By Doug Leier On a beautiful morning at the Cass County Soil Conservation District Office south of Mapleton, I watched them all come together. Literally. Richard Fordyce, USDA under secretary, Sen. John Hoeven, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Jeb Williams, Game and Fish director, and a few dozen others. Some set out at 4 a.m. to...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program recently awarded $2.1 million dollars to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Walk-In Access Program to increase public access to private lands for wildlife-based recreation. The US...

As the 2026 wild rice season approaches, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds harvesters that, while Aug. 15 is the earliest possible legal harvest date, rice stands must also be ripe before they can be harvested legally. "While Aug. 15 is the official opening date, most rice waters aren't ripe by...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, local wildlife clubs and other sponsors will host the 19th Annual Youth Outdoor Festival Sept. 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Game and Fish Conservation and Outdoors Skills Park on the grounds of the North Dakota State Fair. Young outdoor enthusiasts will get to partake in a ...

North Dakota's pronghorn lottery has been held and all 1,310 licenses were issued. In total, 17,640 applications were received, including 814 gratis applications.

Weekly CO report District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2026-08-10 CO Ben Huener (Roseau) assisted teaching wilderness safety and survival at Lake Bronson State Park to area 4H. ATV activity monitored in Beltrami Island State Forest, with a fair number of berry pickers utilizing the forest. Minor ATV infractions enco...

A total of 2,200 tundra swan licenses are available by lottery for the 2026 season. The deadline to apply is Aug. 19 North Dakota residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. The resident swan license is $10, while the nonresident fee is $50. Successful applicants will receive a tag to take one swan during the sea...

North Dakota's 2026 small game, waterfowl and furbearer regulations are set, with some noteworthy changes from last year. These changes include: Opening day for ducks, geese, coots and mergansers for North Dakota residents is Sept. 26. Nonresidents may begin hunting waterfowl in North Dakota on Monday, Oct. 5. Starting...

North Dakota's early Canada goose season dates are set, with bag limits and licensing requirements the same as last year. Opening day is Aug. 15 in all three zones. Closing dates are Sept. 7 in the Missouri River zone; Sept. 15 in the western zone; and Sept. 22 in the eastern zone. Early Canada goose limits are 15 dail...

A deer near Stillwater has been confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease. The female deer was reported to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources by a landowner who observed it for several days and noted it was unafraid of people and appeared emaciated. On July 16, the deer died and was retrieved by DNR sta...

by Doug Leier I'll never tire from stressing the importance of safety because hunting, fishing and spending time outdoors is beneficial in multiple ways. Outdoor recreation brings people - old friends, new acquaintances, family - together. If you simply need time away from stress at work or need to refocus, the outdoo...

North-central Minnesota experiencing "storage drought" With lower-than-normal rainfall and higher-than-normal temperatures in the last few weeks, persistent drought and lower lake levels have become common across a large portion of the state. Much of north-central Minnesota is experiencing storage drought. In...

District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2026-07-28 CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week monitoring local ATV traffic, attending training at Camp Ripley, and working on a background investigation. CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling the Beltrami Island State Forest. Fontes reports that a lot...

Pronghorn Applications Due Mon, 08/03/2026 The deadline to apply for the 2026 pronghorn hunting season is Aug. 5. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply.

Grouse hunting with dad. A beautiful fall day on Minnesota's beautiful public land!" courtesy of Cara Hanson Hunters, you can now review a variety of significant updates made in the recently released 2026 Minnesota hunting and trapping regulations. Hunting and trapping licenses will be available to purchase starti...

Fish can get viruses and can become stricken with diseases in a similar way to humans and wildlife. Fish can have appearances on the outside and internally, which give pause when cleaning, making you wonder "is it safe to eat?" While I understand the desire to keep, clean and eat your catch, I'll always sugge...

Pierre, S.D.- The South Dakota Departments of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) and Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) want to remind South Dakota landowners to register for assistance with prairie dog encroachment. The deadline for enrollment is August 15. The state's prairie dog control program is cooperatively operat...

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in Leech Lake fisheries management to share their thoughts on a draft update of the fisheries management plan for the lake. The Minnesota DNR last updated the Leech Lake Fisheries Management Plan in 2021, and in the new plan, the agency is aiming t...

Hunters will find major updates to electronic licensing, deer seasons and waterfowl regulations Hunters can now review a variety of significant updates made in the 2026 Minnesota hunting and trapping regulations. Hunting and trapping licenses will be available to purchase starting Saturday, Aug. 1. "We're excited ...

District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2026-07-27 CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week monitoring local ATV traffic, attending training at Camp Ripley, and working on a background investigation. CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling the Beltrami Island State Forest. Fontes reports that a lot...