Minnesota hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation news

Aidan Jones took in a sublime sunset over John Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Back to the BWCA for the grandest portage of all

There's a new entry to last summer's Boundary Waters series: A father and son and their group returned in June to tackle the historic Grand Portage -- a notoriously challenging trek.

Outdoors

It's not an easy trek, but Angle Inlet still can be reached

July 10

A buoy at the lakeshore in Angle Inlet. The marker matches the design of its "sister" buoy in Key West, Fla.

The temporary closure of Canada's border has cut off the only land route to Angle Inlet. For now, nearly all traffic is by boat. The routes vary from 30 to 50 miles long and can be dangerous if ill-equipped or inexperienced.

New St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail has Stillwater going round and round

July 9

Bikers crossed the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge, now exclusively for pedestrians and bikers. Finally connected by a historic bridge and opened to t

The new trail was finally completed this spring with the reopening of the historic Lift Bridge.

Duluth

July 10

David Bell stretches out next to the root of a tree that toppled in his group’s campsite in a storm Wednesday evening on Trout Lake in the Boundary

Caught in storm, Boundary Waters campers thankful to be alive

The group of nine from St. Paul survived toppled trees and lightning surrounding their Trout Lake campsite.

Outdoors

July 9

Like for many birds, summer is an active time for purple martins. The birds are seen accumulating insects for their young.

Purple martins' aerial displays are an act of good parenting, too

Both male and female purple martins, the largest member of the swallow family, are busy feeding their young.

Outdoors

July 9

Minnesota fishing report

A look at where the fish are biting.

Duluth

July 7

The Lakewalk section of the Superior Hiking Trail north of Grand Marais is the only section of trail that runs along the shore of Lake Superior outsid

Some North Shore visitors trashing trails, campsites

North Shore experiencing more visitors trashing trails and campsites.

Tony Jones baptized his 14-year old son, Aidan, as a neophyte voyageur at the completion of the Height of Land Portage in the BWCA. ] Aaron Lavinsky �

Special Series: Boundary Water Passage Father, son launch epic canoe journey in Boundary Waters

updated 16 hours 36 mins. ago

Part 1: A rainy start and sore shoulders foreshadowed the adventure to come for a father and son on the lakes near the Minnesota-Canada border.

West Metro

July 6

Boaters took to the water as the sun set on Lake Minnetonka on July 2, 2019. Traffic to Big Island was down about one-third over the holiday weekend t

Fewer people, more citations over July 4th on Lake Minnetonka

Slight uptick in boating under the influence tags, however.

Local

July 6

Young raptor that grew up on popular EagleCam is killed in flight

EagleCam fledgling known as E1 died after hitting power line structure near nest

Local

July 6

Northern waters, such as Lake Winnipeg, above, are warming, allowing harmful algae to bloom.

Airborne dust may spur toxic algae blooms on remote Minnesota lakes

Scientists are racing to find out how blue-green algae reaches the waters in Minnesota's pristine natural areas.

Outdoors

July 6

Young eagle that grew up on Minnesota's EagleCam killed in flight

Caretakers of the popular wildlife feature report young chick hit powerline.

Outdoors

July 6

Consider bringing an extra paddle, reel and life jacket.

BWCA trip tips: Readers offer their best to first-timers

While most BWCA visitors are experienced, every year first-timers travel there — some prepared, many others not so much. So on the eve of another open-water BWCA season, we solicited tips for first-timers from readers who are veteran BWCA travelers.

Outdoors

July 5

(From left) Patsy and Warren Thieve from Bloomington crossed the swinging bridge while being followed by their son-in-law David Turley and his husband

Minnesota's state parks remain hot properties, but crowds represent challenges

About 85% of the sites and lodges can be used now, but more are opening.

Outdoors

July 5

Anderson: Nature's storytellers are a threatened species as well

Documentarians of the outdoors world are losing some of their voices in an ever-changing media industry.

Variety

July 4

Beloit WWII veteran remembers time aboard U.S.S. Missouri

U.S. Navy veteran Bob Jackson is an eyewitness to one of the most influential days in modern history: the Japanese surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945.

Outdoors

July 2

Steve Gillaspie sat in the Veteran’s Mess Hall, the restaurant he plans to open in Arlington, Minn., which will help raise funds for the fishing gro

Anderson: Ex-Army Ranger making sure other vetarans can go fishing

Steve Gillaspie is the founder of a 501(c)(3) group called Veterans on the Water, which offers free fishing trips to military veterans.

Outdoors

July 2

Butterflies in the warm sunshine are a marker of a Minnesota summer

It's almost impossible to look anywhere in a flower garden or alfalfa field without seeing at least one butterfly bouncing along on an erratic flight, or, in the chase of a monarch, a steady glide.

Outdoors

July 2

Now, the family is making memories at a place near Longville, Minn.

Grandpa's cabin in Fifty Lakes spun into a family history of beloved hideouts

After immigrating from Sweden, he bought land near Fifty Lakes, Minn., that reminded him of home.

Outdoors

July 2

Minnesota fishing report

A look at where the fish are biting

Duluth

July 2

FILE-Father and son hikers, Tom and Ross Perigo enjoyed the evening view high above Bean Lake on the Superior Hiking Trail.

Superior Hiking Trail group gets new leader

Lisa Luokkala last worked as a senior parks planner for the city of Duluth.

Variety

July 1

Yellowstone park to reconsider controversial bison plan

Federal officials plan to reconsider how they manage Yellowstone National Park's famous wild bison herds following longstanding complaints over thousands of the animals that have been killed by hunters and agencies as they attempted to migrate into Montana.

Outdoors

June 28

Lots of factors have combined to reduce the number of pheasant hunters in South Dakota. Advertising campaigns alone won’t tun that around nor will e

Anderson: Ending South Dakota pheasant survey won't fool hunters

If the South Dakota commission hopes to trick pheasant hunters into visiting by ending the state's brood surveys, that ploy won't work. Hunters aren't stupid.

Outdoors

June 26

Gail Buhl of The Raptor Center and Luke Herbert worked together June 16 to get two red-tailed hawk chicks back in trees at Island View Golf Course.

Birdie save: Golfers stop to rescue red-tailed hawk chick in Waconia

Luke Herbert and Noah Kandt were putting on the 12th green at Island View Golf Club when their round ended abruptly and their roles as bird rescuers commenced.

StarTribune