Woods & Water by Dick Herfindahl

 

I have just returned from spending time at our cabin with my grandson Dylan and his friend Liam. Both of them are students at St. Cloud State and although they don’t room together, they do keep in touch and they both love spending time at our cabin. On this latest visit, I put them to work taking our dock out and helping with a few other chores in preparation for closing up the cabin for the season.

I always enjoy spending time with Dylan and whenever he asks if Liam can come along I tell him that he is always welcome. The previous time we were up there together, Dylan brought his girlfriend Kloe along. I do believe the rustic nature of our cabin life was a little bit of a shock to her at first, but it didn’t take her long to adjust. Dylan said she had a good time. Kloe also caught her own personal best when it came to fishing. I was under the weather when they were here last time so I wasn’t much of a host.

This time was different. Unfortunately Kloe couldn’t make it, but the boys seemed to have a good time. I was able to go fishing with them and although the fishing wasn’t the best, we were able to take in the beauty of the fall colors. Dylan is a lot like his grandpa when it comes to investigating new lakes, especially in the fall. As we drove around checking out new lakes the boys kept commenting on the fall colors. We visited a few of the lakes Dylan had remembered visiting some years back. One lake we visited is small and has a couple of rustic campsites that are free to use on a first come basis. These lakes are in the Chippewa National Forest and the campsites are part of that forest.

There are campsites on many of the little lakes scattered throughout the Chippewa National Forest. If you visit one of these lakes near the end of summer or early fall the chance of finding an open site is pretty good. On summer holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends it is sometimes hard to find an open site so off-holiday weekends or weeks will usually give you a better chance at a site. On Spider Lake in Itasca County I know there are at least three such sites that are available for use. The only stipulations are that you don’t cut down any trees, leave the site clean when you pack up and go home and that you only stay a maximum of 14 days.

For many years I would take the family camping and fishing at Spider Lake. Now I usually visit Spider for a full day of fishing at least two times a year. I have mentioned many times how the slot limit on northern pike has helped the size of the fish being caught. Unlike the rest of the lakes in this region, the limit is three pike under 24 inches and one over 36. There are a lot of “thick” healthy pike in this lake under 24” which make ideal table fare. Single lake limits do take precedence over the statewide limits. I have made so many great memories of fishing with family members on this lake over the years that it is no wonder that I call this my favorite lake. I am just thankful that I am still able to make some memories with Dylan and the rest of the family when we visit the cabin.

 

Good waterfowl opener expected this weekend

Duck hunting is expected to be good when Minnesota’s regular waterfowl season opens a half-hour before sunrise Saturday.

“We’re continuing to see favorable counts of breeding ducks in Minnesota and North America so we hope hunters enjoy what’s shaping up to be a great season,” said Steve Cordts, Department of Natural Resources waterfowl specialist.

This past spring, biologists estimated the total breeding duck population in Minnesota at 14 percent above the long-term average and nearly identical to last year’s estimate of 693,000 ducks.

The estimated number of wetlands was 19% higher than last year and 23% above the long-term average, reflecting the wet year. Wetland numbers can vary greatly based on annual precipitation.

The spring estimate for Canada geese was 110,000 birds, down 32% from last year’s estimate. However, reproduction during the spring and summer affects how many birds hunters see in the fall. Reproduction was good this year, so there are still plenty of geese around for hunters.

 

Tickets available for Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener banquet

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz invites all Minnesotans to join him Oct. 11 for the ninth annual Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener community banquet in Austin.

Celebrating the pheasant opener is a long-standing Minnesota tradition, and one that Walz is proudly carrying on in his first pheasant opener as governor.

“I’m excited and proud to open the pheasant season in Austin,” Walz said. “I’m grateful for the hard work and hospitality shown by our hosts in Austin, and I invite everyone to join us for this special Minnesota fall tradition.”

Tickets to the banquet are $35 each and can be purchased at Discover Austin, or by calling 507-437-4563. The banquet will feature a social hour, dinner, and program which will include Walz, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Explore Minnesota Director John Edman, and local presenters. Tickets are available until sold out.

Please remember to keep our troops in your prayers. We must not let ourselves forget those who are still putting themselves in harm’s way so we can enjoy all of the wonderful freedoms we have today.