East Bethel, Minn. — As the mentors and mentees – who’d worked for several weeks to hone their bowhunting skills – headed for their turkey-hunting blinds April 25, Linda Bylander, the decades-long coordinator of the DNR’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, reminisced about her career and its impact.
This year’s spring turkey harvest in Minnesota is neck-and-neck as a contender to match or beat last year’s record spring harvest.
The total number of turkeys reported to the DNR for A season this year totaled an estimated 7,047 – about 76 fewer than last year’s A season.
“We’re right there,” said Nate Huck, the DNR’s migratory game bird consultant.
Minnesota’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ turkey season harvests contend with record numbers from 2024 Read More »
As the state Senate’s environment bill approached the Senate Finance Committee in Minnesota, it was stacked with both policy and budgetary recommendations.
However, Sen. Foung Hawj, DFL-St. Paul, author of the omnibus bill, S.F. 2077, axed all of the policy-related items from the bill when it was discussed by the finance committee on Monday, April 28.
“We will remove the controversial policy, and policy that has no fiscal note, out of this bill. So I’m just going to cut to the chase,” Hawj said at the finance committee hearing.
Outdoors policy provisions in Minnesota remain in legislative limbo Read More »
In late-April, people who already planned to pick up their Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness permits from two ranger stations in Ely and Grand Marais received emails saying they’d have to make other plans.
The emails told paddlers scheduled to pick up their permits at Kawishiwi Ranger Station in Ely and Gunflint Ranger Station in Grand Marais to schedule pick up from another, open ranger station or from commercial permit issue stations.
Ely, Grand Marais ranger stations in Minnesota redirect Boundary Waters permitting Read More »
Former longtime Minnesota DNR fisheries supervisor Gary Barnard was one of the co-chairs of the northern pike technical committee that got new regulations and zones put in place – just before his retirement in 2019.
To jog the memory, in 2018, the DNR divided Minnesota into three northern pike zones. Under each zone, there would be special pike regulations in place.
Into year eight, have Minnesota’s northern pike zones made a difference? Read More »
After the week-long Easter break, the Minnesota Legislature resumed work on Monday, April 21, with the House Ways and Means Committee approving working through the committee’s omnibus packages.
On Monday, the Ways and Means Committee sent the Legacy finance package to the House floor next with minimal debate. Included in the approved Legacy bill are 47 Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council-approved projects that are slated to improve 107,000 acres of wildlife habitat across the state.
Minnesota’s Legacy omnibus bill sent to House floor; Senate’s is up next Read More »
With two days remaining in Minnesota’s first spring turkey-hunting season that began April 16, preliminary harvest from the first five days totaled around 6,500 turkeys as of Monday, April 21.
A year ago, the total first-season harvest – during a season that set an overall harvest record – was just over 7,000 toms. Nate Huck, DNR migratory game bird consultant, said harvest during the “A” season would increase slightly with more hunters reporting their harvests from Monday and Tuesday before the “B” season kicked off Wednesday.
Strong start for Minnesota turkey hunters, and a rare red hen near Grey Eagle Read More »
Minnesota’s 2024 hunting-related injury incidents were the highest they’d been since 2013, with 14 total injuries involving firearms use while hunting, and one fatality in Clay County that happened on the firearms deer season opener.
Since 2014, the average number of injuries is around 11, although, looking at 2013 and the decade prior, the average was around 22 incidents per year.
“Our goal every year, obviously, is to have zero fatalities, zero … incidents,” said Jen Mueller, DNR Enforcement’s southwest regional training officer.
Minnesota hunting incidents up slightly in 2024, with one fatality Read More »
The Minnesota DNR has released more details regarding a wolf shot and killed in Fillmore County in early January.
DNR Enforcement’s incident report states that the kill is believed to have occurred around Jan. 2, 2025, when 21-year-old Lucas Heusinkveld shot a gray wolf that he thought was a coyote while he tended to a herd of cattle. Upon discovery that it was likely not a coyote, the carcass was disposed of in a ditch.
Details emerge in wolf case from southeast Minnesota Read More »
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