Woods & Water (267)
I am getting a little tired of the weather being the main topic of conversation in my recent columns. The hard winter we have been experiencing has really taken its toll on our area resources – mainly the fish population. Although the DNR says it is healthy to have an occasional fish kill, it’s hard to accept the fact a lake such as Pickerel, which was just coming into its own as a fishery, has suffered a setback. With that lake’s history of freezing out in past years, I guess a freeze out was inevitable.
As an outdoors enthusiast I have always considered myself a fisherman first, but one who appreciates the total outdoors package. Whenever I drive past any body of water, whether it is a lake or a small stream, I always have to wonder what type of fish, if any, lurk below the surface. I have been that way for as far back as I can remember, and I’d guess it’s what keeps my enthusiasm for the sport alive. It is that “little kid” curiosity in me that fuels my imagination and makes me want to explore new waters whenever the opportunity arises. This is, no doubt, the reason it saddens me to know some of our area lakes, which we take pretty much for granted, have succumbed to the hard winter and suffered a fish kill. I personally believe that no lake will totally kill off, but I’m no marine biologist, just a fisherman with that little kid mentality when it comes to our resources. It is just hard to think of starting over on a lake. The DNR is already planning on re-stocking Albert Lea Lake this spring.
There are still lakes in the area that, to my knowledge, have not suffered winter kills. Two of those lakes, St. Olaf and Beaver, are not that far away and can be just the ticket for a summer family outing. Both lakes have fishing piers and nice picnic areas along with swimming beaches. Each of these lakes offer a variety of fish; what a great way to spend an afternoon enjoying the outdoors with family.
When I was a kid these are the two lakes that gave me great memories which I still cherish today. It’s funny how much fun you can have just by taking a short drive to enjoy a little fishing and a picnic. Who says picnic anymore, and does anyone still own a picnic basket? I believe we still have one in the attic, complete with those colorful plastic plates with separate compartments, hard plastic cups with handles and a thermos bottle to keep the Kool-Aid cool. When I was a kid, a picnic was cold meat sandwiches, my mother’s famous potato salad and Van Camps pork and beans. To me, it just couldn’t possibly get any better than that.
It is amazing how taking a little break from our busy lives and driving just a short ways to enjoy an afternoon relaxing with family can make memories that last a lifetime. Of course I am talking about me and the times I enjoyed, but then I didn’t have Facebook, Twitter or other social media to worry about; just a fishing pole, a can of worms and an appetite for a good old picnic lunch.
Until next time, stay warm and get out when you can and enjoy a little Minnesota winter fun.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
On some of these cold winter nights, I often picture myself sitting in an easy chair in front of an old stone fireplace with a warm fire blazing while reading a book and sipping a cup of hot chocolate, topped with a couple of marshmallows of course. In reality, I have an old easy chair, hot chocolate and a heat register that fills in for the fireplace. Unfortunately, reality isn’t quite the vision of grandeur that I had pictured in my mind, but it still works. At least the days are getting longer; not much warmer, but longer.
On those nights when the thought of a fireplace and hot chocolate don’t quite do the trick, I often times think back to summer days as a youth and how I actually learned to love the outdoors and especially the sport of fishing. My mother always liked to fish and she encouraged me to go whenever possible. In looking back to those days, I often wonder if it wasn’t a good way for her to get a curious youngster out of the house for a few hours. Although we seldom took a vacation “up north,” there were plenty of avenues to explore close to home starting with the “crick” which was just down the road a ways.
We neighborhood kids would spend many hours exploring that crick and, as we grew older and more adventuresome, we would expand our territory to the small creek that runs under Hammer Road just east of the tracks. I can remember one warm August afternoon when me and my friend Jim Foley were exploring that creek to the north and found a pothole that was pretty much all that was left of a creek that was fast drying up. In that little pothole we discovered tiny bullheads and bluegills, and I can remember how helpless I felt because I knew it was inevitable they were going to soon meet their demise.
Although my dad wasn’t much for fishing, he was a good sport and would take us to St. Olaf and Beaver Lakes from time to time in the summer. Two of my mom and dad’s good friends were Elmer and Mary Deuermier, who we would go crappie fishing with on Beaver Lake. Elmer had an old green 5 hp Johnson outboard motor just like my uncle Ben’s. We would rent two boats and Elmer would tow our boat to the crappie spot where we would sit there until almost dark; when the bite started, the crappies would bite like crazy for about half an hour. It always started at about the same time the evening cool down would begin. That is the time that anyone who has fished much can relate to; the air starts to cool, the frogs start crooning and that certain unmistakable smell of the evening takes over.
Elmer, who also liked to hunt as well as fish, actually got dad to go pheasant hunting a couple of times, which was a rare occurrence. They had gotten a few birds, so the following week Elmer and Mary had us over for a pheasant dinner. I can remember that day clearly because there was a football game on TV and the Cleveland Browns were playing the Chicago Bears, which would eventually be my favorite team in those days. We didn’t have a TV at that time so it was pretty special for me to be able to watch Jim Brown play a game. Before that day I had only seen him on highlight reels at the movie theater and I was amazed to see what a dominating player he actually was.
Up until that time all of my heroes were cowboys like Gene, Roy and Hoppy, but now I had a new hero and a sport that I would come to love. It’s kind of funny how the love of the outdoors can influence other interests whether directly or indirectly.
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As most folks have probably noticed by now, the fishing in the channel and in Albert Lea Lake has pretty much ended unless you are using a net. I’d suspect those folks aren’t doing it for the carp. I guess I have never been one to take fish by any means possible. I enjoy fishing for the sport of it and of course I do enjoy eating fish, but the satisfaction I get out of catching a fish on a lure or baited hook just makes the meal taste that much better. There will always be those folks who feel the need to fill the freezer and that’s fine, but no matter what means a person takes fish by there are regulations and a legal limit that must be adhered to.
I have heard mixed reports about the fishing on Fountain Lake. The area by the beach was hot earlier in the “hard water” season but has since seemed to have tapered off considerably as of late. I have the feeling the number houses and the amount of traffic they bring has to affect the fishing. My grandson Trevor has his house on Fountain Lake and has moved it a few times searching for that “hot spot” that seems to be kind of elusive this season. He did catch a 31-inch northern the other day ,which started my mouth watering when I thought about those fillets sizzling in the old cast iron frying pan.
