Monday, June 22nd, 2026
My Account

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Search
My Account
Monday, June 22nd, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Main Menu
Menu
Subscribe to Outdoor News

Ron Schara

Ron Schara: How about dock owners pay for use over public water?

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

A fishing trip is supposed to be a relaxing experience, biting fish or not. However, casting for largemouth bass the other day on Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka was, well, a grumpy outing. OK, so the bass weren’t exactly jumping into the boat, but that wasn’t the cause of my grumpiness.
My grumpy mood on ’Tonka began to increase as I fished from bay to bay and began realizing the amount of public fishing water that we couldn’t fish.

Ron Schara: How about dock owners pay for use over public water? Read More »

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

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing, Opinion /

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

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

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

Featured, Home Page News, Minnesota, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

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

5 Comments / Discussions, Featured, Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Hunting, Iowa, Minnesota, National Hunting, Opinion, Opinion /

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?

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

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

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

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

Leave a Comment / Discussions, Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, Opinion /

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 »

GET THE OUTDOOR NEWS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Sign up for the Outdoor News Weekly Newsletter and get 2 months of FREE access to OutdoorNews.com – packed with hunting, fishing, and conservation news. No Catch.

This offer includes digital access only (not the printed edition)

Email Address(Required)
Password(Required)
Name
What outdoor activities interest you?(Required)

PLEASE READ

Accessing Your Full Subscription Just Got Easier. Introducing Single Sign On.

 We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Click Continue below.
  2. You’ll be taken to the OutdoorNews.com sign-in screen.
  3. Don’t have an account yet? Create one—it’s quick!
  4. After signing in, click the E-Edition Login button again. When the pop-up appears, just click Continue.
  5. You’ll either:
    1. Land on the e-edition selection screen (you’re in!)
    2. Be sent to a help page if we didn’t detect a subscription.

If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.

One login. Every edition. Easy.

Let’s get you reading!

Continue...

PLEASE READ

 We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.

Here’s how it works:

• Click Continue below.

• You’ll be taken to the OutdoorNews.com sign-in screen.

• Don’t have an account yet? Create one—it’s quick!

• After signing in, click the E-Edition Login button again. When the pop-up appears, just click Continue. You’ll either:

  1. Land on the e-edition selection screen (you’re in!)
  2. Be sent to a help page if we didn’t detect a subscription.

If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.

Continue...

Help Shape the Future of OutdoorNews.com!

We know you love the outdoors—now we want to make OutdoorNews.com the ultimate destination for all things hunting, fishing, and conservation.

Take our brief 3 minute survey to share your thoughts, and help us build the best outdoor website on the planet. As a thank you, we’ll send you a special offer!

Together, we can make OutdoorNews.com even better.

Take the Survey

Introducing The Outdoor News Foundation

Donate Today

For a limited time, you can get full access to breaking news, all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking tips and recipes, fishing & hunting tips from pros and experts, bonus web content and much, much more, all on your smartphone, tablet or desktop For just a buck per month!

Sign Up Now

Some restrictions apply. Not valid with other promotions. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. For more information see Terms and Conditions. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Offer valid thru 3/31/23.

Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? Click here to login.