Minnesota Mixed Bag: Fishing For Life announces 15th annual Holes 4 Heroes ice fishing tournament

Plymouth, Minn. — Fishing For Life will host its annual Heroes event Feb. 7 at East Medicine Lake Park in Plymouth. The event honors active duty military, veterans, and their families while bringing the community together for a full day of family-friendly fun on the ice.

Festivities begin at 11:30 a.m., with a special opening ceremony at noon, then the weight-based tournament starts at 1 p.m. and includes food vendors, kids’ games, and activities throughout the day. Participants will compete for over $7,500 in prizes, with trophies awarded in multiple species categories.

Non-veteran registration is available starting at $20 per hole by registering online or at the event. Online registration (www.fishingforlife.org) closes Thursday, Feb. 5 at noon.

On-Ice registration will begin on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m.

Learn more at www.FishingForLife.org.

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ST. CLOUD SPORTSMEN’S SHOW SET FOR FEB. 6-8

St. Cloud, Minn. — The 38th annual St. Cloud Sportsmen’s Show runs Feb. 6-8 at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. This is central Minnesota’s biggest sport show, featuring boats, camping gear, RVs, hunting and fishing equipment, travel destination options, and family fun, including a live trout pond. Additional highlights include free seminars by angling professionals Nick Lindner and Joe Henry.

Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and free for youth age 5 and under. Visit www.stcloudsportshow.com for more information.

JOSH KROELLS NAMED NEW VP OF USA CLAY TARGET LEAGUE

Eagan, Minn. — The USA Clay Target League has announced that its board of directors has approved longtime Operations Manager Josh Kroells to be the new vice president for the USA Clay Target League. Kroells has been a part of the organization since 2014.

“Josh has been an important part of the league’s growth and operations for well over a decade,” said John Nelson, president of the USA Clay Target League. “Josh is an outdoorsman with a deep passion for youth clay target shooting sports, and as vice president he’ll continue to lead the league’s efforts to grow outdoor clay target shooting sports participation opportunities to schools and athletes across the country.”

Kroells lives in Norwood, Minn., with his wife and two teenage sons. He also started his local high school clay target team and was the head coach for six years.

FUNDING AVAILABLE TO RESTORE AND PROTECT MINNESOTA’S PEATLANDS

St. Paul — The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is now accepting applications for Reinvest in Minnesota conservation easements to restore and protect previously drained peatlands.

Approximately $9.5 million is available for peatland restoration from the state general fund and funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Minnesota contains almost 7 million acres of peatlands, the most in the Lower 48 states. Landowners who have restorable peatlands on their property are encouraged to enroll their land into the program. Landowners will receive a per-acre payment and retain private ownership of enrolled land. Landowners should work with their local soil and water conservation district staff to assist with peatland identification and application preparation and submittal.

Learn more about how to apply at: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/rim-wetlands.

N.D. ISSUES MIDWINTER WATERFOWL SURVEY NUMBERS

Bismarck, N.D. — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual midwinter waterfowl survey in early January indicated about 135,000 Canada geese and 9,500 mallards in the state. Mason Ryckman, department migratory game bird biologist, said numbers were similar to years when Lake Sakakawea is still open, besides the record-breaking number of 300,000-plus Canada geese in 2024.

“Unlike last year when Lake Sakakawea was completely frozen at the time of the survey, this year a portion of the lake remained relatively ice free from Garrison Dam to the mouth of the little Missouri River,” Ryckman said. “We were able to count 39,000-plus Canada geese on the lake this year. We would have probably overwintered more waterfowl if we didn’t receive the snow we did in late November and early December.”

During the 2026 survey, an estimated 109,112 Canada geese were observed on the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea, another 16,894 on Nelson Lake in Oliver County, and an additional 8,500-plus geese in other parts of the state. Ryckman said. The 10-year average (2017-26) for the N.D. midwinter survey is 115,950 Canada geese and 13,400 mallards. The survey helps biologists gauge wintering distribution of waterfowl in North Dakota and other Central Flyway states.

PERSON OF THE YEAR NOMINEES SOUGHT

Plymouth, Minn. — It is that time of year again to nominate this year’s Outdoor News Person of the Year. Nominations for the award, given over the past 27 years by the publication, will be accepted through the end of February.

Nominees should be someone who has made his or her mark in conservation circles, whether through volunteering, mentoring, or leading hunters, anglers, and trappers. Nominations can be just a simple note to Outdoor News explaining why nominee is deserving.

Email nominations to Outdoor News via editor@outdoornews.com.

The winner will be announced in a feature story in early spring.