July 8, 2024



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*Minnesota DNR News
*




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*

July 8, 2024




*For more information:* <[email protected]>

Contact the DNR Information Center
by?email? <[email protected]>or call 888-646-6367.





In This Issue

* DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac [ #link_1491411839600 ]
* Minnesota DNR certifies 9 new record fish [ #link_1491411977526 ]
* Carlton volunteer named 2023 ATV safety instructor of the year [ #link_1491412003165 ]
* Ruffed grouse counts remain high in core of ruffed grouse range [ #link_1491412051810 ]
* Well sampling planned in Lac qui Parle County for the Groundwater Atlas [ #link_1 ]

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DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

"A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management."

Minnesota DNR webinars focus on southern Minnesota wildlife, and birding

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 10, DNR wildlife managers will discuss and answer questions about southern Minnesota wildlife and the latest wildlife habitat projects and stories of wildlife found in southern Minnesota?s prairies, wetlands, river valleys and farm country.

In a webinar on Wednesday, July 17, DNR birding expert May Vang will share ways to engage people in bird watching and conservation. Vang will highlight the DNR Nongame Wildlife Bird by Bird program, activities that spark an interest in birds, and tips for youth who are interested in bird observation and identification.

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 [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.

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Minnesota DNR certifies 9 new record fish

After making changes to the record fish program, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has seen steady interest by anglers in documenting their largest catches, as evidenced by the nine new state record fish the Minnesota DNR has certified since March.

?Seeing all these new records is fantastic and we?re really pleased with how anglers have participated in the program so far,? said Mandy Erickson, fisheries program consultant. ?We expect to keep posting more records as more anglers hear about how to certify a record and as more time passes.? ??????

The Minnesota DNR in March expanded the catch-and-release record category to add additional species, and also made more space for records in the certified weight category by creating a separate category for records established before a certified scale was required to document a fish?s weight.

The Minnesota DNR has certified the following as new state record fish since March 1.

*Certified weight category*


* Coho salmon ? 12 pounds, 5 ounces; June 1, Lake Superior, St. Louis County; caught by Austin Stoltenburg of Iron
* Black crappie ? 3 pounds, 9 ounces; May 9, Cedar Lake, Rice County; caught by Nolan Sprengeler of Plymouth
* Mooneye ? 2 pounds, 1 ounce; May 11, Wabasha Creek, Redwood County; caught by Robert Tufts II of Franklin
* Yellow bass ? 1 pound, 3 ounces; May 11, Clear Lake, Jackson County; caught by Dennis Dagel of Lakefield

*Catch-and-release category*


* Brown trout ? 30 inches; April 15, Lake Superior, St. Louis County; caught by Dan Zeleznikar of Duluth
* Lake trout ? 42 1/2 inches; April 21, Lake Superior, St. Louis County; caught by Kelsey Vanderheyden of Stanchfield
* Shovelnose sturgeon ? 34 1/4 inches; March 8, Mississippi River, Goodhue County; caught by Tyler Young of Lakeville
* Shovelnose sturgeon ? 35 inches; March 12, Minnesota River, Scott County; caught by Elliott Feldman of Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
* Smallmouth bass ? 22 3/4 inches; June 25, Basswood Lake, Lake County; caught by Xavier Bradley-Rael of Omaha, Neb.

Complete record information, and instructions for how to certify a state record fish, are available on the Minnesota DNR state record fish webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/recordfish).

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Carlton volunteer named 2023 ATV safety instructor of the year

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has named Eric Senarighi, of Carlton, as the 2023 ATV instructor of the year. He also won the award in 2021.

Senarighi is president of the Carlton County Riders ATV Club and works tirelessly to expand the sport while ensuring people have the knowledge they need to ride safely and in an ecologically sound way.

In addition to his work with the club, which trains about 100 kids per year in ATV safety, Senarighi founded a community group in Moose Lake to ensure a positive relationship between landowners and riders. As part of that effort, Senarighi was instrumental in getting a portion of a busy ATV trail moved to reduce noise and dust impacts on adjacent landowners.

?The fact Eric has won this award twice in three years speaks to his absolute dedication to promoting ATV riding and ensuring the next generation of riders has the skills they need to enjoy it safely and ethically,? said Bruce Lawrence, recreational vehicle coordinator for the DNR Enforcement Division. ?He?s an excellent example of the very best of our volunteer instructors.?

In his time as a volunteer instructor, Senarighi also created a ?Lids for Kids? program whereby each student who completes the Carlton County Riders ATV safety training course receives a new helmet. As part of the program, 265 students have received helmets. He also was instrumental in the creation of a memorial ATV ride called ?Klick it for Kyle,? which reminds riders of the important of wearing helmets and seat belts and practicing safe riding behavior. The ride is in memory of Kyle Ringhoffer, who died in 2019 in an ATV accident. He also organizes an annual ?Friendship Ride? where club members give ATV rides to disabled young adults.

