In This Issue
A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management.
Winners chosen for 2025 trout and salmon stamp, walleye stamp contests
 Shakopee artist Mark Thone won the Minnesota trout and salmon stamp contest with an acrylic painting of a rainbow trout and Lakeville artist Stephen Hamrick won the walleye stamp contest with an acrylic painting of a walleye. Judging for both contests was held on Aug. 1.
In the trout and salmon stamp contest, which had 11 eligible submissions, the runner-up was Stephen Hamrick of Lakeville with an acrylic painting of a brown trout. Third place went to Eric Wallace of Maple Grove with a harboard/gesso/acrylic oil/lacquer painted rainbow trout.
In the walleye stamp contest, which had seven eligible submissions, the runner-up was Mark Thone of Shakopee with an acrylic painting of a walleye. Third place went to Stuart Nelson of Cloquet with an acrylic painting of a walleye.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources uses revenue from voluntary purchases of walleye stamps to purchase walleye for stocking in Minnesota’s lakes. Revenue from trout and salmon stamps, which are required for anglers ages 18-64 who fish in designated trout water or possess trout, is dedicated to trout and salmon management and habitat work. Visit the stamp webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/stamps) for more information about habitat stamps and contest guidelines.
Apply through Aug. 16 for special youth deer hunts
Hunters can apply for special youth deer hunt permits through Friday, Aug. 16. The number of permits for each hunt is limited. Individual hunts will be held in several state parks on various dates in the fall. These firearms hunts are for youth who are ages 12-15 at the time of the hunt and are accompanied by an adult.
The youth archery hunt in the Sand Prairie Wildlife Management Area in Sherburne County is for youth ages 10-17. Youth archery hunters at the Camp Ripley Archery Hunt in Morrison County can be ages 12-17.
Special youth deer hunts are different from the statewide youth deer season, which takes place Oct. 17-20 and does not require an application. More information about special youth deer hunts is available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (mndnr.gov/hunting/deer/special-deer-hunts.html).
In most instances, hunters may only possess and use nontoxic ammunition when participating in a special hunt in a Minnesota state park; however, nontoxic ammunition requirements do not apply to special youth hunts if hunters remove all parts of harvested deer from the field, including the entrails.
Where nontoxic ammunition is required, bullets, slugs, muzzleloader ammunition and other single projectiles must be made entirely of nontoxic material approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For deer hunting, this typically means copper ammunition. More details about nontoxic ammunition can be found on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/hunting/deer/special-deer-hunts.html).
Apply through Aug. 16 for prairie chicken hunt lottery
Hunters can apply through Friday, Aug. 16, to be chosen for one of 125 permits for the 2024 Minnesota prairie chicken hunting season. The nine-day prairie chicken season begins Saturday, Sept. 28, and is open to Minnesota residents only. The hunt takes place in northwestern Minnesota from St. Hilaire south to Breckenridge. Hunters who are awarded a permit in the lottery are required to purchase a prairie chicken hunting license prior to hunting. Hunters can find details about the season on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (mndnr.gov/hunting/prairiechicken).
Minnesota DNR webinars focus on tracking kestrels, tree stand safety
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, Aug. 7, Kristin Hall, DNR nongame wildlife program supervisor, will talk about DNR research on the American kestrel and crowd-sourced data that are being collected to advance the understanding of many small, yet highly mobile, wildlife species.
In a webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 14, Kraig Kiger, Minnesota DNR shooting sports program administrator, and staff from the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association will discuss tree stand safety. They will cover what to do before deer season, during the season, and post-season to make sure your stand remains a safe place to hunt.
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.
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All wildlife topics welcome in discussions with local wildlife staff
Wildlife managers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, whose work improves wildlife habitat and public land access, are inviting the public to talk about wildlife in local Minnesota DNR offices across the state from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15. Local wildlife managers will also be available by phone during these same hours.
Conversation topics can include anything related to wildlife, from wild turkeys to deer population levels, new hunting regulations, wetland restoration that benefits waterfowl, accessibility improvements at wildlife management areas, animal damage issues, and more.
“We want to hear what people have to say about wildlife,” said David Trauba, acting wildlife section manager. “What people share helps us gain important perspectives that can make our work more effective.”
While the office hours on Aug. 15 are to specifically invite conversation about wildlife, Minnesota DNR staff are always available and happy to talk with members of the public throughout the year.
People might want to know where new properties are to hunt, or how pheasants are faring in their area; bird watchers might want to hear about the wetland and prairie restoration projects taking place nearby; staff can share how partnerships with conservation groups complements work completed by the Minnesota DNR; and there are others who might benefit from simply discussing the basics about how to access public land or about what wildlife lives nearby.
