Recent content from Dennis Anderson
The time-honored slight wave of a hand or fingers over the top of a steering vehicle, acknowledge to the driver or rider of an oncoming vehicle that things are all right.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated April 9, 2021 — 12:44am
In recent years, a new DNR management scheme has been implemented that in some cases places wildlife benefits secondary to Whitewater Wildlife Management Area's timber production.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated April 3, 2021 — 11:50pm
Say what you will about Minnesota waterfowl managers, they're not shy about revealing their belief that the primary reason ducks exist in Minnesota is to get shot.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated April 2, 2021 — 7:28am
Walleyes, saugers and anglers cluster from Lake Pepin to Red Wing dam.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated March 28, 2021 — 9:41am
Whether atop ice cream or pancakes, French toast or oatmeal, real maple syrup made by one's own hand is an unmatched delight.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated March 26, 2021 — 6:45am
Unplugging with longer trips drives deeper into the heart and mind, too.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated March 19, 2021 — 5:25am
The department wants to shift money intended for buying habitat to be used for other purposes.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated March 13, 2021 — 6:11pm
A highly unusual combination of events, including a lawsuit by an out-of-state hunting group, forced the Wisconsin DNR to hold a February wolf hunt it had not anticipated.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated March 6, 2021 — 10:53pm
The whereabouts of deer can stymie wildlife biologists. Enter now the drone, whose usefulness has only recently been realized in determining deer and other wildlife populations.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated March 4, 2021 — 11:08pm
Minnesota's lands and waters and fish and wildlife are under pressure as never before. And we have an outdated conservation model
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated February 27, 2021 — 6:41pm
Most still have openings for this summer. But based on early bookings, they expect record or near-record years as the nation starts to emerge from the pandemic.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated February 20, 2021 — 6:35pm
During the pandemic, time is what many of us have more of, not less, and not utilizing it to some good end might be regretted when more normal days return.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated February 18, 2021 — 11:50pm
Minimal snow cover has made this recent cold snap in Minnesota easier for deer to survive.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated February 13, 2021 — 7:12pm
Of all that has changed over centuries along the Gunflint Trail, the greeting that pines whisper to old-timers and newcomers alike has been constant.
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by Dennis Anderson, Bob Timmons and Tony Kennedy
Updated February 12, 2021 — 5:45am
A closer look at the DNR's license plate Critical Habitat program reveals the agency in recent years has only minimally deployed license plate funds to preserve habitat.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated February 6, 2021 — 4:25pm
The notion of making some wildlife management areas more inviting is taking shape, amid questions about timber harvesting.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 30, 2021 — 5:11pm
Minnesota wildlife managers want to minimize nuisance-bear complaints while satisfying hunters' desires, while also, most important, maintaining a healthy, stable bruin population.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 29, 2021 — 12:39am
The DNR is making a new push to make the outdoors more inclusive.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 23, 2021 — 5:24pm
The Brainerd-area duo formed a pair of distinction, from tackle to media to a shared faith.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 22, 2021 — 12:00am
Recent waterfowling regulation changes the DNR is offering for hunter consideration seem less an effort to ensure the future of waterfowling in Minnesota than an attempt to shoot our way to more ducks.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 16, 2021 — 11:47pm
As our world changes, we must restore relationships with land.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 9, 2021 — 4:08pm
Last winter, Mille Lacs registered more than 3 million angler hours of pressure, a record, according to DNR estimates.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated January 8, 2021 — 6:53am
Sarah Strommen discusses the effect of the pandemic on her agency's operations, the DNR's method of advocating for conservation of wetlands and roadsides, and state management of wolves, among other topics.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated December 19, 2020 — 11:49pm
Legendary coach Bud Grant and his players recall special days away from football and hunting pheasants together.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated December 18, 2020 — 1:52am
Loral I Delaney remains colorful and has a remarkable history as a dog trainer and expert shot.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated December 4, 2020 — 11:38am
A review of current Minnesota deer license sales underscores that girls show a strong interest in hunting relative to boys. But many men return to hunting as they grow older, while many women seemingly don't.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 28, 2020 — 5:54pm
After success in Iowa, Luke Konson and Daniel Balserak made quick work of Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Using raw chicken for bait, they landed channel cats in each state
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 27, 2020 — 12:18am
Four generations of hunters shared a sense of place Saturday morning for the Wisconsin firearms opener, and Norb Berg, 88, has passed his down.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 24, 2020 — 11:33pm
Channel catfish in Iowa are so far eluding a pair of Virginia teens on a special quest.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 20, 2020 — 7:06am
Two Virginians are on a quest to catch the state fish in all 50 states; they might need a hand with our walleyes.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 15, 2020 — 11:50pm
On a northern Minnesota plot long on tradition, a group of hunters helped a man gone astray.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 15, 2020 — 11:48pm
One hunting party stays close to home, with an eye out especially for the metro's abundant does
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 8, 2020 — 12:59am
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials are urging first-timers, as well as veteran hunters, to hunt safely and legally. Here are a few reminders might aid that effort
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 6, 2020 — 9:35am
The pandemic has helped cause a giant backup among processors; people are setting up smaller shops to help out.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated November 2, 2020 — 11:37pm
The Trump administration isn't the only one playing politics on the Endangered Species Act issue.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated October 30, 2020 — 10:10am
Dave Mech offers answers to the unique relationship between wolves and moose.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated October 26, 2020 — 11:56pm
The legendary coach has been retired from football for more than three decades. He's lived longer than he thought he would, and all but a handful of his close friends are dead. But hunting is still a passion.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated October 20, 2020 — 1:44pm
Sid Hartman was the first person Bud Grant met in 1946 when his grandparents dropped him off at the University of Minnesota as a highly touted recruit who would star in three sports for the Gophers.
