Home » Minnesota » Minnesota Mixed Bag: Duluth Sports Show begins Feb. 15

Minnesota Mixed Bag: Duluth Sports Show begins Feb. 15

Duluth, Minn. — The Duluth Sport Show – a combo that includes the Duluth Boat, Sports, Travel and RV Show and the Northland Outdoors Duluth Deer Classic – runs Thursday, Feb. 15 through Sunday, Feb. 18 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

Stop by the show to see what’s new in boats, fishing and hunting gear, camping and travel options, and much more. The show features include Safari North, Humminbird Marine Electronics University, a kids fishing clinic, puppy-training seminar, free antler measuring and scoring by Minnesota Official Measurers, face painting for kids, and a boating simulator.

Ticket prices at the door are $12 for adults 18 and older, $7 for youth ages 6-17, and free for those age 5 and under. Show hours are 3-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18.

For more information, visit duluthsportshow.com.

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DNR SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT FOR CARLOS AVERY WMA PLAN UPDATE

St. Paul — As part of its effort to update the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area master plan, the Minnesota DNR is asking for input from people interested in the WMA.

The 24,600-acre WMA consists of wetlands, forest, grasslands, and small lakes that provide extensive hunting, trapping, wildlife watching, and other outdoor recreation opportunities just 30 miles north of the Twin Cities. The WMA master plan was last revised in 1977. The updated plan will include management goals, objectives, and strategies for the next 10 years.

An online questionnaire is available on the DNR website through Friday, March 15, and the DNR will host two public meetings, one in person and one online. In-person public meeting: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Carlos Avery WMA Office Conference Room in Columbus. Online public meeting: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 6. Registration is not required, and more information is available on the Minnesota DNR website.

Written comments on the master plan may be submitted by emailing carlosavery.wildlife@state.mn.us or sending mail to Carlos Avery WMA, 5463-C West Broadway, Forest Lake, MN 55025.

DNR: TIME TO THINK TURKEY HUNTING

St. Paul — Turkey licenses will go on sale March 1 for several hunting seasons from mid-April to the end of May, with the A season kicking off on Wednesday, April 17. New this season, crossbows will be allowed by all hunters with archery turkey licenses.

And a reminder: Turkey hunters have through this Friday to apply for turkey-hunting permits for the A-C spring hunting seasons in Mille Lacs and Carlos Avery wildlife management areas and the A-B seasons in Whitewater Wildlife Management Area.

Visit the DNR website for more information.

DNR SEEKS COMMENTS ON DULUTH STREAM PLANS

Duluth, Minn. — The Minnesota DNR invites anglers and others to comment through March 1 on fisheries management plans. In the Duluth area, plans for several streams will be reviewed this winter (see the list of streams at mndnr.gov).

The DNR will use comments and suggestions from the public as it updates or creates new fisheries management plans that identify specific management activities planned for these streams over the next five to 20 years.

Anyone may request information, including draft management plans and share thoughts about fisheries management by contacting the Duluth area fisheries office by email at duluth.fisheries@state.mn.us or by calling (218) 302-3264.

FISH ART CONTEST NOW CASTING FOR ENTRIES

White Bear Lake, Minn. — There’s still time to enter the 2024 Fish Art Contest Students have until Feb. 28 to create and share their entries for the chance to win international recognition and prizes.

The contest is open internationally to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Simply create an original piece of art featuring a wild fish species and a one-page piece of creative writing, then enter at www.FishArt.org.

The program allows students to use their creativity to relate to the natural world while learning about aquatic conservation.

DNR ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON PROPOSED MAPLE CREEK HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR is accepting comments through Feb. 29 on an environmental assessment worksheet for the Maple Creek Habitat Enhancement Project, located in Fillmore County.

The proposed project includes enhancement of approximately 3,500 feet of fish habitat in Maple Creek, located within the Choice Wildlife Management Area. Trout Unlimited is proposing to restore ecological and hydrologic functions of the creek and adjacent floodplain within the project area.

A copy of the EAW is available on the project page of the DNR website. A hard copy may be requested by calling (651) 259-5122.

Comments must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29.

Mailed comments should be sent to the attention of Becky Horton, EAW project manager, Ecological and Water Resources Division, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul, MN 55155.

Email comments should be sent to environmentalrev.dnr@state.mn.us with “Maple Creek” in the subject line.

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Outdoor News November 10, 2026

