Hunting News
Orange Hat Brigade monitors Capitol
By Joe Albert Staff Writer St. Paul – Five days before the Legislative session ended, more than 20 sportsmen and women, each wearing a blaze orange hat, stood atop the steps of the state Capitol. They planned to attend a conference committee hearing regarding Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposal to overhaul the state’s Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. The hearing was…
Turkey harvest down more than 800 birds
By Joe Albert Staff Writer St. Paul – For the first time in 10 years, turkey hunters in the state didn’t set a harvest record during the spring season, which ended May 26. Minnesota hunters killed 7,611 turkeys this spring, though that number will rise a bit because there are paper registrations that haven’t been tallied yet, said Bill Penning,…
Snagged Lake Vermilion gill net full of rotten fish
By Tim Spielman Associate Editor Cotton, Minn. – Authorities in northern Minnesota are investigating a 200-foot gill net a Lake Vermilion angler recently hooked. The net, which contained an estimated 75 to 100 fish, had been in the water about three weeks, according to a state conservation officer. CO Marty Stage, of Babbitt, said the net was found in tribally…
‘Big Three’ legislative issues still unresolved
By Joe Albert Staff Writer St. Paul – The regular session of the state Legislature ended Monday – Gov. Tim Pawlenty quickly called a special session – with most issues considered important to sportsmen still unresolved. Notable exceptions include passage of a law that protects shooting ranges, and passage of an omnibus game and fish bill. Both await Pawlenty’s signature….
The bass bonanza begins Saturday
By Joe Albert Staff Writer St. Paul – Bill Hildebrand, a professional bass angler and radio show host, knows a fellow professional angler who makes his living catching walleyes, but “when he wants to go out and have a good time, he goes bass fishing.” That’s kind of the story of bass in Minnesota. Walleyes bring home the bacon; bass…
Freeport man’s redhorse could be a world record
By Joe Albert Staff Writer Freeport, Minn. – Robin Schmitz is going to have a hard time beating this. The 19-year-old Freeport fisherman caught last Friday what apparently will be the new state and world record shorthead redhorse from the Sauk River. Assuming his fish is certified, Schmitz will have shattered previous records. The current state record shorthead redhorse is…