Until next time, stay warm and get out when you can and enjoy a little Minnesota winter fun.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
The weather seems to be a constant part of any conversation these days, and rightfully so. We seem to be caught in a vacuum of sorts – it’s either below zero and cold as the dickens or when it warms up, it snows. Either way, it reminds us that we are living in Minnesota and I personally wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
Looking out on our back yard deck the other day, I watched as one of our resident squirrels was busily digging in the snow hoping to find some bird seed that had fallen from the feeder. My granddaughters, Emma and Ava were visiting so I called them into the room to see the squirrel. As the girls excitedly watched the bushy tailed rodent digging for food, my daughter-in-law Miranda exclaimed “that squirrel is as big as a cat” and she wasn’t exaggerating. We seem to have some pretty healthy squirrels in the neighborhood and luckily they aren’t living in my attic, garage or shed this year.
With the ”fun” winter that we have been experiencing, I would suspect there are quite a few of us that have been infected with the dreaded “cabin fever” virus. There is no sure cure for that outside of a spring thaw, but there are ways to cope with it while we suffer through the winter.
There were many times over the years when I would find myself in the sporting goods department of a local store ogling “open water” fishing lures and dreaming of sitting on a lake somewhere watching a bobber bouncing on the waves. Daydreaming is one of the most inexpensive ways to put your mind in a warm place even if your body can’t make the trip. Reading a good book about an outdoors adventure is another way that I like to put myself anywhere but in the driveway shoveling snow.
There are also various sportsmen’s shows held throughout the winter that can surely pacify you when you feel that need to see open water. There are also many outdoor festivals and fishing contests held throughout the area. Events like “The Big Freeze” which will be held in Albert Lea on February 15th, includes a Polar Plunge, Snowshoe Shuffle, Disc Golf Ice Bowl, snowmobile radar runs, skydiving, kids' winter carnival, sleigh rides, chili cook-off, Take-A-Kid Ice Fishing Geocaching, live music, and more! Most events held on Albert Lea and Fountain lakes.
There is also ice skating at local outdoor rinks, most of which have open warming houses on weekends. If you don’t have skates and have the urge to give it a try, you can go to the city arena on most Sunday nights and skate for $4, $3 if you have your own skates. That’s pretty cheap for an evening of fun entertainment.
Another fun winter outdoors activity is sledding, and how many folks don’t have a sledding memory or two from their childhood? When I look back to those winter days spent north of town, I can recall spending many a Saturday searching for that perfect hill. My neighbor, Kim Dilling, had a nice hill at his place, but it was short and had a few oak trees to maneuver around. I can remember many days dragging my Radio Flyer sled to a hill on the south side of the slough. That hill, to my surprise, is still there today, but for some reason it just doesn’t seem as big as it did when I was a kid.
As I grew older I got more mobile (driver’s license) and my sledding grounds expanded. I had gotten a toboggan for Christmas and this fueled my need for a bigger hill with more speed and thrills. The horse pasture on the Joe Juve farm had a nice long hill that was dotted with oak trees but was one that I could maneuver. We had quite a few fun sledding parties on that hill where the high school now sits.
Those were good times, simple times, of cold hands, cold wet feet, runny noses and a cup of hot chocolate topped with a marshmallow or two. Yes, maybe those fond memories of the fun of winters past are the real cure for the dreaded cabin fever.
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MUSKY TALK - The February meeting of Crossroads Chapter 54 will be Wednesday, February 12, at 7 p.m. at the Eagles Club in Owatonna. Our speaker will be John Underhill; he will report on the DNR round table plans for fisheries. This includes any proposals for musky management and musky lakes.
Also plans for our early spring musky banquet will be discussed. Our meetings are second Wednesday of every month. They include informative speakers, updates, door prizes, and raffle, and lots of musky talk. Need not be a member to attend. Bring a friend and help improve musky fishing in Southern Minnesota.
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Sadly, it just doesn’t look good for some of our area lakes, which are showing signs of winter kill. I don’t really buy the quote that the DNR had in Wednesday’s Tribune about not approving the application for aerators on Pickerel Lake because the game fish would still die off and the rough fish would survive. Didn’t they kill off the lake so there would be no rough fish? If that’s how aerators really work, then what’s the point?
Until next time, stay warm and get out and enjoy a little Minnesota winter fun.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
The cold weather seems to be fuel for conversation for most of this winter. The cold seems to want to keep hanging around and if it warms up, it snows just enough to make shoveling almost a daily event.
I always find it comforting to see the tracks of critters in the snow around my yard, and we are definitely not lacking for squirrel and rabbit tracks in the neighborhood. I have always found something peaceful about watching as the snow swirls past the window on a moonlit winter’s night and whenever this happens my thoughts drift back to my childhood, when I would be curled up under the covers in my upstairs bedroom of our little house reading a Jim Kjelgaard book. His books gave the perspective through the eyes of the animal and were written to capture the imagination of young prospective outdoorsmen. This fueled my imagination to the point where I would try to imagine that those critter tracks were leading to a cozy little den somewhere under the snow.
As a kid, I spent many a moonlit winter night outside sledding or playing in a snow fort that had been constructed by us kids. I don’t know how many times we tried to build an igloo like we had seen in pictures of the Eskimos of the far north. I don’t believe we ever completely mastered the roof, but then we were using blocks of snow and not blocks of ice. This, on the other hand, didn’t stop us from trying and that was half the fun. I always enjoyed playing outside in the moonlight of a winter’s night better than during the day. The other day after shoveling snow in the below-zero temperatures, my fingers had gotten cold to the point that when I went indoors to warm up they started to hurt. This brought back childhood memories of the pain I experienced while warming up in front of the heat register after playing outside just a little too long.
Panel explores issues affecting state’s hunting, fishing tradition
Minnesota’s hunting and fishing tradition is facing unprecedented demographic challenges that will require new approaches to address declines in participation rates.
That’s the essence of a new report compiled by a panel of hunting and fishing interests convened by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA).
