To get an event in the Outdoors calendar, contact Brad Dokken at (701) 780-1148, (800) 477-6572 ext. 1148 or by email at
. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesdays.
- March 20: Workshop, “Tips and Tricks to Catfishing on the Red River,” 5:30 p.m., Carlson Library, Fargo. Red River catfish guide Brad Durick will discuss how to choose gear, how to rig it up and use it, bait and basic locations to look for catfish. This class is free, but pre-registration is required through
. Ticket sales close at 5 p.m. March 19 (limited spots available). Info: River Keepers, (701) 235-2895.
- June 15: Marley Concrete Cats Tournament, MB Johnson Park, Moorhead. Fishing hours 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; all anglers must be in the weigh-in line by 3 p.m. Entry fee $120. Info/entry:
- April 6: Volunteer Brush Cut Habitat Day, Palmville Wildlife Management Area in Marshall County northeast of Middle River, Minnesota. At least one week prior, email the Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society rep/site contact to get the flier with directions and map. On Group Day, complete a volunteer agreement form and log hours with the contact. Gather at the site by 9:30 a.m. for a welcome, and a project/safety briefing. Morning snacks and lunch will be provided. Work will wrap up by 3 p.m. Info: Gary, Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society rep/site contact, (218) 407-7173 or honkerharmony@gvtel.com; or Kyle Arola, manager of Thief Lake WMA, at (218) 633-7671 or Kyle.arola@state.mn.us.
- April 18-20: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers 2024 North American Rendezvous, Minneapolis Convention Center. Info/schedule:
- April 19-20: Joint meeting of the Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society and Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, University of Minnesota-Crookston. Meeting will kick off at 1 p.m. April 19 with a field trip to local prairies east of Crookston, followed at 5:30 p.m. by an informal social. An early morning field trip to a grouse viewing blind is set for April 20, followed by presentations and other events throughout the day back at UMC before adjourning at 4 pm. For final meeting details and pre-registration, watch the
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General meeting questions can be emailed to dan.svedarsky@gmail.com.
- April 20: North Red River Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association “Bucks and Bologna Night,” Community Center, Lancaster, Minnesota. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Event will include trophy deer mounts, antler display and wild animal skull display, along with trail camera and deer camp photo displays. Meal will feature a homemade ring bologna prepared by local sausage makers from the area in pursuit of being named “Top Bologna Bunch.” The meal also will include smoked sausage, baked beans, macaroni salad, sauerkraut and fixings with homemade buns. The evening will begin with a social hour with games and raffles for firearms, fishing equipment, outdoor gear and barbeque season supplies. There will be a special drawing for attending Forkhorns (youth 16 and under), which includes firearms and other outdoor gear. Advanced tickets are not required. Anyone interested in bringing a buck shoulder mount for display is asked to contact Scott Wallenberg at (218) 988-2678 in advance to arrange for mount display. More info: Brent Krantz, chapter president, (218) 469-3522.
- April 27: Cache In Trash Out Park Cleanup Day, 10 a.m., Turtle River State Park, 3084 Park Ave., Arvilla, North Dakota. Meet at the chalet. Garbages bags, gloves, water and maps will be provided; vehicle passes are required. Info: (701) 795-3180.
- May 11: Roseau Lake of the Woods Sportsman Club Fish Fry and Membership Drive, 4 to 8 p.m., arena in Williams, Minnesota. Raffles, games, door prizes; $20 per person, $12 age 12 and younger. All current members will get $5 off their meal.
- June 3-7: North Dakota Waterfowl Brigade, Washburn, North Dakota. Camp includes sessions on waterfowl habitat management, firearms skills and safety, wetland and plant identification, waterfowl ecology, leadership development, public speaking, conservation advocacy and more. Open to youth ages 13 to 17 years old; application deadline is March 15. Info/applications:
texasbrigades.org/applications
or by email at camps@texasbrigades.org.
