Minnesota Mixed Bag: International Black Bear Show in Grand Rapids set for July 31 to Aug. 2

Grand Rapids, Minn. — Mark your calendar for the International Black Bear Show, taking place July 31 to August 2 at the Yanner Arena in Grand Rapids. As black bear populations and bear hunting continue to grow across North America, the show brings together thousands of serious bear hunters under one roof to connect with top dealers and outfitters and gear up for the upcoming season.

Features include a youth archery range, food trucks, taxidermists, plus seminar speakers including state record holder Jesse Koskiniemi, Richard P. Smith, Tom Miranda, Bernie Goebel, and Corey and Amanda Goodbird, among others. Camping is available at the Itasca County Fairgrounds, a 10-minute walk from the show.

Show hours at Friday, July 31, from noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday Aug. 1, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Get complete details at www.blackbearshow.com

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FIRST WEEKEND OF GAME FAIR RUNS AUGUST 7, 8, 9

Ramsey, Minn. — The first action-packed weekend of Game Fair kicks off Friday, Aug. 7 and continues through Sunday, Aug. 9 at Armstrong Ranch Kennels in Ramsey. The second weekend is slated for a week later, Aug. 14-16.

Don’t miss your chance to watch or partake in Game Fair’s host of dog-related events, from the obstacle course to the ever-popular long jump; sit in on a seminar hosted by dog trainers, elk hunters, veterinary experts, and others; bring your (cased) shotgun or bow and test your skills; or just enjoy visiting with the many vendors at the show.

Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 62 and over as well as veterans, $5 for kids ages 6 to 14 and free for youth under age 6 and active military members. For more information, visit www.gamefair.com

PLEASURELAND RV MARKS 55 YEARS WITH CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY, AUG. 1

St. Augusta, Minn. — PleasureLand RV will celebrate its 55th anniversary with a free public event Saturday, Aug. 1, at the company’s St. Augusta location along Interstate 94.

Live music begins at 1 p.m., with DiamondBack and Ember performing during the afternoon. Mason Dixon Line will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. to close the celebration. Food trucks, bounce houses and other family activities also are planned. Camping will be available for guests who wish to stay overnight.

The event marks 55 years since Vern and Beatrice Pearson founded PleasureLand RV in 1971 with a small inventory of Winnebago motorhomes. The third-generation, family-owned company has grown to 11 dealership locations in Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The anniversary celebration coincides with a company-wide sale that began July 23. The promotion includes 55 specially selected recreational vehicles priced below invoice cost, along with hundreds of other sale units and anniversary offers.

PleasureLand officials said the Aug. 1 gathering is intended to thank the customers, employees and communities that have supported the company. For more information, visit www.pleasurelandrv.com or follow PleasureLand RV on Facebook.

MINNESOTA HUNTING REGULATIONS NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2026 SEASONS

St. Paul — Hunters can now review a variety of significant updates made in the 2026 Minnesota hunting and trapping regulations. Hunting and trapping licenses will be available to purchase starting Saturday, Aug. 1.

“We’re excited about fall being around the corner and we are asking hunters to carefully check the updated regulations as they prepare for upcoming seasons,” said David Trauba, wildlife section manager with the Minnesota DNR. “What’s new this year will affect every hunter, and deer hunters in particular need to pay close attention because there are many significant changes applicable to them.”

Key changes include: A four-year statewide rotational surveillance plan for chronic wasting disease; a new rule to make it easier to handle deer carcasses from CWD zones; elimination of the state’s shotgun zone for deer hunting, with some county-enacted exceptions; merging of the waterfowl hunting regulations book into the main hunting and trapping regulations book; a modernized electronic licensing system that changes how hunters buy licenses and validate harvests.

WOODCOCK WILL CHARGE DEER TO DEFEND NESTS

Bangor, Maine — University of Maine researchers captured what may be the first recorded evidence of nesting birds aggressively driving away deer, revealing an unexpected defense strategy against a little-recognized nest predator. Their findings suggest that woodcock can respond to deer in multiple ways, challenging the assumption that these large herbivores pose little threat to nesting birds.

Woodcock typically rely on their cryptic feathers, which act as camouflage, to avoid nest predators. They also deploy a “broken wing” display to lure predators away from their eggs or chicks. In six instances in April 2024, however, five nesting woodcock in West Virginia chirped, postured, charged and even flew into approaching deer, University of Maine researchers found. The deer either walked away or fled the area in response.

“Documenting these behaviors got researchers thinking more deeply about how birds could respond to deer as nest predators,” said Kylie Brunette, lead researcher on the investigation and University of Maine Ph.D. student in wildlife ecology. “That small birds are willing to aggressively defend their nests against something as large as a deer, using different strategies based on the situation, opens a lot of interesting questions.”

Researchers deployed the cameras that captured the footage in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative research project.