In This Issue
A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management.
Pheasants Forever, Minnesota DNR join forces to get new hunters into fields and forests
With spring turkey season starting April 17, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Pheasants Forever are inviting Minnesota hunters to join the Hunter Mentor Challenge and take someone hunting who has never hunted or hasn?t hunted for a few years.
Minnesota hunters and those they mentor will qualify for a discount code for ALPS OutdoorZ brand gear; and, after their hunt, they have the chance to win a custom, limited-edition Pheasants Forever hunting backpack from ALPS OutdoorZ.
The program is open to all spring wild turkey and light goose hunters. Experienced hunters can invite a new hunter of any age if the new hunter has the proper license/tag necessary and either the mentee hunter?s safety or apprentice hunter validation.
Participation is simple: hunters visit the Minnesota DNR page on the Pheasants Forever website and take the pledge (pheasantsforever.org/mndnr). After taking the pledge, hunters are asked to bring a novice or returning hunter on a hunt during the season and snap a picture or short video during the hunting trip. The last step is to submit contact information, a hunt recap and a photo or video on the submission page to be entered for prize giveaways. All online entries must be received by June 30.
The Minnesota DNR has helpful information for new hunters and experienced hunters who would like to share their skills with new hunters. To learn more, visit the Minnesota DNR take a friend hunting webpage (mndnr.gov/gohunting/take-friend-hunting.html).
Video shows how to handle flathead catfish, other large fish
A video from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources aims to educate anglers about how to properly catch and release large fish.
Being properly equipped and understanding how to handle a large fish is critical to enhancing the fish?s chances for survival after release. The video covers: having the proper equipment for large fish; minimizing the time the fish is out of the water; protecting the fish?s slime coating; holding the large fish horizontally and supporting the fish?s body; and releasing the fish properly. ??
The flathead catfish fishing season began April 1. Additionally, seasons are around the corner for other large fish like lake sturgeon, muskellunge, northern pike, steelhead and others.
The video can be found on the Minnesota DNR?s catch and release webpage (mndnr.gov/fish/catchandrelease.html).
Minnesota DNR webinars focus on bear survival and coldwater fisheries
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the spring program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.
In a webinar on Wednesday, April 3, Andy Tri, DNR bear project leader, will discuss what four decades of research on Minnesota black bears can tell us about the state?s bear population.
In a webinar on Wednesday, April 10, Derek Bahr, DNR fisheries research scientist, and Heather Baird, DNR forest fisheries landscape coordinator, will discuss how climate and landscape changes are affecting coldwater fish communities in Minnesota lakes, how the DNR is working with partners to mitigate those effects and what each of us can do to help.
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 Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.
###
This summer, Minnesota state parks will offer tours introducing visitors to the Iron Ranges? mining history, prairie life, and the longest cave in the state.
Reservations are now available for tours at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine, Blue Mounds, and Forestville/Mystery Cave state parks. Schedules and reservation information are available on the state park tours webpage of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (mndnr.gov/tours).
Returning in 2024: Soudan Underground Mine tours at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park
Minnesota has been a powerhouse in the production of iron ore starting with the state?s first iron ore mine, the Soudan Mine, which opened in 1882 and operated until 1962. Underground mine tours (mndnr.gov/soudan-mine-tours) will return in May after being closed the last two years due to an extensive restoration project. The mine shaft restoration was completed in December 2023 and new interpretive exhibits are coming to the visitor center in April. In addition, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the installation of the mine shaft hoist in the engine house.
?The Soudan Mine is a living memorial that honors all who immigrated to the Iron Ranges of Minnesota to seek a better life for themselves,? said Sarah Guy-Levar, interpretive services supervisor at the park. ?We are eager to share the major improvements with our visitors and help people fully immerse themselves in the authentic experience of an underground miner.?
The Soudan Underground Mine offers historic tours where visitors travel 2,341 feet ? nearly one-half mile ? underground by cage on authentic, expertly maintained hoisting equipment. Once underground, participants board a train and ride nearly a mile to the last and deepest area of the mine. On the tour, visitors hear true stories of the miners and learn firsthand about the working conditions that made this underground iron mine the safest of all the Iron Range mines.?
Historic tours run daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September. In October, tours are offered on weekends through the third weekend of the month. Mine tours are fully accessible. Reservations are highly recommended as tours frequently sell out.
Prairie and bison tours at Blue Mounds State Park
Blue Mounds State Park, in the state?s far southwest corner, offers a 90-minute bus tour into a vast prairie that might include the sighting of the park?s massive bison herd. These powerful wild animals can be elusive, so there?s no guarantee of seeing one. However, prairie life ? such as grasses, prairie flowers and other wildlife ? can easily be seen on the tour.
?The bison's story of resilience shows us just how powerful the prairie can be,? said Tiffany Muellner, interpretive naturalist at Blue Mounds State Park. ?Taking the tour is a great way to experience some of that story and discover how the prairie is so much more than grass."
Tour reservations are required. Prairie and bison tours (mndnr.gov/state_parks/tours/prairie-and-bison-tour.html) run Thursday through Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and weekends from mid-September to mid-October. The tour bus is equipped with a lift and can accommodate one wheelchair per tour.
Mystery Cave tours at Mystery Cave at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park?
Covering 13 miles, Mystery Cave is Minnesota?s longest cave. Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park offers a variety of tours through the cave, including the one-hour lantern tour, the one-hour scenic tour, the two-hour geology tour, and the four-hour wild caving tour. Each tour takes visitors to different areas of the cave and showcases stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, fossils, and cave pools.
