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Eric Morken

Eric Morken is a writer and web editor for Outdoor News who lives in west-central Minnesota with his wife and two daughters. Morken graduated with a journalism degree from Augustana College (now Augustana University) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2007. He has worked in the journalism field ever since, and his outdoor work has been in print and digital publications across the country. When not writing about the outdoors, Morken is an active participant in them. He can be found doing some casual fishing in the summer and chasing turkeys in the spring, but his passion is centered around bowhunting whitetails. It’s a year-round commitment of scouting and hunting different regions of Minnesota and surrounding states on public and shared-private lands every chance he gets. Contact Morken at emorken@outdoornews.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricOutdoorNews or on Instagram @elmorken.

Northern Minnesota whitetails await green-up after relatively ‘normal’ winter

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

This winter might be called “normal” across northern Minnesota when it comes to its impact on whitetails.
The most-recent Winter Severity Index map shows that the large majority of northern Minnesota counties have fallen into a moderate WSI category this year. The exception is in the far northeast in Lake and Cook counties, where pockets in both areas reached “severe” winter readings.

Northern Minnesota whitetails await green-up after relatively ‘normal’ winter Read More »

Innovative wild turkey research starting in Minnesota

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, News /

Conducting the research in a CWD Management Zone in Minnesota poses challenges for the researchers as bait cannot be placed without having control measures around the bait to exclude deer. The box traps are used where birds can get in through a gate in the cage but then can’t exit.

Innovative wild turkey research starting in Minnesota Read More »

Small conservation group honored for doing big work in western Minnesota

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Fishing, National Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Since 1986, the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society has handed out an annual conservation award that recognizes organizations and individuals that show outstanding commitment to the state’s natural resources.
This year’s Conservation Award went to a small group in western Minnesota that does big work for wildlife.

Small conservation group honored for doing big work in western Minnesota Read More »

Up your consistency with these turkey decoying tips

Featured, Featured, Featured, Features, Gear & Gadgets, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Hunting, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

It was a little over an hour into Minnesota’s 2025 spring turkey season when two toms gobbled from about 100 yards away through the aspens.
I had sat tight in this spot since daylight, calling periodically at birds that had roosted on the neighboring property. A series of scouting runs that revealed scratchings on this trail through the timber left me confident this was the place to be on opening morning.

Up your consistency with these turkey decoying tips Read More »

Talk of a two-bird limit for Minnesota’s spring turkey season taking place

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, News /

Years ago as wild turkeys were expanding their range across Minnesota, hunters in some parts of the state were still learning about the new recreational opportunity.
After a public meeting in Alexandria that focused on turkey hunting, a DNR staff member said in a side conversation that he believed many areas could support a two-turkey spring limit.
“But hunters don’t want it,” he said at that time.
But after record spring harvests in 2024 and 2025, it seems that opinion may have changed.

Talk of a two-bird limit for Minnesota’s spring turkey season taking place Read More »

How prevalent are ‘problem’ turkeys in Minnesota’s metro areas? DNR part of training for control operators

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Tom wild turkeys soon will be strutting all over Minnesota as the birds become more aggressive in establishing a pecking order within flocks as the breeding season begins.
It’s also when videos emerge on social media showing turkeys clogging intersections, chasing people, or just generally being a nuisance within city limits. When one of those videos goes viral, it can create a sense that wild-eyed toms are widespread. But how prevalent are cases of turkeys in metro areas creating conflicts with humans?

How prevalent are ‘problem’ turkeys in Minnesota’s metro areas? DNR part of training for control operators Read More »

County-by-county debate over shotgun zone for deer hunting takes center stage in Minnesota

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, News /

Public forums are being held in many counties across central and southern Minnesota right now as county board members hear from constituents regarding the use of rifles for deer hunting in what were previously shotgun zones.
It’s a safe bet that some of those meetings have been more contentious than what took place in Alexandria on the evening of Feb. 18. The five Douglas County commissioners did not vote on the issue, but what they heard from the more than 20 people who spoke was overwhelming support of implementing rifles for deer hunting county-wide.

County-by-county debate over shotgun zone for deer hunting takes center stage in Minnesota Read More »

Has South Dakota seen any negative effects from longer pheasant seasons?

2 Comments / Discussions, Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting /

Gus’ body language gave off all the classic signs as we approached a corner near the end of a long walk along the edge of a cattail slough.
At age 7, he is in his prime years as a bird dog. Young enough where stamina isn’t an issue and experienced enough to consistently piece together the puzzle. His pace quickens when on a bird, but he’s methodical in his approach, dissecting every detail. Gus froze and glanced back at me. Almost simultaneously, a rooster erupted from the cattails.

Has South Dakota seen any negative effects from longer pheasant seasons? Read More »

Changing snow trends raise some wildlife concerns during Minnesota winters

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Wet flakes kept flying during the first big snowfall in west-central Minnesota this past November.
It was the kind of heavy snow that lays down grasslands, and in this case, even cattails. That initial blast of snow and then the on-and-off thawing and freezing over the month of December laid some of the smaller sloughs in this area nearly flat, making some cover almost useless for pheasants that typically use cattails in big numbers at this time of year.

Changing snow trends raise some wildlife concerns during Minnesota winters Read More »

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