Recent content from Dennis Anderson
Anderson: Call to the outdoors these days is more like a siren
Hunting, as an educational and gratifying fall escape, gains importance in these uncertain times
Anderson: Nasby's pandemic hobby is casting for new interests
Bob Nasby, a Twin Cities fisherman and fly-casting instructor, has a new obsession: the collection, restoration and casting of centuries-old salmon rods, or what also are called spey rods.
Anderson: Marchel sets good example for some of wildlife's finest critters
Bill Marchel created a habitat on his 70 acres of land to attract deer and other wildlife
Anderson: Longtime Pheasants Forever officer says relationships key to getting results
Dave Nomsen discussed Washington's political climate and the challenges of advocating for conservation policy on a national scale.
Anderson: Grass buffers have proven their worth in Minn. farm country
Passed by the Legislature at the urging of then-Gov. Mark Dayton, the state's buffer law was intended to reduce farmland runoff, thereby helping to clean up rivers and other waters.
Anderson: Sportsmens club as Minnesotan as baseball and fishing in summertime
The coronavirus has thrown a wrench into just about everything this summer. Yet people come to the club for competitions and socializing, even in the time of a pandemic.
Anderson: Nature's storytellers are a threatened species as well
Documentarians of the outdoors world are losing some of their voices in an ever-changing media industry.
Anderson: Ex-Army Ranger making sure other vetarans can go fishing
Steve Gillaspie is the founder of a 501(c)(3) group called Veterans on the Water, which offers free fishing trips to military veterans.
Anderson: Ending South Dakota pheasant survey won't fool hunters
If the South Dakota commission hopes to trick pheasant hunters into visiting by ending the state's brood surveys, that ploy won't work. Hunters aren't stupid.
Anderson: River wranglers ply the Mississippi River after dark
Whether bracketed by statuesque pines near Brainerd, the bright lights of the Twin Cities or Wabasha's leafy hardwoods, the Mississippi's one constant is beauty, and never more so than at night.
Anderson: Minorities lend their voices to outdoors activism
Minnesota's overwhelmingly white (84%) population is fast becoming more diverse, with significant implications for outdoor recreation and especially for conservation.
Anderson: Prolonged border closing deals crushing blow to businesses, summer rituals
With the largest concentration of hunting and fishing camps in Canada, the region of Ontario just north of Minnesota is especially hard hit by the closed border. And Minnesotans who take those trips feel targeted, too.
Anderson: Pandemic response foreshadows challenge to survive climate crisis
Relying on human behavior to change won't meet the crisis at hand.
Anderson: Wade fishing for bass a reprieve from society's turmoil
Rarely undertaken in Minnesota anymore, except on some Twin Cities lakes, and of course by stream-trout fishermen, wade fishing is as old as the hills.
Anderson: Campers trending toward minimalist find sleeping options that fit the bill
Shift to minimalism calls for sleeping quarters such as teardrop trailers and rooftop tents, which travel well and deliver on comfort.
Anderson: Vacationers need to be considerate of others; bring a mask
And wear it, especially indoors. It's the right thing to do.
Anderson: State parks slowly get ready to reopen to campers
Except at a relative handful of remote state park sites where camping is allowed, no one has pitched a tent or parked an RV in a Minnesota state park since March 27. That's about to change.
Anderson: Veteran guide Roach ready to safely go back to work on Mille Lacs
Like other Minnesota fishing guides, Tony Roach's business had been sidelined by a directive issued by Gov. Tim Walz. The governor's order has since been changed.
The Tony Roach file
Tony Roach file • Roach, 41, lives in Moose Lake, Minn., with his wife, Sonja, and their son and daughter. • The owner of Roach’s…
Anderson: Environment loses again if GOP has way with lottery money
Almost from the time it was created, legislators have dipped into the state lottery's environmental trust fund. reducing the amount of lottery proceeds dedicated to conservation.
Anderson: Anglers venture away from home to seek walleyes on fishing opener
Despite pleas to stay close to home, the popular Upper Red Lake spot drew big numbers from Twin Cities-area anglers for the annual opener. After all, Minnesota is a walleye state, and most walleye are Up North.
Five ways the fishing opener - on the way to and on Upper Red Lake - was different
Here's a look at five ways this year's opener en route to and on Upper Red Lake was different:
Anderson: These old men can't fish this weekend, but still have great tales to tell
Not everyone who wants to will be fishing when walleye season opens Saturday. Sitting this one out will be thousands of elderly Minnesotans who are confined to nursing homes by the pandemic, with no one allowed in and no one allowed out.
