Nov. 25, 2024



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*Minnesota DNR News
*




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*

Nov. 25, 2024




*For more information:* <[email protected]>

Contact the DNR Information Center
by email  <[email protected]>or call 888-646-6367.





In This Issue

* DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac [ #link_1491411839600 ]
* Parents, guardians responsible for kids’ safety around cold water [ #link_1491411977526 ]

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DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

"A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife and habitat management."

Explore the outdoors this winter by hunting Minnesota small game

Hunting pheasants, ruffed grouse, squirrels or rabbits offers opportunities to enjoy the Minnesota outdoors as temperatures fall and snow blankets the landscape.

Pheasants: Hunting season is open through Jan. 1, 2025. On Dec. 1, the daily bag limit increases to three roosters, with a possession limit of nine roosters. The best places to find pheasants at this time of year are in tall grass or cattail marshes. Hunters should remember to exercise caution around thin ice.

Grouse: Hunting season is open through Jan. 1, 2025. Wintertime grouse hunters might find success during the “golden hour,” which is the last hour before sunset when ruffed grouse move out of their snow roosts to feed.

Squirrels: Hunting season is open through Feb. 28, 2025. Winter is breeding season for squirrels, which means they are active and easier to find.

Rabbits: Hunting season is open through Feb. 28, 2025. Hunters will find the most success around thick cover, such as brush piles, thorn tangles and briars.

Fisher, martin and bobcat trapping opens Saturday, Dec. 14, so hunters should be aware of the potential for additional traps in the woods.

Hunters also can find regulations and complete bag limit information on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/hunting). More information about how or where to hunt can be found on the DNR’s learn to hunt webpages [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/gohunting). Recorded webinars with tips on how to hunt pheasants, grouse, squirrels or rabbits are available in the webinar archive on the outdoor skills and stewardship page of the Minnesota DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/discover).

Reminder for anglers on winter walleye fishing regulations for Upper Red, Mille Lacs lakes

Anglers are reminded that the walleye limit for Upper Red Lake this winter will continue to be a four fish possession limit, with only one walleye longer than 17 inches allowed. On Mille Lacs Lake, state-licensed anglers will be able to keep two walleye 18-20 inches long, or one walleye 18-20 inches and one walleye longer than 28 inches, from Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, to Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources sets winter regulations for these lakes after the completion of annual fall population assessments. Results from Upper Red Lake showed the lake is full of young fish, with half the catch shorter than 14 inches. There were also good numbers of fish in the 17- to 20-inch range. Mille Lacs’ results found higher walleye abundance than in 2023, along with strong numbers of juvenile fish that are expected to contribute to the fishery in the future.

Complete winter fishing regulations are available on the Upper Red Lake regulations webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/fishing/upper-red-lake-regulations.html) and the Mille Lacs Lake regulations webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/fishing/millelacs.html).

Registration open for Minnesota DNR webinars on winter outdoor skills and stewardship

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the winter program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webinar series.

Webinars will cover flying squirrels, outdoor winter activities for kids and families, woodpeckers, ice fishing with tip-ups, oak wilt identification and prevention, fishers, outdoor classes at school, the status of the American chestnut, appreciating birds people love to hate and winter ecology.

On Wednesday, Nov. 27, Beth Holbrook, Minnesota DNR fisheries research scientist, will discuss changes in Minnesota’s yellow perch populations, including the latest research results and what that means for perch as an important prey for big game fish and for anglers who are targeting perch. Scott Mackenthun, DNR area fisheries supervisor, will also discuss how anglers can improve their chances to catch perch through the ice this winter.

The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.

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*New bridge benefits northeastern Minnesota’s Baptism River watershed*
A moose crossing the new bridge

Work is complete on a new bridge south of Finland that opens up miles of trout habitat and preserves a trail connection where Hockamin Creek intersects with the CJ Ramstad ATV and Snowmobile Trail in northeastern Minnesota’s Finland State Forest.

Funded by Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) dollars, the Ramstad crossing project is one of many projects in the Baptism River watershed that focused on providing connectivity to cold water habitat for brook trout and other cold water fish species.

Before installation of the new bridge, culverts for the creek were too small to effectively manage high water conditions, resulting in flooding of the trail. During low water conditions, the culverts were elevated above the creek, acting as a fish barrier.

“Climate change is driving an increase in extreme precipitation and flood events, which places more pressure on water-related infrastructure,” said Sarah Strommen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources commissioner. “The water infrastructure projects included in Get Out MORE funding will modernize outdoor recreational experiences while making these areas more resilient to climate change and enhancing aquatic habitat.”

In addition to fish passage, this and other nearby culvert replacements are improving public safety. These bridges allow residents and emergency vehicles to travel in remote areas in and around the Finland State Forest. Flooding can damage and force closure of roads and trails, as happened during flooding in 2022 and 2024. With roads closed, residents and emergency vehicles traveling south of the Finland area had to take long detours of as much as 20 miles. 