“Minnesota is in the enviable position of having hunting and angling participation rates double the national average,” said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. “Yet challenges are ahead. That’s because young Minnesotans aren’t hunting and fishing at the levels of previous generations, long-time Baby Boom hunters and anglers are destined to drop out, and future population growth will be driven largely by ethnic cultures that do not have long-held Minnesota-based hunting and fishing traditions.”
Hunting and fishing are important to the state’s economy. Minnesota hunters and anglers spend $3.3 billion within and out of Minnesota, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2011 national survey of hunting, fishing and wildlife recreation. Hunting and fishing support 48,000 Minnesota jobs and the additional benefits of connecting people with nature, promoting conservation, and providing healthy outdoor exercise.
About 28 percent of Minnesotans age 16 and older fish; 12 percent hunt. Since 2000, Minnesota has experienced a 12 percent decline in hunting and fishing license rates as the population has grown from 4.9 to 5.3 million. Actual license sales have stayed relatively stable at 1.5 million anglers and 570,000 hunters.
A desire to sustain the state’s hunting and fishing tradition prompted Landwehr and MOHA to convene the Commissioner’s Council on Hunting and Angling Recruitment and Retention. This stakeholder council, comprised of hunting, angling and recreation interests, met several times during 2013 and issued a report of its findings.
C.B. Bylander, outreach chief for DNR’s Fish and Wildlife Division, said the council’s work was valuable. “The outdoors community recognizes the need to design and deliver more effective public and private sector recruitment and retention programs,” said Bylander. “By reviewing research and collectively applying this knowledge we can improve.” Council members included representatives from Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and other outdoor interests.
Recruitment recommendations included: 1) developing and supporting after school clubs for youth; 2) an “I am a hunter/angler” marketing campaign aimed at young adults; 3) learn to hunt and fish workshops for young adults; and 4) family-oriented hunting and fishing awareness and skill workshop events.
This is why events like the Fountain Lake Sportsman’s “Take a Kid Fishing” and other events by various area sportsmen’s clubs are so important to the future of our outdoors heritage.
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I have heard reports that the fish on Pickerel Lake are swimming just under the ice and in some instances are coming up to the surface in open fishing holes, presumably searching for oxygen. In the same token, big walleye have been spotted swimming with the carp below the dam. The DNR has checked the oxygen levels in both lakes and stated that it is still satisfactory. Hopefully, we won’t have a winter kill like we experienced a few years ago on Albert Lea Lake. This would be sad because Pickerel has become a very good fishing lake in a relatively short period of time.
Until next time, stay warm and enjoy the beauty of winter.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
I have, at different times, written about deer camps, and how that special time brings family and friends together each year and the memories that are made on those trips. Many folks I know have a hunting cabin or “shack” tucked away somewhere in the north woods. The following story was sent to me by Kelly Schultz, a cousin of mine, and I thought it should be shared with the readers of this column. This story also ran – in part – in a special outdoors section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The “International Hilton” Hunting Shack
By Carolyn “Kelly” (Dusek) Schultz in memory of my Dad, my hero
My “cabin/shack” story began in 1948. I was 9 years old and our family — Mom, Dad, brother age 4 and me — packed up our camping gear and headed to the north woods of Minnesota up past Orr several miles, then a left turn on a dirt road, then bear right at the fork in the road and continue several more miles. Finally, we came to the place where Dad went hunting each deer season. It was a very long drive from Albert Lea in our 1937 Plymouth and the dirt roads off Highway 53 were barely passable in certain places. The highlight was stopping for a tasty roadside picnic lunch packed by Mom. We also filled our water containers at the springs.
There in the clearing sat a rustic lonely building and a short distance away another sad run-down building. Dad said before being abandoned, it was where loggers cooked and ate. I recall he said another 4 miles down the road was the abandoned Johnson Lumber Camp. Upon entering the shack, I commented on the mess everywhere, even on the tables. Dad informed me they were porcupine droppings and no way was I going to sleep in that shack. Not to worry as Dad and Mom put up our Hoigaard umbrella tent and most of us slept soundly through the night...and survived to see the sunrise! I grew up tent camping and I must say I am grateful to my parents for my many camping memories. My husband and I used that same tent on our honeymoon out west in 1965. So that was cabin #1.
In 1949, six guys from the Albert Lea/Owatonna area purchased those 40 acres they had hunted/rented in previous years. I’m not sure when or how shack #1 mysteriously burned down, but it did. Shack #2 was across the meadow, but needed extensive repair to keep out the elements as it had previously served as a place the deer were hung until time to head home. Repairs were made, bunks built, and a table and a cooking area set up. It was still a “shack” with large pieces of heavy cardboard nailed to the inside walls and floor for insulation. It must have worked because the hunters returned season after season and in between for berry picking. They called it the “International Hilton.” In 1966, six of our family had been on a boundary waters canoe trip and spent our last night out at the Hilton. At least we were sleeping off the ground; however, the 14-year-old’s fall from the top bunk resulted in a broken arm. Before shack #2 met its demise in 1975, I cut away and saved many pieces of the cardboard walls on which years of visits were recorded. One reference related Dad’s first visit to the Johnson Lumber Camp in 1928 (at age 22) with three friends. He talked about their 4-mile trek to the camp from a depot with temps 5-10 below zero, about the cook who set them up with food, bed and even arranged for them to take their deer out on the train. He noted how hard the lumberjacks worked with no chain saws, how the logs were hauled by sled to the rails. The Canadian National main line went to International Falls, Virginia, Rainy Lake and elsewhere.
Fast forward to September 28, 1969, when shack #3 came to be. Dad, plus two hunting owners from Albert Lea, rented a big truck, took down a condemned building and hauled the wood to the forty. Mom cooked all their meals and the 16’ x 20’ cabin stood solid by October 4th. I presume the cabin still stands today, although I haven’t been to that neck of the woods in over 20 years. My Dad passed away in November of 1993 at age 87 and the property was sold sometime in the late 1980s. The “For Sale” description put the appraised value of the timber at $2,000.
