Attention all ice anglers! Fish house removal deadlines are approaching. Make a plan to bring the proper tools with you to remove your fish house safely. Don’t leave wood blocks, insulation or trash of any kind behind on the ice. Trash and human waste infiltrates our waters, sinking to the bottom or washing up on…
Read more
Turkey hunters can buy their licenses for the spring 2023 season starting Wednesday, March 1. Licenses may be purchased online (mndnr.gov/buyalicense), by telephone 888-665-4236 or in person wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold. Hunters can hunt statewide and buy licenses for any time period (A-F) over the counter. For research purposes, license agents will be asking…
Read more
CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked anglers as the final week of the game fish season wound down. Fish houses were coming off the lakes but were generating litter complaints. The latest round of snow brought out more snowmobile activity. CO Victoria Griffith (Isle) patrolled Mille Lacs Lake and trails for activity. Enforcement action was taken…
Read more
District 9 – Brainerd area Last updated: 2023-02-27 CO Eric Sullivan (Brainerd) reports area lakes saw high activity among ice anglers this weekend and recent snowfall allowed snowmobilers to enjoy a great weekend on the trails. Sullivan also checked area lakes for litter and permanent shelters that have not been visited lately. The permanent shelter removal…
Read more
CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked ice angling activity, including a local fishing contest. Several fish houses were being removed from the lakes due to the snow forecast and the season winding down. A lot of snowmobile riders were out despite icy conditions. CO Victoria Griffith (Isle) worked snowmobiling and angling activity. Mille Lacs Lake was…
Read more
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Pine River) patrolled area lakes for snowmobiling and angling activity. Follow-up investigations were conducted for invalid licenses during this past deer season. He patrolled with other officers in Voyageurs National Park during the busy holiday weekend. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile-registration and angling violations. CO Eric Sullivan (Brainerd) reports recent rain…
Read more
Hunters harvested about 170,000 deer during the 2022 deer hunting season, a lower total harvest than in recent years. Total harvest was down 7% compared to the 2021 season and 10% less than the five-year average deer harvest for Minnesota. “Lower deer numbers in northern Minnesota and poor weather during opening weekend in some parts…
Read more
Spearers, anglers and bowfishers will be allowed to keep up to 10 gar — the toothy, prehistoric fish native to Minnesota waters — starting March 1, when a new gar possession limit is in effect on all Minnesota inland and border waters. The limit applies to longnose and shortnose gar, which previously could be kept…
Read more
District 10 – Mille Lacs area Last updated: 2023-02-13 CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked angler activity. Pleasant weather had anglers out catching perch and crappies. Snowmobile riders were out but trail conditions deteriorated rapidly with the thaw. Verkuilen also attended training and checked trapping activity. CO Victoria Griffith (Isle) worked snowmobile and area lake activity. Griffith…
Read more
CO Eric Sullivan (Brainerd) reports area lakes are seeing less angling pressure as winter progresses. Anglers are starting to target sunfish and crappies. Snowmobile trails in the area are starting to show wear with the recent increase in temperature, but riding conditions are still good. Deer-hunting investigations continued and enforcement action was taken for an…
Read more