- July 26-27: Cats Incredible Catfish Tournament, Red River, with headquarters at LaFave Park in East Grand Forks. Tournament hours 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, July 26, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 27. Info:
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources webinars are free and begin at noon Wednesdays. Pre-registration is required at
. Webinars also are recorded and available online. Winter series topics are as follows:
- March 20: National Archery in the Schools Program. The Minnesota National Archery in the School Program is one of the largest youth archery programs in the nation. Kraig Kiger, DNR shooting sports specialist, and NASP representatives will discuss how to get started in the program, equipment needed and what’s available from the DNR, competitions and awards for participants – including college scholarships.
- March 27: Barotrauma: What you need to know when catching fish in deep water. Barotrauma is physical damage to a fish caused by expanding gases when fish are caught from deeper waters. This program will describe the effects of barotrauma on popular fish species, explore how it may impact fisheries resource quality and provide tips for anglers to reduce negative impacts from deep water fishing. As a bonus, a few fishing tips and tricks will be included.
- April 3: No country for old bears. Black bears in Minnesota are typically leaving their dens in early April. One of the most important factors to understand in wildlife management is survival. Andy Tri, DNR bear project leader, will discuss the different aspects of black bear survival over the last four decades of research and what that means for Minnesota’s black bear population.
- April 10: Climate and landscape changes and their effect on our coldwater fisheries. Climate and landscape changes are affecting coldwater fish communities in Minnesota lakes. Derek Bahr, DNR fisheries research scientist, and Heather Baird, DNR forest fisheries landscape coordinator, will discuss how the DNR is working with partners to mitigate those effects and what each of us can do to help.
- April 17: Southeast brook trout conservation. The MN Driftless strain of brook trout is being used to reintroduce brook trout to streams where they are no longer found, enhance streams lacking brook trout reproduction and increase fishing opportunities to catch brook trout. Brook trout conservation is important as they are the only species of trout native to southeast Minnesota. Melissa Wagner, Lanesboro DNR fisheries supervisor, will share the history of this conservation project and what it means for future stream management and anglers.
- April 24: Experiencing the spring warbler migration. One of Minnesota’s expert birders, Amy Simso Dean, will share some basic tips on how to identify and where to find warblers this spring. She will also share some suggestions on how to introduce kids to birding.
- May 1: Catch a record fish. In 2024, DNR Fisheries will be enhancing the record fish program, opening up some historical harvest records and adding many more species categories for catch-and-release records. During this discussion, Mandy Erickson, DNR fisheries expert, will talk about the enhancements that are being made to the program, what anglers should do if they catch a potential record fish and demonstrate the proper way to measure and document your catch.
- May 8: Preparing for the fishing opener – live from the dock. Join us for a little shore fishing ahead of the opener and Take a Mom Fishing weekend. We will talk about the upcoming season, DNR fishing updates, favorite lures, how to be more successful and maybe a secret spot or two!
- May 15: Creating communities with alternative lawns. Learn about the benefits of reducing the size of your lawn by planting native habitat in your yard, on your patios and balconies and in our communities. Altlawns of Richfield and Bloomington is a community group of residents with a mission to create biodiverse native habitat in place of lawns by providing community education and support to local residents. They will provide tips and answer questions on managing and maintaining a native landscape.
- May 22: Jumping worms: New non-native earthworm species in Minnesota. Did you know Minnesota does not have native earthworms? “Jumping worms” are new to Minnesota and are getting lots of attention for their startling movements and their negative impacts in gardens and forests. Laura Van Riper, DNR terrestrial invasive species program coordinator, will discuss impacts of invasive earthworms and provide more detail on jumping worms including how to identify them, known current distribution and research and regulatory updates. Learn about actions to prevent and report jumping worms and other invasive earthworm species.
- May 29: Hiking the Superior Hiking Trail. Lisa Luokkala, Superior Hiking Trail Association’s executive director, will share the best first steps in planning your visit to Minnesota’s premier footpath. The program will cover everything from what guides and maps are available to basic information about features, such as campsites and trailheads. Luokkala will share an overview of the trail’s history and provide guidance to help you plan your next adventure.
