Minnesota Mixed Bag: Horseshoe Chain of Lakes Catfish Fest canceled

Richmond, Minn. — Organizers of the third annual Catfish Fest on the Horseshoe Chain of Lakes near Richmond announced earlier this week that this year’s event will be canceled due to inconsistent ice thickness throughout the chain.

The two-day event was to be held Feb. 9-10. Tickets already purchased for this year’s Catfish Fest will be good for next year, so hold onto your tickets, and prizes will be carried over to next year as well. Raffle tickets are still being sold, and next year’s event will be held on Feb. 14-15.

Visit www.catfishfestonthechain.com for more information.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MINNESOTA OUTDOOR NEWS:

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Will 2024 be the year you go electric on the water?

Goal for northeast Minnesota elk reintroduction is 2026

TC WALLEYES TO HOST JEREMY SMITH, OF LINDNER MEDIA

Bloomington, Minn. — Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited will host Jeremy Smith, of Linder’s Angling Edge Media Productions, at its club meeting on Thursday, Feb. 1.

Upon graduating from college, Smith combined his passion for fishing into a media career with a group of innovative anglers and educators at Linder Media.

He has played roles in almost every element of the fishing industry since joining Linder Media in 2005.

When he is not producing and educating the public on the latest in angling, you can find Smith on the water, looking for that next fishing tip to share.

Visit www.tcwalleyes.com for more information.

LEGISLATORS SEEK TO SUSPEND TAKING OF DOES IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN

Madison, Wis. (AP) — A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced a bill that would prohibit hunters from killing antlerless deer in northern Wisconsin for several years in an attempt to preserve female deer and regrow the region’s herd.

Some hunters in the state’s Northern Forest Hunting Zone have complained for years that the number of deer roaming the landscape has been dwindling. The zone includes roughly the northern third of the state.

Hunters killed 14.7% fewer bucks in the zone during November’s nine-day gun season compared to the five-year average, according to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources harvest totals. The doe harvest in the zone was down 27.2% from the five-year-average.

DNR wildlife officials have blamed a harsh 2022-23 winter for reduced deer numbers. Some hunters believe that wolves are decimating the region’s deer herd.

Under the bill Reps. Chanz Green, Angie Sapik, Rob Swearingen, and Calvin Callahan and Sen. Romaine Quinn introduced Jan. 17, hunters would be prohibited from killing an antlerless deer in the northern zone for four years.

Wisconsin counties in that zone that border Minnesota include Burnett and Douglas.

RECORD NUMBER OF CANADA GEESE TALLIED IN N.D. SURVEY

Bismarck, N.D. — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual midwinter waterfowl survey in early January was a record breaker.

During the aerial midwinter survey, one of the longest-running coordinated migratory bird surveys in North America, biologists counted more than 300,000 Canada geese.

“Our old record was about 222,000 Canada geese, so we blew that out of the water,” said Mike Szymanski, NDG&F migratory game bird management supervisor.

Compared with last year when winter came early and stayed late, there was a lot more open water along the Missouri River system this year to hold birds. Last winter, for example, Lake Sakakawea iced over Dec. 18, making it one of the earliest dates for freeze-up in recent years. Biologists also counted more than 9,000 snow geese during the survey. “That was kind of surprising. We’ve always had some snow geese here and there, but most years we have zero,” Szymanski said.

Also, biologists typically see about 5,000 to 10,000 mallards during the survey. During this year’s midwinter count, the tally jumped to 43,000 birds.

All states in the Central Flyway participate in the midwinter survey during the same time frame to reduce the possibility of counting birds more than once.

— North Dakota Game and Fish Department

MISSOURI, BIG SIOUX RIVERS PADDLEFISH FISHING SEASON OPENS FEB. 1 IN IOWA

Des Moines, Iowa — The paddlefish snagging season on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers in Iowa opens Feb. 1 and continues through April 30 (sunrise to sunset).

Anglers fishing for paddlefish must have a valid Iowa fishing license, along with a special paddlefish license and unused transportation tag(s).

Fishers should keep track of their catch and effort and complete an electronic survey after the paddlefish season whether they’ve harvested fish or not. The information collected will help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources evaluate the success of the season and determine what potential changes/modifications may be needed.

Ongoing drought conditions and low river levels may affect Missouri River boat ramp access, according to the Iowa DNR.

For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season regulations, visit the DNR website at: www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish

— Iowa Department of Natural Resources