That’s my story and writing it has been a bittersweet trip. Dad almost always came home with a deer, so our family ate quite a lot of venison. My favorite was the chops Mom made. I recall several trips to pick berries or just go with Mom and Dad to experience the peacefulness of the wild. Sometimes my brother, my husband and our two boys would also visit…and always the dogs. I remember the haunting sound of the whip-poor-wills at dusk… sound I’ve never heard anywhere else.
A good book by Minnesota author Walter O’Meara (1897-1989) called “The Trees Went Forth,” (1947) describes lumber camp life perfectly.
Don’t let the winter weather stop you from enjoying the outdoors because it is a great time to make an outdoors memory of your own.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers not only during this holiday season but throughout the year because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
The cold weather of the past week or so has brought back some old memories from my days as a youth growing up north of town. Looking back to those early days of my youth, I still get a warm feeling when thinking about spending time in our cozy little house on those cold winter days.
The other day as I arrived home from work, I was in the stairs landing taking off my coat and boots and one of those memories came back to me. I could see my dad coming in the door after he’d finished work and had shoveled snow so he could get the car in the driveway. In the winter time he always seemed to have an endless supply of moisture dripping off the end of his nose. I can remember how happy I would be when I knew that he would be “in” for the night. He would take his coveralls, jacket and boots off in the basement landing and set his boots on the first step going down. I guess this memory came to me when I found myself doing the same exact thing all these years later.
As far back as I can remember, Dad had always kept a horse or two. When we first moved to Bridge Avenue, there were hardly any houses. Ours sat on the north side of what is now Glenview Drive, and my aunt and uncle lived on the south side. It was barely more than a field road at the time and ended at the pasture fence at the back of our lot.
When my grandpa’s barn burned down, we got the old milk house and moved it to the back of our lot and my dad soon converted it to a horse barn. We kept horses there for many years until the land around us started to be developed and more and more houses started popping up.
My dad had two registered American Saddle bred horses that he was mighty proud of. One was named Champion (after Gene Autry’s no doubt) and the other was Easter Ann. I can remember my dad feeding Champion carrots and apples out of his hand. That horse would also pull a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and a handkerchief out of his back pocket if he left it hanging out. There were a few times when the folks would take horseback rides down some of the back roads in the area. I can recall one such time when Elmer and Mary, some family friends, had taken me along in the car as they followed along behind. Suddenly a car came over the hill and spooked my mom’s horse, causing it to rear up and then take off running, throwing mom into the ditch. Dad immediately rode off after Easter Ann, catching her a little ways down the road. That story was repeated many times over the years whenever mom wanted to remind dad that he seemed to be more worried about the horse than my mother. Luckily, she wasn’t hurt, but I really can’t say that I can ever remember seeing her ride again.
When my sister Judy was born Dad had to sell Easter Ann to pay for the hospital bill, and I don’t think that it was too long after that he had to find another place to keep his horse. I was never very interested in horseback riding, so it was kind of ironic my sister Judy eventually became the horseman I knew he’d wanted me to be. Over the years he’d owned many horses which he had kept in various locations. The one place I liked best was the old Joe Juve farm that stood where the football fieldhouse is now. I would ride with dad on many winter nights to help him with chores after he’d come home from a long day at work. Some nights went fast, but most of the time it would take way too long for my liking. He was meticulous in currying them and brushing their mane and tail. Dad always talked to the horses because he said if they recognized your voice they would feel comfortable. He was particularly patient with a horse he had named Pedro, a beautiful gelding and a registered Tennessee Walker. The previous owner had beaten and abused the horse, so Dad would spend hours working with the horse and eventually taught it to trust man once again.
Yes, the cold weather reminds me of those cold winter nights spent in the barn waiting while Dad took care of the horses. There was something cozy about that too; because the barn actually seemed warm to me when that cold wintery wind was busily whirling snow about outside.
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I have heard mixed reports on area fishing, but the one thing that seems constant is the number of small walleye being caught in the channel. This is a good sign for the years ahead. I have heard mixed reports coming from some that have fished Pickerel Lake. Everyone agrees there are good numbers of panfish, perch and northern, but not everyone has been able to entice them to bite. Outside of the channel the fishing has been slow on Albert Lea Lake and Fountain has been doing pretty well for panfish and perch by the beach.
Until next time, don’t let a little cold weather keep from enjoying a little “hard water” fishing.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers in the New Year because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
This past year has been pretty good to me and I am thankful for that. It started with the birth of my Granddaughter, Ava, which is definitely at the top of my list. This past year I once again had the opportunity to attend another governor’s fishing opener with my friend, Jeff Anderson, from Watertown, SD. On this opener we were fortunate enough to meet some very nice folks, Brett Kent and his wife Brenda, who are from the Park Rapids area. Brett turned a cold and windy day of fishing into a very memorable experience for Jeff and I. We are planning another trip to the area this summer to once again do a little fishing with Brett. I’ve met a lot of nice folks over the years on these fishing openers, but this will be the first time that I will have actually followed up on an invitation to make a return trip. In May, Mark Runden and I had the opportunity to spend a little time at my brother-in-law Ron’s cabin on Wabedo Lake by Longville. He took us to a couple of different lakes, including Leech, where I caught my own personal best walleye, a 28.5-incher.
2013 also gave Jean and I an opportunity to take our granddaughter Emma and her brother Dylan to the cabin for most of a week. After a couple of days, 4-year-old Emma was probably thinking we brought her along just to feed the mosquitoes. Emma is an outdoors girl, but the mosquitoes were so bad she and grandma spent a lot of time in the cabin. I’d have to say the mosquitoes were the one down side of spending time at the cabin this past year. I topped the year off with a late October trip north with my grandson Dylan. The weather cooperated just enough so that we were able to get out fishing each day we were there. Dylan caught a dandy northern on the first day of fishing, which made whole the trip worthwhile.
Whenever I revisit my favorite lake in that area (Spider), I have fond memories of times spent fishing with my boys, and later with the grandkids. Spider Lake has a slot limit on northern pike where any fish 24-36 inches must be immediately released and only one over 36 may be kept. Certain spots on that lake hold certain memories for me whenever I pass by on the way to a new “sure fire” hot spot. I take at least one day each year to revisit Spider Lake and I suspect that it’s not just for the fishing but also to reflect on the past and the many good times that our family has enjoyed there over the years.
