DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

DNR finalizes plan for Whitewater Wildlife Management Area

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has finalized an updated management plan for the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. The plan will guide management of the popular hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching destination in southeastern Minnesota.

The new plan, finalized after a public input process, reflects current public values and attitudes about how the land should be managed into the future. The final plan is available on the Whitewater WMA page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/Areas/Wildlife/Whitewater_WMA.html).

Apply for turkey permits in Mille Lacs, Carlos Avery or Whitewater WMAs

Turkey hunters have through Friday, Feb. 17, to apply for turkey hunting permits for the A-C spring hunting seasons in Mille Lacs and Carlos Avery WMAs and the A-B seasons in Whitewater WMA.

In addition to a turkey license, a permit is required for hunters 18 and older hoping to bag a tom turkey with a firearm in one of these WMAs during early seasons. Turkey firearm permits for these WMAs are distributed via a lottery system. In a change this year, there is no permit required to hunt Whitewater WMA during the C season.

Turkey licenses will go on sale March 1 for several hunting seasons from mid-April to the end of May. Turkey season dates are:

A April 12-18

B April 19-25

C April 26-May 2

D May 3-9

E May 10-16

F May 17-31

Youth season April 12-May 31

Archery season April 12-May 31

Turkey hunting season dates and other details for 2023 are available on the?DNR?s turkey hunting page (mndnr.gov/Hunting/Turkey).

Light goose harvest opportunity begins Feb. 18

Hunters can help reduce the population of light geese through a federally authorized spring conservation harvest running from Feb. 18 through April 30. Light geese are snow geese, blue-phased snow geese and the smaller Ross?s goose. Permits go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 14, and harvest regulations can be found on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl/LightGoose). The conservation action aims to reduce damage from these geese to fragile ecosystems in Arctic coastal areas and around Hudson Bay.?

DNR webinars cover bald eagles, fire starting

The DNR invites people interested in fishing, wildlife and outdoor skills to tune in to upcoming webinars that will discuss bald eagles and fire starting.

The first webinar is at noon Wednesday, Feb. 15. Lori Naumann, nongame wildlife outreach specialist, will discuss bald eagles in Minnesota and the DNR EagleCam. For 10 years, the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program has managed a camera above an eagle nest, and the EagleCam has become an effective tool for sharing a view into the lives of Minnesota?s bald eagles.

The second webinar is at noon Wednesday, Feb. 22. Pam Welisevich, a naturalist with Dodge Nature Center, will discuss how to start a fire without using a lighter and how this activity connects to human history. Learn some important techniques that apply to building, starting, maintaining, and safely extinguishing all types of fires.

The webinars are part of the DNR?s Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series. The webinars are free, but registration is required. More information is available on the outdoor skills and stewardship page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover).

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