Senarighi is among the nearly 1,000 volunteer ATV safety instructors who work with DNR conservation officers to deliver ATV safety training certification. Details about safety courses and training are available on the?DNR website [ [link removed] ]?(mndnr.gov/safety/vehicle/atv), as are?ATV regulations [ [link removed] ]?(mndnr.gov/regulations/ohv)

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Ruffed grouse counts remain high in core of ruffed grouse range

Sharp-tailed grouse population up in the northwest, but remains low in east-central Minnesota

Minnesota?s ruffed grouse spring population counts are similar to last year and to other recent peaks in the 10-year population cycle of grouse ? a pattern recorded for 73 years, according to a study from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The Minnesota DNR and its partners use spring drumming counts to help monitor the ruffed grouse breeding population through time.

The recent grouse population trend includes a low point in the cycle in 2021 that was not as low as previous lows, followed by the highest peak this year since 1972.

Warm temperatures and dry conditions that favor high nest success and chick survival the last few years may partly explain the quicker than expected rise to peak levels in the 10-year cycle. Snow conditions also were favorable for roosting throughout much of the core of grouse range during the winters 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, followed by an unusually warm winter during 2023-2024. Minnesota?s climate is getting warmer and wetter with more heavy, intense rainfalls occurring.

?While ruffed grouse drumming counts are high in the core of ruffed grouse range, indicating a strong breeding population this spring, drumming counts are not an accurate way to predict the birds that will be present during the fall hunting season,? said Charlotte Roy, DNR grouse project leader. ?Nesting success and chick survival during the spring and summer are among the factors that influence the number of birds present in the fall. These factors can be reduced by heavy rain during June when nests are hatching and chicks are young.?

Drumming is a low sound produced by males as they beat their wings rapidly and in increasing frequency to signal the location of their territory. Drumming displays also attract females that are ready to begin nesting. Ruffed grouse populations are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse drums on established routes throughout the state?s forested regions.

?In a typical year, we have 13 cooperating organizations providing folks to help us count grouse drumming,? Roy said. ?We are grateful to our federal and tribal partners for their assistance in completing routes.?

The ruffed grouse survey report can be found on the grouse management webpage [ [link removed] ] of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/wildlife/grouse.html).

*Sharp-tailed grouse population up in the northwest, but remains low in east-central region*

Minnesota?s northwest sharp-tailed grouse population is higher this year than last year and the highest it?s been since 2009, according to spring population counts conducted by the Minnesota DNR and cooperating organizations.

The population level remains low in east-central Minnesota. The Minnesota DNR closed the hunting season in the east-central zone in 2021. Low population levels in this area are thought to be driven largely by changing habitat conditions. The birds require areas of 1 to 3 square miles of grassland and brushland, so managing their habitats often requires cooperation between multiple landowners.

The Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever and others have collaborated with the Minnesota DNR on targeted habitat management ? specifically on prescribed burns, and mowing and tree shearing projects ? for sharp-tailed grouse in the east-central range and remain committed to enhancing open-land habitats.

The sharp-tailed grouse survey report can be found on the grouse management webpage [ [link removed] ] of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/wildlife/grouse.html).

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Well sampling planned in Lac qui Parle County for the Groundwater Atlas

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will collect water samples from about 90 wells in Lac qui Parle County to develop the Groundwater Atlas of Lac qui Parle County.

The process involves collecting a water sample from an outside spigot or hydrant for laboratory analysis. Dozens of different water components are analyzed to determine the natural chemistry of local aquifers. Participation is voluntary, and participating well owners will receive a report of the laboratory results at no cost. While sample well locations will appear on atlas maps, contact or ownership information won?t be included.?

The DNR?will soon be contacting selected well owners by mail with a request for permission to sample their wells. Wells are chosen based on geology, location, well depth and well construction. Participation will help hydrologists create county maps and descriptions of groundwater distribution, movement, conditions, and aquifer pollution sensitivity. The atlas and maps will be printed and shared online, and geographic information system files will be available for download.

The groundwater atlases help identify viable drinking water sources, support sustainability, guide well and septic system construction decisions, inform well-head protection efforts for public water supplies, highlight regional recharge and groundwater movement, and assess pollution sensitivity and possible contaminant migration. Neither well sampling nor the atlases are used to regulate individual well owners.

The Groundwater Atlas of Lac qui Parle County should be completed in 2027. It is Part B of a two-part series. Part A, the Geology of Lac qui Parle County, was completed by the Minnesota Geological Survey in 2023.

The County Atlas Program is funded, in part, by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

A full description of the program and completed atlas products are available on the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/groundwatermapping).

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