There were a few years when my sister Judy and my brother-in-law Mike would camp with us at Spider. Our kids would play together and I suspect the campfire and games of hide-and-seek that they played at night were more important to them than the time that they spent fishing. I do remember one particular evening when I took my son Brad and his cousin Jeremy out to do a little walleye fishing. Over the years I had observed this elderly gentleman, who had a cabin on the lake, as he fished one certain area. I discovered that there was a small rock pile right next to a weed bed, so we anchored in that spot and it wasn’t long before we began catching walleyes, which might have caused the boys to believe that I actually knew what I was doing.
I have a lot fond memories of those times spent camping at Spider and last year, after driving past the in-drive many times, I finally took the initiative to stop and check out the old resort where we had enjoyed so many vacations. The original owners have long since moved on, but the new owner was gracious enough to let me look around and take a little stroll down memory lane. They no longer have weekly or daily camping, but outside of that I found the place hadn’t changed much. Yes, it was good to take a little nostalgic walk around the place and, for a moment, I even imagined I could hear the sound of our kids swimming and playing in the water down at the dock.
Spending time at the cabin with the grandkids is what I really enjoy and although Brian’s boys didn’t make it up there with me this past year, I am hoping we can make it happen a couple of times this coming summer. It seems like only yesterday I had to bait their hooks, cast their lures and untangle lines for them; I have to wonder where that time has gone.
I haven’t heard much about the fishing in the channel as of late, but I know the small walleye had been biting early on. There are a lot of houses on the channel and over by the beach. Last year the beach was pretty consistent for panfish and perch.
The cold weather we have been experiencing the past week or more hasn’t made me too excited about sitting on the ice. Hopefully there will be a warmup in the not-too-distant future.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers in the New Year because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Another Christmas Eve is past and as I pause to reflect on the latest one I am also reminded of ones that have come before; each with their own significant memory. Yes we need to enjoy the present but also cherish the fond memories of the past. As we head into the New Year we must remember that there is still plenty of "hard water" fishing to be done and small game hunting for rabbit and squirrel also continues until February 28th, while Archery season for deer ends on the 31st and pheasant season ends on January 1st. I have heard that the jumbo perch and "very small" walleye are still biting on the channel. I guess that Fountain Lake is once again producing some good panfish action by the old beach and Pickerel Lake has been giving up pike, perch and panfish. It gives me a good feeling as an outdoorsman to know that our area has plenty of good fishing waters for us to enjoy. That means that a person doesn't have to drive 50 or 300 miles to find fish because we have plenty of action right here in our own backyard. A good example of what we have available to us locally is my grandson Trevor. This past year he has been able to successfully hunt and fish both open and ice-over water without ever leaving the county. I know of many area folks that fish only our local lakes with good success. That statement would probably hold true for quite a few southern Minnesota communities but I really do believe that Freeborn County has much to offer area sportsmen. Speaking of local happenings, the DNR is seeking comments on EAW for Blazing Star State Trail, Myre-Big Island State Park to Hayward project. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comments during a 30-day public review period from Dec. 23 to Jan. 22 on an environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) prepared for Blazing Star State Trail, Myre-Big Island State Park to Hayward project, located east of the city of Albert Lea, in Freeborn County. The DNR proposes to extend the Blazing Star State Trail 2.4 miles from Myre-Big Island State Park to Hayward. The trail will consist of a 10-foot wide bituminous surface for pedestrian, bicycle and other nonmotorized uses, and requires a new bridge crossing Albert Lea Lake. The 100-foot single span pedestrian bridge will be adjacent and parallel to the existing railroad bridge. A copy of the EAW is available online starting Dec. 23 on the DNR's public input page. (Under "Environmental Review," select "Blazing Star EAW" from the scroll-down list). Additional copies may be requested by calling 651-259-5157. A copy of the EAW is available for public review at: DNR Library, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155; DNR South Region, 261 Highway 15 South, New Ulm, MN 56073; Hennepin County - Minneapolis Central Library, Government Documents, 2nd Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1992; Albert Lea Public Library, 211 E. Clark Street, Albert Lea, MN 56007; Rochester Public Library, Reference Dept., 101 Second St. SE, Rochester, MN 55904. The EAW notice was published in the Dec. 23 EQB Monitor. Written comments on the EAW must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22 to the attention of Ronald Wieland, EAW project manager, environmental policy and review unit, DNR Ecological and Water Resources Division, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025.
Electronic or email comments may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with "Blazing Star EAW" in the subject line. If submitting comments electronically, include name and mailing address. Written comments may also be sent by fax to 651-296-1811. This is a great opportunity for us to give our opinion on the trail and the benefits it will provide locally.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers not only during this holiday season but throughout the year because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Once again the Christmas season is upon us and for some of us it is time to get that “little kid” feeling — if only for a short time. I guess I’d have to say that I still get a certain warm feeling inside whenever I drive past houses lit up with colorful Christmas lights. It seems as if there are getting to be fewer and fewer houses displaying Christmas lights each year, which is kind of sad. Maybe it’s the economy or just a sign of the times. I know that our little granddaughter, Emma, still marvels at houses that are all lit up and thinks it’s a real treat when Mom and Dad go out of the way to drive past those houses.
I can still remember my folks loading me and my sister Judy into the car and driving around town to see all the houses decorated with lights. There were a few homes with nativity scenes which depicted the true meaning of Christmas, and I can remember thinking how special that was. We would also go “Uptown,” which has now turned into “Downtown,” to shop or just look in the windows of the stores that were all decorated for Christmas. I can still hear the Ho-Ho-Ho of the mechanical Santa in the window of the Skinner Chamberlain Department store. Those were simple times when folks had time to talk and weren’t all consumed with the electronic toys of today’s world. The town was always lit up with the traditional strings of garland and lights strung across the intersections and the sounds of music playing with the Salvation Army bell ringers chorusing in. Our family didn’t have a lot of money, but we didn’t really need a lot because we were satisfied with the simple things that meant the most; like a good home, food on the table and most importantly, family.
