This year’s surge in fishing activity has leveled off now that the Fourth of July has come and gone, but individual angling license sales have stayed at their highest level in more than 20 years and total license sales are up 11 percent over 2019.

According to the latest data from the Department of Natural Resources, 876,800 fishing licenses of all kinds for the 2020 season were sold by the agency as of the Monday after the Fourth. Not since 2007 have people participated so heavily in Minnesota fishing during the same timeline.

Standard, individual licenses make up the biggest slice of the pie. As of July 6, the DNR had sold more than 391,000 of those licenses, up 19 percent from last year and the most since at least 2000.

But the year-over-year increase in individual fishing licenses stood at 37 percent when data was gathered two months ago -- around the time of the May 9 fishing opener.

A similar slowdown has developed in total fishing license sales. On Monday after the fishing opener, overall sales were up year over year by 27 percent. That margin had slipped to an increase of 11 percent, year over year, as of the Monday after the Fourth.

One of the highlights of the COVID-19 fishing story has been the huge increase in license sales to teenagers. As of July 6, that trend was still obvious in the data. By that date, the DNR had sold 31,455 “resident youth’’ fishing licenses, up a whopping 34 percent from 2019.

Stamp sales also have exploded. As of July 6, walleye validations were up 47 percent from 2019 while trout validations were 19 percent higher than they were a year ago.

Caretakers of the EagleCam at the Department of Natural Resources said one of the eagle chicks was killed last week in flight.

A fledgling known as E1 was apparently killed after hitting a powerline structure near its nest July 3 in the metro. Thomas Demma, a photographer who monitors the activity at the nest, reported seeing the lifeless chick, according to the DNR's Nongame Wildlife Program. Xcel Energy was alerted, and retrieved the chick’s body.

“No one witnessed the event. Her wing caught a loop and she was found hanging,” read the blog update, which added that the chick wasn’t electrocuted.

Lori Naumann, who manages the EagleCam program, told the Star Tribune on Monday that there has been an outpouring for E1 (shown above in an image by Demma) and the eagle family on social media. She added that the eagles appeared aware of the loss, too. E2, the second chick this season, flew over the site when E1's carcass was recovered.

E1's fate is unfortunately too common for young wildlife. More than half of eagle chicks die in their first year, according to the Nongame Wildlife Program.

A blog post in mid-June announced their chicks’ first flights from the nest, and the regimen of learning from their parents as they found their independence.

“E1, the older and likely female eagle chick took her maiden flight out of the nest this week.  It was an admirable sail from the nest, through the trees behind the nest.  E2 was clearly surprised by the exit and ran to the other side of the nest to see where it's sibling went. …  

… Later in the day, E1 came back to the nest to hang around for a while, likely looking for food.  As we've mentioned before, during this time, the parents continue to provide food for the chicks, on and off of the nest.  They will teach them how to find food on their own, on the ground and in the water.  The chicks have lots to learn yet, like how to catch thermals in the wind and soar to amazing heights.  They will continue to visit the nest from time to time and may even spend their nights there.  The nest will remain their 'safe spot,' at least for a while, until they venture out completely on their own.”

Almost 80% of the funding for the the Nongame Wildlife Program comes from public donations. The EagleCam and its popularity is a big draw. This year was the seventh season following an eagle family and its nest activity. The Star Tribune reported about the EagleCam and its rabid following earlier in the year.