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by Dennis Anderson
Updated October 19, 2020 — 8:56pm
Saturday morning hunting pheasants was for celebrating Gary Clancy's life and also to celebrate the state wildlife management area that was recently christened in Gary's name.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated October 13, 2020 — 12:05am
Conservations and taxpayers deserve thanks for what might be a resurgent season.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated October 8, 2020 — 7:27pm
Memories abound from decades of visiting the Smith family's shack. You can gauge a hunt's success not only by ducks bagged but by dogs petted, great food consumed and memorable sunrises shared.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 29, 2020 — 12:38am
A cross of native broad-leaf cattails and invasive narrow-leaf cattails, hybrid cattails can aggressively outcompete other aquatic plants. In some instances, so little open water remains ducks can't find places to land.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 25, 2020 — 12:47am
Trading in sporting art, Bob White has spent the pandemic months preparing for publication of what he calls a "lifetime'' book of his work.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 24, 2020 — 1:43am
As opening day on Ol' Ruff nears, optimism is tempered by issues such as West Nile and increasing ATV use.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 17, 2020 — 9:19pm
Minnesota's pheasant population has leapt 42%. An omen, perhaps?
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 15, 2020 — 5:53pm
Addressing topics ranging from gear selection to field-dressing, ethics and laws, the 12-month program (price: $180) is intended not only to educate and inform plugged-in novice hunters, but to get those people into the field.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 11, 2020 — 9:12am
Four southern Minnesotans staged a familiar season-opening get-together for the early goose season.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 7, 2020 — 12:30am
The hunt for mourning birds is modest in Minnesota, but the opener proves a good day for being afield again.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated September 4, 2020 — 12:14am
Motorcyclists not only acknowledge the danger of riding on two wheels, they embrace it. It's part of the sport's ethos and attraction.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated August 30, 2020 — 11:36pm
Chris Niskanen offers insight as someone who knows the agency both from outside and within.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated August 30, 2020 — 11:35pm
This year, three new CWD surveillance areas and an additional CWD management zone (No. 605 in the south metro) have been established by the DNR.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated August 24, 2020 — 12:08am
Some hunters are asking whether gathering in camps this fall — a convention as old as the state itself — and possibly spreading the coronavirus among friends and family, is a good idea.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated August 21, 2020 — 10:51am
Hunting, as an educational and gratifying fall escape, gains importance in these uncertain times
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated August 1, 2020 — 11:27pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 30, 2020 — 11:33pm
Bill Marchel created a habitat on his 70 acres of land to attract deer and other wildlife
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 26, 2020 — 11:47am
Dave Nomsen discussed Washington's political climate and the challenges of advocating for conservation policy on a national scale.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 24, 2020 — 12:02am
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 20, 2020 — 11:47pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 16, 2020 — 11:36pm
Documentarians of the outdoors world are losing some of their voices in an ever-changing media industry.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 5, 2020 — 4:24pm
Steve Gillaspie is the founder of a 501(c)(3) group called Veterans on the Water, which offers free fishing trips to military veterans.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated July 2, 2020 — 11:08pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 28, 2020 — 10:35am
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 26, 2020 — 8:28am
Minnesota's overwhelmingly white (84%) population is fast becoming more diverse, with significant implications for outdoor recreation and especially for conservation.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 22, 2020 — 5:19pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 19, 2020 — 7:37am
Relying on human behavior to change won't meet the crisis at hand.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 12, 2020 — 7:08am
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 7, 2020 — 9:47pm
Shift to minimalism calls for sleeping quarters such as teardrop trailers and rooftop tents, which travel well and deliver on comfort.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated June 7, 2020 — 9:46pm
And wear it, especially indoors. It's the right thing to do.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 23, 2020 — 9:06pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 22, 2020 — 8:53am
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 17, 2020 — 11:06pm
Tony Roach file • Roach, 41, lives in Moose Lake, Minn., with his wife, Sonja, and their son and daughter. • The owner of Roach’s…
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 16, 2020 — 7:05pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 15, 2020 — 6:42am
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 10, 2020 — 7:25am
Here's a look at five ways this year's opener en route to and on Upper Red Lake was different:
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 9, 2020 — 6:44pm
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.
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by DENNIS ANDERSON
Updated May 8, 2020 — 2:23pm