The wildlife conversations began in 2018 with the release of the statewide deer management plan (mndnr.gov/deerplan) and have continued and broadened to encourage discussions about all wildlife and habitat topics.
When it comes to deer, individuals can talk with Minnesota DNR staff about deer generally, upcoming hunting season changes, topics that the DNR’s deer advisory committee should be aware of, and other opportunities to provide thoughts and feedback regarding deer management throughout the year.
To find an area wildlife office location and contact information, visit the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/wildlife/talk-about-wildlife.html).
Finally, for an overview of Minnesota wildlife topics, the DNR has recorded webinars, one covering northern Minnesota wildlife (youtube.com/watch?v=M8CJq9Qag38), and one covering southern Minnesota wildlife (youtube.com/watch?v=_vxZi8sZkfU). They are both available in the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinar archive (mndnr.gov/fishwildlife/outreach/webinar-archive.html).
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Minnesota DNR offers tips for those new to harvesting
As the Aug. 15 wild rice season opening date approaches, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds harvesters that rice stands must be ripe before they can be legally harvested.
Wild rice harvesters going out during the upcoming season will find challenging conditions throughout much of Minnesota.
“Frequent and strong summer storms created high water levels and washed out many rice beds,” said Ann Geisen, Minnesota DNR wildlife lake specialist. “Overall rice stands range from poor to average.”
As people consider harvesting, they need to know the regulations that help protect wild rice stands for future years. Harvesters are allowed to take ripe wild rice each year during the harvesting season that runs between Aug. 15 and Sept. 30, but Minnesota’s green rice law makes it illegal to harvest unripe or “green” rice, even within the dates of the harvest season. So, although rice beds might look like they are ready, ricers must make sure the grain is ripe and falling easily from the stalk before attempting to harvest it. Additionally, Minnesota’s early teal season is Sept. 1-5 and a safety mindset and mutual courtesy will allow for successful early waterfowl hunting and wild ricing.
Early reports from Minnesota DNR and tribal biologists indicate poor to average rice stands across central and northern Minnesota, with variable conditions for individual waters.
“Scouting will be essential this year to find harvestable stands of rice,” Geisen said. “One bright spot is that the high water has significantly improved access conditions this year compared to last year. If folks find waters with harvestable rice, the water should be deep enough to launch the canoe.”
The Minnesota DNR has posted a wild rice harvesting outlook report online. The outlook report is available each year on the Minnesota DNR’s wild rice management webpage (mndnr.gov/wildlife/shallowlakes/wildrice.html), along with license, regulation and safety information. Anyone looking for more information on wild rice in their area can contact their local Minnesota DNR wildlife manager (mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife) or Shallow Lakes Program specialist (mndnr.gov/wildlife/shallowlakes/specialists.html).
Teal hunting season
Since wild rice is ripening at the same time as Minnesota’s early waterfowl hunting seasons, over-water waterfowl hunters are urged to be aware of and cautious about wild ricers no matter where they hunt. Those who plan to hunt the early teal season on the Leech Lake or White Earth reservations should be aware of hunting restrictions on or near posted rice beds. Early-season teal hunters may not hunt teal within one-half mile of posted wild rice beds open to harvest within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation during the early-teal season. On the White Earth Reservation, early-season teal hunters may not hunt teal on wild rice beds posted open to rice harvest. All waterfowl hunters who plan to hunt within the boundaries of the Leech Lake or White Earth reservations are advised to contact the appropriate reservation for more information: Leech Lake Division of Resource Management at 218-335-7400; White Earth Division of Natural Resources at 218-935-2488. Minnesota’s early teal season is Sept. 1-5, and early goose season is Sept. 1-15.
Harvesting tips
Harvesters usually use a canoe with a push pole or paddles for power, and collect rice using two sticks, or flails, to knock mature seeds into the canoe. While labor intensive, harvesting wild rice can be rewarding, and finding a mentor who knows what they’re doing can make the learning process easier.
As part of the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship series, Minnesota DNR staff produced a webinar about how to harvest wild rice. The webinar recording can be viewed online (youtube.com/watch?v=kJlkWUusuzY).
Harvesters should keep access areas clean by packing out what they pack in. To prevent spreading invasive species, ricers should make sure their canoe and gear are clean before arriving where they intend to rice. Before heading out, harvesters should plan for how the rice will be processed. Novice rice harvesters are often advised to use a processor rather than attempt to process it themselves.
