Mille Lacs

DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

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

Minnesota’s regular waterfowl season begins this weekend

Contact: Steve Cordts, waterfowl specialist, 218-766-0112.

Minnesota’s regular waterfowl season opens a half-hour before sunrise on Saturday, Sept. 23, with the same regulations as last year. Minnesota has three waterfowl hunting zones — north, central and south — that share the Sept. 23 season opener but have varying end dates. The central and south zones also have a mid-season closure Oct. 2-6.

Hunters are advised that water levels might be low due to dry conditions across the state. Scouting ahead of the season can help identify any changes hunters need to make in accessing their preferred hunting locations. Hunters should check the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s waterfowl hunting page (mndnr.gov/hunting/waterfowl) for complete information including season dates, regulations, a waterfowl identification guide and weekly waterfowl migration reports.

Teach a kid to hunt small game during Take a Kid Hunting Weekend

NOTE: Videos and soundbites are available in the Minnesota DNR Media Room.

Contact: Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator, 651-259-5178.

Getting youth outdoors in pursuit of squirrels, rabbits and other small game is the focus of Take a Kid Hunting Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24. During the weekend, adult Minnesota residents accompanied by a youth younger than age 16 may hunt small game without a license, although they must comply with open seasons, limits and other regulations.

Hunting small game is a great way to introduce kids to hunting. Kids learn how to search for game sign, properly handle firearms and access hunting land — all without too much time sitting still and being quiet. Anyone who wants to learn how to hunt can find helpful how-to guides on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/gohunting) plus a recorded webinar about how to get started small game hunting (youtube.com/watch?v=Y-GP0ASgC0w). Small game hunting regulations are available at the Minnesota DNR small game hunting webpage (mndnr.gov/hunting/smallgame).

Minnesota DNR webinars focus on sandhill cranes and planning a bird hunting trip

Contact: Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator, 651-259-5178.

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

In a webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 20, Jade Pederson, refuge park ranger at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge near St. Cloud, and Cynthia McSherry, refuge volunteer, will share the life history, quirks and migration of sandhill cranes. Greater sandhill cranes are now common throughout Minnesota, and up to 29,000 greater sandhill cranes can be found at the wetlands of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge during the peak of the cranes’ fall migration. The loud and varied calls, dancing skills and massive wingspan of the cranes make them an exciting sight to behold.

In a webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 27, Minnesota DNR biologists and bird hunting experts will cover how to plan an upland bird hunting trip. They will answer questions and talk about helpful resources, must-have items, and everything to consider in planning a successful road trip.

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 (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.

###

Contact: Steve Piepgras, Mille Lacs WMA supervisor, 320-532-3537.

Minnesota DNR invites public comment on Mille Lacs WMA master plan update

People interested in the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area are invited to share their thoughts with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on a draft update of the WMA’s master plan. The updated plan will guide management of the popular hunting and wildlife-watching destination in Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties.

“Public input is important as we update this plan,” said Steve Piepgras, Mille Lacs WMA supervisor. “The previous plan was developed in 1977, and we want this update to reflect current ecological conditions and public attitudes about how the land should be managed into the future.”

The updated master plan will be used to guide management of the Mille Lacs WMA’s unique forests and peatlands. It will include management goals, objectives and strategies for the WMA throughout the next 10 years.

Public input opportunities

Mille Lacs WMA staff will host two events to provide an overview of the plan and its purpose, answer questions and collect public input: an in-person meeting and an online meeting. No registration is required for either event.

The in-person public meeting is 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Savanna Learning Center, 16797 289th Ave. NW, Zimmerman.

The online meeting is 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24. A link to join the webinar is available on the Mille Lacs WMA webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife/mille_lacs_wma.html).

Review and comment on the plan

The public can review the updated master plan and share comments through Friday, Nov. 3, in a variety of ways: by visiting the Mille Lacs WMA webpage of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife/mille_lacs_wma.html); emailing millelacs.wildlife@state.mn.us, using the online form on Engage with DNR website (engage.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries-public-input-wildlife-public-input); providing verbal and written comments at the Oct. 17 in-person meeting or Oct. 24 online meeting; calling Mille Lacs WMA staff at 320-532-3537; or mailing written comments to Mille Lacs WMA Master Plan, Fish and Wildlife Division, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, 55155.

About the WMA

The 39,000-acre Mille Lacs WMA was established in 1949. Approximately 100 miles of roads and trails traverse the WMA, with public access points offered at 80 locations around the WMA. Many of these roads and trails are also managed as wildlife openings within the forests. Much of the area’s attraction is due to the wide variety of plant and animal species found here, including yellow lady’s slipper, large-flowered trillium, black bear, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, bald eagles, ospreys, waterfowl, trumpeter swans, songbirds and numerous furbearers.

Public hunting is the most common outdoor recreational use of the Mille Lacs WMA. Other activities permitted on the area include trapping, hiking, bicycling, bird watching and cross-country skiing. Outdoor recreational activities are also provided at Father Hennepin and Mille Lacs Kathio state parks to the north and the Rum River State Forest, immediately adjacent to the WMA to the south. More information and maps of the area can be found on the Mille Lacs WMA webpage (mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife/mille_lacs_wma.html) and the WMA finder (mndnr.gov/wmas).