Anderson: Pandemic holds up DNR's push to get lead out of tackle boxes
The DNR was advocating for tackle that won't poison swans and loons.
Anderson: Safe fishing is doable, says infectious disease expert Osterholm
A renowned epidemiologist and a passionate fisherman, Michael T. Osterholm suggests ways anglers can protect themselves while on lakes and rivers.
Anderson: Alone and together can be done in turkey hunting
Dennis Anderson and John Weyrauch hunted turkeys alone, together, in separate blinds last week. Anderson's plan was to call in a big tom for his friend. That morning, the turkeys won. But not so the next morning.
Anderson: Minnesotans, you're blessed with an outdoors season; don't mess up
As hunting and fishing start up during a pandemic, it's more important than ever to follow the rules.
Anderson: Northern Minnesota resort owners make it clear: come up and fish
In the past month, some public officials in northern Minnesota have said visitors aren't welcome, worried metro vacationers might tote the coronavirus with them. But resorts need customers. Or some won't survive.
Anderson: Ruffed grouse targeted in habitat plan
The primary conservation group that advocates for ruffed grouse has made dramatic changes to the way it operates, with a goal of significantly increasing ruffed grouse and woodcock habitat nationwide.
Anderson: Lying low during pandemic, Bud Grant sees history repeating itself
Stricken with polio at age 10, former Vikings head coach Bud Grant today sees similar "highly stressful times" with the unknowns surrounding COVID-19.
Anderson: Early spring activity marks renewal for outdoors, now on hiatus
April is known for an annual awakening of nature, a beckon to head outdoors. But not this year.
Anderson: On this stretch of the Mississippi, it's fishing as usual -- for now
On the banks of the Mississippi near Red Wing, where walleye fishing is allowed year-round, anglers decide for themselves when fishing season begins.
Anderson: Shuttering of Canada-U.S. border has outdoors implications
Businesses and customers in both nations brace for a closed border.
Anderson: Reality is a real dose these days, but so is the fishing
A rod, a country river, and time to anchor while waters are troubled.
Anderson: Boundary Waters magazine publisher makes time for his own adventures
Stu Osthoff, publisher of Boundary Waters Journal, gets the itch to live out the adventures and lifestyle chronicled in his magazine.
Anderson: Minnesota's path isn't so clear after wolves become delisted
Don't expect a Minnesota wolf hunting or trapping season this fall, in part because the DNR will spend the next year updating its wolf management plan.
Anderson: DNR launching efforts to beef up size of sunfish and bluegills
Minnesota DNR in the past decade has cut sunfish limits from 20, to 10 or five in about 60 lakes. Results: fish maintained their size in lakes with 10 limits and generally increased size in lakes with five-fish limits.
Anderson: It was a life of words – and fields – for prairie poet from Fargo
Timothy Murphy did a lot of things while cultivating a following as an esteemed poet.
Anderson: Bird watchers come from far away for glimpses at Sax-Zim site
As word spread about unique sightings, northern swampland became a go-to for fowl enthusiasts
Anderson: Pheasant Fest gathering was further proof of women's traction in hunting
The vibe was upbeat, even excited, as the women gathered to celebrate their common passion for dogs, birds and wild places.
These dogs and their owners are matches made in ... you tell us
Think you know dogs? Read the biographical sketches that accompany each photo here and see if you can match each human with his or her best friend.
Anderson: Understanding your food: Chef's inspiration is in the hunt
Wade Truong, who'll appear at the Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic, is a chef and hunter – and those overlapping worlds inspire him.
Anderson: Duluth a prime tourism spot; does copper-nickel mining pose threat?
Last week, Duluth reported $12.4 million collected in tourism tax revenue, an all-time high. But industry, not tourism, has always been, and remains, among the city's primary economic drivers
Anderson: RV campers are great and all but, as with everything, there are trade-offs
Owning an RV can be a lot like owning a second home.
Anderson: Example of good government is found in outdoors council
Keen to its mission, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council delivers its vital project requests.
Anderson: Seven young conservationists to watch
Treasured lands find themselves in the best of hands.
Anderson: Lake Minnetonka ice fishing village a hot destination for Iowa regulars
An Iowa family now regulars at a well-outfitted Lake Minnetonka ice house cluster, bunked in a sleeper fish house for three nights — hooking, reeling and smiling, 24/7.