For brook trout, the culverts were a barrier in low water conditions when the creek wasn’t high enough to get into the bottom of the culverts. During these times, when weather can be hot, trout need to migrate to deeper, cooler pools in the creek to survive. The new bridge allows the stream to flow freely, opening miles of fish habitat for trout on this tributary of the Baptism River. 

“As recently as five years ago, seven undersized culverts fragmented Hockamin Creek, making it difficult if not impossible for fish to pass,” said Dean Paron, Minnesota DNR stream habitat supervisor. “We’re excited to get this completed and remove the last barrier along the main creek.”

Statewide, Get Out MORE funding for stream restoration projects such as this one will reconnect an estimated 156 miles of streams. Project benefits are not limited to the site of construction. Projects provide upstream and downstream benefits to clean water, habitat improvement and climate resiliency, as well as enhanced recreational opportunities and safety upgrades.

Partners with the Minnesota DNR in the Ramstad crossing project included Trout Unlimited, Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Partners collaborated to obtain state and federal funding, design the new crossing and oversee construction. The bridge had to accommodate snowmobile groomers and be strong enough to support logging trucks using the forest road during timber harvest.

The creek also will benefit from forest planning and work in the area from The Nature Conservancy. TNC has planted tree species along the creek that will survive higher temperatures brought on by climate change. In the spring, those trees will shade the snowpack, helping it last longer into the spring and keeping stream temperatures cooler into the summer.

“I think we’re making a landscape-level difference,” Paron said. “Climate change is a huge issue. But I think we’ve done some pretty good work that will be beneficial well into the future, not just for brook trout but for the streams themselves.”

Not long after finishing the bridge, there was even an unexpected visitor captured in a trail camera photo of the project – a moose made its way across the bridge.

Funding for the project came from the Sustain Our Great Lakes Program, the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund via Trout Unlimited and DNR’s Get Out MORE program. More information about the project is available on the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/aboutdnr/get-out-more/restoring-streams.html).

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Parents, guardians responsible for kids’ safety around cold water

Rapidly falling air temperatures, dangerously cold water, and the likelihood of skim ice on some ponds across Minnesota means it’s imperative for parents and guardians to talk with their kids about the importance of safety ahead of the Thanksgiving break.

Whether through thin ice or into open water, falls into the water this time of year can turn tragic quickly, and an unexpected fall can incapacitate even the strongest swimmers in short order. It’s up to parents and guardians to teach their kids about the dangers of cold water, and ensure they’re properly supervised anytime they’re around it.

“Many kids have an innate curiosity about the water, but they likely don’t understand the dangers,” said Capt. Adam Block, boating law administrator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “All water this time of year is dangerous, from the small neighborhood pond to the state’s biggest lakes and rivers.”

The best way to stay safe around cold water, or survive an unexpected fall in, is to wear a life jacket. Foam life jackets are better than inflatable life jackets this time of year, since cold water means the latter might not fully inflate. In addition, Block recommends people carry a phone in case they need to call for help, let others know where they’re going and when they plan to return, and plan for how they’ll deal with an unforeseen incident.

For more information about surviving a fall into cold water, see the cold water dangers page [ [link removed] ] of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/safety/boatwater/cold-water.html).

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Minnesota DNR bolsters steelhead population in North Shore streams, Lake Superior

First-ever surplus of wild Lake Superior strain juvenile steelhead utilized for stocking

In 2017, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources began raising steelhead trout to bolster the population of these types of fish in streams along the North Shore of Lake Superior and in Lake Superior itself. The program began with the intent to raise “clipped-for-harvest” fish, which means only fish with a clipped adipose fin can be kept by anglers. The adipose fin is a small fin on the back of the fish between the dorsal (large fin on the back of the fish) and caudal fin (tail fin).

With multiple fish being more than 5 years old now, the program is working with fully matured adults in prime reproduction age. Female fish are producing more eggs than in previous years and reproduction is exceeding expectations. The program goals were set by the DNR's’ Lake Superior fisheries staff and, compared to those goals, a surplus of steelhead were produced. The DNR used this surplus of steelhead juveniles, which will be of harvestable age in the coming years, to increase populations in the following areas:


* Lake Superior at Two Harbors – 63,000 fall fingerlings
* Sucker River – 62,000 fall fingerlings
* Knife River – 14,000 spring yearlings

Stream conditions have been unfavorable for steelhead to naturally produce due to a five-year drought and flood cycle, which caused populations to drop by at least 50-80%.

“We’re excited because this is the first year the broodstock we have been developing is not only meeting our quota, but also exceeding our expectations,” said Cory Goldsworthy, Lake Superior Fisheries supervisor. “Given the low population of steelhead in our streams and Lake Superior, our surplus of fish couldn’t have come at a better time.”

The success of this program led to conversations with stakeholders about how to best utilize future broodstock, where to stock them, and a potential to focus on other species, like native brook trout. This information will also help to update the DNR’s Lake Superior fisheries management plan.

For more information on fishing or to learn how to fish, new and seasoned anglers can explore classes and programs on the Minnesota DNR’s learn to fish page [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/gofishing).

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