Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

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Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Bill Marchel

Born to blend in: Springtime fawn encounters and some fun facts

It’s happening now in fields and forests near you.
Whitetail fawns, cute as can be, are being born. If you are lucky enough to find one a few days old or less, it will lie motionless on the forest floor, its spotted coat well-camouflage (in most cases) against the leafy background. Usually, a doe will be nowhere in sight, but she is nearby. In the first days of a fawn’s life, the doe only visits a few times per day to nurse it.

Born to blend in: Springtime fawn encounters and some fun facts Read More »

Twilight comes alive with the dance of the timberdoodle

Spring is here, and for most creatures, it’s time for procreation.
Some of nature’s courtship rituals are elaborate, others rather discreet. For instance, the male woodcock – an odd-looking, fist-sized bird with an outlandish 2-inch-long bill – performs his ceremony under the cover of darkness. It’s called the “sky dance.”

Twilight comes alive with the dance of the timberdoodle Read More »

Better in November and December? How to locate ruffed grouse in the late season

For the versatile hunter, October has much to offer – ducks, geese, bowhunting for deer. That’s the reason I tend to wait for late November and December to seriously hunt ruffed grouse.
December grouse hunts, though, bear little resemblance to October jaunts. Locating grouse during December can be difficult since the birds are usually concentrated in small areas. Once found they are often wary and flush wildly, making it difficult for a pointing dog, let alone for a hunter trudging through noisy, crusted snow.

Better in November and December? How to locate ruffed grouse in the late season Read More »

Late-season whitetails demand absolute silence; here are ways to stay quiet in the tree

Bowhunting whitetails post-firearms season poses all kinds of problems that were lesser concerns during early hunts.
Deer are far more wary after being pursued for two months or more, not to mention roughly one-third of the animals sit in neat packages on freezer shelves of hunters. Deer are on high alert, and defeating their sight and sense of smell is proportionately more difficult, especially for close-range archers. But deer also possess an incredible sense of hearing, and that’s what we will address here.

Late-season whitetails demand absolute silence; here are ways to stay quiet in the tree Read More »

The story of Larry Leonard, central Minnesota’s “purple martin man”

“It all began in the early 1970s,” Larry Leonard said. “I built a purple martin house and put it up. Before I had the last nut tightened on the pole, martins were checking out the house.”
According to Leonard, back then, martins were plentiful in his south Brainerd neighborhood. Time passed, and eventually his martin house fell into disrepair. His martin colony had decreased to one pair. 
“Then I discovered the Purple Martin Conservation Association,” Leonard said. “I built appropriate housing and became an active landlord.” His passion for martins became an exciting hobby.

The story of Larry Leonard, central Minnesota’s “purple martin man” Read More »

The story of Ruff, an extraordinary wild grouse

It wasn’t what I was hoping to find as I wandered my Brainerd-area property on a cold January day. Atop the snow lay a pile of feathers – grouse feathers, to be exact. I knew the remains were that of “Ruff,” a wild ruffed grouse with which I’d had a unique, three-year relationship.
Ruff had met his demise at the talons of a hawk or owl. Saddened, I gathered a few of his feathers and headed for home.

The story of Ruff, an extraordinary wild grouse Read More »

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