Anderson: DNR event misses chance to take up critical issues of the day
Having hoped the roundtable this year, finally, would offer weightier matters for discussion, many in attendance will shrug, albeit politely.
Anderson: Hunting and fishing TV shows are still changing
As many Minnesotans settle in for a long winter of more "watching" than "doing," they'll see changes among hunting and fishing shows.
Anderson: Pheasants Forever works to keep the base fired up
The annual festival comes to the Twin Cities again this year. While it will arrive amid tough news for birds and habitat, the group stays on point.
Anderson: U researcher leaves legacy with animals, tribes and beyond
After Larissa Minicucci died, Mille Lacs, Leech Lake and White Earth leaders wanted to recognize her contributions to them, and their love for her.
Anderson: Thus far Walz has been a laggard on conservation
Many land, water and wildlife advocates don't think the state's chief executive has delivered.
Slushy conditions hampering ice fishing in northern Minnesota
Reports issued Tuesday by DNR conservation officers underscore the challenging and sometimes dangerous conditions anglers face accessing lake ice.
Anderson: Wily indeed, the coyote shows it will outlast history to erase it
The coyote reminds that its survival instincts are unmatched.
Anderson: Repulsive killing of bear wasn't hunting by a long shot
Sadly, the penalties historically haven't fit poaching crimes like those of which a Brainerd man is accused.
Anderson: Nicollet Conservation Club stands out for nearly 80 years
Since 1942, Nicollet Conservation Club has made a difference.
Anderson: Gunsmithing is ancient trade steeped in modern demands
Larry Ahlman was 21 when his dad, "Cap" Ahlman, died in 1964, leaving his son a small southern Minnesota gunsmithing business saddled with $20,000 in unpaid bills.
Snow could hamper pheasant hunting even though crops harvested
With up to a foot of snow predicted for Wednesday across much of the state's pheasant range, the weather might put the brakes on a ringneck season that otherwise would be shifting into high gear.
Minnesota hunters weigh in on a lost abundance of ducks
A sample of e-mails received following Dennis Anderson's column on questioning waterfowl managers' spring population surveys.
Anderson: New virus surfaces in several grouse, and that is a worry
Cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis surface amid wonder about West Nile impact.
Anderson: Study on stadium bird deaths waste of unnatural resources
When considered on a population level, a similar number of these birds would have died anyway, by some other means.
Anderson: Impact of law change plays out for disabled hunter on opener
Pierce Pennaz, who has Down syndrome, bagged a buck on a shared hunt with his father.
When only a doe will do, the bucks crowd the territory
Bucks came and went, but they weren't the goal this opening morning.
Anderson: Taking aim at the real prize of the deer hunt
In a world that seems intent on dulling our senses, sitting in the woods or along a field edge offers a rare opportunity for surprise.
Anderson: Saving forests benefits deer, hunters
Millions of dollars have gone toward land conservation in the state since 2007. The Minnesota firearms whitetail opener is Saturday.
Anderson: Firearms deer season coincides with peak breeding season for bucks
Mature male whitetails risk becoming trophy bucks when the firearms opener collides with mating pursuits
Anderson: Sinker-maker's troubles are reminder of the deep roots of lead
Water Gremlin's closure read closely by Minnesota anglers.
Anderson: More ducks than ever? Yeah, right
The spring numbers are not all they are cracked up to be.
Anderson: Northern Minnesota guide learns painful lesson of tree-stand risks
His fall while taking down a tree stand is a reminder of inherent risk in the field.
Fisherman catches Minnesota record muskie while grieving for friend
Corey Kitzmann, a lifelong muskie angler, was alone at his family's cabin when he received word a friend had died at age 40. Not wanting to remain in the cabin alone, he went fishing.
Anderson: Bow hunting for deer remains popular as interest in archery dips
Better equipment encourages women, youth to try archery.
Anderson: First statewide youth deer hunt helps grow next generation of Minn. hunters
Open to youth ages 10 to 17, the four-day hunt coincides with the school break Minnesota kids typically are awarded over the long MEA weekend.
Anderson: Horses inspire a special bond between father and son
Delivering them, riding them — they bring joy to a father and son.
Anderson: Ruffed grouse remain a forest mystery
The ruffed grouse population is often not what it seems, but it seems to be up.