Speaking of family, my grandson Trevor is not only an avid fisherman but he’s also quite the hunter. He loves waterfowl hunting and he especially loves to goose hunt. On one of his goose hunting excursions he bagged a different looking goose and, after doing a little research, he discovered that it was a Quill Lake goose which comes from an area in the vicinity of the village of Quill Lake Saskatchewan. It is thought that these geese actually have a genetic trait that developed over the years while nesting in this particular area of Canada.
The following is a quote from an experienced waterfowl hunter from South Dakota about this particular goose.
“Quill Lake goose is a distinctive goose with mainly white patches on the wing tips and a white stripe on the bottom of it neck starting at the bottom of the chin (so called) all the way down to the start of the crop. You will also notice that there is a big white patch or two or three on his chest which is very distinctive. It is resident mostly in Canada and they migrate (very few) to the southern states.”
This particular hunter said that if you are lucky enough to shoot one, you should mount it because you don’t see them very often.
When I asked Trevor what he wanted for Christmas, he said I could just give him some money to put towards getting that goose mounted. That works for me and it is also something that he will have for years to come.
Now that the waterfowl season is behind us for a few months, I am hoping Trevor and I can spend some time doing a little “hard water” fishing. Of course now it’s him doing most of the work and I am just going along for the fun part. It’s kind of funny how things go full circle from the days when he’d go fishing with me and I’d spend a fair amount of time untangling lines and retrieving lures from shoreline tree branches. Ahh! Those were the days that seemed to go by all too fast.
As I write this column my mouth is beginning to water, just a little, because I’m thinking of the lutefisk feast that lies ahead. Until next time, have a very “Merry Christmas” and a joyous New Year.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Once again it seems as if the Christmas holiday has come roaring down the home stretch like a runaway locomotive. Not to say I haven’t been aware of it and, in fact, most of my gift shopping is actually pretty much done. After my first few years of marriage to Jean I realized that my taste in women’s clothes was not the same as hers, but for the first few Christmases I persisted in trying to buy that perfect “outfit” for my significant other only to have her return it shortly after Christmas. I eventually gave up the clothing idea and have moved on in my quest to find that ideal gift.
I will soon be going to my sister Judy’s house for our traditional lefse making day. We do this each year and it has become tradition that we make the lefse at her house and I host Christmas Eve at mine. As Christmas Eve approaches, I will have to start trolling the aisles of the local grocery store hoping to snag a few pounds of that mouth-watering delicacy known as lutefisk. I usually buy the fish about three days ahead of time and soak it in water for three days. This is the tradition that I grew up with because the fish used to be packed in lye for preservation before shipping. I still soak the fish because to me it seems to be more firm and flaky when I do that, but in reality it’s probably just a Norwegian not wanting to break with tradition.
In past years I have written about Christmas passed and growing up as a boy of Norwegian decent. Each year our family would have to visit both sides on Christmas Eve. My dad’s side always had the gathering on Christmas Eve and so would my mother’s side. I have to believe that there had been attempts to move one to Christmas Day, but being strong willed Norwegian families, no one would budge. When it was time for the festivities to begin we would load our gifts in the car and head to the Herfindahl side for lutefisk, lefse and all the trimmings. Now this in itself was always a fun experience for a young boy because there were treats of all kinds that I would only get to experience at this time of year. After the feast we would get to the one event us kids had been waiting for – the opening of gifts. After the gifts were unwrapped and the gift givers were properly thanked, it was time to get Dad to tear himself away and head to my Mom’s side for the other half of Christmas Eve.
Once we arrived at “the farm,” which was just a few blocks from our house on Hammer Road, we would arrive in the “nick” of time for the unwrapping of presents. I can still hear my aunt Millie saying, “Just what I wanted,” about every gift that she opened. Now my Uncle Orv and Aunt Millie would let their kids open all of their gifts on Christmas Eve, which I always suspected were to show everyone what nice things they had been given. There were footballs, sweaters with reindeer on them, games, wagons, dolls and the one thing that a kid wanted to unwrap least at Christmas – more clothes. Now all of their children were quite a bit older than I was so I jumped at any opportunity to be included in any of the games they may play. One of the best parts of Christmas at the “Farm” was all of the treats that a kid could pretty much graze on non-stop. I can still see the quart bottles of Tom Moore soda sitting on the counter by the kitchen sink. There was root beer, orange and ginger ale and I made sure that I sampled them all; usually coming back to the root beer in the end. Once the festivities at the farm had come to a close, we would load the car and head home. After I had settled into bed for the night with visions of Santa dancing in my head, Dad would usually drive back to my grandma’s for more visiting and I suspect a little more Christmas cheer.
I don’t believe that I can ever recall a more peaceful feeling than when driving through town with my folks on Christmas Eve. It seemed like there were lights on almost every house in those days and seeing those lights, even as a kid, reminded me of why we celebrate Christmas.
On December 19 our family will be tuned in to the show Jeopardy, which airs on channel 3 at 4:30, to watch my niece Jenna Johnson. She is from Minneapolis and flew out to California to tape the show. Jenna is a four-year graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and is presently attending the University of Minnesota Law School. She isn’t allowed to tell us how she did, so we are excited to see how it turned out.
Until next time, have a very “Merry Christmas” and a joyous New Year.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
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In the past couple of weeks we have seen the weather go from almost perfect for hard water fishing to unstable at best. The ice we have had for the past couple of weeks had been almost perfect and for the most part the ice was as close to perfect as any ice fisherman could want. Granted, the ice was still a little thin for my liking with a thickness of 3-4 inches in the channel. The fishing seemed to be quite good although the walleye were hungry most of them were only in the 10-inch range. If you were looking for table fare then the jumbo perch would have filled that void until the larger walleye showed interest in biting.
There have been a few houses spotted on Pickerel Lake and I have heard that there have been some northern and perch being caught. Darkhouse spearing is permitted on all area lakes and this might be a good lake to visit if you are into that part of the sport.
The rain that we experienced this past week changed everything in terms of “perfect” ice conditions. With rain and standing water come unstable ice conditions so remember to use caution when venturing out on our area’s lakes and streams.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources warns ice anglers, snowmobilers, skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts to use caution when going onto any lake covered or partially covered with ice, especially those that feature aeration systems.
