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Friday, July 17th, 2026

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Episode 593 – MN legislative recap, BWCA smallies, cougars and bears, our 2026 Person of the Year

Tim Lesmeister and Rob Drieslein start the show recapping the 2026 Legislative session, which ended last Sunday. The big news is that Outdoor Heritage Fund dollars passed by the skin of their teeth. Then Mark Neuzil, a journalism professor emeritus from the University of St. Thomas and hard-core Boundary Waters advocate, shares the relatively short history of smallmouth bass in northeastern Minnesota. Stan Tekiela returns for the second straight week to talk about the recent cougar sightings in northern Minnesota and the grizzly bear headlines in the Western United States. Lesmeister and Drieslein wrap up with the announcement of the 2026 Outdoor News Person of the Year.

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