Find more details on the Minnesota DNR’s bear hunting webpage (mndnr.gov/hunting/bear).
DNR webinars cover frogs and toads, Conservation Partners Legacy grant program
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the summer program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.
In a webinar on Wednesday, July 26, Mags Edwards, Minnesota DNR frog and toad research program coordinator, will discuss why frogs and toads are unlikely ambassadors for environmental conservation. Edwards will also share tips to identify different frog and toad species, and how people can go “herping” with a purpose to help the Minnesota DNR collect information about frogs and toads in Minnesota.
In a webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 2, David Stein, Conservation Partners Legacy grant program coordinator, will provide an overview of the CPL grant program, share some habitat success stories from recent grant recipients and discuss how to get involved. Through the program, millions of dollars goes to nonprofit organizations and government entities to help restore, enhance, and protect Minnesota’s habitats and natural resources. Funding comes from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which was created after voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008.
The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.
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Allowing harvest of smaller fish offers more opportunity to keep a walleye
The minimum length of walleye Mille Lacs Lake anglers can keep drops from 21 to 20 inches beginning Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Mille Lacs’ one-fish limit will remain in place, but the change allows anglers to keep one walleye between 20-23 inches or one longer than 28. The previous limit was one walleye 21-23 inches or one longer than 28.
“With the catch rates we’ve had this spring and early summer, we can expand opportunity a bit for the rest of the open water season without harm to the long-term sustainability of the lake’s walleye population,” said Brian Nerbonne, central region fisheries manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The recent lower catch rate of Mille Lacs walleye is less a reflection of the number of walleyes in the lake than the abundance of natural forage. Minnesota DNR population models that incorporate test netting done each fall indicate that the number of walleyes in the lake longer than 14 inches has been similar from 2020-2023, but test netting shows an increase in the abundance of yellow perch from strong recent year classes. With more forage fish to eat, walleye have not been as willing to bite on anglers’ lines.
“Although the relaxed slot limit may not seem like a big change, the current size structure of walleye in the lake means this will increase anglers’ chances of catching a harvestable fish,” Nerbonne said.
Regulations for all other species on the lake remain unchanged. New walleye regulations will be announced in November for the winter season, which begins Friday, Dec. 1.
More information about fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, ongoing Minnesota DNR management and research, citizen engagement and Mille Lacs area recreation opportunities is available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/millelacslake).
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Faribault County parcel to have ‘No Trespass Wildlife Sanctuary’ designation removed
Hunting will be allowed on an additional 200 acres at Walnut Lake Wildlife Management Area in central Faribault County. It is the first time hunting will be allowed on that parcel in more than 75 years. Walnut Lake WMA is located near Interstate 90 southwest of the city of Wells.
The 200 acres of the Walnut Lake WMA now being opened to hunting was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in the 1940s to help protect Canada geese in southern Minnesota. Canada goose populations have long ago recovered to robust levels and maintaining this no trespass wildlife sanctuary is no longer justified.
Adjacent landowners have been notified of this change. Questions can be directed to Stein Innvaer, the Nicollet area wildlife office supervisor, at 507-386-3922 or [email protected].
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