”Open water areas created by aeration systems can shift or change shapes depending on weather conditions,” said Marilyn Danks, DNR aquatic biologist. “Leaks may develop in air lines creating other areas of weak ice or open water.”
Aeration systems are generally operated from the time lakes freeze until ice break-up in the spring. They help prevent winterkill of fish, but they also create areas of open water and thin ice, which are significant hazards.
A bill passed during the 2013 legislative session has repealed the spearing restrictions on 12 Minnesota lakes including Deer, Moose, North Star and Spider lakes in Itasca County. The lakes were opened to darkhouse spearing effective Dec. 2.
“It was a common practice in the 1960s and early ‘70s to prohibit spearing on waters managed for muskies,” said Chris Kavanaugh, Department of Natural Resources area fisheries supervisor. “At one time there were a number of lakes in Itasca County that had spearing bans, now there are none.”
Spearing of muskellunge is still illegal in Minnesota waters. Those participating in spearing activities are responsible for properly identifying fish before spearing them.
With this being said I have to recall a few years ago when the slot limit on northern pike first went into effect on Spider Lake. There was a sign posted at the access stating that the slot limit for northern was 24-36 inches and that they must be returned to the water immediately. Also on that sign was the language about no spearing on the lake. The sign was riddled with bullet holes and being the astute observer that I am I deducted that it was a message from someone who wasn’t very happy with one or all of the regulations. I do believe that there are better ways to voice your opinion about something than shooting a sign. As far as I know that sign is still there – bullet holes and all.
When it comes to ice fishing; we shouldn’t have to travel far to be treated to some excellent fishing. Even if we can have a repeat of last year it could be a good year. Although the channel didn’t produce a lot of fish last year Fountain Lake provided plenty of action for fishermen. There were plenty of panfish and perch to be had; throw in an occasional walleye or bass and overall it was a pretty good year. I am sure my grandson Trevor will be spending a fair amount of time on the lake and I am hoping that he will take old grandpa along a time or two again this year.
Until next time, be careful when venturing out on the thin ice. It’s always time well spent when you spend it in our great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Most of the time while writing this column I like to look back to my days as a youth and reflect on those times. The other day as I was shopping I happened to bump into Jim Foley, an old friend whom I have known pretty much all my life. He said that I often write about the things we did as kids and how it seemed like those times were much simpler and more laid back. I have to agree with him wholeheartedly because as kids we didn’t have a lot of electronics or even organized sports for that matter that stood in the way of our just being kids.
Growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, we would make our own entertainment and create our own fun. There were no video games or schedules we had to follow. There were many times when I’d hurry home from Hammer School to quickly change, hop on my bike and head to Jim’s house. Jim lived on a farm just a ways east of the tracks on Hammer Road. We’d usually play in the hay barn, explore the creek or, on days when we were feeling brave, we’d harass the sheep until the ram had enough and would chase us off before Jim’s Dad caught us.
Whenever we’d get into trouble there were no “time outs” because we were subject to spankings or, if you swore at my house, you had to wash your mouth out with soap — which only happened to me one time. I was a quick learner and discovered early on I didn’t like the taste of an Ivory bar. I don’t remember being in trouble a lot, but when I did it was my mom that handed out the punishment. She would make me go and get the yard stick and with the spanking came the story of her having to go out to the willow tree and pick her own branch with which to get a spanking. That story never made it hurt any less, but I believe I did find a lesson in her words; I guess it was the “reap what you sow” thing.
I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and, with another one in the books, we can now turn our focus on Christmas. This Thanksgiving reminded me of a time when my cousin Bill Christensen and his wife Cleo lived in Conger. We had gone there for Thanksgiving and after dinner Cleo’s Cousin Dennis and I took my folks’ car and went driving around the countryside. I don’t know why I remember that particular Thanksgiving so vividly, but I recall it being very cold and sunny and there was no snow on the ground. Maybe it stood out to me because it wasn’t the typical Thanksgiving when we would go to my Uncle Harvey and Aunt Ruby’s, which was right next door to our house.
Looking back on those days, I realize we could never host Thanksgiving or Christmas because our house was just too small. Christmas on my mother’s side was always “up at the farm” which wasn’t very far away either. We called it the farm because it was where my mother, Aunt Ruby and Uncle Orv grew up. The old farmhouse still stands just south of Hammer Road, but I have no idea who lives there now.
Getting back to Thanksgiving; just a few years ago Bob Hillman, my old neighbor, called to tell me about the good luck he’d had while fishing on Thanksgiving Day. While he was driving home from church he had passed over a bridge on the Shellrock River; it was an unusually nice, warm, sunny day so he decided to try a little fishing. He went home, changed, grabbed his fishing gear and headed back to that bridge. In a matter of an hour or so he had taken his limit of nice walleye and he decided to share that story with me.
There are times when a person can spend weeks planning a fishing trip and it will never turn out as good as one that just happens on a whim. This holds true for a lot of things that happen on the spur of the moment.
MUSKY TALK
The December meeting of Cross Roads Chapter 54, of Muskies Inc. will be held on Wed. December 4 instead of the regular meeting date of the 11th at Eagles Club in Owatonna, at 7 p.m. (due to schedule conflict) Our program is, 'Favorite Trip' night. It includes where, when, and what worked and a recap of 2013 musky season with lots of musky talk!
Our regular meetings are the second Wednesday of each month and includes informative speakers, updates, door prizes and a raffle. You need not be a member to attend! Bring a friend and help improve musky fishing in Southern Minnesota.
Until next time, be careful when venturing out on the thin ice. It’s always time well spent when you spend it in our great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
This is the time of the year that has most fishermen in limbo. As ice begins to form on our area lakes and streams, the open water fishing opportunities start to dwindle and all we can do is wait for ice-over. This can also be a dangerous part of the year as folks tend to venture out on thin ice hoping to reap the benefits of the “early ice” bite. It has been said many times that the hard water fishing is at its best soon after the ice-over.
The Department of Natural Resources said the thin layers of ice that are forming on Minnesota waters right now are not safe. This reminder comes after a DNR conservation officer helped rescue a man Nov. 15 who was fishing and fell through the ice on Little Rock Lake in Benton County.