?Mystery Cave is unique because of its interconnectedness to so many wonderful things,? Cave Manager Dawn Ryan said. ?When visitors leave the surface and go underground into Mystery Cave, they quickly discover the cave is its own environment defined by water. Everywhere you look, water is dripping, flowing or pooling. Water flowing through the cave contributes to the beautiful cave formations and provides habitat for rare cave life.?
One-hour scenic tours begin May 11 and run through Oct. 20, and are offered multiple times daily. These tours are fully accessible. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins will be accommodated based on availability. The 12:20 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. tours on weekends are not reservable and are for walk-ins only.
The lantern, geology and wild caving tours are offered on weekends only, and reservations are required. Participants in these tours should read the cave tour webpage (mndnr.gov/state_parks/tours/mystery_cave/tours) for details about age restrictions, footwear requirements, and conditions that participants will encounter. Lantern and geology tours are available from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Wild caving tours run from June 1 to Aug. 24.
State park vehicle permits
A state parks vehicle permit is not needed for the parking area at the visitor center at Soudan Underground Mine or the Stuntz Bay parking lots; visitors will need a vehicle permit to enter other areas of the park, including the campground.
Tour participants at Blue Mounds and Forestville/Mystery Cave state parks will need a vehicle permit to drive into the park for their tour.
The permit cost is $7 per day, or $35 per year for unlimited visits to all state parks and recreation areas. Vehicle permits can be purchased on the state parks permit webpage (mndnr.gov/permit) or in person during open hours at state park ranger stations.
###
Refreshed plans will span from 2025-2030
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking for feedback on pheasant and duck management which will inform updates to the state?s duck and pheasant action plans.
?We?re starting the process to refresh these two action plans to reflect current conditions and public priorities and to inform near-term management priorities for 2025-2030,? said Leslie McInenly, DNR wildlife populations and regulations manager. ?We?re in the scoping phase of the updates and there will be additional input opportunities once we have adjustments to propose for these plans.?
McInenly said the process is starting with outreach to tribal nations, conservation organizations, and Minnesotans. Initial input will be used to identify gaps in the current plans, including potential adjustments to plan objectives, strategies or performance metrics, and general priorities for work in the coming years.
Both the duck and pheasant action plans were drafted to guide shorter term management actions in support of longer-term strategic plans, including the 50-year Long Range Duck Recovery Plan adopted in 2006 and the National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan.?
People can share their thoughts in an online questionnaire available on the Engage with DNR webpage (engage.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries-public-input-wildlife-public-input).
The plans for these popular birds focus on longer-term conservation efforts designed to foster stewardship of ducks, pheasants and their habitats. The action plans were developed with the help of conservation and tribal partners as well as the public and technical experts. Each action plan is designed to identify management priorities to inform DNR work planning as well as collaborative efforts conservation partners. Each outlines short-term actions that can help fulfill long-term conservation goals.
More information about Minnesota DNR habitat work, activities and accomplishments related to the action plans, as well as the plans themselves, are available on the Minnesota DNR waterfowl webpage (mndnr.gov/waterfowl) and pheasant webpage (mndnr.gov/pheasant).
###
Minnesotans will be able to report observations of ring-necked pheasants and wild turkeys in a citizen science effort by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that kicks off this May.
?We?ll be asking folks to report any pheasant and turkeys they see in the wild from May through September,? said Nate Huck, resident game bird specialist. ?We anticipate people will be enthusiastic about this new tool and the chance to report their sightings.?
Information from the reports will help the Minnesota DNR monitor pheasant and turkey population trends, evaluate conservation efforts and make decisions about harvest regulations. People can report pheasants and turkeys of all ages.
Using a mobile device or desktop computer, people can enter information on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/wildlife/sightings). The page will also include the opportunity to sign up for email updates that will be sent out when results are available from the reporting effort.
###
Deadline is Friday, May 3
Prospective bear hunters have until Friday, May 3 to apply for a bear hunting license from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Applications for the 2024 season can be submitted online, at any license agent or by telephone at 888-665-4236.
A total of 4,030 licenses are available in 15 quota areas where licenses are limited for the 2024 season, which opens Sunday, Sept. 1, and closes Sunday, Oct. 13.
The number of licenses available each year in the quota area is based on Minnesota?s bear population trends for those areas. The trends indicate the bear population has stabilized and is slowly increasing, in part because of recent conservative license quotas. License quotas for the 2024 season are similar to those available for the 2023 season.
Bear hunters who plan to apply for bear permit area 51 should review the boundaries for newly created bear permit area 53 to ensure they select the right area they intend to hunt. Twenty licenses will be available in area 53, which DNR created at the request of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Lottery winners will be notified by Saturday, June 1. The deadline to purchase bear hunting licenses awarded by lottery is Thursday, Aug. 1. Any remaining unpurchased licenses will be available over the counter starting at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
An unlimited number of bear licenses also will be sold over-the-counter for the no-quota area that includes east-central and far northwestern Minnesota. No-quota licenses are valid only in the no-quota area.
Hunters with either a quota or no-quota license who are interested in taking a problem bear should contact the?DNR wildlife manager?(mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife) for their area(s) of interest to be added to the hunter contact list for any opportunities that might arise.
Complete instructions about how to apply for a bear hunting license, maps of permit areas and a listing of permit availability for each area are available on the?Minnesota DNR website?(mndnr.gov/hunting/bear).
###
|
? 
? 
? 
? 
