Brian Peterson

Gander Outdoors says it will open 69 stores by May – 39 in Great Lakes region

January 9, 2018

Gander Outdoors, formerly known as Gander Mountain, recently released a list of 69 stores that new parent company Camping World Holdings, Inc., said will reopen by May – with the majority of those stores in the Great Lakes region. The stores, along with a number that won’t reopen, were originally closed because of last year’s foreclosure of Gander Mountain’s parent…

DNR Roundtable: hot topics on a frigid Minnesota Friday [video]

January 5, 2018

Agenda includes deer management plan, chronic wasting disease.

North Dakota fishing opportunities: Sakakawea walleye numbers strong; workshop set for spearfishers

January 4, 2018

(North Dakota Game and Fish)It’s not quite like shooting fish in a barrel. But fish numbers – walleyes, in this case – reportedly are swelling in North Dakota’s premier fishery. And, not far from Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River, spearfishing is the thing. Or, at the very least, a thing. Combine the two, and winter fishing opportunities would appear…

Erie walleye fishing: The perfect (winter) storm?

December 29, 2017

Combination of first Erie December freeze-over since 2000 and a surging walleye population in the lake could make for a fishing season to remember. But with great ice-building weather comes First Day Hikes cancellations.

Rogue animal? At a time when bears should be hibernating, one shot and killed after two separate attacks in northern Minnesota

December 19, 2017

A dog and two men injured in the two incidents; none of the injuries thought to be serious.

Iowa deer harvest pushes past 90,000

December 19, 2017

To this point, that’s more than 5 percent ahead of last year’s totals; and elusive elk put down by wildlife officials to protect deer herd, domestic livestock from disease potential.

Lights (or not), camera, action: Eagle cam now includes audio, nighttime viewing capabilities

December 15, 2017

So far only the banded female has been positively identified, but the thought is that this is the same pair that has occupied the nest for the last five years.

End of New Jersey bear season looms – and likely for a while

December 15, 2017

Extension runs through Saturday, and Gov.-elect Phil Murphy is planning a moratorium, which could halt the hunt.

Gander Outdoors debuts with opening of Lakeville store

December 12, 2017

A still-shot from a video on the Gander Outdoors Facebook page chronicling construction and preparation at the Lakeville store.The first Gander Outdoors store will open Wednesday, Dec. 13 in Lakeville, Minn., the company announced on it’s Facebook page Monday. Lakeville’s Gander Mountain store, which closed earlier this year, will open under the new Gander Outdoors brand Wednesday at 3 p.m.,…

Pennsylvania sporting goods store, Facebook clash over nixing of ads due to promotion of gun sales

December 5, 2017

The Sportsman’s Shop in East Earl, Pa., says it can no longer advertise products like American flags or outdoor clothing on Facebook because its Facebook page promotes the sales of guns and includes links that lead to the same, according to reports. The Lancaster County store, which has been in operation since 1954, specializes in sport shooting, hunting, archery, fishing…

Buck saved after going through the ice in Maine; one of four deer that go through ice in Minnesota rescued

December 5, 2017

Lake residents make their way to rescue a deer that went through the ice on South Long Lake near Brainerd, Minn. (Submitted photo)Deer harvest is the talk of deer country this time of year. And now, too, deer rescues, it would seem. A successful rescue of a buck in Maine and an incident involving eight deer on the ice in…

Bodies of ATV riders who went through the ice on Upper Red Lake identified

November 28, 2017

Two bodies that were recovered from Upper Red Lake on Monday have been identified. According to reports Tuesday afternoon, relatives and authorities identified the victims as Melissa Seidenstricker, 30, of Princeton and Zeth Knyphausen, 29, of Stacy. The two were riding an all-terrain vehicle that went through the ice on Upper Red Lake over the weekend. The ATV was recovered earlier Monday. The…

Remembering vets, the Fitzgerald, and a deadly storm that caught duck hunters in its crosshairs

November 10, 2017

On Nov. 11, 1940, a blizzard dropped temperatures from the 60s to single digits in hours and trapped duck hunters across the Upper Midwest. (Iowa DNR photo)The song still haunts me. And I have no idea what it would be like to be on a ship in distress a mere 15 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay, or even…

Great Lakes region shooters well-represented at World Shooting Para Sport Rifle/Pistol World Cup