Illinois hunters hope to time mallard movement with their midseason hunts. Photos courtesy of Bill Key Early-migrating northern pintails are a common sight along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Which birds move early and which wait for winter? By Russ Mason Contributing Writer Some waterfowl are programmed to leave the North well before winter arrives. Others stay as long as open water and available food make survival possible. Understanding the difference helps explain migration patterns – and gives hunters a better idea of when the next flight of birds might arrive. Biologists describe the differences in terms of migratory strategies. Understanding them helps explain why blue-winged teal disappear while mallards remain, or why snow geese move through an area even as some Canada geese settle in for winter. Obligatory and facultative migration Waterfowl migration falls along a continuum rather than into two rigid categories. Obligate migrants follow regular seasonal migration patterns largely governed by biological rhythms. Changes in day length initiate physiological and behavioral preparations for migration. These birds generally travel between northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas even when northern weather remains relatively mild. Facultative migrants have greater flexibility. They can delay migration when conditions remain favorable, moving when deteriorating weather, frozen wetlands, snow-covered food supplies or other environmental changes make remaining in place less advantageous. Migration is expensive, consuming energy and exposing birds to hazards. When suitable habitat remains available farther north, staying put may offer a survival advantage. Research published in the Journal of Animal Ecology in 2024 confirmed that temperature and precipitation influence fall migration across multiple waterfowl species, although responses vary. Early departures: Teal and northern pintails Blue-winged teal are among North America’s earliest southbound duck migrants. Many begin leaving northern breeding areas in late summer, sometimes before most hunters begin thinking seriously about fall migration. Their departure is driven largely by seasonal biological rhythms rather than freezing temperatures. Bluewings winter primarily in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Northern pintails are also relatively early migrants. Many begin moving south before winter conditions become severe, using shallow wetlands, flooded agricultural fields and other productive feeding areas along the way. Northern shovelers, gadwalls and wood ducks also frequently make substantial southbound movements before severe winter weather arrives. For hunters, the lesson is straightforward: Early-season opportunities can be excellent for teal and other early migrants. Waiting for the first major cold front may mean missing some of the best local concentrations. Snow geese: Travelers of long distances Snow geese provide a useful contrast to the more weather-dependent behavior of many Canada geese. Their populations follow pronounced annual migrations between Arctic and subarctic breeding grounds and wintering areas farther south. Greater snow geese, for example, breed in the eastern Canadian Arctic and winter primarily along the Atlantic Flyway. Other populations use the Central and Mississippi flyways. These journeys are part of an established seasonal cycle tied to breeding, molting, food availability and winter survival. Snow geese cannot remain indefinitely on northern breeding grounds simply because autumn happens to be mild. Canada geese: Not all geese are alike Northern-breeding Canada geese typically migrate between Canadian breeding grounds and wintering areas in the United States. Other populations breed in temperate regions of the United States and southern Canada and may remain in the same general area year-round. Large Canada geese are remarkably cold-hardy. They can remain in northern areas as long as they can reach waste grain in harvested fields and find open water for resting and roosting. Deep snow can cover food supplies, however, while extensive ice eliminates access to aquatic feeding areas and safe roosting habitat. When those conditions persist, geese often move south. This explains why a flock feeding in a Great Lakes cornfield in November may include northern migrants, local residents or both. Their behavior may look identical, but their subsequent movements can be quite different. Biologists point out that all ducks do not migrate on the same schedule – or for the same reasons. Weather is a major factor but is certainly not only factor, especially in Illinois. Photo courtesy of Bill Key Mallards: Classic migrants dependent on weather Mallards are among North America’s best examples of facultative migration. Their adaptable diet and ability to exploit agricultural foods allow many populations to remain farther north than less flexible species. They feed on seeds, aquatic vegetation, waste grain and other available foods. Where harvested fields provide grain and rivers, springs or other waters remain open, mallards can survive considerable cold. A brief freeze does not necessarily produce a major migration. Birds may wait out cold spells rather than expend the energy required for long-distance travel. The situation changes when persistent snow covers food supplies and ice eliminates access to wetlands. Moving south then becomes a practical necessity. Mallards can also move north again when winter thaws reopen feeding areas. This flexibility helps explain their unpredictable hunting patterns. Diving ducks: Waiting for the big water to freeze Canvasbacks, redheads, scaup, goldeneyes and buffleheads use lakes, bays, reservoirs and other waters. Many depend on aquatic food resources that remain accessible in deeper water after shallow wetlands begin freezing. Consequently, diving ducks can remain north after some dabbling ducks have moved south. Eventually, extensive ice cover forces movement, with timing depending on species, water depth and alternative habitat availability. For hunters, the arrival of diving ducks may depend less on the first hard frost than on conditions across the larger waters where these birds feed. Early November: The first major turning point Species to watch: canvasbacks, scaup, redheads, American wigeon, mallards and Canada geese. Large lakes and bays attract diving ducks, while northern-breeding geese increase in number. Mallards may also arrive following favorable winds. What hunters should look for: large rafts of diving ducks, increasing goose traffic and fresh mallard concentrations. Mid- to late November: Weather’s a bigger player Species to watch: mallards, Canada geese, late-moving diving ducks and remaining northern migrants. Persistent cold, snowfall and ice become increasingly important. Mallards and Canada geese often remain north while food and open water are accessible. What hunters should look for: shrinking open-water areas, abandoned marshes and new concentrations along larger rivers and lakes. A brief cold snap may redistribute birds locally. Prolonged freezing temperatures accompanied by deep snow are more likely to trigger substantial southward movements. December: The freeze-up migration Species to watch: late mallards, Canada geese, common goldeneyes and other late-moving ducks. Widespread ice can produce the final major southbound movements in the Great Lakes region. Some birds remain around open rivers, springs and reservoirs. What hunters should look for: remaining open-water refuges and fields where accessible grain remains available. The three signals worth watching Three field observations are often more informative than the calendar alone: 1. Open water: When shallow wetlands freeze, birds concentrate on deeper lakes and rivers. When those areas freeze, larger movements may follow. 2. Snow cover: Snow hiding waste grain can push mallards and Canada geese out of otherwise-suitable northern habitat. 3. Wind and weather systems: Favorable winds and passing fronts help migrants travel, while sustained cold and snow change where birds can feed and rest. Hunters should also distinguish migration from redistribution. Birds shifting among nearby lakes, marshes and agricultural fields have not necessarily begun a long-distance journey. The takeaway Some waterfowl move because the season tells them it is time to go. Others move when conditions make staying too costly. Early migrants, such as blue-winged teal, offer opportunities before severe weather arrives. Snow geese follow pronounced seasonal routes. Northern Canada geese and mallards wait until snow and ice restrict food and open water. Diving ducks can remain as long as their preferred waters remain productive. For waterfowl hunters, understanding these differences provides a better framework for predicting migration than watching the thermometer alone. The calendar tells you which birds may be coming; habitat and weather help explain when they are likely to move.

Russ Mason November 10, 2026

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