Thursday, May 7th, 2026

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Thursday, May 7th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Ron Schara

Ron Schara: Somebody has to improve fishing in Minnesota… why not you?

With opening day on the horizon – busy checking tackle, cleaning the boat, fixing stuff – this may not be a good time to mention: We Minnesota anglers deserve what we’re not getting.
What the heck does that mean? It means we anglers tend to spend more time wondering what walleyes are doing than wondering what our state legislators are doing or not doing.

Ron Schara: Somebody has to improve fishing in Minnesota… why not you? Read More »

Ron Schara: Looking back on early outdoor experiences… some a bit blurry, others still very vivid

Some moments afield never fade. First pheasant, perhaps. First deer, maybe. First wild turkey flopping around a log.
Still other moments – once bright and vivid – tend to fade over time from the mind. Memories of my first walleye are gone, while the moment I caught my first ‘’big’’ walleye, a 6-pounder, continues… perhaps missing a few foggy details. Oddly, I can’t remember the first ruffed grouse I dropped… or the first bobwhite quail… or the first sharptail grouse.

Ron Schara: Looking back on early outdoor experiences… some a bit blurry, others still very vivid Read More »

Ron Schara: Enough with the scare tactics when seeking donations for wildlife

A fella named Steve Abrahamson has been sending me a bunch of emails. And I mean a bunch. Like 40 emails in about 30 days. Wow! And I don’t even know him.
I suppose I could block his emails, but it’s entertaining to read his requests. He wants some of my money. He says I could save birds if I just donate.

Ron Schara: Enough with the scare tactics when seeking donations for wildlife Read More »

Ron Schara: Don’t approve of deer hunting? Don’t be a hypocrite

With apologies to Mickey Mouse, in recent weeks I’ve been running a trapline to eliminate a mouse invasion – a very impressive one, I must say.
In my garage alone, a herd of mice, roughly 10 strong, have been trapped and removed, thanks to a slab of peanut butter and my trapping skills. Of late, my trapline still offering tasty peanut butter has gone untouched.

Ron Schara: Don’t approve of deer hunting? Don’t be a hypocrite Read More »

Ron Schara: A deer is not an elk: explanation necessary?

In a recent Minnesota DNR news release, deer hunters were reminded to refresh their ability to know the difference between deer and elk. Why? You can’t shoot elk, dudes.
A case can be made, I suppose, that such a warning is needed when more than 400,000 armed folks hit the woods, locked and loaded. The DNR’s news release didn’t mention how many elk have been shot in past deer seasons. Maybe none? Maybe one? Maybe many?

Ron Schara: A deer is not an elk: explanation necessary? Read More »

Ron Schara: It’s fall game survey season, and the numbers will be crunched

It’s game survey season, in case you haven’t noticed – a time for raising expectations. Or lowering them.
Recently, outdoors headlines have been filled with surveys about pheasant counts, duck numbers, grouse counts … even cottontail and jackrabbits seen along survey routes. Oh gosh, the numbers, the percentages, the used-to-be figures; they’re sometimes baffling. To me, at least.

Ron Schara: It’s fall game survey season, and the numbers will be crunched Read More »

Ron Schara: The good, the bad, the ugly for outdoor users from Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session

When you cast an idea into unknown waters, such as the Minnesota Legislature, sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it sinks, and sometimes you wonder if lawmakers are listening or if they give a damn.
There’s a 125-year-old fish hatchery on Warner Road in St. Paul that’s being held together with duct tape. It’s the only fish hatchery in the metro region. It’s too discombobulated to allow tours for school kids. It’s an embarrassment for a state of Minnesota, where fishing is a lifestyle and a $6.6 billion-plus economic boost to the state’s economy.

Ron Schara: The good, the bad, the ugly for outdoor users from Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session Read More »

Ron Schara: Angler education is the key regarding forward-facing sonar

Forward what? Some anglers have no clue what it is or what it does. Meanwhile, a growing number of anglers have added FFS to their fishing war chest. They’ve learned how and when to use it, and they love how the technology has improved their success and their knowledge of fish behavior.

Ron Schara: Angler education is the key regarding forward-facing sonar Read More »

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