November 7, 2017

Shooting sports have grown in popularity by leaps and bounds in recent years, and not just at the high school level, it appears. The largest contingent of U.S. competitors ever sent to a World Shooting Para Sport Rifle/Pistol World Cup has landed in Bangkok, Thailand, and is set to compete in the final World Cup of the WSPS season starting…

Scientists: Deer-carried brain worm major contributor in moose decline

November 6, 2017

(Minnesota DNR photo)For years, Minnesota wildlife officials along with biologists and scientists have been trying to figure out the somewhat mysterious – and monumental – decline of the moose population in the state. According to reports, scientists now say they finally have some answers. A Nov. 6 story on Greenwire, an energy and online environmental news service, says scientists believe…

Signs that the hard-water season is nearing on Lake of the Woods

November 2, 2017

Kickoff of fifth year of Keep It Clean program just another indication that the most wonderful time of the year at and around the lake is almost upon us.

Hides-for-Habitat Program: plenty of hide drop points, habitat donation possibilities

October 27, 2017

Follow the link in the story to a map that includes drop-point locations across the state for the Hides-for-Habitat Program. It’s that time of year. Deer-hunting time. So, hunters, what to do with the hides from those harvested deer? The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Hides-for-Habitat Program is designed to take donated deer hides provided by deer hunters and market those…

Michigan’s Luke Gritter second in global bass club championship

October 23, 2017

West Michigan Elite Bass Club angler alternated between the river and the main lake in the recent Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors.

Time running out for leaf-peepers across Minnesota, Great Lakes region

October 19, 2017

Could be the last weekend to see the last of the peak fall colors in many areas.

Eelpout Festival leaving Leech Lake for Lake Bemidji?

October 19, 2017

(eelpoutfestival.com)Even with the dramatic comeback of walleyes on Leech Lake in the last decade, a decades-long homage to another species that is a far cry from the state fish has had a lot to do with putting the lake on the national/international map. Since its start in 1979, the International Eelpout Festival has called Leech home. But according to reports,…

New York Outdoor News staffers win awards

October 18, 2017

Paula and Steve Piatt of New York Outdoor News were among the big winners recently in the New York State Outdoor Writers Association contest. Paula Piatt finished first in the newspaper feature division with her piece on turkey trapping and tagging that appeared in the April 15 issue of New York Outdoor News. The publication dominated the newspaper feature division,…

Sportsman’s club to share fish house with Ashby community during hard-water season

October 13, 2017

At more than 3,000 acres and with just one established public boat access, Pelican Lake near Ashby, Minn., isn’t, well, overly accessible. It’s probably easier sledding during the hard-water season, when the beauty of the season is you don’t need a boat to access a lake that is “highly productive and supports very good fishing,” according to the Minnesota DNR…

National Wildlife Refuge Week: Finding refuge across the Great Lakes

October 6, 2017

Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan is holding its Youth in the Outdoors day on Oct. 7 as part of National Wildlife Refuge Week. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Penny Gordon)Events surrounding National Wildlife Refuge Week will have a distinct Great Lakes region flavor. National Wildlife Refuge Week, this year observed October 8-14, celebrates the National Wildlife Refuge System, the nation’s…

Where fall colors, leaf-chasers converge

October 5, 2017

Payment rates vary according to land type and range from $2 per acre, to the greater of $5.133 per acre or three-quarters of 1 percent of appraised value. Payment for Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park is assessed at 1.5 percent of the appraised value of the land. (Photo by Brian Peterson)There is always something happening, it seems, at Itasca…

Great Lakes youth archers, U.S. continue success at worlds

October 5, 2017

A trio of archers from the Great Lakes region led the U.S. compound cadet women’s and men’s teams into the finals in the World Archery Youth Championships in Rosario, Argentina. The compound cadet women, led by Breanna Theodore, of Hibbing, Minn., and Sachiko Keane, of Staten Island, N.Y., earned a 215-212 quarterfinal victory over Australia and 217-204 semifinal win over India…

Great Lakes youth archers find early success at world championships

October 4, 2017

Archers from the Great Lakes region made their mark early in the World Archery Youth Championships. More than 500 of the world’s top youth archers from 65 countries are competing in the week-long championships, being held in Rosario, Argentina. Standing out for the U.S. in qualifying was the compound cadet women’s team, which has won every world title since the team…