Wild rice (manoomin/psiŋ) is spiritually, culturally, nutritionally and economically significant to Ojibwe, Dakota and other tribal communities. Additionally, a significant portion of the wild rice in Minnesota is located within Ojibwe reservations or treaty-ceded territory.
It is unlawful for any person to take wild rice grain from any of the waters within the boundaries at the White Earth, Leech Lake, Nett Lake, Vermilion Lake, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac and Mille Lacs reservations, except for tribal members or residents within the reservation from which the rice is collected. In addition, all nontribal members wishing to harvest or buy wild rice within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation must have a Leech Lake Reservation permit. Wild rice regulations are available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/regulations/wildrice/index.html).
The Minnesota DNR sends out periodic newsletters about rice harvesting topics. People can sign up to receive the email newsletters on the Minnesota DNR homepage (mndnr.gov) by finding the “Get email updates” box, entering an email address, and selecting the “Go” button. Then in the subscription list, check the box for “Wild rice harvesting.”
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Starting Tuesday, Sept. 3, Father Hennepin State Park in Mille Lacs County will temporarily close to the public during a project to replace the park’s wastewater system. The park will reopen as soon as the project is complete, which is expected to be early November.
“We are seeing increased use from state park visitors with large camping rigs which place higher demand on the wastewater system,” said Ann Pierce, director of Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s Parks and Trails Division. “The park’s current wastewater system has reached the end of its life, and upgrades will ensure amenities for visitors are in good working order and set up for future success. The new wastewater system will also be better able to handle severe weather events, something the current pond system is not well equipped for.”
Construction requires excavating the park’s entrance road to install pipes to connect to the City of Isle’s municipal wastewater system. Due to this work on the entrance road, there will be no public access to the park for day or overnight use during construction.
The park’s public water access on Lake Mille Lacs will be closed during construction.
Additional information, including a list of alternate public water access sites and nearby state parks, is available on the park webpage of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/state_parks/father-hennepin-state-park-improvements.html). Construction updates will be available on this page as the project progresses.
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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking for input on several special fishing regulation proposals.
Each year, the Minnesota DNR reviews existing fishing regulations and proposes new special regulations that apply to individual waters and asks the public for input about the proposals. All new special regulations are reviewed on a regular basis to evaluate effectiveness.
One set of proposed regulations currently under consideration comes in response to growing angler concerns about crappie and the increased pressure on these fish populations from winter fishing. On seven lakes in Otter Tail County and one in Lac qui Parle County, the Minnesota DNR is proposing to reduce the crappie daily limit to five.
“If we implement these limit reductions, we will carefully evaluate them as part of a separate fisheries research project to try to figure out which lakes and kinds of crappie populations benefit from reduced limits, because not all do,” said Jon Hansen, Minnesota DNR fisheries program consultant. “In some lakes where crappies don’t live very long, reducing the limit just means fish are lost to natural causes instead of being available for anglers to catch.”
The Minnesota DNR is also proposing either new regulations or changes to existing experimental and special fishing regulations for the 2025 fishing season that address the following topics:
- Saganaga and Sea Gull lakes (Cook County) walleye
- Sauk River Chain of Lakes (Stearns County) catfish
- Basswood Lake (Lake County) northern pike
- Garden Reservoir Chain and Birch Lake (Lake County) northern pike
- Basswood Lake (Lake County) sunfish
- Little Sauk Lake (Todd County) regulation simplification multiple species
- Rochester area lakes (Olmstead County) multiple species
The DNR is taking input on these proposals via an online survey (mndnr.gov/fishregs) that is available through Friday, Oct. 7. For additional details or to comment directly by email, U.S. mail or phone about individual proposals, contact the area fisheries office (mndnr.gov/areas/fisheries) for the proposal(s) on which you wish to comment. General input may also be submitted to Jon Hansen at [email protected] or 651-259-5239, or via U.S. mail to Fishing Regulations/Jon Hansen, Box 20, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155.
The Minnesota DNR is also hosting in-person open houses in each county where the proposed changes would apply and one in the Twin Cities metro area to cover all proposals.
For those who want to attend one of the in-person meetings, information can be found on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing/fishing-regulations-meetings.html) or by calling an area fisheries office (mndnr.gov/areas/fisheries). The meetings will take place on various dates between Tuesday, Sept. 10, and Thursday, Sept. 24. The metro area open house will be from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the DNR’s Central Office, 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul.
Notification of the proposed changes to special fishing regulations has been posted at the accesses to each lake included in the proposal.
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