“The bottom line is it’s crucial that people do not let their guard down,” said Kara Owens, DNR boat and water safety specialist, “because ice is never 100 percent safe. A few days of cold temperatures don’t create ice strong enough to hold a person.”
According to Owens, six people died last winter after falling through the ice.
The DNR recommends anyone heading out on the ice should: carry a set of ice picks, check with a local bait shop or resort — ask about ice conditions — and measure the ice.
DNR clear ice thickness recommendations are:
• 4 inches for walking.
• 5 inches for a snowmobile or ATV.
• 8-12 inches for a car.
•12-15 inches for a medium-sized truck.
Statistics say that most drowning caused by thin ice are at this time of the year and children are the ones who are most prone to testing the first ice.
Looking back to my childhood days, I can recall testing the first ice on more than one occasion. As a kid I spent most of my waking moments either at the “crick” starting with ice-out in the spring or tromping through the slough on a wintery Saturday in search of some kind of adventure. I can remember testing the ice on mud puddles just to get some sort of satisfaction out of breaking through. It is actually kind of strange what simple things can fascinate a young mind.
As the ice thickened, some of the kids in the neighborhood would decide to venture out into the slough pretending to be explorers like Lewis & Clark or frontiersmen like our folk heroes Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett. Sometimes I would picture myself as Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, who was a TV hero of mine that was always battling Indians or tracking down those dastardly French Canadian bad guys.
Getting back to the ice thing, while venturing out on the “big ice” for the first time we would usually be extra careful until we felt safe; which would sometimes lead to filling the old 5-buckle overshoe with ice cold water. The overshoe full of water was usually accompanied by a water soaked pant leg which would freeze solid in just a short time in the cold of winter. It’s funny how kids can be oblivious to the freezing temperatures for a time until the pant leg starts to make a “clacking” sound and the teeth begin chattering. This is when you knew it was time to head home and face the “I told you so” that mom would have ready for you after warning you to be careful and stay off the ice.
Most of the time if you did fall through the ice, it was because you had gotten too close to the cattails which were like magnets to a kid looking for the perfect one. For some strange reason we would almost make a game out of finding the best cattail. You didn’t want one that had already started to open up but one that was perfectly brown with the point still intact. It wasn’t as if we would actually do anything with them. I guess it was just a game we’d made up to pass the time on a wintery afternoon adventure.
Yes, those times spent playing on that thin ice could have been dangerous, but we didn’t see it that way because we didn’t think the “crick” was all that deep and, of course, we never really planned on breaking through. I can still remember marveling at the times when you would stand on that clear, thin ice watching as the water flowed beneath it on its way to Goose Lake; it was just another wonder of nature that fascinated a young kid who loved spending time in the outdoors.
Until next time, stay off the thin ice there will be plenty of winter ahead. It’s always time well spent when you spend it in our great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
During this past week I have heard some mixed reports from some of our area deer hunters. There seems to be a healthy deer population in our area and a few of the hunters that I know of have gotten their deer. Although I am not a deer hunter I still enjoy hearing the stories.
I was invited to attend the first Governor’s deer Hunting Opener in the Brainerd area a few years back and that is where I was introduced to “deer camps” and what they mean to hunters and their families. It is not all about shooting a deer but the whole package. On that opener I had the opportunity to accompany a couple of DNR officials as they drove from deer camp to deer camp checking with hunters to see how their hunt was going. The one thing that I noticed was the camaraderie between the hunters and after speaking with a few of them I knew there was a special bond that made this annual event a huge part of their lives.
We stopped and spoke with one young girl who had just turned fifteen who said that she had been allowed to go to deer camps in the past but this was the first year she was allowed to hunt. She was really excited to be on her first hunt which I believe was like “a coming of age” thing for her.
I had attended many of the Governor’s fishing openers in the past but the deer hunting opener introduced me to a whole different ball game. Deer hunters are a very close knit group of folks and the deer camp was a way of bringing friends and families together for the traditional hunt.
My son Brian likes to bow hunt for deer and in looking back at it, his interest in archery started at a fairly young age. If you are an archery hunter, the season lasts from September through the end of the year, so there is more time to hunt but the degree of difficulty is greater. His Uncle Lynn got him started deer hunting with a bow at a fairly young age. He was invited to go along with Lynn and some of his hunting buddies to Colorado to bow hunt for elk. I’d have to say that this was probably his acceptance into that circle of friends that enjoy the sport of bow hunting.
One cool crisp sunny fall day Brian asked me if I’d like to take a ride with him to the Bricelyn area so he could show me where he did most of his bow hunting and do a little scouting at the same time. After spending time with him that day I could see why he got so much enjoyment out of spending time in the woods waiting for that special time when that big buck would appear. I don’t believe that there is a more peaceful feeling than when you spend time in the woods watching nature at work.
Minnesota hunters harvested 77,008 deer during the first three days of the firearms season, down 8 percent from 2012, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader, said a slightly smaller harvest over the first three days is not surprising.
“Last year, opening weekend weather was almost ideal and the state’s corn harvest was virtually complete, she said. “So given Saturday’s roaring winds of up to 30 miles per hour, which tends to restrict deer movement, and more available deer refuge areas due to pockets of standing corn, the harvest is about what you’d expect.” In some areas, she said, about a quarter of the corn crop was not yet harvested.
Around the state, opening day hunting conditions included snow in the north and gusty winds and overcast skies most everywhere, turning nicer on Sunday. The harvest was down 19 percent in the northeast, 4 percent in the southeast and 6 percent for the remainder of the state. Because hunters have 48 hours to register a harvested deer, final opening weekend numbers for 2013 will be greater than those reported today.
With improving weather conditions this week, the DNR still expects the final 2013 harvest to be similar to last year when about 185,000 deer were taken.
The firearms season continued through last Sunday for all but northeast Minnesota, which extends until Nov. 24. There is also a late southeast firearms season that runs Nov. 23-Dec. 1.
The cold weather we experienced this past week put a temporary damper on the area fishing. With a warmup I am sure we will once again see a few hardy folks fishing the channel between the lakes. The perch and walleye bite had been pretty good up until the cold spell hit.
Until next time, “hunt safe” and enjoy some of our areas many natural resources. It’s always time well spent when you spend it in our great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.